What does it take for Scoble to stop blogging for a week?
The rate of change has accelerated to the point where we’ve come to a critical inflection point. Philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer spoke of three stages of truth:
- it is ridiculed
- it is violently opposed
- it is seen as self-evident.
Blogging and social media has been teetering at the tipping point of the ridicule phase. Everyone has laughed/cringed at the absurdity of “blog” ..I spotted a tweet (twitter post) come through from Twitter founder Evan Williams reinforcing the idea :
as an academic the crux of formidable social and economic disruption can’t be seen to have such a ridiculous name! Bloody hell, best to head back to the safety of weblog. Earlier today in the Financial Times: “YouTube was funny until it was worth $1.65bn to someone”
hmmm.. it’s getting a little more serious, looks like it could be round about time for phase two. Whether truth or the path of a new reality: this is the way with every single formidable social change bar none. Mathematicians were violently executed for daring to uphold the notion of zero! What isn’t always discussed is that soft targets (often women) are the ones taken out to test the strength of the new emerging belief.
Kathy Sierra (whose lucid, brain-friendly blog was the reason I was inspired to blog) has been the brunt of some horrific threats. I think it may be a good time for us girlgeeks to pay a little more attention to the fact that we’ve been playing out in the open. The sunshine and freedom’s been blissful, but maybe it’s time to wrap up and go play inside awhile.
Robert Scoble is forgoing blogging for a week in support of Kathy.. and he’s not alone in making a potent statement about it. While I agree with Steve Rubel’s clear-headed perspective of the blogosphere.. however: I believe that the community of explorers and innovative pioneers at the frontier will always have a different ethos, level of courage and shared trust that changes with access equity as the floodgates open.
In the South African blogophere our early BarCamps and GeekDinners were wild and wonderful idea-fests, filled with genius types of all kinds.. but within a year we’ve opened up to conflict and some bitter in-fighting and name-calling, sometimes merely to redirect the flow of traffic. (no links needed)
Perhaps we need to pay heed to history’s fractal patterns and realise where we are on the journey. Time to regroup and find the visionaries and leaders who can hold their own in chaordic times to come*.
For us in SA, Madiba and Archbishop Tutu stand as icons in this arena. Threats are always are foretaste of the undercurrent. I will be changing trajectory within this week, time to stop messing around. The gentle weather has passed. There’s a chill in the air. I stand by those who I love dearly in my blogging community: it’s time to increase the peace.
* If you are unconvinced about the impact of social media (incl. blogs) on the macro-economic level and irrevocable social evolutionary shifts underway;
[there is good reason why I'm inclined to take this a little more seriously than most] connect in for supporting metrics, talks or organisational leadership programs for a little more clarity. We will be having one running as an executive program at the Graduate School of Business soon. Its relevance may startle you, even if you are already a blogger.
Max,
It is absolutely unforgivable that what happened to Kathy should now drive all of blogosphere’s female bloggers running for cover.
48 hours ago all was well in the blogosphere. There was nothing of note to fear. Now it has changed. Probably for ever.
I hope not. Blogosphere is supposed to be mean many things. In particular it is meant to provide both genders with the requisite freedoms to express ourselves without fear of the type of retribution meted out to Kathy.
Today, blogosphere sucks.
Over and out
Robert
Not sure what to think of the Sierra-case: just 10 minutes ago I read about it, also reading her post and some of the 650 comments.
We all agree it sucks - big, big time. For her, her family and for ‘us’ as a community as she has a readworthy blog, shows passion for her field and keep delivering good articles.
However (and NOT to downplay her plight in any way), this is a thing of all ages. Unfortunately. Sadly. It just happens now in a highly visible way, as she has the courage to publish about it worldwide (as hoped for by the person(s) doing this to her): I guess Jack the Ripper (to mention only one deranged mind) would have loved modern day means of communication to put forward his ‘message’.
Ok, he actually murdered women, but often it is a matter of being in control and correcting women that ‘expose’ themselves - which (female)bloggers do - especially in the eyes of those deranged men.
In that sense we can maybe witness the coming of age of blogging - it’s cruel and sad. But then, how naive were ‘we’ in the first place?
Max, we look forward to hear where you are heading from here. But as always, be careful. After all, this is stil South Africa as well.
Thank you so much guys, I respect & dig both of you & wouldn’t know you were it not for being in the blogosphere.
I am feeling a little sombre about the fact that we’ve passed through the transparent threshold, but that’s why I pointed out.. this is normal and to be expected of anything that has the potential to shift minds, markets and money to the degree that the social web is.
LOL.. I may be tiny, but I’m a battlescarred old warrior at heart.. the stuff I’ve been through would scare the bejesus out of most hardened men. Why I’m taking some time to step back is that now this is my time to work. I’m a hunter, in easy times we’re not tremendously useful..
Deal is, for me cowardice is the single most revolting attribute, and that’s what drove the incident. The blogosphere has just been officially welcomed as a normal part of society, no longer a merry sunny playground for the cool creative kids alone. So we treat it with the same sensibility. My concern is to avoid fear and scavenging greed from breaking the bravery of those who have so much good to give in this space. I’ve learnt a GREAT deal in my wild journeying that may be useful to pass on.. time for my real work is beginning.
thank you guys for caring x x
While Kathy’s situation leaves one to be almost speechless, it is actually sickening and completely unacceptable. But in a world where all sorts of people exist, good and bad, it is something that is to be expected. Expected, perhaps, Acceptable, not.
Personal attacks, whether on- or offline, are experiences that chill people like us to the bone. We’re a society that is strong and confident, but scared and afraid as well. Ill-minded people use this to their advantage.
Victory comes to those who stand up with courage and fight the freedom. In the digital arena, social media is a platform that exudes the very nature of freedom. Allowing fear to come in between this is wrong.
As you say, chaordic times will follow. It’s to be expected. However, those who lead the way through authoritative example while depicting good culture will ride this undercurrent. You deserve to be a part of this collective.