ALA President Not Fond of Bloggers

Phil Shapiro writes "American Library Association president Michael Gorman is not too fond of bloggers and blogging. '[The] Blog People (or their subclass who are interested in computers and the glorification of information) have a fanatical belief in the transforming power of digitization and a consequent horror of, and contempt for, heretics who do not share that belief... Given the quality of the writing in the blogs I have seen, I doubt that many of the Blog People are in the habit of sustained reading of complex texts. It is entirely possible that their intellectual needs are met by an accumulation of random facts and paragraphs.'"

HA!

[NoData]

Don't let this guy read any Slashdot comments in that case.

"Blog people"

[panth0r]

Look out! The "Blog People" are going to burn books!

Random Facts

[pintpusher]

It is entirely possible that their intellectual needs are met by an accumulation of random facts and paragraphs.

Not sure what

a random

paragraph is. The temperature here is 33 degrees
fahrenheit. I took a walk today. My HP

doesn't like talking to CUPS.

There are 3,472 green M&M's in the

jar.

This guy has no right

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't even understand how this person became President of such an organization. His writing styles is absolutely atrocious. He offers no supporting evidence for any of his points. He really needs to go back and take a basic college writing course. I would fail him if he was my student and turned in a paper like that.

Complext Texts?

[Anonymous Coward]

"I doubt that many of the Blog People are in the habit of sustained reading of complex texts."

Read complex texts? Ha! /.ers can't even be bothered to RTFA.

ALA People

[splatg]

I'm not to fond of these ALA president people. From what I have superficially seen they make broad sweeping generalisations and knee jerk statements about others who they do not take the time to understand. I also heard that they don't shower very often and are cruel to puppies. There was a rumour going around that they get their tertiay education from discarded tissue boxes and glue sticks.

heretics

[pintpusher]

I do not have contempt for heretics who do not share my beliefs. I merely beat them mercilessly until they do.

share that is.

Slashdot ad?

[Romancer]

"It is entirely possible that their intellectual needs are met by an accumulation of random facts and paragraphs."

Kind of like slashdot readers?

Same fate, different era

[Pacifix]

News flash: A brontosaurus is not too fond of mammels and live birth. 'The mammels (or their sublcass who are monkeys) have a fanatical belief in the transforming power of being small, having a relatively large brain and the ability to withstand, say, a large meterorite striking the earth. Given the quality of their roars, I doubt that many of the mammals are in the habit of thundering across the primordial plains. It is entirely possible their survial needs are met through hair, live birth and quick adaptability.'

Re:This guy has no right

[0x461FAB0BD7D2]

It's his opinion on the subject. Yes, he's just blogging about bloggers, and interestingly his need was met by an accumulation of random facts and paragraphs.

Re:Random Facts

[nihaopaul]

maybe he was using his internet explorer to view blog sites, where div tags were used with explicit positioning

Re:I'm not wearing any pants!

[bdbafh]

meant to post anonymously. damn you, autologin.

Re:Couldn't be more true

[Heftklammerdosierer!]

*obligatory comparison to Fox News*

Uh.

[ta bu shi da yu]

You post to Slashdot, and you're concerned with a waste of resources? Bwahaha!!

Re:"First they ignore at you ... " Gandhi

[Anonymous Coward]

God come up with an orignal thought please. God knows nobody on slashdot has use that before.

Passive resistance aside, Gandhi would punch you in the face right now.

Librarians are bitter

[rrs]

He's just bitter because the idea of mapping IP addresses to the Dewey Decimal System never caught on.

How long have you called yourself 'pintpusher'...

[Shturmovik]

...William Shatner?

Re:This guy has no right

[ggvaidya]

And I love how the Google adverts at the bottom of his writing all point towards sites offering blog hosting ...

Good to see ol' GOOG's not taking this lying down :P

Re:"Blog people"

[kesler]

Is it me or is it great that the Google ads at the bottom of the page are how to start your own blog.

Did anyone else notice ...

[ggvaidya]

That here we are, creating an accumulation of random facts and paragraphs, with no attempt to build up to a complex document ...

Did Mr. Gorman just troll Slashdot??

Re:This guy has no right

[Leo McGarry]

His writing styles is absolutely atrocious.

The irony ... it burns!

Re:Don't bother...

[Anonymous Coward]

I just love the american definition of the political left.

. . . like powerpoint

[tychoS]

"It is entirely possible that their intellectual needs are met by an accumulation of random facts and paragraphs."

Ohh like powerpoint slides?

Ohh like the Nasa department for Space Shuttles [www.caib.us]

Re:This guy has no right

[Anonymous Coward]

The irony ... it burns!

Hold your handy under the tappy for a minute or two, and get a woman to do it in future :)

Re:Duh

[Anonymous Coward]

But surely people think that their blogs are the best thing ever so deserver to be up their with Shakesspears

Up their what?

Re:Librarians

[Anonymous Coward]

Nothing by Ayn Rand belongs in a library, unless the library happens to have public toilets.

Re:The Tory Party Joke

[WoodenRobot]

They aren't our only right wing party - we also have New Labour. They're even more like the Republicans.

Let's step into the wayback machine . . .

[fajoli]

'[The] Newspapermen (or their subclass who are interested in dailies and the glorification of information) have a fanatical belief in the transforming power of yellow journalism and a consequent horror of, and contempt for, heretics who do not share that belief... Given the quality of the writing in the newspapers I have seen, I doubt that many of the newspapermen are in the habit of sustained reading of complex texts. It is entirely possible that their intellectual needs are met by an accumulation of random facts and paragraphs.'

How wrong that sounds today.

Re:When you read what this guy says...

[Anonymous Coward]

He reads like a luddite blueblood snob. I enjoyed the article so much, it might actually be satire. I'm going to send a terribly illiterate, blogish flamemail to mailto:michaelg@@csufresno.edu [mailto] and I think everyone else should too.

Re:Duh

[wondafucka]

Each person chooses a way to live; people do as they please. To claim that one lifestyle is superior is hypocritical, egotistical, and superficial.

I think it's fair to say that Michael Gorman is a snobby blowhard that discredits and smears the name of intelectuals everywhere. I think it's also fair to say that it is not egotistical nor hypocritical to say that my lifestyle of not being a complete judgemental prick mired in mini-ego battles is superior to his.

That being said, I suddenly realised that I was being a hypocritical egostistical prick.

I guess, that it's fair to say, that if I ever met someone that talked to or about me like he did, I would punch him, and I am a pacifist. (A hypocritical pacifist)

Re:He needs to get out more

[Reziac]

I guess that points out the difference between living in an attic and a basement. ;)

Re:And a note on the word "blog"...

[Frizzle Fry]

* Not a typo. "Baited breath" is incorrect and in fact nonsensical usage.

"The cat awaited the mouse with baited breath".