[LINK] grog gamut

[Tom Koltai]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: link-bounces at mailman.anu.edu.au 
> [mailto:link-bounces at mailman.anu.edu.au] On Behalf Of Richard Chirgwin
> Sent: Monday, 4 October 2010 2:30 PM
> To: link at mailman.anu.edu.au
> Subject: Re: [LINK] grog gamut
> 
> 
>   Kim,
> 
> Disclaimer: I'm a journalist.
> 
> I'm having trouble with this story.
> 
> On the one hand, I agree that News Limited was being 
> self-serving in the 
> "outing" of GG, and likewise that its justifications aren't great. I 
> disliked the "Gotcha!" angle of the story intensely - it may be 
> justifiable if a publication is revealing something serious, like 
> corruption in high places, but when you're taking a stick to someone 
> with limited ability to defend themselves, you're just being a bully.
> 
<SNIP>

Of course by being outed, effective anonymous bloggers will have less of
curiosity factor [as bloggers] which of course will enable more
newspapers to be sold.

So, as the song goes, "Another one bites the dust". One less "anonymous"
blogger to compete against.

Although the Australian Article decries that motive:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/why-i-unmasked-blogger-grog
/story-e6frg6zo-1225930277362

Quote/"The decision to reveal Jericho's identity was not and is not, as
the conspiracy theorists would have it, part of an evil plot by News
Limited (publisher of The Australian) to crush its enemies or stifle new
and at times critical voices in the new media space."/Quote

As Journos justify their interference by outing independent reporting,
less whistle-blowers will be tempted to reveal the other side of the
coin, even anonymously.

Then again, internet pushback [via P2P] has produced the desired result
in the digital content arena [i.e.: non-DRM digital content available
economically].

Possibly James Massola has created a hero martyr. 

Congratulations the Australian, only an estimated 2 billion anonymous
tweeters, bloggers, commentators, and adhoc amateur journos left to
shut-up.

Good luck with that.


Tom