Sometimes I really don't get this place.
We are so self-contradictory. So hypocritical. No unable to bear any type of criticism either of ourselves or Markos.
WTF?
It was only a few weeks ago that Chris Bowers posted a diary illustrating the fact that progressive funds were flowing only one-way. This resulted in an expected outpouring of support and ideas and offers to donate.
Yeah, Community! We rock!
Or do we...
Chris' diary was following by others like this one by Mike Stark entitled "BlogPac Activity Tuesday" and "More of Webnut Welfare" by Dana Blankenhorn and, finally, "Fascism Triumphs! BlogPac Ready to "Give UP"" by Aeolus.
In case you missed the diaries or the point they were making I'll sum it up for you:
MONEY
Yup, good 'ol money and the fact that the netroots can't work without some type of income to keep our best and brightest and up-and-comers fed and able to keep the lights on.
I'm not pretending to understand why Markos decided to trim the blogroll. I myself prefer to travel to various blogging destinations through the rolls supported by the sites I visit first each day for a summary of what's going on. I'm sure this is true of many because it's just easier to peruse the community - and even expand your community -- through gateways provided on sites you're going to anyway. I bookmark sites that pique my interest (or ire on the other side of the fence) but I don't travel that way.
I'm not pretending to say that MSOC's diary was her best. It was a straight up rant. Obviously one that much of our community feels wasn't justified.
From my perspective she makes several valid points. I can sum 'em up by saying that I opened her diary first when I came to the site today -- even before I read anything on the FP. I've read her stuff since I first found this site and content from her and a few others is why I joined and paid for a membership to DKos. No, I have not always agreed with her but there isn't anyone anywhere that I read and agree with 100% of the time.
The point is that MSOC's basic premise (or gripe if you prefer) is legit.
Companies like eBay, Google and Murdoch's empire don't buy up companies like Skype and YouTube and MySpace for phenomenal amounts of money because they are worth that much today.
They buy them because of the potential for future revenue due to the sheer volume of users (i.e. traffic) they have.
So how can we read and link to and profess to support concepts like Chris' and not understand how Markos' decision to stop supporting traffic is basically contradictory?
Does 'kos owe MSOC anything? Some would say aye. Others nay.
I say it doesn't matter whether he owes her or not but there's no denying we're proposing to support some circular networking of funds on one hand and saying "too bad -- sink or swim" on the other.
I know I've been spending less time around here. Heck, this is my first diary since October. This is mostly because I personally don't find the rec list content up to my standards but I've made no secret of my disdain for some of the current elite who simply have to cut-and-paste and throw a few sympathetic words onto someone else's journalism and call it their own and have a rec guaranteed. Ick.
I dislike the fact that I had to somehow earn (to this day I still don't understand it) TU status only to lose it when "RL" minimizes time able to be spent and contribute here. Have I somehow become less "trusted" because I'm not here as often? Or is the TU simply some type of award for being frequent traffic and, hence, a source of revenue?
I am disturbed when I see GBCW diaries from good diarists because the comments are filled with so much hate and ill-will and people who either don't understand the concept of debate or simply choose to ignore it.
Sites changes. Communities change. And yes, if you becomes less comfortable one place you can starting hangin' out somewhere else.
Not a GBCW by any means. Just a request to analyze your positions and to stop responding from the gut just because someone criticizes your hangout.
UPDATED: Removed member name in title at commenter's suggestion. Me bad but not too bad.