forbes goes off the deep end part iv

My last post about this, I promise. And since it is the last, I will offer, for those who are interested, my reason for taking great umbrage to the foolish Forbes article.

Here's a different view of the article (which I'm not providing any more links to, it's not worth it).

I enjoyed Dave's intro in which he quotes bloggers who, angry that they've been mistakenly referred to as a lynch mob, threaten to lynch Forbes and the the article's author. Funny.

Then he summarizes the main thurst of Attack of the Blogs with the following points,

1. You don't know who is blogging and why
2. Misinformation and lies are quickly disseminated
3. Bloggers are not subject to libel laws
4. Bloggers are not journalists,

each of which have some validity. I do not think they are completely valid as they are stated, however. Often, things people hold as facts are only partially factual. Such is the case with the list above. Nonetheless, it doesn't diminish the observation that the Forbes article wasn't totally unfounded.

Then David says this,

The important thing is to step back from the overt bias in the Forbes article and read through it a second time, asking yourself whether anything said is really false, or simply just a bit breathless and one-sided.

but that is precisely what is wrong with the Attack of the Blogs. From the first sentence to the last, the thing is breathless (much more than just a bit), one sided, and therefore just as irresponsible as those bloggers it characterizes as a lynch mob. As Freshblog's John said in a comment on a previous post,

"It sounds unhinged beyond measure!! I can't imagine what they were thinking when they decided to publish it...."

The only thing I can say in favor of the Forbes article is this: the author, Daniel Lyons, signed his name to it. That's good, but that's all that's good.

In the end, the same thing is wrong with both the Forbes article and some of the "kill, kill, kill" reactions to it: It's not enough to broadcast facts. Facts must be handled responsibly. Facts can be spun into a web of lies (the Bible depicts Satan making a career out of this very thing) or facts can be used to tell the truth.

And so bloggers and other writers: be careful, be responsible. And in the end, if you're not willing to put your name on it, perhaps you'd better think twice and then a third time.


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