Yes, that’s the current Technorati number quoted in Michael Malone’s latest Silicon Insider column. (He also has some nice things to say about Pajamas Media’s video election coverage – thanks, Michael.) If that figure is even faintly correct, we’ve entered a mind-boggling era of communications here. Assuming that roughly half that number is American, the ratio of blogs to potential readers in this country is around one to ten – not a tremendously optimistic stat from a publishing point of view. No wonder I detect real fear of the Internet from some journalists I know. It’s a ruthless meritocracy out here, especially if you’re not doing porn. You’re not protected in the way you are (or more likely were) with a traditional newspaper job. You may even have to be able to write to attract attention [Present company excepted. -ed. Of course.] Another thing that amuses me is that there are still people around who have not heard of blogs or say they don’t know what they are. Talk about Luddites. Have they heard of television? Or radio? Anyway, by force of sheer numbers, it is likely the best blogs would be superior in many ways to what is offered by the diminishing mainstream media. History and technology march on. Recent events at the LA Times are just an inevitable blip. Still some rich guys are trying to buck the trend – sentimental Luddites, I suppose.
Roger L. Simon
Blacklisting Myself Memoir of a Hollywood Apostate in the Age of Terror
BUY HERE IN HARDCOVER- BUY HERE ON KINDLE! New radio: Fred Thompson Show, Hugh Hewitt on PJTV (first of five-parter). YouTube version of Roger on BookTV (After Words) with Armstrong Williams - here. Video: Roger on Greg Gutfeld's Red Eye. Reviews so far: Lloyd Billingsley @ FrontPage, Ron Radosh in the National Review, Sonny Bunch in the Washington Times, Andrew Klavan in City Journal, Marty Dodge in Blogcritics, Tod Goldberg in LV City Life, John Hinderaker in Powerline. Lone Star Times, Mark Coffey at Informed Speculation, John Ruberry at Marathon Pundit, Dan Blatt at Gay Patriot. First syndication Commentary. Advance comments from Michael Barone, John Podhoretz and Ron Silver. Podcasts: Milt Rosenberg Show, John J. Miller - National Review, Ed Driscoll - Sirius Radio. Video review by Bernard Chapin. FrontPage Interview w/ Jamie Glazov. Join the Facebook group. BUY HARDCOVER! - BUY KINDLE!
PJM HomeRoger L Simon
The blog of the mystery writer, screenwriter and CEO of Pajamas Media
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 With gratitude to the readers of this blog without whom my new -- and first non-fiction -- book would likely never have been written.
Simon's first non-fiction book - Blacklisting Myself: Memoir of a Hollywood Apostate in an Age of Terror - Pub. date: February 5, 2009 |
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7 Comments
1. triticale:Apply Sturgeon’s Law, and you still have 5.7 million blogs which aren’t crud. Apply Bernstein’s Corollary, and you have 2.85 million which shouldn’t be ignored. Still a number with a lot of impact.
Nov 9, 2006 - 6:57 pm 2. Lem:Commentary rises and falls of its own weight.
Blogs allow more commentary hopefully forcing the professionals (like Roger?) to dig deeper.
I think is good for all concern.
Nov 9, 2006 - 9:57 pm 3. Lem:Here are some mind-bloging numbers from the UK.
“What we’re being told is that there are 200 groups of mass killers hidden throughout the UK, and that means it’s absolutely essential that the public assist and that they understand, I think in the text of what has just been repeated to us, that no matter how good government or security services are, without the help of the public, these plots will get through.
“In the best of organised [sic] countries and counter-terror operations, even 10% per cent do get through, regardless of how good we are at stopping them.”
Mean time the drum beat here is that “It’s the war stupid”, meaning the war in Iraq. Does anybody know, or care to guess, how many groups are hidden here, in this country?
Alas, Nancy is going to tell us and it will not be fear mongering.
http://tinyurl.com/yard3q
Nov 10, 2006 - 5:22 am 4. Anthony (Los Angeles):Fifty-seven million? No wonder the Internet has a claustrophobic feel to it!
Nov 10, 2006 - 8:37 am 5. Godzilla:You can’t make this stuff up.
Al-Qaida leader lauds Republican defeat, vows to blow up the White House
I hate to say it, but of the republican defeat and the Al-Qaida’s statement concerning it, the terroist is the one that is acting consistently. That’s assuming, of course, that the vast majority of the American people are not bent on self-destruction.
2.85 million blogs that can’t be ignored? Damn I’ve got some reading to catch up on!
Nov 10, 2006 - 12:03 pm 6. JSF:Roger, out of all those Blogs, would be willing to link to mine?
Thanks!
Nov 10, 2006 - 8:24 pm 7. The Sanity Inspector:57.9 million blogs? That explains why my NZ Bear ranking is now out to seven digits… >:^\
Nov 11, 2006 - 3:12 pm