The little guy can strike back


Bloggers make governments nervous
Glen Reynolds writes on the increasing influence of bloggers.

You can't push the little guys around as easily as in the past. Instead of calling the lawyers, it's a better idea to get your own side of the story out. Lawsuits are frowned on in the blogosphere, but arguments aren't. The Chicago Tribune's Steve Johnson called Warren Kremer Paino's treatment of the case "hamhanded and peabrained." That's perhaps a bit kind, but it certainly provides an object lesson in how not to act, for other companies smart enough to learn. (Some good advice in how to respond can be found at the end of this article from Advertising Age.)

The next question is whether governments are smarter or dumber than ad agencies. As I write this, Egyptian blogger Alaa has been arrested by the Egyptian government. Bloggers are already responding, with cries of release the hounds!

Brutal authoritarian dictatorships, of course, are harder to influence than inept ad agencies. But it's also true that blogging dissidents get more outside support than dissidents in the pre-blog age. Arresting Alaa is certainly going to be more expensive for the Egyptian government than arresting a non-blogging dissident a few years ago. Expensive enough to change the Egyptian government's mind? Stay tuned, as we all find out.

I firmly believe that the internet is the last, best hope for freedom. That is why so many governments get nervous with unregulated content. It's the Information Age, data has become a product like any other.

Only now you have choice.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Tue - May 9, 2006 at 04:57 AM  Tag


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