The Real ‘Dynamics Of A Blogosphere Story’

by John Hawkins | May 27, 2003 12:12 pm

The Real ‘Dynamics Of A Blogosphere Story’: There have been a couple of articles getting a lot of attention lately that discuss how stories pick up steam and get bigger in the blogosphere (You can read them here[1] & here[2]). Let me be the first to tell you — both of those stories are as fake as Michael Jackson’s nose! If you want to know how stories start in the blogosphere and actually get so big that they effect the President himself, all you have to do is watch and learn. First, a story breaks and then…

Tim Blair[3] mentions it in passing while making fun of Margo Kingston.

Charles Johnson[4] suggests that maybe there’s something about it on Arafat’s desk.

Stephen Green[5]…well he doesn’t comment on it because he’s working on, “The Bachelor’s Guide to Getting Laid Through Cooking” instead of blogging.

Michele Catalano[6] points out that this is the sort of thing Ted Rall would cover if he could draw and had talent.

Scott Ott[7] makes fun of it.

Damian Penny[8] suggests that raving moonbat Mikey Rivero from What Really Happened[9] is lying about this subject.

Megan McArdle[10] wonders if we’re missing the economic implications of the whole thing.

Samizdata[11] explains how this could be used to help keep the EU from infringing on British sovereignty.

Atrios[12] & Oliver Willis[13] blame it on Bush.

Rachel Lucas[14] rants about it and the word “asshat” is used.

Steven Den Beste[15] writes a six thousand word editorial about the fallout from this issue.

Glenn Reynolds[16] puts a chunk of the story up and writes, “Interesting”.

Andrew Sullivan[17] says that this is a minor issue compared to how gays are treated in our society.

Fark’s[18] readers have a flamewar about it.

It’s talked about in 2 inch headlines on top of the Drudge Report[19].

The New York Times[20] says this shows Augusta should allow female members.

Bill O’Reilly[21] yells at a guest because of it.

Then depending on the nature of the story, President Bush either calls for a new tax cut, plans an invasion of another country, or decides to put a whoopee cushion in Jacques Chirac’s chair at the G8 summit.

…And there you have it!