An Open Letter to Nick Carr

Dear Nick,

It's really nothing personal, but I just find myself disagreeing with so much of what you have to say.  My eyeglasses do not see the world the way you do and my experiences in the universe draw me to very different conclusions than you draw.

Yesterday, was no small example. I did not see your latest anti-blogosphere blog. The funny twist was that I would have missed your post entirely, had it not been for one Sterling "Chip" Camden who wrote a great reply to you.  I went on to comment without reading your post at that time, because reading you, well it generally pisses me off. Then I write something nasty about you and then you shoot back and you may enjoy this kind of stuff, but it may surprise you to learn I don't. So I just don't read your blog unless you start a conversation, such as this one, that I just can't let myself avoid.

But let's go back to your recent broadside that claims A-listers, like you and me, like Doc and Michael are the equivalent to feudal gate keepers was very well written.  I admire your ability to articulate so well, even if what you articulate is a fraud , innocent or otherwise.

What is so ironic to me is that according to Technorati, Chip is a mere 55,154th in ranking. While you are a formidable #610. Yet, he sent me to you.  You got my hit, and now you are getting my link and I suppose that will get you more traffic, just like Michael Arrington's link to you might help drive a nice blip in your traffic.

So who's keeping whose gate?  And for that matter is it an open or closed gate?

Let me take it from another point. Some of my best friends are A Plus Listers, Scoble, Doc and Arrington are people I know and like. But these days, I'm reading a lot more of Chip, Kami Huyse, David Parmet, Brian Oberkirch, Jeremiah Owyang,Tom Raftery and Josh Hallett, Chip and Brian Brown's Pajama Market, more than the latter trio. If these links send them traffic, I feel good.  Retaining the traffic is entirely up to them.

Who I read could--and probably will-- change tomorrow. Like all other blog readers, I have the right to choose and the right to be fickle. I have the right to link or not and so do you and so does everybody else. A committee does not get to decide from high within the castle.

So whose hand is on the gate? You have higher ranking than I do?  Would you say then, that you have a greater weight on this gate than I do? Why the Hell do I want to go into the castle anyway.  The weather is great out here. As one of those blog evangelists, you so disdain, why would I want to be inside the castle, where all the converted hang out anyway?

You raise the issue of Seth Finkelstein, whose blog I had not read until you pointed it out to me. Thanks for referring him to me and I will subscribe for a while.  Maybe he will keep my interest and maybe he won't.  Like the rest of us, if Seth wants to be an A-lister, he needs to not just do the right mechanical things, he needs to interest enough people enough of the time. He needs to have readers enthusiastic enough about what he has to say that they link to him and talk about him and catch his passion and get valuable information and insights on things they care about.  In short, he needs to be relevant.

At no point and in no space is there some Committee of the Anointed A-List sitting in a topdown boardroom deciding who should link and who should be linked to. This may be hard for you to understand, Nick, since you are such a lover of all things traditionally corporate.  You just cannot get your mind around anything that is organized from the bottom up.

The link I gave Seth might send a few people his way. He's picked up more than a few links, thanks to you. Now it's up to him to retain them. I raise this because I did a quick check, because I was not certain.  In the past month or so, it appears that over 70% of my outbound links went to people who are not considered A-Lister's Scoble's s over 50 and so is Doc Searls.  Of course this is true of Arrington, but let's disqualify him because he covers "little companies with funny names" as you so belligerently put it.

Nick, I read a few minutes ago that you are about to take a vacation.  I hope you enjoy your space away from the blogosphere. Don't worry about your rankings while you are away.  I'm sure when you come back, you will manage to offend enough lovers of this new conversational media, that your A-List ranking will remain secure.

The other thought is that maybe you should reflect on just quitting your blog. You don't like the blogosphere.  You certainly don't seem to like those of us who are dedicating lives and energy to its promotion, and--don't be offended by this Nick--we really won't miss you a whole lot if you just sit down and shut up.

Sincerely,

Shel Israel                                                                                                     Blog Evangelist

Comments

[Sterling Camden]

Not to reinforce the perception of caste, but is it OK if I bronze this post?

Seriously, thank you very much for your kind words, Shel. Your opinion means much more to me than the linkage, but thanks for that, too. I'll have to check out the other blogs you named that I haven't seen before.

[John Koetsier]

Whoa. There's some emotion behind that! (As there is behind the best of blog posts, books, and everything else.)

Not sure if you saw my A-list conspiracy-theory debunking article, Shel:
http://www.sparkplug9.com/bizhack/index.php/2006/08/16/a-lister-conspiracy-theories-and-dreams-of-easy-success/

I wrote it in response to Chip's article as well as Nicholas Carr's.

[Seth Finkelstein]

0) "FinkELstein", not "FinkLEstein"

1) Umm, thanks for the link :-)

2) So far, no traffic :-) :-)

3) I had more to say, but I reminded myself I'm a blog-peasant :-(.

[Craig Cmehil]

Quite a bit off my normal topic of interest, but considering I keep seeing this "A List" deal flying all around I decided to read what Nick Carr wrote and what you wrote, I also noticed what Dennis and Vinnie commented.

I'd rather bust my butt in the trenches to produce good interesting content around the topics that interest me then simply go "link" hunting ("begging at the gates") for someone who isn't going to really care anyway about me or my content. A link should be earned and any visitor you get should feel that they haven't just wasted a trip.

As such I did not provide my url here - I'm in Google though :-)

Thanks for the great post Shel!

[shel israel]

Sorry for the typo, Seth. I corrected it and reposted. I hope the new traffic comes roaring in.

[Doug Karr]

Wow! I left a comment on Mr. Carr's blog as well. I'm afraid that he suffers from the old school rule of advertising... more eyeballs is better. The new rule is ROE... Return on Eyeballs. If the one person who reads your blog is the one you are looking to network with, work with, or respond to... then your blog's ROE is 100%!

Success is no longer measured in a high number of eyeballs. That's why newspapers and other mass mediums continue to fail. People are looking to connect with people that they want to, not forced to connect to those who are fed to them. I'm not looking to make my blog an 'A-List' on the Internet, I'm simply looking to make it an 'A-List' with my colleagues, friends and family.

Warmest Regards,
Doug

[Randy Charles Morin]

Seems the entire a-list disagrees with Nick's anti-a-list comments. Weird 8-|

[apotheon]

So do I, way down here in the C- list, Randy. As a devoted fan of Chip's Quips and a full-of-hot-air opinionated ranter of sorts myself, I of course had to contribute to the discussion there both directly and via pingback.

I've noticed that Nick Carr doesn't do the pingback thing -- and yet, he wonders why he others (many of whom do) get all the love. If you don't participate in the positive economy, you don't get to reap its rewards so much.

[apotheon]

Woah, typo. That should read "he wonders why he doesn't". That use of the word "others" must be an artifact of an earlier version of the comment.

[Toby Getsch]

I want to ignore this post and the other guy's post and this whole conversation. But, I also want it to be known that I'm ignoring it. In "real life" anyone can see someone walk away or change the subject. In the blogosphere, we can't do that. Saying anything draws attention.

So, anyway... How about the weather? It's been nice here in the Seattle area lately....

[shel israel]

Toby,
I appreciate your sentiments. Just so you know, by leaving a comment on a post, you increase it's prominence in engine searches.

[Nick Douglas]

Oh my god, you people still aren't done with this tiff? Do you really want the Valleywag guy to tell you to get over your drama?

[Sterling Camden]

Yes, Valleywag it!

[Kami Huyse]

Shel; I think you are right. Everyone needs a break, but what they do with the break is indeed, "entirely up to them."

You probably won't be surprised to hear that I don't read you because you are an "A-lister." I read you because you make me think.

I am a moderate though, I do believe that rank gives a blogger a wider platform and is important insofar as it sets the stage. I also believe that platform (once earned) needs to be used wisely.

What I've learned in my short (comparitively) nine-months of blogging, is that aiming for rank is bad for the soul, but forming relationships with others through social media (or in real life), is rewarding at many levels. Thanks for being a part of that.

[Jeremiah Owyang]

I find Nick's stance pretty predictable, without reading his post, I can predict that he'll pretty much takes the stance of the opposite of the majority.

He positions it well on techmeme.com, folks just cannot help but click and then be drawn in.

[dave rogers]

So much for the "innocent fraud" of "conversation!"

The people who don't agree with "those of us who are dedicating lives and energy to its promotion" are called "assholes" and invited to "just sit down and shut up."

Well done, sirs.

[Tom F]

A thought:

Salman Rushdie said,

"A book [blog] is a version of the world. If you do not like it, ignore it; or offer your own version in return."

(I added the "blog".)

[Randy Charles Morin]

Apotheon, lucky u. I'm on the PP list.

[Ethan]

"It's really nothing personal, but I just find myself disagreeing with so much of what you have to say."

Uh, it's called "life". And since the internet begins and ends with the USA, and hence is ruled by the US Constitution (except when it isn't), First Amendment, baby.

For a blog evangelist you seem to view the internet as "Nick Carr, and everything else".

------

"Like the rest of us, if Seth wants to be an A-lister, he needs to not just do the right mechanical things, he needs to interest enough people enough of the time."

Ummm, I recommend doing a little research into Mr. Finkelstein's illustrious (?) history, specifically his online exploits. I'm finding myself taking on the burden of outrage on Seth's behalf (major mass guilt trip to follow) as these petty "ideas" to "fix" Seth's "problem" (scare quotes much?) fall well short of the mark. And yes, I am flogging my own back first as I was previously unaware of how bad things got. I'd say it's a hopeful sign that Seth is "just" bitter. :-(

------

Anyway, mission accomplished. You're getting attention for something that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of "non-issue". Whee.

[Lance]

I think I will just go ahead and join the A-list. Please let everyone know to expect me. I start Monday.

[shel israel]

Lance,
C'mon in. The gate's open.

[Karl]

I wonder if you folks read a book called The Long Tail?

Know where the term came from?

An old piece by Clay Shirky, on this whole subject matter.

And it would seem to me that if you believe that web media works along a model that the long tail represents...

Well then you already recongize that the head has more influence and attention then those in the tail.

Right?

You could wage an argument saying that there are *many* A-lists, within different niches and topic spaces.

But to say none?

How can you deny that some blogs have more influence and attention in the online conversation then others? Why perpetuate the myth that the web is "flat"?

Lets revisit this for a second...

"Like the rest of us, if Seth wants to be an A-lister, he needs to not just do the right mechanical things, he needs to interest enough people enough of the time. He needs to have readers enthusiastic enough about what he has to say that they link to him and talk about him and catch his passion and get valuable information and insights on things they care about. In short, he needs to be relevant."

No, Seth is very, very relevant in regards to censorship and related subject mattter.

Your argument is that he needs to be a marketer. Not that he needs to be relevant.

It's an unfair slam that should be apologized for.

[Chris Saad]

Manual Trackback!
http://www.touchstonelive.com/blog/2006/08/why-arent-you-paying-enough-attention.html

[Dennis Howlett]

Shel:
I concur with Nick's assessment though I'd put a twist on it. More like echo chamber today. The problem - if there is one - arises from the use of 'A-list' (or any other list). It smacks of hierarchy.

I don't see Nick as anti-community at all. He has a point of view, he shares it, he links to others. The fact his view is one with which you disagree is counterpoint. Otherwise, 'we' run the risk of becoming brown nosers.

I definitely don't agree with those that characterise Nick as an 'asshole.' I prefer Bob Sutton's definition and usage, reserving it for those who are plain nasty and demeaning. I'm told Nick has behaved that way in the past but everyone deserves forgiveness. Don't you think?

On the issue of people I read, yes, habits change. Mine do as I'm sure my readers do/will. But I think that says far more about quality than anything else. We like certain columnists for how they keep our attention. Nick's skilled at doing that.

I know is that when someone praises something I write, then my first thought is: Great - now how to improve. When someone is critical: I think great, show me where my thinking sucks. Maybe I'm a glass half full person after all - even though many think I'm a curmudgeon.

[Oliver Widder]

Does these blog discurses have to be so harsh and personally?

About Nick's thesis I made a small cartoon.

Bye,
Oliver