Fw: Flames

["Dave Winer" <dave@userland.com>]

Just to let you guys know that we're breaking some new ground on Scripting
News in covering Central Asia, Europe, and lots of voices that have not made
it into the weblog world yet. I have no idea, after all this time, who Bill
Kearney is, who he works for, what software he creates, etc. I do know this,
some pretty good stuff is flowing through OPML. There's no time to fix the
glitches in the RSS feeds. Doc is also doing important stuff. His content is
best accessed through OPML. The usual tone of this list must take a backseat
to the problems we're dealing with, and the solutions we already have in
place. Now would be a good time for the people who want to do good for the
world to get in the loop. Don't let Kearney -- we don't even know who he
is -- stop this. There's a lot of power in XML, now is NOT the time to be
selfish and keep the old animosities going. If Kearney wants to help, start
by writing some software, or help someone get their ideas on the Web.
Emphatically this is not about anything vs anything -- the content is
available in OPML. Period. There's no flexibility on that at this time. Dave



----- Original Message -----
From: <xxx>
To: <dave@userland.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2001 7:55 AM
Subject: RE: Flames


> Dave,
>
> Screw the flames. You're doing a great job offering a variety of
> perspectives. It doesn't matter if I agree with them all. It matters that
> they are all heard. Readers should be old (and bold) enough to invent
their
> own responses.
>
> Also, you're exposing a number of interesting blogs and alternatives news
> sources previously unknown to me.  It's interesting, because in just the
past
> few weeks, I was investigating Blogs and wonderings, what's the point?
Isn't
> this just more meaningless drivel from people who can't get published for
> real? Many certainly are, but you're demonstrating just how valuable and
> unique these  can be.  While the mainstream population is stuck with
> jingoistic talk radio or entertainment-based TV media (who's deepest
question
> is "How did that make you feel?"), you're offering proof that other
> perspectives exist, struggling to be heard.
>
> It's also striking how your site (or at least the current incarnation) is
> exactly what I always thought the web should be -- a private party
gathering
> interesting items and linking outward.  I'm so bored with sites that want
you
> to stay within their virtually walls, never stepping elsewhere on the web.
> Wasn't that the whole point of the web!
>
> One last thought - has anyone considered how this War on Terrorism is the
> first virtual war?  Like a virtual company, with no offices, few people,
no
> concern for tradition and lots of output, this enemy has few members, no
> return address and the potential for big destruction because of their
> willingness to break all previous rules. Forget the first war of the 21st
> Century.  This is first war of the post-web world. That poses one
question -
> did we influence them or did they influence us?
>
> Keep writing,
>
> Rich