Today, the dinosaur continues his retreat, but not without braying his displeasure from behind the safe haven provided by the Globe and Mail.
The vast majority of blogs are akin to teenage diaries that attract a few dozen readers a day. Space for immediate reader feedback suggests what talk radio would be without the seven-second delay or the host's ability to disconnect vexatious callers.[...]
But the weakness of Canadian conservatism -- a coalition united principally in opposition to lefties and Liberals -- explains the failure of Canadian bloggers to strike any significant blows against mainstream media.
Amongst conservatives, you'll find a fair degree of despair bordering on loathing for Canada; neither is a good recipe for convincing one's compatriots about media bias or anything else. A few conservatives, deeply alienated from the mainstream, propose retrenching behind firewalls or even broach the possibility of separating from Canada and joining the U.S.
The swarm gathers.
None of this is new material to anyone who has followed the great scaly creature's stumble through the blogosphere... his walnut sized brain stubbornly seized on the post-Rathergate notion that bloggers exist to "take down" the media or get favoured political parties elected, and that nothing short of this achievement constitutes blogging "success".
But this latest, more public cry from the swamp (an echo of a similar column in the Vancouver Sun a couple of days ago) merits a more straightforward explanation. In this case, I shall allow Norm to do the honours himself with this BlogsCanada.ca announcement explaining his exit from the Shotgun;
"A couple of hours after�filing�the Vancouver Sun�column�posted below, I was notified that I was being suspended for 3 months .... "
Posted at 03/04/2005 09:12:57 EST.
The before vs after timeline he provides might be a little fudging on Norm's part - there's no way to know, outside of asking the Vancouver Sun when he submitted it. I was informed of his suspension at around 5pm Mountain time the day before.
But this is the blogosphere, and in true blogger fashion, Sean says it best.
Nibble, nibble.
Kate, I think a lot of people acknowledge that blogs are good news sources. They have their own drawbacks just like every type of media does as well as their positives. Just curious why these people get under your skin? You seem to have spent a good amount of time the past few months focusing on these people.
It's fun!
I read that piece and figured it was the usual elitist distaste for the peasantry in the blogosphere - we poor blogging Wat Tylers get no respect!
Hey Kate, now I can say I've actually achieved something in based on Canadian standards today.
From your link to blogscanada.ca in the comments
but I guess I shouldn't be too surprised by the actions of Kate and her ilk over there. Truly disgusting.
Jason
When I get to work tomorrow, I'm going to have to ask the boss for a raise because I've achieved the "ilk" designation.
I guess out here we truly are alone if the rest of CA looks at us that way. Time to start digging that trench on the BC and Sask/Man border...
"You seem to have spent a good amount of time the past few months focusing on these people."
Osama bin Laden got away with a series of atrocities until he attracted America's (almost) undivided attention. Look what's happened since then. That's sort of what happened when Norm forced the fight on Kate.
Not that Norm=Osama. I wouldn't want to display ignorance or draw any odious, offensive comparisons.
You know, even Kinsella had the balls to end his fight in the ring... I don't think he went running to the skirts of the Globe behind which to fire his parting shots.
"Oh dear Butterfly, Madame Butterfly, she's waiting"...
Normie got his assed kicked by girl, and this time, he didn't pay $150 an hour for the pleasure!
Norm's resignation post was wonderfully pompous, as were the "attaboy" followups.Norm does do pomposity with panache,but he adds too much ennui to the mix.Please Norm, don't ever stop being you.
Well, let's just say that Norm's "version" of events doesn't quite correspond with the email record....
and leave it at that.
Isn't it funny that Norm can say with a straight face that a blogger should write about what they know, and then go off and write about blogs and bloggers as if he actually knew what they were?
I witnessed the Shotgun commenters trying to educate him on blogging - he wasn't interested.
Gosh, you mean Norm is prone to tell a whopper?
"The king's a beggar, now the play is done."
All's Well That Ends Well,
Act 5, Scene III.
William Shakespeare
No! NO! It' can't end. I haven't even brought out the big guns yet.
Instapundit started blogging in 2001. Undoubtedly, there were people then who mocked what he was trying to do. Canadian blogging started later but is growing in basically the same pattern as it did in the US.
I give it another year or two -- there's just too much lousy, low brow journalism at the Globe, Star, CBC et al to be ignored for long.
Having followed Canadian politics for about 40 years and even been actively involved in Ontario and after that in B.C. Norman Spector never really entered my peripheral vision. He reminds me of Dalton Camp just another nuanced Conservative. They've never lived in the trenches. Dug a ditch, forked some dung, worked 12 or 14 hours a day 7 days a week and then had some one like Norman Spectator analyse what they should have done to make a living! Who gives a rats ass about people like that!! Thank God for you Kate keep up the good work! David
Can I be an ilk too? Please?
If Norm Spector won't be posting in The Shotgun any more, I'll start reading it again. I got turned off by the way he used to hog so much space with super-long posts that were just not very interesting and didn't provide much analysis. It was too much effot to scroll such long distances to get to the next post.
Ha.... Jay, according to that site, anyone that's here is an ilk.
We've all achieved royalty status by being a part of the almighty great ilk...participation in ilk activities is encouraged but not mandatory.
Hmmm....maybe we should start the ilk party....think it would fly?
"If Norm Spector won't be posting in The Shotgun any more, I'll start reading it again".
I had just resolved to never go there again the other day for the same reason, and I noticed others stating that as well. His announced "retirement" from trolling and posting argumentive crap is being met with some joy. In his out the door mock-u-mentary he states: "viewing our politics through a U.S. filter". Well, sometimes its good to view things outside the Spectator looking glass.
A suggestion, then - urge some of the other blog authors to return - Kathy Shaidle, are you listening? There was an exodus on both sides. I only hung in because I have no shame. Plus, after Spector started urging us to "take down" someone in the mainstream, I thought, "eh... - you'll do."
Yeah, Kathy. As much as I enjoy my daily fix of your two blogs, The Shotgun needs you. Your fans need you!
Kate, that is shameless but awful good of you!
"take down" someone in the mainstream, I thought, "eh... - you'll do."
You've bestowed a benevolent kindness.
He'll look in the mirror and behold Dan R. gazing back..
The very same day Kate refers to Norm as a dinosaur, the Non Sequitur comic strip coins a new term for newspapers - Dinosaur Blogs! How appropriate.
http://www.ucomics.com/nonsequitur/2005/03/07/
In case folks haven't noticed, check out the Shotgun today - and notice how many different authors there are.