Comments on: In defence of John Waters

By: Daragh O Brien

Daragh O Brien — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:48:53 +0000

Grandad

I’m in agreement with you. Journalists shouldn’t make sweeping statements without research or any quality control. However some of the comments on the Fake John Waters blog actually proves that there are some quite silly people blogging.

While (some) editors weed out (most) bad writers (some papers seem to actually promote them unfortunately), the corresponding quality control in blogs is that if you are not particularly good then people won’t read you. Even at that, people may find some posts from a good blogger to be little more than well polished turds.

And as for Stephen Fry vs Waters.. I’d pay good money to watch that debate!

By: Baino

Baino — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:42:16 +0000

Aww for fuck’s sake. I dont know who he is, nor do I care. I think the Irish particularly take their blogging very seriously, perhaps you shouldn’t. Some blogs are shite, some are great, some are funny, some are boring. Some bloggers take themselves too seriously, others (like me) are just wafflers.

It’s just another medium like newspapers or TV or ratio. I’m getting a bit tired of people bagging blogs. It’s like complaining about a certain TV program. If you don’t like it, don’t watch it – you have the power!

Bloggers are just a bunch of people having an opinion (as you do in the letters section of a newspaper) a rant some of the time and standing on their virtual soap box most of the time. For me it’s fun. If I don’t like you, I wont blogroll or read your blog.

Take a chill pill Mr Waters!

By: nonny

nonny — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:04:53 +0000

You are right of course Grandad. I suppose Blogs are something of a different genre, particularly compared to mainstream media. Aside from Bloggers, condemning the Internet as a whole in an age in which it plays such an enormous role will surely be to his own detriment. Ahh sure leave him to it.

By: Grandad

Grandad — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 10:19:47 +0000

Nonny – To be serious for a moment, I agree completely. I think there is a little too much emphasis on the ‘trained journalist’ though. You cannot make a bad writer into a journalist by training them – they have to have the ability to write first.
But I digress. There are good and bad journalists out there, just as there are good and bad bloggers. The bad journalists tend to be weeded out by their employers, and that is the way it should be. There is no such regulation on bloggers, and that is why the bad ones proliferate. I agree with JW that there are a LOT of stupid bloggers.
However, one thing that a good journalist should not do is make such sweeping statements. Statements should be researched and qualified. To make a statement that ‘all bloggers are stupid’ and then to admit to never having read a blog is an example of the worst kind of journalism. I know it is an opinion of his, and not part of an article, but I think he lowers his own standards by making such a statement.

Personally, I don’t take him seriously. No one could after his comments. I am not offended by them. All he has done is to open himself up to public ridicule.

By: nonny

nonny — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:52:09 +0000

Emmm I’m inclined to agree with Deborah a little, they are trained journalists plus what they write is subject to regulation, Bloggers can abuse, slander and say whatever the hell they want. I mean image he was to write an article like this post for the Times, I reckon the editor might have some reservations. In saying that, some Blogs are really well written and informative, naturally yours is at the top of the best blog in towns list. Now on that note where can I get hens wings clipped if I do it myself is the propensity to make a balls of it enormous? (Please excuse the blatant misuse of your blog)

By: Thriftcriminal

Thriftcriminal — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:46:19 +0000

Ah, there’s no shortage of them in the world. Mostly just window dressing as far as I can tell. Knowing feck all about anything except IC design works for me in general. So far as I can tell Pepsi max, according to ads, involves doing everything in an extreme manner.

By: tt

tt — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:23:19 +0000

He certainly has managed to get a lot of bloggers knickers in a twist. Whoever he is. “Methinks thou…….”?

By: Grandad

Grandad — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:47:05 +0000

McAWilliams – That has been rectified.

By: McAWilliams

McAWilliams — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:12:55 +0000

Hey Grandad,

Great post and I agree with everything you said, one thing that bothers me though is the fact you have not added him to your blogroll yet.

May I ask why?

By: Grandad

Grandad — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:50:11 +0000

Thrift – An intellectual [snob] is someone who thinks he knows more about everything than he really does. I don’t know if Pepsi Max comes into it. I’ve never met it.

Deborah – I can well understand the attitude of some journalists to blogging, but there is a big difference between journalism and blogging. One supposedly provides the facts, while the other provides opinions. The two are complimentary. It’s bad enough that he labels all bloggers without exception, as stupid, but he then goes on to say that he wouldn’t even talk to a blogger, thereby defending his position.

What were have here is a case of bigotry rather than informed opinion.