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Letter to Scott Rosenberg (7 July 2009)

(From Salon letters)

Scott, you're making quite an effort to redeem blogs in your book (still not so sure about the "they're like phone calls to your mother" sell job, but still . . .), so you shouldn't be surprised that some are sensitive to the possibility that however much you aim to redeem them, to be fair to them, you might by your actions work to reinforce the presumption/assumption that if you're REALLY serious, truly someone to be taken seriously, you're not JUST to be associated with blogs--Being an active blogger while you also write books is fine, perfectly respectable, if not ideal in this interconnected, wired world, but just blogging means never really being assessed by adults as more than just the nerd in the parent's basement. (I could even see GG make a move to write a book at some point, to--in part--make him more comfortable to a crowd wanting to include him as one of them, to imagine himself as reputable beyond contention.)

[Update: checked--he does have a book.]

There is quite the conversation at OS concerning concerns you might at heart be akin to the veteran comedian who professes his ongoing love for comedy, but who is noticeably making sure he is more-and-more associated with the established, the long reputable, and away from the fluff.

Link to OS discussion here.

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