This entry was posted on
Tuesday, April 12th, 2005 at
9:37 am and is filed
under The Political Weblog Movement.

Let’s start off with some press reaction to Peter Hain’s poo-pooing of protest-voters…

Telegraph – Duo unite against dinner party critics: The debate has spilled on to the internet, where Left-wing weblogs, or blogs, have taken up the ”dump Blair, get Brown” theme. One is an ironically titled site called backingblair.co.uk, which informs “disenfranchised Labour voters” how to punish the Prime Minister by voting tactically… Another website, called strategicvoter.org.uk, says: ”We can hold New Labour to account for the illegal invasion of Iraq. Especially in marginal constituencies, we have the power as voters to make this a Peace Election the politicians won’t forget.” These ”blogs” are the modern equivalent of the pamphleteers, who were extremely influential in 17th- and 18th-century England. The internet has turned the angry musings of a few like-minded souls into a nationwide, electronic dinner party that the most adept party spinner is powerless to control.

That pamphleteering comment had me digging back into my bloggage on that subject on the 19th and 25th of June 2003 and this bit served as a nice reminder: I’ve tried to drive a few things forward on Bloggerheads, and it’s only the core audience that actually does anything. If what I try to do is too damn commercial or somewhat misguided, then I’m usually questioned or corrected (gently) on these matters. If I try to do something Right, suddenly I find myself with new core members. Funny, that. I’ve got to tell you, this is the best moral compass I have ever come across. Being in the marketing game (maybe one evolutionary step up or down from the political game) I’m often prone to corruption. Now I simply can’t afford to take that risk – but I’m enjoying greater benefits than I ever have before. And. I. Fucking. Love it!

I was umming and ahhing on a post about the current job hunt until I read that. You should expect a very long post on this subject within the next few days.