John Dvorak is a Zero
John C. Dvorak’s recent editorial entitled “The Zeros vs. The Ones” which appeared in PC Magazine delivered a scathing attack on bloggers.
I’m not suggesting that because most opinions stink they should be censored in order for us all to think a certain way. Rather, thanks to the Internet, we are confronted with too many opinions from too many people–a large number of whom are seriously disturbed or feebleminded. Before the Internet, these opinions would have been handed out in leaflet form to just a few people unlucky enough to bump into their purveyors. But now they’re on the Net, accompanied by miles of commentary written by people who are frustrated pamphleteers themselves.
Almost everyone on the Net is anonymous. When you see someone on the street handing out a flyer, it is usually not hard to determine whether he or she is a lunatic. Not so with the haughty blogger who, by hiding behind a good online template, is actually taken seriously. A blogger who stays hidden long enough may even become famous. I know, not every blogger is a whack job–but that’s the point. How can you tell?
Saying from behind a false identity what one otherwise wouldn’t dare say is a practice that began long ago, and blogging has just made it worse. I first noticed it with alter egos cropping up in e-mail, newsgroups, and especially online chat rooms, where true dweebs are suddenly transformed into Don Juans. The persona thing sometimes goes into new dimensions as boys are turned into men, men pretend to be women, and women turn into sex fiends. Just keep the lights turned off.
John Dvorak: The Zeros vs. the Ones
Michele at A Small Victory deals a rather amusing return blow.
When you say “the public is subjected” to the ranting of us “seriously disturbed or feebleminded” wacko bloggers, you assume that the people reading our drivel don’t know how to not read it. Nobody is being subjected to it, just as no one is really being subjected to your whiny, pouty columns. Free will is a great thing, John. Most people use it when surfing the net. Click, click, click, back button, X. See? Easy as turning off the radio when you realize that it sucks.
Also, you go on the assumption that most bloggers are anonymous drones, hiding behind false identities. Au contraire, Mr. Dvorak (if that’s really your name). Most bloggers are pretty up front about who they are, what they do and where they come from. We’re not basement dwelling dweebs trying to play the romantic millionaire in a chatroom for the lovelorn. We stand behind our opinions, not behind masks.
A Small Victory: shorter john dvorak
What really amused me about Dvorak’s column, is that at the very end is posted a link to his… weblog. I think I get the message John. You’re one of the zeros.
