Rodent Regatta

For the mainstream media the first step in problem-solving involves finding someone to blame. Yet, in an honest search for accuracy, they could have uncovered this dramatic story which ran in National Geographic in October of 2004. Here’s the nub:

As the whirling maelstrom approached the coast, more than a million people evacuated to higher ground. Some 200,000 remained, however—the car-less, the homeless, the aged and infirm, and those die-hard New Orleanians who look for any excuse to throw a party.

You really owe it to yourself to read the whole thing!

Sometimes I’d like to just thumb my nose at the “risks” that are rampant in the world around me. However, it is an unfortunate fact that anyone can find a lawyer who is willing to sue anyone else for anything at any time. Be it something you do, something you say or something you write, someone’s willing to come after you. Jason Kottke discusses the EFF’s Legal Guide for Bloggers. It’s a tool that belongs in every blogger’s toolkit.

The three-point shot with time running out is exciting. The Hail Mary pass on a cool November Saturday afternoon ranks up there. Oh, and there’s not much like an 11-year old’s first soccer goal.

But, for sheer thrills, the roars in Augusta, GA in April are completely infectious. Filtered by pine needles, the sounds tell the story to those four holes away. Those are the sounds of an elite performance in front an august crowd in a treasured setting.

From the time this weblog began (January, 2002) I’ve been thinking about terms. Words have meaning. When two people communicate, their different definitions of words confuse the communication. If they have the patience to really understand one another, those differences get resolved so that they can communicate effectively.

In the practice of strategy and process improvement, facts are important. They are seldom in dispute. Once the facts are understood, a basis for proceeding gets just a little easier. The terms used to describe a process and its subsequent improvements have to be well-defined and understood.

That brings us to the ongoing debate between mainstream media (aka professional journalists, MSM, etc.) and those who write weblogs. Apple—and now the court—says a reporter who collects information and writes about it in a weblog should be forced to reveal the sources of the information. Traditional (MSM) journalists are “protected” from having to reveal their sources.

All of this gets tremendously fuzzy if a crime is committed. As one judge opined, “Why isn’t a journalist an equivalent of a fence for stolen property?” My opinion may change, but for now, I think the notion of “protected sources” needs to be re-examined more than the notion of whether newspaper writers and weblog writers are equals.

Opinions clearly influence reporters, writers, journalists—whatever. Once the facts are presented, few reporters can resist some editorial remark about them. Face reporters with a first amendment issue and they close ranks quickly. It’s time to question whether or not there are any circumstances under which a reporter should be compelled to reveal sources. What are the precedents?

Gripe or whine if you must. There’s a future in providing information, services, good writing and design on a micropayments basis. The kinks will get untangled in time. If you don’t agree, then consider this a donation to someone doing something you always wanted to do.