The Internet Must Be Fed Regularly.
Each day, hundreds, if not thousands of would-be commentators get out of bed, check their email, have a cup of coffee or a bag of Cheetos, and then peruse the news. The clever ones actually go to news sources that are actually reporting real news, without commenting on it. The writers at those actual news sources are just going to bed, mostly. They've been up late running down facts. The lamer would-be commentators go looking on their favorite blogs and news aggregators and read what they find there.
Then, in unison, they post something...somewhere. Some, who are more or less well known by a following they've created over a few years, have their own blogs. Others, depending on their own prominence, or lack of same, post on various websites that cater to non-writing news addicts. They must do this. It is an imperative for them.
What they post depends on their own point of view and prejudices and their skills or lack of same as wordsmiths. When they're done, they head to Starbucks or wherever, and buy a grande something or another, knowing that they've spread their opinion of what was real news far and wide. Some are paid, and some are hoping to get paid at some time in the future. All have egos that need daily stroking.
Later during the day, they go searching on Google to see the results of their writings. The clever ones find many links on the Google results pages for the titles of their various meanderings. Others, less talented or less well known, are happy with one or two links to their timeless prose.
Where do the links come from? They come from a wide variety of blogs, websites, and discussion forums, where their faithful followers post their musings verbatim on their own favorite Internet haunts. In most cases, those followers merely post the original writer's words without much or any comment. Then, those tertiary posters of the wisdom or lack of same on the part of the secondary writers sit and watch to see whether their efforts receive plaudits or slams. In either case, they rejoin the commentary and comment on the comments.
This is the Internet. Somewhere, there is someone who attended the press briefing, did the groundwork, actually interviewed people, and sought out the basic information and reported it. Their work is read and fragments of it are used by the secondary and tertiary Internet posters to make whatever point those posters wish to make. Rarely is their work re-posted verbatim. Instead, it is ground up into a mush of factoids and ersatz analysis by the secondary posters. The tertiary posters muddle this mess into something completely unrecognizable, since they do not understand what they are posting in the first place. In the meantime, the links to the actual original reporting are lost somehow, making it very difficult to find actual information.
And then there are the readers. Most have a well-established point of view on whatever interests them, and they seek out whatever can be found that supports that point of view. When they find it, they join whatever discussion is ongoing and say, loudly, "Right on!" "You suck!" or whatever generational affirmations or denigrations they know. Their opinion is confirmed. That is what matters.
A few lonely Internet users go looking for the original reporting. They go to multiple sources and compare what has been reported. They wait, if necessary, for additional information to become available. Once there is enough information and enough time has passed, they form their own, unique opinion of whatever issue is of interest. Typically, they keep those opinions to themselves.
What is this post? It is my musings. It is my opinion. I'm done with the Internet for the day. I've spent a lot of time on it today, and am going to go and rest. Tomorrow, I'll be back, trying to sort out the truth from the opinions for my own education. See you then!
= new reply since forum marked as read
