The conversation started by Steven Hodson about how bloggers can most usefully fulfill their roles and obligations to their audiences has grown to proportions rivaling some of our other popular posts. I learned of Steven’s initial post through Corvida at SheGeeks, who had added her own thoughts to his original theory. I responded with a critique, which prompted Corvida to rebut and clarify. Along the way, readers of all three blogs have chimed in through comments as well as on FriendFeed and Twitter.
Steven, Corvida, and I have since reached common ground in the fact that bloggers are indeed similar to news anchors in that they highlight issues for their readers. We’ve also essentially agreed that bloggers can be more aptly described as “layers” to raw information rather than filters for it. Finally, we’ve also found consensus in the fact that the term “blogger” is to broad a category to attribute specific characterisitics to it.
This last point has really had me thinking about blogs and digital media in general. What’s the big deal?
Continue reading ‘Round-Up: What’s So Special About Blogging?’
It’s a pleasure for me to present a guest post submitted by Jarry Taylor, a partner with Maynard, Cooper & Gale PC — one of Alabama’s leading law firms located in scenic Birmingham. And… he’s my dad! Thanks to Jarry/Dad for contributing to Tropophilia!
The American Bar Association’s Litigation News reports on a recent phenomenon many of us law types have been talking about, namely the change in the way investigations are performed and how to get information about people involved in legal cases. Forget the old style gum shoe black cloak, long-lens photographer investigator (although they do still come in handy sometimes). We’re now talking about finding out all sorts of neat and interesting stuff from MySpace, Facebook and even Match.com.
Have a witness you’re about to depose in a case coming to trial next month? Worried you might not know all there is to know about him? Think you should fork out money for an investigator to dig up information about him? Nah, it’s all right there on the internet and in the social networking world where nothing is sacred.
“They” tell you to be careful what you post as a student because colleges, grad schools and employers will check out those crazy photos you thought it would be fun to share with your buds. But, those beyond those years or the witless still include information that, sometimes, can be very helpful to the inquiring lawyer on the other side of a case. Courts are now having to deal with evidentiary questions, and report decisions on whether such information is admissible in court or not. Even if it’s not substantive information relevant to your case, it can always go to the credibility of that witness.
“I solemly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me Google.” Oh, and that applies to lawyers, too!
This has to be a first.
I’m sure most of you have at least seen the headlines by now: New York Governor Eliot Spitzer has been accused of engaging the services of a pricey prostitute service multiple times over the past year. More or less incriminating himself, Spitzer has announced his plans to resign effective this Monday.
More and more details have emerged from the ether over the past few days about the scandal, and tonight the New York Times revealed the identity of “Kristen” — the prostitute cited in the affidavit that mentioned Spitzer — to be 22-year-old Ashley Alexandra Dupré. There are three main sources used for the article: 1) a confirmation from someone “familiar” with the prostitution operation that Kristen and Dupré are one and the same person; 2) interviews with both Dupré and her mother; and 3) Dupré’s MySpace page.
Yes, that’s right. For a feature article that will no doubt be on the front page of the print edition tomorrow morning, the New York Times editors have allowed extensive quotations from a social networking profile. All three photos from the article were photos uploaded by Dupré to her MySpace page. There is a prominent link to her profile from the article. The journalists cite some of her listed musical influences, and even quote lyrics from some of the music that Dupré has recorded and uploaded.
Continue reading ‘Watch What You Put Online… Even If You’re A Prostitute’
This just in: the White House will not be printing a federal budget this year.
Don’t panic. There will still be a budget. But it’s going to be electronic! The article says the move will save 480 trees. Not bad. Not something I expected out of this administration… but not bad.
The one thing that bothers me about this article is this quote by Karen Evans, administrator of e-government and IT at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB):
“From an e-government perspective, this is one of the final steps of the modernization process,” she said. “You are not truly modernized until you turn off all your legacy systems.”
Why is it that the government views modernization as a task that can be completed? Shouldn’t we be constantly upgrading, constantly improving? Yeah, it’s great to get rid of the old and bring in the new, and that deserves a lot of praise. But modernization, by its very nature, is never complete.
Image used under a Creative Commons license courtesy of Scott Ableman.
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