Thursday, April 26, 2007

Wired Reporter argues for phone interview, bloggers argue for email or blog-style format.

I recently couldn't refrain from commenting on the bloggers vs. Wired reporter story wherein a wired reporter (Fred Vogelstein) requested a phone interview, and Jason Calacanis and Dave Winer both insisted on doing it either via email or directly in their blogs.

The article I was responding to was heavily-weighted toward the blogger's side of things - and while I do feel that the idea has merit - I felt the attitudes of the bloggers were reprehensible. Especially in light of the cost to Mike Arrington, whom was the topic of the Wired article the interviews were being requested for.

----------- Begin My Comment From BuzzMachine Log: ---------------

I have read each of the blog pieces from each of the major players in this story. The way I see it, Fred V. has been nothing but reasonable, and while he has a point of view that clearly differs from the bloggers in question, it is the bloggers who have been abrasive and abusive first.

True, other Wired journalists were more aggressive and abrasive, but Fred V. has been nothing but a gentleman in all the email threads i have read.

These Gods of Blogging also nearly tanked a Wired article on TechCrunch - which is a selfish act IMHO - doubly-so by the fact that they actually know Mike. Read his response and clearly he feels he got screwed by their need to parade a request for a phone interview into the blogosphere.

Think about how much that Wired article might have meant to Mike A. That's a huge loss for him - both in exposure and credentials. Even better, he has his "friends'" self-righteousness to thank for it. With friends like that, who needs enemies?

The tone of the whole coverage for this has been misleading, from my point of view. I found from the way the stories were presented on places like Techmeme that I was on the side of the bloggers - until I actually read the articles and found Fred V. to be the reasonable one.

I'm not saying Jason & Dave were not possessed of good points - I think they (and you) make a good case for doing interviews in more internet-aware ways - but the way the points were made, and at the cost of their colleague's article in Wired, showed a real lack of class in my book.

In closing, I would like to thank Fred V. for diligently posting the actual email threads that relate to the blog postings so that I could see the real facts of the case and form my opinion based on them. Rest assured, Mr. V., that at least in my case, it made all the difference in my understanding your true role and the respect you are owed.


-Michael Moore (yevaud42@gmail.com)