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Citizens

4 comments on Citizens

Citizens
: Larry Lessig and Dave Winer are getting excited about the phrase “citizen blogger.”

Unless I’m missing something, I think that’s redundant.

Bloggers are citizens.

That’s precisely what makes us notable: We’re of the people.

What’s more interesting is that bloggers are becoming reporters and commentators: citizen journalists. Bloggers are starting media businesses: citizen publishers. Bloggers are advertising: citizen marketers. Bloggers are helping run campaigns: citizen organizers. Bloggers are speaking directly to power: citizen lobbyists. Bloggers have an impact on religion: citizen clergy.

That’s what the Reformation is all about: not that citizens blog but that bloggers do what those in power used to do.

4 responses to “Citizens”

  1. JorgXMcKie Avatar
    JorgXMcKie

    I’m pretty sure the “pundit-equivalents” missed that Gutenberg’s little invention would lead to widespread Protestantism, too.

  2. Pamela Renfrew Avatar
    Pamela Renfrew

    I have a Lucianne.com coffee mug from four years ago that reads “Citizen Reporter.”

  3. henrycopeland Avatar
    henrycopeland

    Right on. Write on. In other words: empowered citizen.

  4. Tom Grey Avatar
    Tom Grey

    Note the “Big org” blogger is also possible, and edited, and similar to a personal blog but with the reputation, and restraints (?), of the org behind it.
    The excitement is with the citizens. Who are excited because of the aroma, and occasional tastes, of true influence, of power. But the multiplicative effect of people orgs doesn’t go away with blogs. Either blogs influence org’s decisions, like Dean’s campaign or the NYT editorial policy or Iran’s mullahs, or they don’t. It won’t take many “yes, we DID have influence” (Raines resigned!) to justify doing a blog to the committed.
    But the decision power still rests with the powerful; blog info, like ad info, like most TV info, is still mostly infotainment. Not much more. (And so many books sold are romance novels. It’s OK, they’re books!)