March 18, 2010
Posted by Kelly Rusk
AND now for a segway: No more linkbaiting, but there is a real issue here.
Ugh. That Margaret Wente post has really gotten under my skin. I get it, I’m satisfying the point of the article by reacting to it, I won’t link to it, but I think the damage is done.
However, others have read this and actually believed what she said and spread the problem even more. I’ll link to him because I don’t actually think he’s linkbaiting, I just don’t think he’s too smart.
That’s the problem. Had Wente written that column on a personal blog, she probably would have easily been dismissed as a buffoon. However, on a platform such as a Globe and Mail column? People believe the news media to be credible. Even columns-which are opinion-based, are still assumed to be researched and laid out with actual fact.
Wente did none of this! Case in point. A quick, easy, simple Google search!
What I do want to point you to, however, is a blog post by Clay Shirky about women’s lack of self-promotion. Yes he’s generalizing and clearly giving his opinion, but it’s laced with actual real fact, and more compelling anecdotal evidence rather than “his friend Sarah”. However, this is a real issue in the blogosphere and if we can glean some real action and insight from this situation, let this be it.
And finally because I think a lot of really smart talented women have already weighed in, I’m linking to the great posts I’ve read so far (though I’m sure there’s many more-just point me to them!)
Spydergrrl thinks we should tune off the G&M tomorrow and talk on our own platform-our blogs, that we actually do writer! Great Point! And the inspiration for this post to boot.
Amy Boughner gets down to the real reason people (including women) blog.
Annie Urban constructs a well-thought argument that introduced me to the term ‘Mansplain‘ which unfortunately, the definition I am already familiar with.
