« Love takes a hit | Main | It’s raining bloggers! »
Sunday, August 17, 2008
So yeah... the angry post
Long story short, my lovely wife has saved me from myself (once again)... so there won't be an angry post (at least not the one I've been sitting on for the past week).
Here's pretty much all I have to say on the subject at this point:
The subject: The angry post was in response to an article that appeared in last weekend's Haaretz newspaper. It accused the J-Blogger Convention of being one-sided (right wing religious), and the organizers of being deceitful.
The cause for my anger: IMHO, the 'journalist' who wrote the hatchet job piece acted unethically on several levels, not the least of which was not revealing 100% verifiable facts (to which I directed him) about the actual statistical make-up of the convention's panelists that would have turned his story into a non-story. There was also the little problem of him feeling the need to print that I live in the west bank while not mentioning where anyone else quoted in the article lived. WTF!?
The reason I'm not posting my rant: Several other bloggers have already done so (in a much more balanced manner than I cold have managed), and one in particular attracted the ire (and bile) of the same ego cases/spoiled brats who put the bug in the journalist's ear in the first place.
So, thank you honey. Once again you've demonstrated that it is a much better idea to use the car's brakes than the air bag.
P.S. Do I really need to remind you to register for the Conference? Even you folks who plan on attending online from the comfort of your den need to register in order to gain access to the feed. I'm just saying...
Posted by David Bogner on August 17, 2008 | Permalink
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
https://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341c581e53ef00e554077d488834
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference So yeah... the angry post:
Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
They, media types, have this funny way of taking pure good things and giving them the rancid stench of divisiveness and anger. Why do these sad sad people feel the need to darken all things? The world, and certainly Israel, is a much better place then they would have us believe. I reject this "non-biased" approach which posits that all good things need to be counterbalanced by heaping spoonful of arsenic. When will they learn that Zionism isn't just an outlet for cynicism?
Posted by: Yishai | Aug 17, 2008 9:21:20 AM
<3
Posted by: zahava | Aug 17, 2008 10:37:54 AM
I don't understand how anyone could expect from Haaretz not to turn this into a right-wing vs. left-wing issue.
The whole purpose of that newspaper is to attack the right by politicizing every issue, creating an artificial right-left dichotomy, and justifying the claims of the left. Since reality is much more complex than a struggle between the left and the right, such an argument always necessitates setting up straw men and a biased presentation of the facts.
Posted by: avi | Aug 17, 2008 11:50:04 AM
I don't know anything about the "politics" of Nefesh b' Nefesh (if indeed they have any). I just know that if I were Jewish (I'm "only" married to a wonderful Jewish man), I would have registered for the conference - and trust me, I'm anything BUT right wing. So, Mr Haaretz reporter, "Stick that in your pipe and smoke it!"
Posted by: Noa | Aug 17, 2008 12:53:36 PM
"Journalists"'s research abilities have decreased enormeously. Or is it maybe that thanks to the web as a means of quick truth-check, readers are able to discover myth and errors so much easier today?
In any way, I suspect that you are one of the few, if not the sole, whose location is perfectly known, because you don't make a secret of it. Nothing easier for a garrulous writer to add that sensational (gasp!) piece of intelligence to their story.
The critics of the conference may have a point... I haven't fully read their statements. But what I wonder is, how come none of them has ever thought of a meeting according to their terms and interests?? In times of blog camps all over the world (we have very regular pl0g bar camps here in Germany, and it's a total ease to organize them, thanks to web2.0), how come we hear of almost no activities from Israel?
And no, don't tell me it's hard to do in Israel and what not. It is not. I know it. The only thing that may be hard is getting of your butts and be pro-active.
Posted by: a. | Aug 17, 2008 1:23:25 PM
"...it is a much better idea to use the car's brakes than the air bag." I may print that to put above the kids' bedroom door, so that when I enter to scream about their latest offense, I will down-shift the mouth to low gear.
Kudos yet again to the Goddess.
Posted by: rutimizrachi | Aug 17, 2008 1:44:03 PM
Woohoo! Someone thinks I am a right wing
Orthodox Frumster. I suppose I better run out and buy a new Borsalino.
Posted by: Jack | Aug 17, 2008 6:31:30 PM
I had meant to ask you about that on Friday, but totally forgot. thank you for the explanation. I also totally love when you post kudos to Zahava. more spouses (spice?) should be as appreciative of the other. (files away for future reference)
Posted by: Hadassah | Aug 18, 2008 12:31:17 AM
That is what got your goat??
Small potatoes!
First of all, any PR is good PR. So, who cares what they wrote, they publicized the conference.
Second, they just sound like whiners.
And third, NBN is sponsoring the conference, so NBN gets to determine the rules.
I don't see these guys complaining about the lack of a balanced panel, when all the panelists are left wing....
Well, thanks for sharing anyway. Now that my curiousity has been put to rest, I can sleep easy....
Me, personally, I'm totally psyched about the convention!
Posted by: Rivka with a capital A | Aug 18, 2008 12:47:11 AM
Of course, the print media (regardless of their political leanings) never miss a chance to dis bloggers. But why would a print journalist single out one particular popular blogger for criticism? Only one reason strikes me as the most plausible: envy.
Posted by: Bob | Aug 18, 2008 2:25:51 AM
Ahh--forget about the moaners and groaners--I wanna hear what's happening at the family compound.
Posted by: Baila | Aug 18, 2008 2:28:51 AM
Am I missing something here - isn't NBN's mission to promote aliyah and to support anyone who also promotes aliyah. Lisa's comment makes no sense to me because 1) this is a Jewish blogger's conference (so why would there be non-Jews on the panel) and 2)though this isn't an Israeli specific bloggers conference - it is created and sponsored by Nefesh B'Nefesh. Of course it has an agenda - to promote Israel and to encourage Jews to make aliyah - regardless of their poltiical leanings or viewspoints. Why is this such a shock? Why all the hoopla agaist it?
Posted by: jaime | Aug 18, 2008 6:51:32 AM
I have been reading about the J-Blogger convention for a few weeks now. Everyone is so happy, excited and looking forward to seeing their favorite bloggers and meeting new ones. I am looking forward to their descriptions of the various attendees and synopsis of the speeches. I am also looking forward to reading about the immigrants and their trials and tribulations while settling into a new county. There promises to be weeks and weeks of enjoyable material to read.
Then, while following the links, I came across this nasty little article that manages somehow, to say something bad about a wonderful event. When I saw that is was Haarez that had published it, I remembered why I had stopped reading that negative site filled with unhappy, angry writers and readers. It was almost funny how they missed the whole point of the agenda and criticized the event for things it never intended to do i.e. showcase all types of bloggers.
I know it is harder to blow something off when it becomes personal, especially when you tried to give them accurate information. However, as you said, that would have made it a non-story. As they prove over and over again, journalists with integrity are becoming as scarce as hen’s teeth.
So, David, blow it off and remember that there are plenty of people out there that know what is really going on. I am still looking forward to the convention and am waiting with baited breath for events to unfold. Wish I could be there. Enjoy it, you lucky dog.
Posted by: Sarah Phillips | Aug 18, 2008 7:24:00 AM
once again it's the age-old question of
1 - who gets to claim exclusivity?
2 - what do you do when someone else claims it?
3 - who gets to choose the tune and the words when we all sing together in one voice?
4 - I'd be happy to sing together in one voice but according to my words and lyrics
5 - who needs this twitter update anyway?
Posted by: asher | Aug 19, 2008 11:58:29 AM
I agree. Dumb article.
It was nice to meet you tonight. Beh more in the future.
Posted by: Mindy | Aug 21, 2008 5:04:33 AM
"J-Blogger Convention of being one-sided (right wing religious)..." I'm giggling already, supposing this article was a follow-up to the same guy's article which supposed the NAACP was a right-wing organization, the National Teacher's Association was a right-wing organization, and the NYT was a right-wing organization.*
Seems like you folks enjoyed yourselves immensely, and it is my hope you'll continue to enrich the 'sphere.
* NOOOO... (sigh; I feel the need to post comments on my comments now)... this is not meant to imply that I think the J-Blogger camp is a leftist organization. It's merely a comment on the Procrustean efforts of many "journalists" to make the facts fit their assumptions.
Posted by: Wry Mouth | Aug 21, 2008 5:30:03 AM
Haaretz "reporter" is a bit dense.
It should be obvious that an aliya oriented organization like NBN won't be filled w/Haaretz post-Zionist lefty types who either are living in London - or dying to.
Last I checked aliya is not very popular among the Jewish "lefty" cabal who would rather bash Israel - & from outside the country.
Posted by: Karen Glazer | Aug 25, 2008 4:33:25 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.