Congratulations to Everyone Reading This Blog!
I Won!
I am flattered. This year not only did I win Bestest Blog of the Day for 10/12/06, and Ezine Articles Expert Author status, but I just learned I won Time Magazine's Person of the Year Award.
Wow, I only started blogging in June of this year and my traffic is already around 4,000 visitors a month. Pretty good year. Well, I have to admit that I share the Time award with you. It goes to all the bloggers and readers of blogs, Internet contributors and users of the Internet, and the new electronic media, like YouTube and MySpace.
Time's Person of the Year Award
Who are these people? Seriously, who actually sits down after a long day at work and says, I'm not going to watch Lost tonight. I'm going to turn on my computer and make a movie starring my pet iguana? I'm going to mash up 50 Cent's vocals with Queen's instrumentals? I'm going to blog about my state of mind or the state of the nation or the steak-frites at the new bistro down the street? Who has that time and that energy and that passion?
The answer is, you do. And for seizing the reins of the global media, for founding and framing the new digital democracy, for working for nothing and beating the pros at their own game, TIME's Person of the Year for 2006 is you.
Time Magazine
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You can read about Time's choice for Person of the Year in these sources:
Time Magazine Names Millions as 'Person of the Year': FOXNews.com.
Now It's Your Turn: TIME.com: By RICHARD STENGEL, Posted Saturday, Dec. 16, 2006.
Time Says You're the 'Person of the Year': ABC News. "In an age where MySpace, YouTube and blogs rule, Time chose to recognize the power of the common people who create and use content on the Internet.
Congrats, TIME's Person Of The Year: Radar.
The 2006 "Person of the Year" package hits newsstands Monday. The cover shows a white keyboard with a mirror for a computer screen where buyers can see their reflection.
It was not the first time the magazine went away from naming an actual person for its "Person of the Year." In 1966, the 25-and-under generation was cited; in 1975, American women were named; and in 1982, the computer was chosen.
"I always love it when it's a person — and it is a person, not a computer or something like that," Stengel said. "We just felt there wasn't a single person who embodied this phenomenon."
Last year's winners were Bill and Melinda Gates and rock star Bono, who were cited for their charitable work and activism aimed at reducing global poverty and improving world health.
Criticisms of the Choice
There are those who praise the decision, and those who criticize it, as:
Time's wimpy choice ignores readers' needs - Newsday.com: Newsday.com
Do you like being pandered to? Do you like being presented with a mirror so that you can admire yourself? Time magazine sure hopes so. The venerable but not-much-venerated newsweekly is sucking up to you, its hoped-for audience, pure and simple. In naming 'you' as its Person of the Year for 2006 - complete with reflective plastic on the cover - the fading publication demonstrates how its weakening financial condition has led to a weakening of editorial judgment.
Are self-generated online media really a bigger deal than the Iraq war? Is the self-displaying YouTube more consequential than Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? Does MySpace rate higher than the proliferation of weapons and enemies around the world, from North Korea to Russia to Venezuela?
My View
I think those who criticize the decision are again being snobby and elitist. Yes, I do think Time made the right choice. I don't judge it's an exaggeration that all these new media people influence elections, wars and world peace, the economy, and trends. I don’t take what we do too seriously. I realize our limitations.
Amateurs?
Take me, for example. I work very hard on my blog. It requires hours each day out of my time to research and write my articles, keep my template working and attractive, answer comments, and so on. Yet, I still must work for a living. I am not yet a professional blogger. So, I don't have the time to do all that I would if I could devote every moment to my blog. So, I can't spend as much time researching as I'd like; I can't check my facts as much as I'd like; and I can't follow all the interesting threads; and so on.
This necessarily means that I remain, for the moment, half amateur and half professional. In one way this is good. It means I stay close to my immediate feelings on all the important issues, without over-thinking them. So, if I am representative of a certain percentage of bloggers, this means that one service we provide is as a temperature gauge for the national mood.
Effect of the New Electronic Media
I don't want to overemphasize the importance of my particular blog, but I do think that the net effect of all the blogs on the national consciousness is significant. Just on this one tiny blog you've got links and comments from people all over the world, from a soldier in Afghanistan, to a young consultant in Lebanon, to a Vietnam Vet in Florida and his Bestest Blog of the Day winner wife, to a teacher in Atlanta; from liberals to conservatives; from hawks to doves.
If I can just narrow down the new media to bloggers, I think all of them are important. They add to the political discourse, get people involved; contribute to our art, and literature, and poetry; expand our horizons of travel, hobbies and experiences. They are a part of 21st century literature, fiction and nonfiction; and an extension and driver of the electronic media.
Plus, it's entirely democratic. It's of the people. People say what they want. Notice that this kind of thing is still banned in China, and other places. They have a "filter" on what can and cannot be seen on the Internet. No opinionated bloggers allowed there.
Amatuerism as a Good Thing
Again, the main complaint against bloggers is that they are amateurs. Yes, I've admitted that this is true, or at least partly true. So what? The founders of this country were farmers by profession, mostly, and only amateur politicians. That's how the country was designed. So, the amateurs have taken over again. They are standing up to the professional politicians, leaders, organizations and media. The professional media are scared witless. Stories as often get broken on the blogosphere as not.
Fears of the Traditional Media
Still, I don't think the traditional media needs to fear. Just accept the blogosphere as a fact of life. It's here, and will probably stay, forever. Just get better at what you do, and there will be room for all of us. Some of us bloggers will "graduate" into the professional media, and some of us will just continue doing what we do—engaging in the national debate. It's a good thing.
Being Good Bloggers/New Media People
If we are good bloggers, we'll admit our limitations. We'll be open to opposing points of view. We'll welcome diversity of thought. We'll retract when we make mistakes. We'll be willing to change directions.
Yet, the good bloggers will also form some core values in their messages, and try to communicate them as best they can. Plus, they have a responsibility to communicate with integrity and try to present the truth, or a portion of it, for others to consider.
So, I say that Time was right. I salute you, and I salute me. The world is richer for this whole phenomenon.
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Rock
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