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Here's the first book to combine in-depth interviews with the blogging world's most provocative and influential personalities with a realistic analysis of the ways that this new media phenomenon is transforming our society.
Blog! takes you inside the minds and hearts of people like former Howard Dean campaign manager Joe Trippi, who pioneered the use of political blogs as grassroots organizing tools and fundraising vehicles — and in the process changed political campaigning forever. And Robert Scoble, a Microsoft employee who through his candid, fair-minded blog postings accomplished what hundreds of millions of dollars in Microsoft image advertising could not — i.e., the humanizing of a company once reviled as a monopolistic bully. And former child star Wil Wheaton (Stand by Me and Star Trek: The Next Generation), who captivated millions by blogging about his humiliations as a struggling actor and ultimately launched a new career for himself as a respected author of two books.
From celebrity-activist Arianna Huffington to the Web philosopher Clay Shirky, this book brings you more than 30 of the blogosphere's most fascinating personalities in their own fresh and uncensored voices.
Any powerful new technology, of course, inevitably brings with it a hurricane of hype and hyperbole. And sure enough, some of blogging's more excitable evangelists claim it will soon replace the traditional newspaper, nullify the influence of the rich and powerful over electoral politics, and — by putting the power of the printing press in the hands of ordinary citizens — enable a million new Shakespeares to emerge from the heartland.
Don't bet on it, say authors David Kline and Dan Burstein. They argue that while blogging will profoundly transform many areas of politics, business and culture, it cannot by itself free us from the constraints of human nature or our existing social and economic reality. The authors thus give us the first book that pierces the bubble of hype and confusion surrounding this new medium with a real-world analysis of the ways that blogging will actually change our society.
Ultimately, blogging is all about empowerment — a revolt, says David Kline, of the voiceless against the heedless. For better or worse, every citizen now has a voice. And woe be to any politician or businessman who tries to ignore the roar of today's blog-enabled citizenry.
Review:
"Blogging, at least in principle, is far from new. It could be argued, as the authors do, that Thomas Paine was a proto-blogger whose blogging paraphernalia consisted of pamphlets instead of free software and an internet connection. In this dense and entertaining analysis of the 'new paradigm for human communication,' journalists Kline and Burstein examine the notion that weblogs, or 'blogs,' are redefining journalism and media consumption and conclude that, while blogging may not signal the death of big media, it has measurably impacted everything from political campaigns — as evidenced by Howard Dean's presidential bid — to the life of former child star Wil Wheaton, who found his 'second act' in a tell-all blog about the humiliations of show business. Soliciting the thoughts of well-known bloggers, such as Andrew Sullivan and Jeff Jarvis, the authors create a venerable blogosphere bible that navigates and interprets the cyber-verbosity informing the way journalists do their jobs, from fact finding to steering coverage. Using specific examples of blogger power, such as the release of an Iranian dissident from prison, and employing Q&A interviews with movers and shakers like Microsoft's Robert Scoble to discuss blogs' current and future marketplace utility, the authors offer a lot to consider about our information-saturated culture and what cream might rise to the top of it." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
Review:
"Books on technology trends often have a short shelf life, but Blog! focuses on the larger issues that make this such an exciting cultural moment while steering clear of details that will date quickly. Well worthwhile." Booklist
Synopsis:
Featuring a resource guide to the Top 100 Blogs, this title is a timely exploration of the influence of online journals and commentary that, according to Bill Gates, are the biggest thing since the 1995 Internet craze.
Synopsis:
Blog! is a thought-provoking book addressing the next big thing that is shaking up politics, business, media, culture. Blogs — and the online, interactive, real-time world they come out of — are changing the rules and realities of life in the 21st century. David Kline & Dan Burstein take you inside that process. These two authors — who teamed up to author the first big book about the impact of the Internet on business and culture more than a decade ago (the now legendary book, Road Warriors, Dutton, 1995) — now take the curious reader on an exploration of the emerging ecosystem known as the blogosphere. The book combines incisive essays on the areas where blogs are having the greatest impact, bold forecasts about how blogs will change many facets of our experience, and more than two dozen interviews with the leading bloggers who are defining the shape and scope of this new media revolution.
Blog! features commentary from the blogosphere's "power elite" including:
David Kline is a journalist, author and business consultant whose last book — Rembrandts in the Attic: Unlocking the Hidden Value of Patents (Harvard Business School Press) — is considered the seminal work on intellectual property strategy in corporate America. He has also reported on wars, revolutions and various domestic issues for the New York Times and other major media, and is a frequent speaker before business audiences.
Dan Burstein is an award winning journalist, author and venture capitalist who has written about new technology trends and investing in emerging growth companies for more than 20 years. He is the managing director of both Millennium Technology Ventures and Millennium Technology Value Partners. He is also co-editor of the best-selling Secrets of the Code: The Unauthorized Guide to the Mysteries Behind the DaVinci Code.
Kline and Burstein previously co-authored the best-seller Road Warriors: Dreams and Nightmares Along the Information Highway.
Introduction: From Cave Painting to Wonkette: A Short History of Blogging
-- by Dan Burstein
Part One: Politics & Policy
Chapter 1 :: The Essay
Toward a More Participatory Democracy
-- by David Kline
Chapter 2 :: The Interviews
"The Secrets of Dean's Success (and the Democrats' Failure)."
-- Joe Trippi, former National Campaign Manager for Howard Dean
"Extreme Democracy, Blog-Style."
-- Jon Lebkowsky, CEO, Polycot
Blogging the Presidency."
-- Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, DailyKos.com
"Dove Becomes Hawk in Blog Transformation."
-- Roger L. Simon, RogerLSimon.com
"Sex, Lies, and Political Scrapes."
-- Ana Marie Cox, Wonkette.com
Chapter 3 :: The Public Commentary
"Fear and Laptops On the Campaign Trail."
-- Matthew Klam, from New York Times Magazine
"Web of Influence"
-- by Daniel W. Drezner and Henry Farrell, from Foreign Policy
Part Two: Business & Economics
Chapter 4 :: The Essay
The Voice of the Customer
-- by David Kline
Chapter 5 :: The Interviews
"Blogs: Humanizing the Face of Corporate America"
-- Robert Scoble, blogger and "technical evangelist" for Microsoft, Inc.
- Sidebar - "The Corporate Weblog Manifesto"
"The Whole Becomes Hugely Greater"
-- Nick Gall, analyst with the META Group
"Japanese Blogger Champions Internet Democracy"
-- Joi Ito, venture capitalist and Japan's No. 1 blogger
"Take An Obsession, Then Feed it!"
-- Nick Denton, Gawker Media
"Is it the Tortoise Against the Hare?"
-- Jason Calacanis, Weblogs Inc.
"It's More Like Music Than Publishing."
-- John Battelle, founder and former Chair of Standard Media International
"Going Out On a Limb, Where the Fruit Is."
-- Andreas Stavropoulis, Managing Director, Draper Fisher Jurvetson
"Marketers Must Learn to Respect Their Customers
-- Christian Sarkar, Web marketing and design consultant
"Building a Better Clubhouse by Blogging."
-- David Teten, CEO), Nitron Advisors, and editor, the virtualhandshake.com;
and Scott Allen, consultant on social networking
"The New Meaning of ''Going to Lunch With Your Publisher.'"
--Michael Cader, founder of Publisher's Lunch
"Our Customers Want Authenticity."
-- Jonathan Schwartz, president of Sun Microsystems.
Chapter 6 :: The Public Commentary
"Why There's No Escaping the Blog,"
-- by David Kirkpatrick and Daniel Roth, from Fortune
"Blogs Will Change Your Business."
-- by Stephen Baker and Heather Green, from Business Week
Part Three: Media & Culture
Chapter 7 :: The Essay
"I Blog, Therefore I Am
-- by David Kline
Chapter 8 :: The Interviews
"Child Star-Turned Blogger Discovers Life's Second Act."
-- Wil Wheaton, child-actor turned writer and blogger
"A GI Blogs the War in Iraq."
-- Colby Buzzell, US Army, formerly stationed in Iraq
"A Mayhem of Media Possibilities."
-- Adam Curry, former MTV host turned tech company incubator
"Big Media Guy Learns to Trust the Readers."
-- Jeff Jarvis, President & creative director of Advance.net
"Blogs as Bottom-up Innovation"
-- Clay Shirky, expert on the social and economic effects of Internet technologies
"Will Blog For Book Deals"
-- Kate Lee, International Creative Management
"Confessions of a Distinguished Cultural Blogger"
--Terry Teachout, drama critic for The Wall Street Journal
"Last Night a Weblog Saved My Life."
-- Ayelet Waldman, novelist
"Where Have All the Journalists Gone?"
-- Jay Rosen, NYU Department of Journalism
"Making Global Voices Heard."
-- Rebecca MacKinnon, "recovering CNN reporter turned blogger."
"Gazing at the Crystal Ball of Blogging"
-- Paul Saffo, Research Director, Institute for the Future
"Punching Holes in Faded Old Mirrors"
-- Arianna Huffington, activitist, analyst.
Chapter 9 :: The Public Commentary
"My So-Called Blog"
-- by Emily Nussbaum, from The New York Times
"Meet Joe Blog"
-- by Lev Grossman and Anita Hamilton, from TIME
"A Blogger's Creed"
-- by Andrew Sullivan, from TIME
"Blogworld: The New Amateur Journalists Weighs In."
-- by Matt Welch, from Columbia Journalism Review
Appendices
Appendix A
The Blog! Index
Appendix B
The Technorati Top 50: A Snapshot in Time
Appendix C:
Blogroll
Acknowledgments
Author Bios
"Publishers Weekly Review"
by Publishers Weekly,
"Blogging, at least in principle, is far from new. It could be argued, as the authors do, that Thomas Paine was a proto-blogger whose blogging paraphernalia consisted of pamphlets instead of free software and an internet connection. In this dense and entertaining analysis of the 'new paradigm for human communication,' journalists Kline and Burstein examine the notion that weblogs, or 'blogs,' are redefining journalism and media consumption and conclude that, while blogging may not signal the death of big media, it has measurably impacted everything from political campaigns — as evidenced by Howard Dean's presidential bid — to the life of former child star Wil Wheaton, who found his 'second act' in a tell-all blog about the humiliations of show business. Soliciting the thoughts of well-known bloggers, such as Andrew Sullivan and Jeff Jarvis, the authors create a venerable blogosphere bible that navigates and interprets the cyber-verbosity informing the way journalists do their jobs, from fact finding to steering coverage. Using specific examples of blogger power, such as the release of an Iranian dissident from prison, and employing Q&A interviews with movers and shakers like Microsoft's Robert Scoble to discuss blogs' current and future marketplace utility, the authors offer a lot to consider about our information-saturated culture and what cream might rise to the top of it." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
"Review"
by Booklist,
"Books on technology trends often have a short shelf life, but Blog! focuses on the larger issues that make this such an exciting cultural moment while steering clear of details that will date quickly. Well worthwhile."
"Synopsis"
by Ingram,
Featuring a resource guide to the Top 100 Blogs, this title is a timely exploration of the influence of online journals and commentary that, according to Bill Gates, are the biggest thing since the 1995 Internet craze.
"Synopsis"
by april@powells.com,
Blog! is a thought-provoking book addressing the next big thing that is shaking up politics, business, media, culture. Blogs — and the online, interactive, real-time world they come out of — are changing the rules and realities of life in the 21st century. David Kline & Dan Burstein take you inside that process. These two authors — who teamed up to author the first big book about the impact of the Internet on business and culture more than a decade ago (the now legendary book, Road Warriors, Dutton, 1995) — now take the curious reader on an exploration of the emerging ecosystem known as the blogosphere. The book combines incisive essays on the areas where blogs are having the greatest impact, bold forecasts about how blogs will change many facets of our experience, and more than two dozen interviews with the leading bloggers who are defining the shape and scope of this new media revolution.
Blog! features commentary from the blogosphere's "power elite" including:
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