Yeah, it's trending downwards. Keep hope alive on this. Velleman really is good. And it can't all be about yellow ribbins on SUVs, right?
My hope is that we see a not just a defense and articulation of the left project, but a Kaussian willingness to examine the failings of that project. So far, no post on Left2right has taken the form of "thank god the democrats lost on that issue."* Had they done anything like this, you'd see I think, a less poisonous comments and more useful comments section (and I say this as someone who commented).
* This goes both ways, of course. Wasn't it great to hear Newt Gingrich describe the civil rights struglle as the signal failure of the conservative movement? And to credit the left wing of the democratic party for being on the right side? That was a highpoint. We need more statements like this. I'd love to hear the right candidly acknowledge that they haven't really been on-the-ball on abuses of police power, and the left recognize that they tend to be soppy about criminals. Nosce te ipsum, like the man says.
"I'm not just being snarky when I say, blogs aren't for listening. When a blog tries to listen, you get posts like this one from Don Herzog, where he just poses some questions and waits for comments."
Um, just to be a little bit snarky: Isn't this exactly what you did in the post immediately after this one?
C.P., I don't think so. I'm not asking for an informed opinion, and the post title is "Vent," after all, so I just want some bile and I'm curious where it'll be directed. If we were trying to determine which works of literature deserve opprobrium, then I'd be guilty.
I also think there's just way too many contributers. In general, one of the things I like about blogs (and I think other people like it too) is that they attain a personality, the good ones anyway. There are good group blogs (like, say Unfogged), but too many cooks dilutes the sense of identity a good blog has.
For example, I used to read Volokh Conspiracy much more frequently when it had just a few posters, the same with Tacitus, and not just because the later-added posters were often of lesser quality.
I also find Crooked Timber less compelling now that it has such a big roster. I actually enjoy reading everyone who posts there. But, for example, I like reading John and Belle on their own website much more than I do on CT. It's not that their posts on CT are of any lesser quality, they're not, it's just I think J&B are more "themselves", and therefore more interesting, on their home turf.
Perhaps if Left2Right broke up into factions or cliques or something, say about four or five contributers each, and then each goup formed a blog that could link to other blogs in the Grand Left2Right Alliance when they wanted to have broader discussions, it would be more interesting.
"Just write. People will comment anyway."
Done.
You expect that people whose very professional existence depends on obtuse jargon-filled writing will publish a blog with a sense of humor?
You're a serious optimist.
Posted by Dan | Link to this comment | 12- 8-04 10:55 AM
Yeah, it's trending downwards. Keep hope alive on this. Velleman really is good. And it can't all be about yellow ribbins on SUVs, right?
My hope is that we see a not just a defense and articulation of the left project, but a Kaussian willingness to examine the failings of that project. So far, no post on Left2right has taken the form of "thank god the democrats lost on that issue."* Had they done anything like this, you'd see I think, a less poisonous comments and more useful comments section (and I say this as someone who commented).
* This goes both ways, of course. Wasn't it great to hear Newt Gingrich describe the civil rights struglle as the signal failure of the conservative movement? And to credit the left wing of the democratic party for being on the right side? That was a highpoint. We need more statements like this. I'd love to hear the right candidly acknowledge that they haven't really been on-the-ball on abuses of police power, and the left recognize that they tend to be soppy about criminals. Nosce te ipsum, like the man says.
Posted by baa | Link to this comment | 12- 8-04 12:22 PM
"I'm not just being snarky when I say, blogs aren't for listening. When a blog tries to listen, you get posts like this one from Don Herzog, where he just poses some questions and waits for comments."
Um, just to be a little bit snarky: Isn't this exactly what you did in the post immediately after this one?
Posted by C.P. Shaw | Link to this comment | 12- 8-04 12:40 PM
C.P., I don't think so. I'm not asking for an informed opinion, and the post title is "Vent," after all, so I just want some bile and I'm curious where it'll be directed. If we were trying to determine which works of literature deserve opprobrium, then I'd be guilty.
Posted by ogged | Link to this comment | 12- 8-04 2:14 PM
I also think there's just way too many contributers. In general, one of the things I like about blogs (and I think other people like it too) is that they attain a personality, the good ones anyway. There are good group blogs (like, say Unfogged), but too many cooks dilutes the sense of identity a good blog has.
For example, I used to read Volokh Conspiracy much more frequently when it had just a few posters, the same with Tacitus, and not just because the later-added posters were often of lesser quality.
I also find Crooked Timber less compelling now that it has such a big roster. I actually enjoy reading everyone who posts there. But, for example, I like reading John and Belle on their own website much more than I do on CT. It's not that their posts on CT are of any lesser quality, they're not, it's just I think J&B are more "themselves", and therefore more interesting, on their home turf.
Perhaps if Left2Right broke up into factions or cliques or something, say about four or five contributers each, and then each goup formed a blog that could link to other blogs in the Grand Left2Right Alliance when they wanted to have broader discussions, it would be more interesting.
Posted by Mitch Mills | Link to this comment | 12- 8-04 4:00 PM
My attention span goes 'bout three paragraphs, if well written, one sentence, if not.
Posted by Tig | Link to this comment | 12- 8-04 4:14 PM
What kind of self-respecting academic writes "to" as "2"?
Posted by Michael | Link to this comment | 12- 9-04 3:31 AM