[WEB4LIB] RE: FW: LJ: ALA Prez-Elect Gorman on the

[Wilson,Alane]

Michael Gorman has said that his article was satire, and I am wondering
how that makes the offensive tone of the article any better? Satire is
(according to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language):
Irony, sarcasm, or caustic wit used to attack or expose folly, vice, or
stupidity. 

So we bloggers are, in his published (and one assumes, edited) opinion,
stupid, wicked or foolish. Take your pick. 

Alane Wilson, MLIS
Senior Library Market Consultant
Marketing and Library Services
OCLC
800-848-5878 x4386


-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Karen Coyle
Sent: Friday, February 25, 2005 9:25 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [WEB4LIB] RE: FW: LJ: ALA Prez-Elect Gorman on the


What bothers me most about Gorman's article is the tone of disdain. 
Librarians are supposed to promote reading and learning and to help 
people get excited about doing research and enjoying texts that take 
time and effort. To have the president of the association react to the 
unlearned (in his view) with snide remarks is not good for the 
profession. You don't encourage anyone to read by calling them names and

treating them as inferior.

In a sense, I agree with Gorman's view of blogs -- I don't see them as 
being the same as news articles from newspapers or magazines, and 
definitely not the same as a scholarly treatise. I'd like to be able to 
filter them out of any searches I do on the net when I'm looking for 
something more substantial. I don't have time to read them, and 
definitely don't have time to write one. He could have said all that 
without insulting anyone.

-- 
-----------------------------------
Karen Coyle / Digital Library Consultant
kcoyle at kcoyle.net http://www.kcoyle.net
ph.: 510-540-7596
fx.: 510-848-3913
mo.: 510-435-8234
------------------------------------