Why Most Bloggers Are Complete Idiots
A story showed up this morning on Threadwatch titled “US Government Wants US Bloggers to Register.” The source of the Threadwatch post was GrassrootsFreedom.com.
Here are the statements made in the original post:
“In what sounds like a comedy sketch from Jon Stewart’s Daily Show, but isn’t, the U. S. Senate would impose criminal penalties, even jail time, on grassroots causes and citizens who criticize Congress.
“Section 220 of S. 1, the lobbying reform bill currently before the Senate, would require grassroots causes, even bloggers, who communicate to 500 or more members of the public on policy matters, to register and report quarterly to Congress the same as the big K Street lobbyists. Section 220 would amend existing lobbying reporting law by creating the most expansive intrusion on First Amendment rights ever. For the first time in history, critics of Congress will need to register and report with Congress itself.
“The bill would require reporting of ‘paid efforts to stimulate grassroots lobbying,’ but defines ‘paid’ merely as communications to 500 or more members of the public, with no other qualifiers.
Now here is what I found in Section 220:
(a) Definitions- Section 3 of the Act (2 U.S.C. 1602) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (7), by adding at the end of the following: `Lobbying activities include paid efforts to stimulate grassroots lobbying, but do not include grassroots lobbying.’; and
(2) by adding at the end of the following:
(17) GRASSROOTS LOBBYING- The term `grassroots lobbying’ means the voluntary efforts of members of the general public to communicate their own views on an issue to Federal officials or to encourage other members of the general public to do the same.
`
(18) PAID EFFORTS TO STIMULATE GRASSROOTS LOBBYING-`(A) IN GENERAL- The term `paid efforts to stimulate grassroots lobbying’ means any paid attempt in support of lobbying contacts on behalf of a client to influence the general public or segments thereof to contact one or more covered legislative or executive branch officials (or Congress as a whole) to urge such officials (or Congress) to take specific action with respect to a matter described in section 3(8)(A), except that such term does not include any communications by an entity directed to its members, employees, officers, or shareholders.
(B) PAID ATTEMPT TO INFLUENCE THE GENERAL PUBLIC OR SEGMENTS THEREOF- The term `paid attempt to influence the general public or segments thereof’ does not include an attempt to influence directed at less than 500 members of the general public.
What that means to me is:
1. Publishing your political viewpoints on a blog makes you a Grassroots Lobbyist.
2.Being a Grassroots Lobbyist does not mean you are engaging in Lobbyist Activites.
3. If you are getting paid by a client to publish your political viewpoints, and you have a readership over 500 that payment may be considered a “Paid attempt to influence the general public or segments thereof.”
4. If your blog has a readership under 500 you can get paid, but no one really cares because your blog sucks.
5. If you are getting paid by a client more than $25,000 per quarter to publish your content on your blog, you are no longer a Grassroots Lobbyst. You are now a Grassroots Lobbying Firm.
6. Grassroots Lobbying Firms will have to register with Congress just like any other lobbying firm.
After I finished reading section 220, I spent some time searching the blogosphere for other posts. The ratio of “copy & paste” to “original thought” posts was probably around 10:1.
I think that sucks. And you should too. But we can fix it. All we need to do is think more and post less.
Comments
11 Responses to “ Why Most Bloggers Are Complete Idiots ”
Got something to say?
Amen brother. Too much regurgitation flying around.
“Before you speak, listen.
Before you write, think.”
-William Arthur Ward
Before you write, think originally.
It failed to pass last night 55 to 43
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/19/0553211&from=rss
sweet title!
My assumption is the more misleading and sensational post will get more links. (Hoax Marketing)
I was amazed (and still am) at some very well known blogs that basically through out 3 sentences, and then link to a story at some news agency. I don’t surf blogs as much as I should, perhaps, but having found little out there that engages me. I began my own “blog”, which I hesitate to call a blog, really, because my aim is to offer essays on socio-political topics, such as one reads in magazines, or an extended newspaper column. Visit http://www.democratic-conversation.com to read for yourself, and offer a comment, rebuttal, or something that strikes as conversation. Now, I see that the bill failed to pass, but if they somehow get it through, then that’ll give writers/critics that much more to “think originally” about how to scale that congress like a catch of fish.
Greg, Your template and comments are all funky today. Hidden text test, pirate hack, other problem?
Amen! Your interpretation of the reform bill appears to be dead-on, and it’s nice to see someone post something well-thought-out as opposed to a knee-jerk response based on a badly-skimmed understanding.
I’m definitely not good with interpreting legal docs…
>>>political viewpoints
Any idea or statement of what the encompasses? I mean, obviously dem, repub, government… but where else does to the term “political” extend to… is talking about Google and the Chinese government “political” (as an example)?
By idea or statement, to clarify, I mean in the documentation you read…
Guilty as charged!