Eran has just posted about the recent spate of hateful and immature blogs (examples: shitcrunch, douchebrity, flock sucks, etc.) set out to make fun of all things Web 2.0 (ok, maybe not all, but a lot).
Just to reiterate what Eran says, we didn’t intend Supr.c.ilio.us, Web2OrNot or Supr.c.ilio.us The Blog to be mean, but funny and satirical to the point that people realize that some silly things are going on. We stand by everything we write, with every post containing both the name and photo of the author. We have nothing to hide.
I’m afraid, however, that these blogs have taken some degree of inspiration from Supr.c.ilio.us: The Blog, but maybe I’m over-estimating our popularity.
Additionally, it seems that some of the bitterest vitriol is aimed at what appears to be Sillicon Valley insider blogging.
Yeah, so people blog about their friends’ and acquaintences’ companies. They may even be nice to their friends. Is this surprising? Is it wrong?
I really don’t think so. I avoid blogging negatively about my friends because I know I’ll have to own up to it and defend it face to face. Chance are, I’ll get some things wrong and misunderstand something. If I have a negative critique of something a friend is doing, I’ll share it with them privately, so that they have a chance to respond without losing any face. And if a friend’s company is doing something cool, I’ll blog about, ’cause I’m proud of them.
The Internet can be a hateful place, especially when there’s anonymity.
Friends don’t let friends blog anonymously*.
* Exceptions, of course.