{"id":277,"date":"2006-08-21T15:13:12","date_gmt":"2006-08-21T19:13:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getgood.com\/roadmaps\/?p=277"},"modified":"2006-08-21T15:13:12","modified_gmt":"2006-08-21T19:13:12","slug":"the-a-list-follies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getgood.com\/roadmaps\/2006\/08\/21\/the-a-list-follies\/","title":{"rendered":"The A-list follies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Subtitle:<\/strong> "A bunch of white guys linking around"<\/em> <\/p>\n

Starring:<\/strong> All the usual suspects <\/p>\n

Lots of chatter about the A-list again. This time spawned by a\u00a0 Nick Carr<\/a> post\u00a0 that likened the A-list to feudal barons, with the rest of us, the serfs. Funny post, much of which I agree with, some perhaps not, but that’s not what this post is about. That has been done already<\/a> this week. In fact,\u00a0 most (not all) of the current conversation seems like nothing more than a rehash of a similar cycle a few months ago, and a similar cycle a few months before that and so on and so forth. Perhaps a few different players, but also many of the same. How does it go, you ask? Well, someone (in this case Carr) brings up the issue of the A-list and the long tail, in some form or other. And they’re off. <\/p>\n

A bunch of white guys linking around. Lots of posts that say it’s a big problem because "they" won’t link to "us." Or if "they" do, it is at the price of a link to them, thus perpetuating the A-lister’s position at the top of the heap. The opposing view (A-listers and others) includes concepts like\u00a0 poo, piffle, this isn’t really a problem, anybody can rise to the top, it doesn’t matter, get over yourself. And so on. With varying degrees of civility. <\/p>\n

"A-listers" feel attacked. Z-listers, downtrodden. Lather, rinse, repeat. <\/p>\n

Here’s the thing. There’s an A-list in blogging, as in just about everything. It’s a fact. It’s also a problem. I also believe that in blogging, it doesn’t need to matter. We can make it NOT matter. At least not so much.<\/strong> <\/p>\n

Wishing the A-list and associated mentality would go away just won’t make it so, and I for one have better things to do. Names may come and go on the LIST, but it will exist. There is always a top of the list, and we all can’t be on it.\u00a0 In any field, blogging included, some of the stars get to the top for the right reasons (fill in the blank on what you think is a right reason here), and others not. And my opinion about who deserves and who doesn’t won’t be the same as yours. That’s just the way it is.<\/p>\n

In part because life isn’t fair and no matter what "they" told you, it really isn’t a meritocracy. Everyone does NOT stand an equal chance to become president of the USA, even though it does seem that you don’t have to be particularly bright to climb that mountain. <\/p>\n

So if there’s a "big lie," that’s it — everyone won’t rise to the top simply on merit. There just isn’t enough room. But… that does not mean that those at the top don’t deserve to be there. Many do. Or that if you aren’t at the top of the list, you don’t have merit. There are<\/strong> systemic<\/a> barriers<\/a> in blogging just like in real life. And as the media companies dig in, some of the systemic barriers in blogging may get higher, not lower. <\/p>\n

It stinks, and it’s hard to change it. But we can talk about it.<\/strong> That is how we make it not matter.<\/strong> And maybe even drive some change, but that’s a topic for another day. We need to keep talking about the A-list and the associated issues. And we need make sure that we’re also exposing people to the long tail. Not just the popular voices. Or the loudest. Or the crankiest. Sure, some bloggers wish to be "on the list."\u00a0 Others don’t care. But they all have a voice, whether they are number 1, 10 or 100,000.<\/p>\n

Let’s start by forgetting the foolishness that the blogosphere is a pure meritocracy. Sure, merit matters, but so do a lot of other things. Assuming that those at the top are the "smart" ones to the exclusion of the rest is plain and simple stupidity. New bloggers, casual readers, everyone, needs to be reminded of this on a regular basis. If that means we have to have the A-list blog debate every few months, so be it. <\/p>\n

Don’t sweep the problems of gender\/ racial bias and marginalization under the rug. Expose them to the light of day on a regular basis, so people are aware. And perhaps take a little more time to investigate, to dig, to find an alternative viewpoint. <\/p>\n

If we stop talking about the issues, they most definitely won’t get solved. <\/strong>We will<\/strong> be stuck with the Technorati 100 (blecch). <\/p>\n

But, let’s try not to take it too personally. Because it really isn’t about you. <\/strong>It’s about the system. Speaking only for myself, when I criticize the underlying biases<\/a> in the systems we use for blog discovery, I’m not <\/strong>accusing the A-list barons of deliberately setting out to keep the Z-list serfs on the farm or you of sexism. I can’t do anything about you (only you can) and I’m not that interested in trying. <\/p>\n

What I am doing is pointing out a systemic problem that we should all wish to solve. Whether we are on the top of the list or the bottom. <\/p>\n

Tags: A-list<\/a>, gender bias<\/a>, meritocracy<\/a><\/small><\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Subtitle: "A bunch of white guys linking around" Starring: All the usual suspects Lots of chatter about the A-list again. This time spawned by a\u00a0 Nick Carr post\u00a0 that likened the A-list to feudal barons, with the rest of us, the serfs. Funny post, much of which I agree with, some perhaps not, but that’s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t