RokSki
New Member
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2006
- Messages
- 5,431
I am a devoted political animal, and I read several political blogs/news sources/blogs daily, including:
- MyDD
- Drudge
- Raw Story
- Huffington Post (off and on)
- Counterpunch
- Cursor.org
- Daily Kos
- Various conservative blogs (The Corner, RedState, etc.),
off-and-on
Each site, of course, has its own flavor and style, as I'm sure many here are quite familiar with.
I'm basically starting this thread to gauge others' feelings about one blog in particular that seems to consistently get under my skin, and that is because of the ego/self-indulgence of it's creator.
If you already know which blog I'm going to pick, then you likely have had the same reaction as I have.
Yes, I'm talking about Daily Kos.
I have complete respect for Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, founder of Daily Kos. He's done a great job with his site, and as it is his site, he can do whatever he chooses to do with it.
If he wants to post 10 pictures of himself, his wife, and his new baby, that's his prerogative. If he wants to have threads devoted to the 'betting pool' for the day his baby will arrive, it's his choice.
At some point, however, can we just let it be a political blog? I mean, most people don't go to the site to worship at Kos' feet. I know I don't. He's an intelligent guy, and I respect him, but I don't need to skim through self-serving threads complete with enormous, can't-be-avoided pictures every time something new happens in his life. That is not why most people go to the site, IMO.
If this were the extent of the self-aggrandizement, I guess I could live with it.
But it's not.
No, after Kos' last round of family holiday photos (I think there were about 5 non-avoidable threads worth), he started another thread (an open thread) in which (on the front page, and non-avoidably) he proceeded to ***** and complain at some length about people who had the audacity to request that he - possibly, maybe - not post quite so many personal pic threads. Or, perhaps, how about have a few of the pics behind the thread links?
Apparently, Kos took this as some sort of insult, and he launched into a series of "It's my blog, tough ****"-type, rather-pathetic defenses, none of which were particularly convincing.
What's even worse is that it would appear Kos holds those who worship at these overly-indulgent pic threads in higher regard, in terms of site perks. I may be incorrect on this point, but this seems to be the case. Or perhaps a better way to phrase it is that the worshipers certainly believe Kos thinks better of them, as they stumble over each other to offer the next compliment to Kos.
Other political bloggers have mentioned this aspect of Kos' site, so I know I'm not alone in thinking this, but I wanted to take the temperature of those on SJ who are familiar with Kos' and other political blogs and get their feelings on the subject.
Because (Kos just had new baby pics up yesterday, and congrats to him and his wife) I'm getting to the point where I'm really beginning to resent having these - I hate to say it, but it's true - none-too-attractive photos (of Kos himself, not his child or wife) shoved down my throat repeatedly. If I wanted to see what a new father looks like, I have plenty of old college friends' pics from all-nighters. It's really getting old, and Kos' ego seems to be just utterly out-of-control. It's making me want to say "I don't give a ****" back to him about his site, just to silence him and his forceful BS.
- - -
I should, in the interest of fairness, point out that Huffington's site is also quite self-indulgent, photographically, but: 1) She has a higher profile than Kos and has had her own television show (I believe); 2) She looks one hell of a lot better than does Kos. That is, her appearance is an integral part of her 'shtick'; and 3) even given points 1) + 2), she still has far fewer pics up at any one time than does Kos, at least those which can't be avoided.
Interested to hear others' takes.
- A simple critique of the site, as a whole, and Kos' style:
http://nileblog.blogspot.com/2005/12/rhetoric-of-blogging-part-v-daily-kos_07.html
- A more in-depth review of Kos' site and Kos:
http://www.personaldemocracy.com/node/72
- MyDD
- Drudge
- Raw Story
- Huffington Post (off and on)
- Counterpunch
- Cursor.org
- Daily Kos
- Various conservative blogs (The Corner, RedState, etc.),
off-and-on
Each site, of course, has its own flavor and style, as I'm sure many here are quite familiar with.
I'm basically starting this thread to gauge others' feelings about one blog in particular that seems to consistently get under my skin, and that is because of the ego/self-indulgence of it's creator.
If you already know which blog I'm going to pick, then you likely have had the same reaction as I have.
Yes, I'm talking about Daily Kos.
I have complete respect for Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, founder of Daily Kos. He's done a great job with his site, and as it is his site, he can do whatever he chooses to do with it.
If he wants to post 10 pictures of himself, his wife, and his new baby, that's his prerogative. If he wants to have threads devoted to the 'betting pool' for the day his baby will arrive, it's his choice.
At some point, however, can we just let it be a political blog? I mean, most people don't go to the site to worship at Kos' feet. I know I don't. He's an intelligent guy, and I respect him, but I don't need to skim through self-serving threads complete with enormous, can't-be-avoided pictures every time something new happens in his life. That is not why most people go to the site, IMO.
If this were the extent of the self-aggrandizement, I guess I could live with it.
But it's not.
No, after Kos' last round of family holiday photos (I think there were about 5 non-avoidable threads worth), he started another thread (an open thread) in which (on the front page, and non-avoidably) he proceeded to ***** and complain at some length about people who had the audacity to request that he - possibly, maybe - not post quite so many personal pic threads. Or, perhaps, how about have a few of the pics behind the thread links?
Apparently, Kos took this as some sort of insult, and he launched into a series of "It's my blog, tough ****"-type, rather-pathetic defenses, none of which were particularly convincing.
What's even worse is that it would appear Kos holds those who worship at these overly-indulgent pic threads in higher regard, in terms of site perks. I may be incorrect on this point, but this seems to be the case. Or perhaps a better way to phrase it is that the worshipers certainly believe Kos thinks better of them, as they stumble over each other to offer the next compliment to Kos.
Other political bloggers have mentioned this aspect of Kos' site, so I know I'm not alone in thinking this, but I wanted to take the temperature of those on SJ who are familiar with Kos' and other political blogs and get their feelings on the subject.
Because (Kos just had new baby pics up yesterday, and congrats to him and his wife) I'm getting to the point where I'm really beginning to resent having these - I hate to say it, but it's true - none-too-attractive photos (of Kos himself, not his child or wife) shoved down my throat repeatedly. If I wanted to see what a new father looks like, I have plenty of old college friends' pics from all-nighters. It's really getting old, and Kos' ego seems to be just utterly out-of-control. It's making me want to say "I don't give a ****" back to him about his site, just to silence him and his forceful BS.
- - -
I should, in the interest of fairness, point out that Huffington's site is also quite self-indulgent, photographically, but: 1) She has a higher profile than Kos and has had her own television show (I believe); 2) She looks one hell of a lot better than does Kos. That is, her appearance is an integral part of her 'shtick'; and 3) even given points 1) + 2), she still has far fewer pics up at any one time than does Kos, at least those which can't be avoided.
Interested to hear others' takes.
* * *
- A simple critique of the site, as a whole, and Kos' style:
http://nileblog.blogspot.com/2005/12/rhetoric-of-blogging-part-v-daily-kos_07.html
- A more in-depth review of Kos' site and Kos:
http://www.personaldemocracy.com/node/72
