On WJOX this afternoon, Ian Fitzsimmons of the Roundtable warned listeners about the Internet; he cautioned that you can’t believe everything you read on blogs.
Talk radio warning people not to believe what you read on the Internet? That’s about like a whore worrying she might catch something by eating lunch at Denny’s. Talk radio is just as bad, if not worse, at spreading falsehoods.
However, hypocritical to have talk radio scolding about blogs, it is a good message. In the words of Ronald Reagan, trust but verify. Trust that most people are writing what they believe to be true, but verify the content. This is particularly true after the last week.
In the last week we’ve seen Nick Taylor self-destruct over the Alabama Crimson Tide basketball coaching search, and now the Deepsouthsports smear on Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban.
Will blogs and Internet sites ever achieve respectability when these disasters loom over us?
The answer is yes. But it’ll take time.
What we see today on the Internet is a replica (although more chaotic) of the early 20th Century newspaper business. In the early days of the last century (for that matter even still today), anyone who could run a printing press could publish his own newspaper. Newspapers existed to push news and news commentary for political parties, unions, and any wealthy crackpot who could afford the price of newsprint and ink.
It sounds like the Internet, where any crackpot with free time can blog.
For the most part, the Internet does a very good job sorting out the good from the bad. Internet readers are savvy. Persons who read a blog on Alabama football are more passionate than a casual fan, and thus more likely to catch when errors are made (and everyone makes errors.) The problem comes when people not familiar with a topic stumble upon a site spreading illegitimate rumors.
There is not much that can be done to hold these blogs accountable. Unfortunately, the Roundtable was right in another assertion—that it would take a landmark lawsuit to reform how bloggers work. Right now there isn’t a sheriff in the Wild West mentality of the Internet.
It is up to bloggers to continue policing each other, and expose when outright untruths are passed off as fact. In time, blogs can gain respect. It is going to take time. Just like the maturation of the American newspaper during the 20th Century, which reached its peak during the 1950’s and 1960’s before declining during the 70’s through today.
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20 thoughts on “Bad week for blogs”
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Gee Cappy – Is it not time for you to pontificate about Talk Radio also ? Is that too hot ?
I’m almost getting ready to give up pontificating and start posting declarations of anathema.
This last week makes things seem pointless. Lies are everywhere. Liars proliferate in sports as much as in politics. The SEC has become a cesspool, and with over $3 billion being pumped into the SEC over the next 15 years—it is only going to get worse.
Now you know how we felt with all the Bullcrap you guys were slinging at us last year about the sociology and Chette thing. None of wich panned out in any way at all. How are you guys liking the shoe on the other foot?
This is nothing new. It has been going on since Saban was named the coach. Actually, probably longer.
What is disheartening is to see how far things have fallen in the SEC, and how it will only get worse as more dollars corrupt the process.
Just read today that Citadel has no room on that motley lineup of Radio Stations for Atlanta Braves Baseball. Mr. Haney (‘program director’) says that it is all about commitment to “local sports”. I say it is all about his commitment to “advertising “. Mr. Haney’s new goal this year is to do 30 minutes of ads per hour. I know that a lot of you don’t give a damn – but Baseball is important to some of us out there and when lying ass program directors start talking shit that they can’t find room on 690 – (oh by the way – Dunnaway and Brown interferes with ESPN programming too ) or the right wing 1070 at night – hell can’t miss “Michael Savage ” ! I’ll take Baseball anytime over that dribble.
That’s my bitch today and apologies for stepping outside the thread. Batter Up for Baseball.
in my humble opinion regarding blogs, people should know the difference between BS (which anyone avg joe barnerneck could do) and Capstone Report (the truth)
Ballplay, a true Bama fan will never have to experience what it feels like to be an Auburn fan, thank God. You guys spend all your time trying to convince someone other than your selves that you guys are equal to Bama. That somehow the past doesn’t matter anymore and now Auburn is looked at in the same light nationally as Alabama is.
But there was truth to the sociology thing, they were investigated over it. There was an article in the NY Times about Chette too. And I do believe some Auburn people are at this moment trying to stir up rumors that Alabama has received another PLOI and could get the death penalty. Now git.
Brandy……As much as you may want to think , its not the 60s and 70s again……..Yet anyhow. So where does the elitist snobbery come from ? Your SEC west championship ? Please dude. Yall aint there yet, so pipe down. But that isnt the bammy way is it ? Yall spewed the same garb during year 6 of the streak. Bammers know no humility. Really, thats why the rest of the CFB world hates you. Whether you realise it or not , you are still living in the past. Exactly what did last year get you ? A win over Auburn. We defined your season. If you hadnt beaten us, Last year wouldnt have meant anything.
Now to the meaning of the post. My point was this, NOTHING CAME OF THE SOCIOLOGY THING BECAUSE THERE WASNT ANYTHING TO IT.
Oh , and “If its in the New York Times it must be true” are you friggin kidding me !???!!!?? Dude they have been busted for flat out lies in the past, and when this guys feet were held to the fire the story blew over. Why ? Because it was Bullllllcraaaaappp.
Now to the Chette thing. I said it the whole time. Bullcrap. Shane was doing the very thing you guys are bitching about now. Except every day for about 4 months. And EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU WERE ON THE IDIOTS BANDWAGON. So forgive me if I dont sympathise with you dooshes in your winefest over the kid from Mississippi. Yall are getting what you deserve. Bammers have the shortest memory span in the known universe.
Ballplay, do you really believe that was a lie about players receiving passing grades in sociology when they did not even attend class? Other schools may hate us and that’s fine, it is because we are one of the winningest schools of all time. Undisputed.
Look……I dont know what happened, nor do you. Thats is exactly my point. I know this , after that claim Auburn was under a national microscope, a proffesor lost his job, and absolutely nothing came of it. Much to the chagrin of you bammers who wouldnt shut the heck up about it. Then in comes Shane with his flat out slander against a good man . The whole Chette fiasco he tried for months to get you minions on board with was an epic fail. Why ? because it was CRAP. So , all Im saying is quit yalls whining. You all are as guilty as anyone when it comes to this. Bama fans= king of internet rumors. Shane is your Emporer you crimson necks. Enjoy.
Ballplay, call it whatever you want. It isn’t the 60s or 70s anymore I know, but it doesn’t stop you Auburn people from having an inferiority complex. Ya’ll won 6 in a row, and you guys thought it was over, then BAM! ya’ll are worse off now than you were before you started ‘The Streak’. Look, I could care less about what goes on at Auburn. I will never be an Auburn fan. But Auburn people absolutely loathe everything Alabama to the point it becomes a mental condition.
But the fact that you come to a BAMA site, and then get upset if someone here slings mud on Auburn says an awful lot about you and your Auburn mentality. Why would you care? Just grow a sack and laugh it off.
I could care less about what an Ole Miss recruit said or didn’t say. I like Bamas recruiting class. I don’t blame the kid for going to Ole Miss for a better shot at playing time. When you start doing really good, the other teams are going to take shots a sling mud. Just like you have been doing. So if anyone is being hypocritical, you are right there with everyone else. And you call me elitist.
Bullcrap. Im not mental , and as you know everything I say is tounge in cheek. The point Im trying to make that is going over everyones head, including you, is that you guys do and did the very thing to us, to the power of ten , that yall are whining about with Ole Miss. That seems to escape everyone. And Cap was riding that horse as hard as ANYBODY save maybe the Crimson Emprorer SHANE. So all Im saying is take your medicine. Maybe you dont care Brando, of course you are nearly level headed. Answer this. How many Chette conspiricy blogs where on this site ? A dozen or more ? What facts backed up the claims ? It was a flat out campaign to try to lynch Auburn. And of course it didnt work. Cause it was bull. Enjoy your bad press. Yall deserve it.
As for the Rev. Chette Williams stuff. I actually wrote a column defending the good rev. back when Shane was writing about him. In Shane’s defense, most of what he wrote was asking why Rev. Williams wouldn’t answer questions raised by the NY Times.
yeaahhhhhhhh……O.K. you were defending him the whole time, right ? Cmon cappy. Please. ( insert sarcasm here)…..Thats crap and you know it. What about all the bullhock he spewed on the Finebaum show. He was on a mission and you know it. Heck, it was so blatant that Finebaum even shut him down a time or two. And He flat out said that Chette was the moneybag holder for paying players , several times. And it was suggested several times on this very site.
Your crawdaddin big time on this one.
On more than one occasion I’ve posted positive stories on Williams:
https://capstonereport.com/?p=834
In another column I wrote, “Could it be that these men connected with Auburn simply believe religious involvement would benefit the athletes? Especially, as many athletes come from backgrounds filled with temptation.” https://capstonereport.com/?p=140
I’m not saying I was a cheerleader for Williams, but I made clear that while there were legitimate questions about Williams that it doesn’t mean he did anything wrong, or that Auburn did anything wrong.
I think he would have been wise to answer the questions instead of hiding after the NY Times story, because that just made Shane’s questions seem more and more legitimate.
I agree cap, you have made a few positive statements concerning Williams. I remembered some before you even put up the link. But I also remember several very derogatory statements as well. I guess we need to ground you from hanging out with Shane. He is a bad influence. Peer pressure is rough I hear. Though its been about 25 years since Ive been through it.
On another note, why in the heck would Chette even consider responding to Shane ? Shane is the Jerry Springer of blogdom. And under no circumstances are any of Shanes questions legitimate. If you look back with hindsite, he did the RIGHT thing. You see, when you are innocent there is no need to respond to idiots. It only gives the idiots a platform. You know kinda like when Obama tries to talk to terrorists ? Same difference. The whole deal blew over, and it made Shane look like an even bigger doosh. If thats possible.
Chette has a suspicious thing going on. Why is Wayne Hall affiliated with him again? I missed that part.
Yea Brandy……….And the kid from Mississippi was bullied by the Nicktater.
Next.
And Brandy……If hes so bad, why did he go to Alabama and help Saban set up his new guy ? Saban went to im to see what he was doing because it worked so well. And no , it wasnt paying players.
I will second what BI said … Why would
Chette EVEN FEEL he HAd to answer to Shane? Who the hell is Shane? If it wasnt for Finbum and Cap this guy would still be hanging around outside stadiums and locker rooms looking like a stalker!