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Blog: Understanding The Information Reformation

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I received my copy of Hugh Hewitt's new book, Blog. It's a book that's having a significant impact in the blogsphere, particularly among Evangelical bloggers. What's the fuss?

I'm afraid I don't have a great answer to that question. I liked the book -- I really wanted to like it -- but I didn't love it.

Here's what I liked: Hewitt does a good job of demonstrating how the blogsphere has grown to rival, and in some celebrated recent examples such as "Rathergate," to supplant or at least upstage, traditional print and broadcast media. And, he makes some cogent, although not revolutionary, observations about how business organizations should utilize blogs and bloggers. He also refers to some useful blogs that newbies in the blogsphere will want to visit, although at times he seems mostly to be shilling for his blogging friends and promoting his own site.

Here's what I didn't like. The book reads like it was cranked out over a few long weekends. If you're looking for serious analysis of blogging as a social or political phenomenon, this isn't it. There are many breathless sections about how the blogsphere has "shattered" the "MSM" (Main Stream Media), interrupted with long block quotes and padded with filler such as an "Appendix" comprised of Hewitt's "early writings on blogging" and a second "Appendix" comprised of e-mails from visitors to Hewitt's website. Any 220 page book with nearly 70 pages of appendices from old, disjointed writings suggests, to me, that the book's main themes perhaps aren't that well developed. It also lacks an index, which again suggests perhaps some haste in getting to press.

The book's brevity might be understandable if it were a monograph on one or two tightly argued points. It isn't. In fact, it's difficult to tease out the book's main focus. Is it primarily a call to arms for conservative bloggers, or more of a business blogger's how-to? Is this book in the tradition of Sean Hannity or Stephen Covey? It seems to want to be both, and as a result does strike oil with either.

In addition to problems of style and organization, I think the book includes several important substantive missteps. It seems to me that Hewitt suffers from myopia when he compares blogging to the information revolution that followed Guttenberg's invention of the printing press. Blogging isn't the revolution -- the Internet is the revolution. Blogging is just the latest tool made possible by the Internet. The sorts of discussions now happening in blogs once happened (and still do happen) on bulletin boards and chat rooms. Years ago they happened mostly on the Usenet and on proprietary boards such as The Well and Delphi.

I would agree that blogging has accelerated this trend by making this sort of informal information exchange easier. Yet it's important to place blogging in context. Blogging may persist, or it may go the way of the Usenet as new tools arise. The Internet, though, is here to stay. A truly strategic vision for communication will embrace this new tool while recognizing its possibly transitory nature. At the very least, Hewitt should explain why blogging is here to stay.

Hewitt also spends little time on the potential dangers of the blogsphere. He does recognize that jihadist groups have taken to the Internet and blogging, which he seems to employ as a call to arms for good people to occupy the space. Yet, he seems so enchanted by the blogsphere's potential to correct perceived bias in the traditional print and broadcast media that he never addresses the way network effects can magnify the impact of false information. A case in point, which Hewitt ignores, is the post-election blogswarm about vote fraud started by a blogger whose statistical analysis of the exit polls was inaccurate. Hewitt even briefly refers to the concept of memes, without acknowledging that memes are often bits of false information that replicate virulently over a network. (I'd give a cite to Hewitt's book where he references memes, but the lack of an index makes the job of searching too difficult).

Finally, Hewitt seems too sanguine about the commercialization of blogging. He goes so far as to suggest pricing models for blog banner ads. Call me a purist, but the last thing I want to see is the extensive commoditization of blogs. In fact, there's a real danger that the commercialization of blogs will signal the decline of the blogsphere. Public relations professionals have already recognized the importance of the blogsphere and are becoming adept at "seeding" stories in influential blogs, just as they seed stories through "leaks" to the traditional news media. A commercialized, coopted blogsphere will lose its authenticity. Surprisingly, Hewitt doesn't seem concerned about this. In my view, what we need in the blogsphere is writers who say what they think regardless of the consequences. Once you begin eating from the hands of sponsors, advertisers, and public relations flackers, you become the MSM.

So, if you're new to blogging or just curious about it and want to learn more, get Biz Stone's Blogging, which contains much more nuts and bolts information about blog culture and tools. If you're an active blogger, read Hewitt's book, but blog about how much more interesting a book it could have been if it had been a more thorough analysis of the blogsphere's place in the Internet and the culture at large.

Why is it that some ideas or behaviors or products start epidemics and others don't? That's the question that Malcom Gladwell attempts to answer in "The Tipping Point", a fascinating examination of the phenomena of social epidemics. While examining the question Gladwell introduces three types of people -- Mavens, Connectors, and Salesmen -- who play a critical role in dictating trends.

Mavens are information brokers who have the knowledge and social skills to start epidemics; connectors are people who know lots of other people; and salesmen are people with the skills to persuade us when we are unconvinced by what we are hearing. While many of us play some of these roles, there are few truly influential mavens, connectors, or salesmen. An even few number of remarkable people are a combination of all three. Hugh Hewitt is one of those people.

As a best-selling author, national radio host, and popular blogger, Hewitt is a classic connector. And his willingness to help and encourage others, sparking in them a passion for blogging marks him as a true maven. Now, with the release of his extraordinary new book, Blog: Understanding the Information Reformation, he exhibits his persuasive skills as a salesman. Hewitt is a one-man epidemic, spreading the burgeoning trend of blogging.

While many of us might see 5 million blogs as a revolution already well on its way to maturity, Hewiit sees a vast, relatively untapped market. His book is squarely aimed at the large segment of the population who might use email and surf the Internet but still doesn't quite understand the importance of the "blog thing." Hewitt explains why blogs are significant, how they are changing the world around us, and - most importantly - how not to get left behind in this phase of the "information reformation."

With a style reminiscent of management guru Tom Peters, Blog hits the ground running. "I know you are busy," Hewitt writes in the opening words of the preface and spends the next 220 pages cutting to the chase. He doesn't waste time trying to explain what isn't necessary. Like a classic maven he convinces the reader to just trust him, he knows what he's talking about and is willing to freely share his valuable knowledge.

Blog is divided into three sections, each explaining an essential aspect of blogging. Part one lays out the case for "What Happened" by describing the "blog storms" that helped bring down such powerful figures as Trent Lott and Dan Rather. Even mainstream media types will have a hard time scoffing at the power of the blogosphere after the retelling of these seminal "opinion storms." And those of us who watched the events unfold in real time will be impressed by Hewitt's post-mortem examination. He clearly did his homework.

In explaining the twenty-first century "information reformation" Hewitt compares it to the sixteenth century's Protestant Reformation. While many others have compared blogging to the invention of the printing press, Hewitt delves into the history of the event and shows how a young monk named Luther used the new technology to transform Western culture. In doing so he revives an often overused metaphor and gives it new life, making a convincing case that 2005 really is "1449 and 1517, at the same moment."

While the first section of the book will be of special interest to bloggers, Parts II and III lay out the case for why leaders of business, church, government, and media should be paying attention to the new media. Even those of us who spend a considerable amount of time thinking about blogging will be impressed by the creative uses for the medium that Hewitt suggests. His recommendations, if adopted, would benefit both bloggers and the organizations that could use our unique skills to their advantage.

Throughout the book, Hewitt exhibits his typically generous "linking" and praise for blogs and bloggers. Instead of using the book solely as a vehicle for promoting his own "brand", he shows that blogging truly is an interconnected community. As he readily admits, no blog - no matter how much traffic it receives -- is as important as the blogosphere. The fact that Hewitt "gets" this and is able to use it to his advantage is one of the primary reasons he has become one of the foremost leaders of the new media.

When you order your copy of Blog from Amazon you'll want to get at least two copies -- one to keep and one to give away. No matter whether you are a connector, a maven, or just a wannabe, after reading Hewitt's book you'll become a salesman for blogging.

[...]

If the blogosphere had a press agent, it would be Hugh Hewitt. He has flogged the potential of the blogosphere for over a year on his website, and "Blog" attempts to bring the word to people who don't get their news from the Internet.

Like his previous work, "If It's Not Close, They Can't Cheat," "Blog" is an eminently readable work you can devour in an afternoon. Hugh's writing style is conversational and transmits information quickly and clearly. This makes "Blog" a good read regardless of your position on blogs and blogging.

Hugh's thesis is simple: blogs are the next wave in the information revolution, as important to the dissemination of information as the printing press was to the Reformation. While Hugh touts a number of blogs (oddly enough missing yours truly, but I'm sure that was an oversight), his discussion isn't about any particular blog, but about how the technology of blogs is changing how information reaches the public. He cites four significant instances of the blogosphere influencing the public discourse: the removal of Trent Lott from his position as Senate Majority Leader, the fall of Jayson Blair and Howell Raines at the New York Times, the takedown of John Kerry by the Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth and Dan Rather's immolation following the 60 Minutes forged National Guard documents scandal. Each case illustrates how the blogosphere was able to keep stories percolating (and even breaking, in the latter two cases) until the national media had no choice to take what the blogosphere was giving them, and in each case the results were markedly different than what would have occurred prior to the rise of the blogosphere.

Naysayers will probably ding Hugh for what notes as blogger triumphalism, but I think such readers are missing the point. Hugh is not arguing that any one blogger or group of bloggers is able to have this effect, but that the blogosphere as a whole is distributing the flow of information in such a manner as to make it far more difficult for anyone to control that flow. That will make life far more difficult for people accustomed to keeping tight control over information, but it also represents a great opportunity for people willing to take advantage of this new medium's strengths. And this is what Hugh is trying to sell: those people and businesses that jump into the blogosphere now are going to gain a serious competitive advantage on those who continue to stick to older methods of communicating. While this process in likely to move in fits and starts over the next few years, it is coming nevertheless, and "Blog" offers some good advice to those people looking to get out ahead of the blogosphere rather than ending up in trouble due to a failure to understand this new technology.

The definitive work on the blogosphere is yet to be written, because it's still too early in the development of the system to chronicle it all. But Blog is a good start and a valuable resource for anyone looking to understand more about what the blogosphere is and how it can help or hurt your business.

Some moron, presumably a liberal, misappropriated my identity to post a fictitious review in my name. For what it's worth, he doesn't even know where I live. More important, he completely misrepresented my opinion of Hewitt's excellent book. Here is what I wrote on Power Line: "My copy of Hugh's book arrived in the mail today. From a quick skim, it looks great. Hugh documents the rise of the blogosphere, gives a riveting account of the role blogs played in the 2004 election, and offers both theoretical and empirical arguments for the historical importance of the blogosphere....Buy it!"

Having now had time to finish the book, I can confirm that anyone who is interested in blogs, the media, politics, or just doesn't want to be left behind by the next wave of the communications revolution should read Blog. I was particularly interested in Hugh's observations on the relevance of blogging to the corporate world. So, I repeat: Buy it!

The title of this book leads one to believe that it is about the new media outlet called a "blog" wherein private citizens of all views, backgrounds and ideologies share what they know for view to the general public via websites. On this end, Hugh does a credible job in illuminating how important and trusted these information sources have become in the recent few years.

The book is the strongest when Hugh is outlining some of the well documented failing of the tradition media, in particular the sad and unfortunate tarnish to Dan Rather for whom what little objectivity he ever had was destroyed by his foolishly supporting a news story based on forged documents. In this aspect, as well as the failed exit polling in the last Presidential election, the "blogs" had the accurate data and talk radio personalities like Hugh let the public know about it. It is true that the world has changed and people in general no longer trust the far left leaning main stream media.

I also learned about a number of great blog sites, and plan on checking those out. For that alone, the book was also useful.

However, I cannot give the book high marks overall because it was not written well. The chapters and themes are disjointed and disconnected, Hugh at times seems to launch into nothing more than personal grandstanding, and his technical data points were a bit weak.

This would have been a fabulous article somewhere, but it feels like it got stretched into a book for nothing more than a few more bucks in his pocket. Good points, poor presentation. Overall, there was enough to keep me interested, but I can't give the book a high recommendation, despite more often than not agreeing with his viewpoints.

In broad strokes, the first 100 pages of BLOG are a rehash of the "W" - Kerry campaign and how bloggers impacted the election. I found it interesting, but admittedly skimmed some, focusing on specific blog references.

The next 50 pages of BLOG are about blogging and why an individual or business person should even bother to be aware of blogs. These fifty pages are worth the price of the book.

The last 75 pages of BLOG are the rants (writings) of the author, Hugh Hewitt. Either you agree with him and thus like him or you don't

At this time, there is not a lot of material about blogs - other than blogs themselves - available. At least for now, BLOG is the book.

Four stars

Hewitt suggests the blogosphere allows for the organization of dissent, which is focused, credentialed, complete, and--crucially--publicized. In short, he champions blogs as the force providing accountability to `legacy media'.

Any fair-minded observer of `legacy media' would conclude not all journalism is good journalism. Of course, likewise, not all blogs are good journalism either. However, the point Hewitt makes is that, instead of a one-sided, agenda-driven media, we've been given balance through the quickness and efficiency of the blogsosphere. That is, one of the ways blogs provide benefits is through their timely response to periodic mainstream media error.

Hewitt claims the `old media' is increasingly devoid of serious scholarship, and is slowly being reduced to mere polemic. The irony here is that Hewitt's communicating in one of the oldest media forms - the book. OK, to be fair, Hewitt isn't suggesting all other media forms are 'legacy', rather, he's pointing to the perviously dominate outlets more than the forms. (LA Times beware, and you too Newsweek and CBS.)

In short, he suggests the blogs must be taken seriously, and they are rapidly becoming so. There are too many qualified journalists who run blogs for them not to have an enormous impact on our changing world. Finally, Hewitt claims the accountability they provide is long overdue.

Has Hewitt been wrong before? Of course he has - he claimed national security was going to be far and away the primary voter issue of 2004. However, is he likely right about the increasing importance of the blogosphere, and why it's growing in influence and power? I believe so.

As a Hugh Hewitt fan for serveral years now, this book is a really good book that illustrates the phenomenon of blogs. After receiving a limited release for his book, I am very surprise with the accurate detail he describes in the book. This book answers many question people might have been wondering, and one of them is: why so many people are now turning to 'Blogs' as sources of credible information. This book is a great book. I am very happy with Mr. Hewitt because he finally found the time to pen a thoughtful, well-documented look at the rise of the blogosphere. Mr. Hewitt is nothing, if not prolific, and we're fortunate to have a visionary thinker like Hewitt on our side. I would encourage anyone for this book who is interested in the blogosphere, and what it might look like in the future with all the "Blogs" we have today.

This is the second Hewitt book I've read. I've found Hewitt's books to be very well-written and informative, but I've also found his writing style to be a little annoying, a little too full of himself. Despite that personality clash, I found "Blog" to be a very informative book, though a little long.

The book seems to spend a good amount of time trying to stress to companies to start blogs of their own. For a while there, I thought I might have picked up a special version of the book, but alas, I had not. The book was for "me" (a non-corporation), but also had many sections geared for "others," people managing corporations. There are, though, many interesting sections in the book.

The beginning of the book provides an important and informative look into "What Happened" and why blogs matter. An interesting history lesson opens the book, showing how this entity had emerged into the mainstream public's consciousness and helped set the facts straight when some of the mainstream media organizations (for example CBS) "accidentally" found themselves airing or publishing incorrect information (there is also a section going back to the Gutenberg bible).

The book was good enough, and inspiring enough, that I actually went out and created my own blog. Unfortunately, I grew tired of being in that long tail (or whatever that phrase Hewitt used), writing for just myself, and now that blog is no more. This is an interesting book about blogs that might be more political than some people are looking for on the subject.

Yes, it's a must-have book on the growth and power of the blogosphere, but I'd be lying if I said there were no flaws.

Hugh is, of course, an opinionated guy. And in chapter 1, as he chronicles the impact of blogging on Trent Lott, the New York Times, John Kerry, and Dan Rather, we learn his opinions of CNN, the New York Times' Paul Krugman (he calls him "unbalanced and frothing" even though Krugman quotes a blogger approvingly), the mainstream media and Barbra Streisand. (To his credit, he does try to be fair to the blogsites Atrios and DailyKos.) If you can get past the slant, you'll find he has quite a bit to say.

Hugh seems a bit apocalyptic in his view of the MSM, which is perhaps why some of them are dismissive of this book. But at the same time he outlines in plain language some of the reasons why mainstream journalism is in a crisis of confidence, and why the blogosphere aggravates it.

Chapter 7 describes strategies for dealing with the blogosphere, intended for businesses that could be potential targets. For the most part it's common sense, but this is one chapter that can and should be longer, particularly in outlining policies on employee blogging.

Chapters 8 and 9 deal with starting and maintaining blogs for business, from leaders to managers to subordinates, as well as the use of blogs for gathering corporate intelligence. And Chapter 12 lists typical examples of blogs that types of people could start.

There are nice concrete suggestions here, but the chapters could have benefitted from real-world examples. For instance, Hugh could interview TV producer Rhett Reese, who maintained a showblog while his series Joe Schmo 2 was airing on Spike TV.

And yet these latter chapters are perhaps the most important contributions Hugh makes to the blog literature, because they attempt to show how the blogosphere can be mined and exploited for better corporate behavior.

My recommendation? If you don't know much about blogs but want to use the Net to help your business, you should buy this edition. If you're already a blogger, you might want to wait for the paperback.