Monday, March 30, 2009

I decide to reply to a BBC blooger...

On the one hand, I love useful info. On the other, I don't like being 'fed'.

There were a few elements of 'medium vs. messenger' here, and also some 'politically correct' BBC lines being taken.

Are we all doomed?

Other than death, taxes and licence fees, No. But I'm guessing you mean the humin race, and more specifically through 'probably man-worsened climate change'. In which case no, not for a while, and 'I am not sure anyone knows, yet, but it might be worth sussing out the skinny to prepare'.

Well, we came to America to do nothing less than save the world.

And here was me thinking it was another 'don't do as we do, don't do what we say don't do' jolly to get a programme out and crank up some ratings in the niche end of the schedule, and some hits on a blog. But it is great you had a good time, and guys like our Darryl liked the reach the BBC has so much she caught up with you again.

If a few things might assist in certain endeavours, I'd pop in 'realism' and 'pragmatism' for two.

I have a colleague who lives in fear of their blog because of the aggressive and rude comments people post.

That is neither welcome nor, to use one of our Dear Leader's most fatuous phrases, 'acceptable'. Aggression and rudeness are poor ways to move opinion, IMHO. Especially if the pieces that have provoked such reactions are factual, objective, and free from 'enhanced narratives' and 'interpreted events'. That's what effective, honest moderation is for.

However, as your colleague Susan and her 'superior' might appreciate, it is not unlikely there will be a robust expression of disagreement if liberties are taken. Folk were not keen that President Obama's speech was turned in the edit suite into an 'emerging truth'.

That said...

'...if readers or viewers disagreed their only way to respond was a letter to the editor that, almost always, would go unpublished, if not unread.'

You are aware of the BBC 'House Rules', I take it? They can be, and often are used to delete just about anything that some do not fancy. Still.

A fact that seems to be causing some rumblings in the blogosphere. You can't control what you don't own.

But I'll look forward to the report. So long as it is guided by 'hewing close to the line, and letting the chips fall where they may', and not dogma or agenda. And by heavens the science stays sensible and the enviROI top of mind.

If not, I'm sure a few will be on hand to give you the heads up.