DEVIL: Amazing how were you able to bring me here? Oh dont tell me incantations, sacrifice and some old form of Devil music?
BLOGGER: Actually it was an old backmasked tape.
DEVIL: Tape? Oh how 80s. … So “why did you beam me up” ? Do you want to exchange your soul for fame, fortune and fine health? All Earthly measure of success?
BLOGGER: LOLZ not really. I wants to knowz what is in the future for blogging and new media.
DEVIL: In exchange for what?
BLOGGER: Nothing …
DEVIL: And why do you think I am going to do that?
BLOGGER: I trapped you inside my computer.
DEVIL: What?
Blogger: And we are having a chat. :) You have been digitized twice or thrice. And can be transformed into anything. Now you are document – word document to be exact. And we are talking by writing on you. Its convenient. And safe …. i can easily send you as an attachment to the Pope, or to the Holy Man on top Mount Vesuvius or Mrs Garcia down the street. or as a chain letter attached to an email . It is simply a matter of cut and paste you see …
Devil: Okay, Okay. What do you want?
BLOGGER: Just a glimpse of the future about bloggers, blogging and New Media.
DEVIL: My friend, there is no such thing as New Media. Blogging is media, whether you like it or not. Just one form of media. The term new is dropped as soon as something “new” comes along. So do not claim the word. I see good and bad.
More bloggers will be joining the choir so to speak. In fact, according to my boys in the forecast department we will be opening a new wing to accommodate the new work force here at the 7th circle. It will be bigger than the outsourcing boom.
In the old days one had to deal with individuals ready to sell their souls now. Even then they had the temerity to outwit us. Things are more dynamic now.
Yes. The Light Bringer is pleased or is going to be with how things will develop.
BLOGGER: Good?
DEVIL: Its a matter of … well it depends on how you look at it. Something good for me is not necessarily good for the Enemy. And you were the one asking the question. You fail to clarify or make clear the question. But to explain further.
To compromise a blogger is really easy. All the mechanisms are in place its just a matter of tweaking the established practices. Lean it towards a position where the individual principles are compromised for the sake of belief or practicality – in this case money.
And we do not need to do things. Its all done by bloggers. You bring it all for yourself. Anything that will make a blogger compromise their principles will bring them closer to the fold.
BLOGGER: AND HOW CAN THIS BE DONE?
DEVIL: Stories are powerful things. Why do you think all Religions begin with stories. What Christians call the Bible has four versions of stories.Buddha under the Banyan tree is a story. A story is powerful and blogging is another way of telling a story – whether it be that of an animal, vegetable or mineral. Blogging is just another way of telling a story.
Stories do more than inform and entertain my friend. If use properly they can influence. Why do you think Richard III is so vilified in William Shakespeare’s work.
But I prattle too much. Just like a good Devil should. We have been known to quote the scriptures to suit our own purpose.
How to corrupt a blogger? One way is money of course. There is nothing wrong with money. But the combination of the love of money to the point of dropping one’s principle is equivalent to corruption.
LOVE OF MONEY + DROPPING OF ONE’S PRINCIPLE/S = ONE CORRUPTED BLOGGER
This can be done with nearly all things from products to people and causes. But nothing can be more savory that compromising a blogger for politics.
BLOGGER: POLITICS? BUT DISCLOSURE, CODE OF ETHICS AND OTHER MEANS CAN HELP RESIST THIS?
DEVIL: Yes, you do have measures against corruption now in such things but not a hundred percent effective and may actually help the cause, ours of course.
Here are some of them -
Code of Ethics: Effective individually but not universally. Ethics is relative and imposing a general rule/or codes can be problematic. Enforcement itself of such a code is difficulty to nearly impossible. Actually, Light Bringers Inc, our registred name) will have a field day with that.
The threat of lawsuit seems more practical but even with that (as in all things) can be abused – which is actually good for us.
Disclosure: Admittedly, one of the most effective way of dealing with things. Label one as an advertorial; Inform the reader that you attended the event. Probably one of the best ways to keep thing straight – but bad for us.
But and fortunately for us there are issues and topics that are more difficult to justify to oneself and politics & social issues are one of them.
1. How can a blogger justify to himself a political ad?
2. How can a blogger justify to himself getting paid for a favorable post on a political issue or a politician? Is this an instance of pay-per-post closely related to payola.
3. And how soon will it be when someone come up with a list of bloggers and use it to market a politician?
Oh the chance to corrupt is so high.
BLOGGER: SO WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POLITICS AND OTHER THINGS THAT ONE BLOGS ABOUT?
DEVIL: But what is the difference between a politician and a block of butter? Not much really.
The thing corruptible here is not the politician or the butter but the blogger and his beliefs.
Sure there will be supporters, fellow-travelers, and useful fools for each cause or politician. But we are not interested them, at least in terms of corrupting by money, Light Bringer Inc is more interested in recruiting souls … bloggers who will be compromised by money. Convicted by their personal convictions.
See it all depends on personal convictions. Corruption is relative. It all depends on the individual.
BLOGGER: THE READERS AND THE COMMUNITY MUST HAVE AN IMPACT ON ALL OF THIS?
DEVIL: Sure, The community and society will have an effect on the blogger if they find out or detect the betrayal. And it might flutter the blogger’s heart as he or she dances the Macarena to the bank. And contrition only happens when caught.
In the end the Blogger has to confront with the thing he or she has done. And you do not need a Devil to tell you that. After all I might just be a creature that you created: An imaginary being designed and manufactured for a particular purpose.
In the end, A Blogger sows what A blogger has planted.
Popularity: 1% [?]
How Darwinian! The Devil has to be created by bloggers to ensure their own fitness!
Small-time hubris.
ethics of disclosure is good. some bloggers you can read like an open book. good for them. others like an enigma you have to decode. others are keen political observers rooting for no one in particular except their own bias.
How’d you know what the devil will say?
ha ha!
what a stupid blog. this type of Q&A does not exist between the pigs and the dogs :)
1. Horrible English.
2. Sophomoric ideas.
3. The future of blogs? Possibly, this kind of unmitigated mediocrity
@Juned
I don’t understand why people would pay bloggers for POLITICAL positions.
Would anyone be swayed just be anyone on the internet saying DO THIS or THINK OF THAT, without evidence?
Isn’t it the kind/quality of evidence (with links) and arguments that makes bloggers persuasive?
Money cannot create good arguments.
“in the end, A Blogger sows what A blogger has planted.”
exactly , i mean, this type of blog should not exist. it has no substance. maybe next time? :)
i’m with you there gabbyd @ 1:51am. if a reader is smart enough to read a blog – or use a computer, for that matter – he would be smart enough to discern whether what he is being fed is hogwash or a nutritious meal. but i bet you, the average reader would tend to believe the view that coincides with, or closest to, his own prejudice, if any.
unless, of course, he is overwhelmed by “pompous verbosity”.
@Blackshama :)
@Leytenian :D
@GabbyD it is a matter of making use of this media for the advancement of a politician or a cause, It can, has been and is being used for pr and propaganda.
True Money cannot create good arguments but it can hire the services of a good writer or blogger for whatever purpose.
Leytenian:
You are obviously unfamiliar with antecedents of this genre of writing, like the Screwtape Letters of C.S. Lewis.
It’s you displaying stupidity, silly!
Uhm… It’s a good idea. Kinda like Gaiman … Good idea, Bad execution.
LOL…At least I have not offered my soul yet to
any Devil. The Devil is in the Detail of the
Blog. Some Bloggers are Fake Bloggers. Paid by
Politicians to promote their Agendas. Some Blog
nonsense. Some are half ignorant and half wise.
At least Blogging has made our lives interesting.
Blog Forever !
Two thumbs up, Procops. I hound peryodistas blogs. Sometimes I’m incensed, most of the times I get headaches. There are numerous times that I scratch my head wondering how they ever get to be peryodistas. But it’s entertaining especially there’s nothing more to read.
Fortunately, there are alternative and foreign websites that I can go for serious, factual, well-researched reporting.