Entry #1 from Boston: Afro-Netizen girds for battle

I've been running Afro-Netizen ("aN") in stealth mode for so long, it's quite a bizarre experience now having to field calls from the Wall Street Journal, New York NewsDay, Congressional Quarterly, and so on.

Since someone at the DNCC leaked the list of credentialed bloggers last week, I've been getting many requests for interviews from journalists all across the country who want to know more about Afro-Netizen, why I'll be blogging for it at the Convention, and what I'll be blogging about.

What I've been telling folks it's pretty straight-forward:

Founded in 1999, Afro-Netizen is an online community of civic-minded, intellectually-curious, and (to a greater or lesser extent) computer-literate Negroes. (Incidentally, if you are none of these things, you likely have little to no use for aN.)

I tell them that while this website is technically a blog, I am not your typical blogger. While I am young, male and computer-savvy, I am neither white nor a nerd, though some of my best . . . never mind. I kid because I love, people. Certainly, not all of my fellow bloggers are nerds -- just an overwhelming majority of them. And before folks fire back that I am only nominally a blogger, let me just preempt them by conceding that fact.

In reality, I am merely a rogue afro-cosmopolite who for years has been a news aggregator by avocation, and only recently has leveraged blogging tools to build out a site to complement my guerilla e-newsletter for the benefit of my many thousands of loyal readers nationwide and abroad.

I tell inquiring journalistic minds that my Afro-Netizen constituency is overwhelming educated, urbane, and Democratic. I then mention how it appears from my vantage point administrating this de facto community of conscience that many of our readers seem disaffected with the paucity of viable choices we have as voters who wield inordinate power as an influential contingent of the most solid Democratic constituency since the New Deal. We are, thus, stuck on a jackass in a bleak two-horse outpost called the American electorate.

Journalists have asked me if I think that now and/or in the recent past there are/have been gaps in coverage of political conventions. My response has been that as an avid consumer of "news", little substantive information is given by the networks in particular on how this process works (at the conventions), how campaign finance reform will impact the conventions' dynamics, participants and constituencies they serve, and what this all means to the average voter.

So, we'll see what happens on Monday when I enter Jackass Central!

Stay tuned . . .

Comments

[gedeminas]

nice!

[snaked]

http://gloriafuertes.sanferweb.com/wwwboard/messages/1296.htm complimentwhosewondered

[malt]

http://www.heinzjansen.de/wwwboard/messages/388.html peelridingtaken

[welcomed]

http://auto.home5insurance.com/watercraft/ nearby searchingsoftstraining

[sadaf morvaridi]

i need some information about "netizev"word.
i am iranian
please send me about it

[S. McN]

Hi Chris,
Heard you on C-SPAN this morning. Mike and I really enjoyed your comments. Keep up the great work! Susan

[Alfred J. Middleton]

Chris,I caught you on C-span this morning and was moved to say the least. My family tree has Rabb listed and maybe we share a common heritage. Alabama is my home, and I have Relatives living practically the World over. Some of my Relatives - - the Pierces in Chicago own businesses, and my youngest Son was reared in Chicago. After the Convention is over please reply with hopefully an invitation for us to meet at your convenience. I WILL GLADLY
COME TO WHERE YOU CHOOSE.

I am very impressed with your Web Site. Thanks.
Sincerely,
AL J

[headlefty]

...so,what individuals are lined up for you to interview at the Convention? Or, will you just use your credentials as a way to hob-nob with the,"beautiful people",of the DNC;then,ask well-meaning,yet thoughtful questions? P.S.: I have to agree with Jan when it comes to reading a person's blog.

[Nichelle]

hey Chris,
I am excited to know that you will post all the news from "jackass central" that's fit to print...
your cousin-in-law,
Nichelle

[Carolyn Armenta Davis]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
With Afro-Netizen an official blogger for 2004
Democratic convention, Blacks and other enlighten nes have uncensured opportunties to read uncensured opinion from the Blacks both attending and involved in the convention and those of us at home preparing to vote in November.

[Alan]

Chris, in reading the Newsday piece I see you're from Philly. Me, too ... and I hope we can connect in Boston. I'll miss Monday but arrive Tuesday. Email me and we can connect.

[Mr.Murder]

Best of luck! Look forward to hearing the non-commercialized people. Their opinions are much closer to what most of us would feel or at least your take would inspire response.
The best bloggers, even when not agrred with, have candor and you can connect with some of the points made on some grounds. Prometheus6 has a blog that does that.

He linked you here. Enjoy the convention!

[Jan Theodore Galkowski]

Yo from one more "whitie" who treasures your blog! (Is *that* how "whitie" is spelt? Looks odd...)

Actually, when I read blogs I want the blogger to put some of themselves into it. I don't want some overcooked, basted, well-suited, and impeccably coifed personage reading me pablum.

I treasure a Different Point Of View. (See http://ted.hyperland.com/notherview/.)

Alas, I'm a nerd. Pretty natural about it, 'though. (;-)}

Best of luck in Beantown!

Ciao.

-- Jan

[Stone]

Hmm....I wonder how many African Americans are going to be blogging from Boston. So far, I only count two!