{"id":4315,"date":"2006-01-10T01:54:11","date_gmt":"2006-01-10T05:54:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/formerlyknownas\/2006\/01\/10\/lexblog-kev-v-blawg-review-ed"},"modified":"2011-08-05T14:54:16","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T18:54:16","slug":"lexblog-kev-v-blawg-review-ed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2006\/01\/10\/lexblog-kev-v-blawg-review-ed\/","title":{"rendered":"LexBlog Kev v. Blawg Review Ed"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

“Ed<\/em>” the mysterious Editor of <\/font>Blawg Review<\/font><\/em><\/a> and <\/font>Kevin O’ Keefe<\/font><\/a>, founder <\/font>
\nof <\/font>LexBlog<\/font><\/em><\/a>, are having a public Blog Fight. The tiff started when Ed asked <\/font>
\nKev how <\/font>The Law List<\/font><\/em><\/a> (which O’Keefe edits) works, but Kev wanted to know <\/font>
\nwho Ed was and wrote a piece decrying anonymous<\/a> lawyer webloggers and <\/font>
\nobjecting to the word “blawg.” Ed then posted about <\/font>their Fight<\/font><\/a> [and got <\/font>
\nsome <\/font>moral support<\/font><\/a> from his BR<\/em> co-editor Kevin J. Heller], Kev O. wrote <\/font>
\nagain<\/font><\/a>, and Ed both <\/font>defended<\/font><\/a> using “blawg” and announced that several <\/font>
\nweblogging personalities [including yours truly] are <\/font>not<\/em> Ed<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/a>. <\/font><\/p>\n

\"penny \"penny<\/font><\/p>\n

As we enter the era of 39-cent stamps, today, I’d like to put in<\/font>
\nmy two cents on each issue. First, I should mention that Ed <\/font>
\nand I have had a congenial correspondence over the past half-<\/font>
\nyear, and he’s never been disagreeable, even when we disagree. <\/font>
\nIt’s been quite <\/font>a while<\/font><\/a> since Kevin <\/font>O’Keefe and I<\/font><\/a> have correspon-<\/font>
\nded; we have <\/font>often<\/font><\/a> <\/font>disagreed<\/font><\/a>, and it was <\/font>not always<\/font><\/a> pleasant. <\/font><\/p>\n

update<\/strong><\/font><\/em>: In an <\/font>Open Letter to Giacalone<\/font><\/a>, this morning, Ed<\/em><\/font>
\nsays “There was never<\/em> a fight in my mind.,” and that Giacalone <\/font><\/font>
\ngot the <\/font><\/font>timeline and background facts wrong. The Open Letter <\/font>
\nleft <\/font>me unclear of the circumstances, facts and motives. How-<\/font>
\never, <\/font>I’m pretty sure that — whether there is a fight or just a debate <\/font>
\nor a misunderstanding — the primary issues (weblog anonymity <\/font>
\nand use of the word “blawg”) still separate Kevin and Ed and <\/font>
\nare appropriate for my commentary. They both used the words <\/font>
\n“Blog Fight” in their headlines but, as I conclude below, they <\/font>
\naren’t really all that far apart. Unless, of course, they are. <\/font>
\n5 PM update<\/em><\/font>: “Ed” has helped clarify the tone of his Open Letter, <\/font>
\nby adding an appropriately lighthearted emoticon, with a link to <\/font>
\n“tongue-in-cheek<\/font><\/a>“. Thanks, Ednonymous One.<\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"tiny Let’s start with the easy point: Ed is absolutely correct: he is not \"prof <\/font>
\nDavid Giacalone. I shall add for emphasis, that he is not David’s twin,<\/font>
\nArthur, nor any of his f\/k\/a alter egoes (Prof. Yabut, ethical Esq, dagosan, <\/font>
\nhaikuEsq, Joe Cliente, etc.). David Giacalone barely has the energy to <\/font>
\nkeep this site going; you would not for a moment find him taking on a <\/font>
\njob like Editor of Blawg Review<\/em> — and, certainly, not without getting the <\/font>
\nglory that comes with it.<\/font><\/p>\n

\"tiny Next, I do agree with Kevin O’Keefe that there often are times when <\/font>
\nknowing the identity of the human being behind a weblog is very important <\/font>
\nfor the weblog’s integrity and the value of its information and opinion (see, e.g.<\/em>, <\/font>
\nSelling the Perception of Expertise<\/font><\/a> & Ghosts Will Kill the Weblog Community<\/font><\/a>).<\/font><\/p>\n

“MirrorG” However, I do not find it disconcerting that Ed<\/em> wishes to stay anonymous — <\/font>
\nespecially after being reassured that he is not a cover for Evan, Mike or Kevin H., <\/font>
\nthe Blawg Review<\/em> co-editors. It’s not very difficult to imagine perfectly good <\/font>
\nbusiness, professional or personal reasons that the Editor of Blawg Review <\/font>
\nmight want to remain anonymous. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\"tiny Each reader has every right to discount the value<\/font>
\nof Blawg Review<\/em>, or its Awards, in the content of <\/font>
\nEd<\/em>‘s anonymity. I’m sure he’s taken that reaction <\/font><\/font>
\ninto account in choosing to remain unnamed. <\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"tiny On the next issue, count me among those who has no idea how to use \"ekgG\" <\/font>
\nthe “information” available at PubSub’s <\/font>The Law List<\/font><\/em><\/a>. I learned about The Law <\/em><\/font><\/font>
\nList <\/em>from “Ed” — who apparently recommend it to many fellow law webloggers. <\/font><\/font>
\nTherefore, it’s ironic that an attempt by Ed to find out more information about the <\/font>
\nservice, after people such as myself told him it was confusing, annoyed Kevin so <\/font>
\nmuch. Makes me wonder (as in some of our prior dealings) why Kevin is so darn <\/font>
\ndefensive.<\/font><\/p>\n

\"tiny Except for his tone of derision, Kevin and I are rather compatible on the <\/font>
\nfinal topic — use of the word “blawg.” Despite its <\/font><\/font>origin<\/font><\/a> from the punning and <\/font>
\ncunning mind of <\/font>Denise Howell<\/font><\/a>, I have long believed that we all would have been <\/font>
\nbetter off without the creation and spread of this confusing, odd-sounding mutation <\/font>
\non the <\/font>ugly little word<\/font><\/a> “blog”. This is a topic that<\/font> deserves its own post, but I want <\/font>
\nto make two quick points: First, I wish I had lived up to my public promise, made <\/font>
\nSept. 30, 2003, in a piece for BloggerCon2003, called “<\/font>Jargon Builds Walls<\/font><\/a> Not <\/font>
\nBridges:”<\/font><\/p>\n

“Blawg” is, as of today, purged from my dictionary, <\/font><\/em>
\nglossary and ken. <\/font><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

“BoxerSignN” Second, lawyer weblog owners and editors who are using the term “weblawg”<\/font>
\nshouldn’t take personally Kevin’s statement that it is “<\/font>just plain stupid<\/font><\/a>” to do so <\/font>(Real <\/em><\/font>
\nLawyers Have Blogs<\/em>, Oct. 25, 2005). You see, on January, 5, 2004, at the <\/font>very start <\/font>
\nof his <\/font>Real Lawyers Have Blogs<\/font><\/em><\/a> weblog, <\/font>Kevin placed<\/font><\/a> this description <\/font>of himself in his <\/font>
\ntemplate, at the foot of each page:<\/font><\/p>\n

“Kevin has now founded a company providing a turnkey <\/font>
\nblawgs<\/em> solution<\/font><\/font><\/font><\/a>, by LexBlog, Inc., the leading provider of <\/font>
\nlaw blogs, blawgs<\/em> or weblogs for lawyers and attorneys <\/font>
\ndesiring to use a legal blog, blawg<\/em> or weblog for effective <\/font>
\nlawyer and attorney Internet Web site marketing and started <\/font>
\na <\/font>new Real Lawyers :: Have Blogs blog<\/font><\/a>.” [emphases added]<\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/blockquote>\n

If Kevin can come this far, there’s clearly hope for all of us. The mediator in me wants <\/font>
\nto point <\/font>out that Ed and Kev aren’t really very far apart — if they truly want to end their <\/font>
\nfeudin’ and get back to respective productive lives.<\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

 <\/p>\n

dinner bell<\/font><\/p>\n

the boy keeps on<\/font><\/p>\n

shadow boxing<\/font><\/p>\n


\ned markowski<\/strong><\/font><\/a> <\/font><\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

after hours gym –
\na heavy bag sways slowly
\nin the window <\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

Barry George<\/strong><\/font><\/a> –<\/font><\/em><\/font> <\/font>Haiku Harvest<\/font><\/em><\/a> (Jan-Feb 2003)<\/font><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

p.s.<\/strong><\/em> Speaking of Blawg Review<\/em>, this week’s version (<\/font><\/font>#39<\/font><\/a>) is ably <\/font>
\npresented at Bruce MacEwan’s <\/font>AdamSmithEsq<\/font><\/em><\/a>, where Bruce <\/font>
\nhas given a very nice introduction to <\/font><\/font>my post<\/font><\/a> on judge<\/font> Murtha’s <\/font>
\nlenient sentencing. Oh, yeah, and he blurbs about a lot of other <\/font>
\nexcellent weblog pieces by lawyers, law students and the entire <\/font>
\n“bl**g” community.<\/font><\/p>\n

“MirrorN”<\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Ed” the mysterious Editor of Blawg Review and Kevin O’ Keefe, founder of LexBlog, are having a public Blog Fight. The tiff started when Ed asked Kev how The Law List (which O’Keefe edits) works, but Kev wanted to know who Ed was and wrote a piece decrying anonymous lawyer webloggers and objecting to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2926],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pre-06-2006"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6kP1R-17B","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4315"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4315\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12835,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4315\/revisions\/12835"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}