Readers Mailbag, Scratching Chalkboard Edition
But then I received this email.
I've been reading your blog for the past few days. It was mentioned in another blog that I read.
Just in case you never hear this from anyone else, I'm writing to tell you that your intentional misspelling of "blog" is so distracting to me that I'm dropping your blog from my RSS reader.
Intentional or not, accurate or not, that habit comes across to me as your attempt to belittle the idea of blogs in general. Every time I see it in your postings, it makes me think that you would rather be doing something else - perhaps anything else - besides writing. For me, it gets in the way of what you're trying to say.
For whatever reason, it annoys me in the same way that chalk squeaking on a chalkboard does. I'll be[t] I'm not the only person who thinks that.
bkg
The email came from Brian K. Gray, Director of Technology, Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania. He's talking, of course, about my use of the word "blawg" as my chosen descriptor of law blogs. He's right that he's not the only one who finds this unpalatable. David Giacalone has never accepted it, and in fact refused to use the word "blog" either, insisting instead on using "weblog", from whence the word blog derives.
My initial reaction was to agree that Brian should immediately absent himself from Simple Justice, and avoid the horror of reading the word "blawg". But, since Brian isn't just your typical Slackoisie sycophant of trendiness or the lack thereof, holding a position of some importance at an educational institution, maybe he was on to something.
Not being a lawyer, and perhaps not being a regular reader of law blogs, perhaps Brian had yet to inure himself to our impious ways. After all, the use of the word blawg has been common for many years amongst law blogs. It appears in the names of some, and is a staple of the ever-fashionable ABA Journal. It's not like I invented the word.
I receive more than a few emails informing me of what I'm doing wrong at Simple Justice. Individual readers, almost invariably dear friends complete strangers, offer their thoughts about how I should change my evil ways, upon pain of their never reading SJ again or, as in Brian's case, about being removed from his RSS reader. Clearly, it's meant as a threat. I ignore them at my peril.
After some deep contemplation, and being a person of generous spirit, I've decided that I shall no longer respond to these threats by telling them to bite me. After all, it's their right to not read Simple Justice, and I would be remiss to not honor their rights and heed their concerns. On the other hand, I'm not inclined to alter my word choices, either for a particular word or against, because some person informs me that I either comply with his demand or the kitten gets it they will never read SJ again.
Accordingly, Brian Gray has spurred me to introduce a new policy. If I use a word, whether regularly or even in a single instance, that bothers, annoys, troubles or disturbs you, such that you can no longer read Simple Justice without hearing the sound of chalk squeaking, I will refund the full amount you've paid to subscribe. Fair enough?
If not, you can bite me.
Hey, Scott, stop taking my name in vain. My issues with "blawg" had nothing to do with Mr. Gray's. I'm a bit surprised that he didn't do a little research before being offended by your supposed bad attitude and mean-spirited intentions. He might find the linguistic discussion of portmanteaus (blended words) illuminating in my posting "speak blawg?"
For the record, I know (at least sometimes) when a fight is futile, and gave up my anti-"blawg" campaign after a couple of years -- mainly because I got too lazy to use the phrase "lawyer or law-related weblog" each time I was trying to talk about our slice of the blogisphere.
Naturally, I totally agree with your refusal to be bullied or humiliated over your choice of words here at your law-related weblog.
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I thought you were sleeping and I could slip this by you. And I didn't want you to think you've been forgotten, pal. Never.
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Okay, all is forgiven. I hear there is no such thing as bad publicity (unless you've got thin skin and have been cyber-humiliated by Big Name Blawgers). Now, could you ask Technorati why they no longer include f/k/a in their listing?
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Forget Technorati. It's utterly worthless these days.
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Excellent Blawg post today...loved it!!
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Thanks. Not like all those stinky, crappy, awful, horrible, terrible, lousy ones I write all those other days.
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I found this post and this blawg very interesting. I will bookmark it for later use.
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Okay, I'm offended. And not by one word, but by each and every word you've used. In fact, once my words appear as a comment on your blog I will be further offended by each and every word.
Please count the number of words used (what, you think I'm gonna do it?) and make a separate check out for each and every enumerated word. Send to General Delivery, US Post Office, New York, New York.
Make it quick or I'll be even more offended.
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Nice try, but it's "money back." Hope you didn't order that Lambo in anticipation.
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Blawg has always annoyed me also, tho obviously not enough to stop me from reading them.
I'm not sure if it's due to a dislike of dialect transcribed or because my collage's rivalry is with the Dawgs.
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You know what offends me? Those type A ass hats who spend all their time being critical of others. Thanks for putting it to them. I am going back and read more of your blog pages.
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Classic, archetypal, quintessential Greenfield. If Gideon hadn't already done it, I would bookmark it for later use.
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blawg.
clever.
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I don't know who first used the word "twit" to describe what most now call a tweet. (Twitter has since adopted the word "tweet" as their own, although it had been common some usage for time, and now Twitter wants to register the trademark "tweet" it seems. We may all have to twit, then.)
Anyway, since you brought up the subject, Scott, I thought you'd appreciate this excerpt from Seth Godin's book Tribes, circa 2008:
Brian Gray seems not to be a true fan of Scott Greenfield, simply because he doesn't like the unfamiliar word, "blawg". Fine. But then he emails Scott, castigating him for using the word "blawg". What a twit.
Scott Greenfield has hosted Blawg Review, twice, and many followers of Blawg Review @blawgreview read his blawg, Simple Justice, and follow him on Twitter @ScottGreenfield.
Seth Godin doesn't twit.
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"I receive more than a few emails informing me of what I'm doing wrong at Simple Justice."
You'd receive more still if I weren't so lazy.
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Bring it on, slacker.
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OK. It's been a few days. Any bites yet?
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Nothing beyond what you see here. Then again, they could be preparing a class action.
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