Farhad Manjoo responds

Farhad Manjoo, the author of yesterday's Wired News piece about weblogs, responds to my comments about the story.

Dave,

You said on your site Monday that you didn't use the words "real talent."

I checked back in my notes; you're right, you did not.

What you said was (or what I have you down as saying, anyway):

"The people I want to get is not so much the teenagers, although there are
some wonderfully intelligent teenagers out there -- it's kind of an ageist
thing that they get dismissed, they deserve some respect ... but the real
talented people,  what I'm interested in is the doctors and professors and
engineers and people who have a good education and a social area of
expertise."

(In the article, I quoted you from "What I'm interested in ....")

You said "the real talented people" ... that's actually what led me to
write "real talent." I realize there was a subtle difference in the way I
wrote it and the way you said it -- but that's hardly out of context, no?

Also, yes, your supporting argument about why weblogs cover technology
better isn't in the article, but it's hard to agree that you come off as a
lunatic. I didn't put it in because I thought it was obvious to everyone
what you meant, because that's the standard argument for what makes weblogs
so good at covering news: More people.

I'm sure nobody will argue with you, anyway, that Scripting News knows more
of what's going on than PC Magazine.

--FM