Monday, March 24, 2003

Great list of weblogs from the front. Daypop shows this link from Cyberjournalist is hot.  Looks like a good list. "Weblogs and Diaries from Embedded Journalists" [Daypop Top 40] 7:36:03 AM

Don't want to second guess our folks now, but later, there will be lots of discussion on the strategy and timing of this action. Every once in a while I put together an analysis of a situation where wish I would be proven wrong (or an idiot).  Today's events make me think that this previous brief that I wrote last week is on target.  The Iraqis are using the Chechen small team tactics (so effective in Grozny against Russian armor) and retreating into urban areas for cover behind civilian populations (which effectively nullifies our air power).  It's really a crappy situation. We need at least 2 more divisions (1.5 are in motion) in theater and some very good luck. [John Robb's Radio Weblog] 7:32:39 AM

John Robb is probably right, which means we are in for a long, hard fight. I just heard on the BBC that Wesley Clark agreed with my analysis that the US doesn't have a sufficient number of troops in theater.  Our overwhelming force doctrine is useless without a sufficient number of troops and the ability to use airpower without condition (the fear or civilian casualties). [John Robb's Radio Weblog] 7:31:19 AM

Micro Content and War Coverage. Sec. of Defense Rumsfeld made an interesting point the other day.  He said that what we were seeing from the embedded journalists were "slices" of the war, not the war in its entirity.  He's right.  And, that definition fits within the "micro content" definition being discussed about weblogs.  Now, if journalists could all file their reports on line, without going through the editorial filter of their employers (course, the profit motive gets lost here), then we could do our own filtering of the news from the front -- as we do with the hyperlinks in blogs.  Hmmm... is that what we have to look forward to?  Just how "disruptive" will micro-content technology be? SJ Mercury: Web offers varied perspectives on war coverage. Dan Gillmor. This time around, however, a minority -- but a growing one -- had learned a lesson from the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. They had a robust online alternative. The Web, e-mail lists and other online sources offered content with context and nuance. [Tomalak's Realm] 7:29:27 AM