The New Yorker’s Malcolm Gladwell reviewed Chris Anderson’s most recent book, Free!, and it is an interesting read (with commentary across the web). Just like Anderson’s response on his own blog.
Welcome to the era of blogs, where reviews can be applauded, questioned, and picked apart not only by the masses (aka the readers), but also by the publishers and producers.
It used to be a straight forward thing, reviewing a product. Not anymore, because when anyone can publish a commentary on their own ground (aka the blog), it also means that reviewers suddenly find themselves being constantly reviewed.
We’ve all seen them, the reviews that are out there, dead wrong, downright crappy. Sometimes it is true, and sometimes it is our point of view that just clashes with the reviewer. Either way, there used to be a time when the only means of expressing our thoughts on a review was to send a letter to the newspaper or magazine.
And wait for a response or publication that never came.
Not so anymore. Today, we launch a blog and write what we think. Established authors understanding the means of today already blog and are more or less active in social media, if nothing else but so that they can use it as a means should they come under attack.
OK, maybe we’re not there just yet, but web-savvy authors certainly have the option to respond to criticism thanks to blogging and the ease of online publishing. And when it comes to Chris Anderson and his response, I think it is a sign of things to come.
The blog is alive and kicking, if nothing else but because it is hard to pick critics and arguments to pieces in 140 characters or less.
