February 12th, 2006
There’s Nothing Wrong With Gatekeepers
The blogger A-list continues to view the notion of “gatekeepers” defensively, as if it were an accusation (or “whining“) — Seth Finkelstein does a fantastic job of debunking the notion that there are no gatekeepers, using the romantic myth of new frontiers.
In response to Seth’s post, mine, and a few others — Doc Searls writes a moving personal essay about his experience with gatekeepers. I understand Doc’s guilt about being a gatekeeper after having been held back by gatekeepers his whole life — but he shouldn’t feel guilty. As I said to him the other day:
Doc’s filter and the filters of other “A-list†bloggers serve a hugely useful function  they help us make good use of our limited time to surf and read.
In other words, gatekeepers are not inherently bad. In the hands of good people, like most blogger A-listers, they help us, not hinder us. I have never spoken of gatekeepers as a complaint — although I’ve often been accused of complaining. To me, it’s a matter of empirical observation.
Doc asserts, from the Cluetrain, that “Hyperlinks subvert hierarchies” — but when you look at how the Web actually works, you realize that hyperlinks CREATE hiearchies. How do Google and Technorati rank? Based on links. Who gets the most attention via Google and Technorati? Those with the most links.
Perhaps there has been a democratization of who can “work their way up” through linking, but as with American capitalism, there is still a top and a bottom. There will be many who resent it and many who deny it — but the fact is that human systems for creating order out of chaos tend to create hiearchies, and systems that attempt to eschew hiearchies — like communism — only work on paper.
So if you’re a gatekeeper, you should embrace it — and use your power wisely.
UPDATE
Hats off to Kent Newsome for simultaneous putting all this silliness over gatekeepers in perspective and for writing one of the FUNNIEST posts I’ve read in a long time: Nerd Wars V: The Gatekeepers Strike Back. I get to play a bit part:
Meanwhile, Scott Karp, circling the Deathstar and trying to decide whether to shoot or land, says there’s nothing wrong with being a Jedi Gatekeeper, as long as you use the Force wisely.
Thankfully, Ken knows how to use the Force and not take himself or any of us too seriously. Please read Kent’s post, have a good laugh, then go do something useful.
Powered by 
Design by 
[…] Here’s my (probably not) final word on gatekeepers, which includes my response to Doc: http://publishing2.com/2006/02/12/theres-nothing-wrong-with-gatekeepers/ […]
Scott just in case you don’t check back on the comment you left on Squash. I wrote this:
“It’s not the notion of whether “gatekeepers” are bad or not. There HAS to be a gatekeeper. As you’d know it’s a fundamental basis of how media operates.
Isn’t the debate over which gatekeepers are good and which are bad. Or should I saw which are better and which are poorer. I’ve argued that because A-Listers primarily link to each other, the blogosphere is closed and that therefore that particular set of gates is not ideal.
Any media studies course has this same debate as to what is the ideal gatekeeper; State-controlled media vs Corporate Media vs Independent Media. We’re always looking for better gatekeepers.
What I was trying to say is that a better gatekeeper is coming. One that is more inclusive and more personalised for the media consumer.
[…] I think bloggers should embrace this. Rather than fearing that their idealistic vision of democratic media is crumbling, they should rejoice that a currency of intelligence and literacy is a breath of fresh air. Scott Karp, whose posts I always enjoy, says it better than I can in his response posting There’s Nothing Wrong With Gatekeepers. Unlike many new media bloggers, Scott knows that the similarities between old and new media are just as important as the differences. […]
to Tristan’s post like it’s an earth shattering revelation, again without mentioning the scads of earlier posts saying the same thing. Meanwhile, Scott Karp , circling the Deathstar and trying to decide whether to shoot or land, says there’s nothing wrong with being a Jedi Gatekeeper, as
[…] I can’t believe that whole ridiculous discussion about gatekeepers (in which I was a ridiculous participant) is still at the top of tech.memeorandum. Umair was right: Ever since I’ve started using [memeorandum] to the point where it replaces many of my other sources, I have gotten stupider. […]
[…] Can you spell the word “hypocrite” boys and girls? Don’t you love all these try-hard B-Listers like Squash, Matthew Ingram, Shelly Power, Scott Karp, Kent Newsome, Seth Finklestein and so on who can’t stop bleating about how nasty the A-List is. Shame on those big, old ‘net celebrities who only link to each other and won’t let any of these wannabes play in their reindeer games. […]
[…] Doc Searls - Monday, February 13, 2006 2/13/2006; 4:59:34 PM (reads: 2741, responses: 3) Back in Reality Scott Karp says I can’t believe that whole ridiculous discussion about gatekeepers (in which I was a ridiculous participant) is still at the top of tech.memeorandum Then, in parting, he points to The Blog Establishment, also the cover story of the February 20 issue of New York magazine. There are five more related stories, mostly about the ’sphere’s caste system. There’s this one on “Linkology”, showing the Top 50 blogs, and how they interlink to each other. Think of those links as votes in an endless global popularity poll. Many blogs vote for each other: “blogrolling.” (And who was first to use that term, back in ‘00 or so?) I just scanned the rest, hoping I wouldn’t be mentioned. Alas, there’s this: ”You think the A-list is the A-list is the A-list,” says David Sifry, the CEO of Technorati. “But I’m telling you, boy, does it shift — and does it shift fast.” Cultural winds can drive blogs in and out of favor: When Sifry founded Technorati in 2002, many of the bloggers on his top-100-most-linked list were computer geeks, such as journalist Doc Searls and programmer Dave Winer. But as blogging grew to encompass politics and pop culture, Searls dropped to No. 96 and Winer to No. 126. But now Dave’s back up to #100. I’m at #93 (same as my age or IQ, I forget which). Maybe I can thank all this gatekeeper bullshit. Speaking of which, dig the little slider for gating the results. Works pretty well. And you know what’s cool? Some of the most interesting results come up with “any” or “a little” authority. Scoble: Well, it’s up to you now! You’re the gatekeeper! (Yes, I know it’s more complicated than that. But I’m in a hurry to leave.) Aw shoot, I notice Dave Winer isn’t mentioned in A Timeline of the History of Blogging. Political and pop cultural selectivity, I guess. Anyway, New York, enjoy the snow, dudes. It hit 81 degrees here today. The kid and I are going out to the pool to have some fun. Light weather ”Seattle chill” explained. Thanks to Dean Landsman for the link. That’s legal in Texas, right? There is actually a story in the New York Times with this line: Mr. Cheney, a practiced hunter, shot the lawyer, Harry Whittington, on an outing at the Armstrong Ranch in South Texas. […]
offends bloggers’ liberatarian sensibilities, but regardless, the existence of gatekeepers in a structured information system is axiomatic. In There’s nothing wrong with gatekeepers , he concluded: So if you’re a gatekeeper, you should embrace it and use your power wisely. Clarification