Bloggers looking to form professional union?

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By Stevie Smith Aug 7, 2007, 12:47 GMT

Today’s news that a group of bloggers are attempting to create a dedicated labour union should help dispel any and all remaining doubts as to the exponential growth and subsequent power of the online blogging community, or blogosphere as it has come to be known. An Associated Press report indicates that the "loosely formed" collection of bloggers is looking to create a union wherein members will receive the related benefits of medical insurance and even predetermined professional standards ‘at work’. Those members of the blogosphere behind the push for the integration of a bloggers union intonate that its creation will help illustrate the professional worth and import of online writers, not least concerning their sizeable impact on the political stage – particularly in connection to the current presidential campaigns unfolding in the US."I think people have just gotten to the point where people outside the blogosphere understand the value of what it is that we do on the progressive side," outlined Susie Madrak, who writes the Suburban Guerrilla blog and actively supports the push for a bloggers union. "And I think they feel a little more entitled to ask for something now."However, in a hugely diverse online world where not every blogger can be justly labelled as professional, it’s debateable as to exactly who should be eligible for inclusion to any successfully formed labour union. For some, a union should be formed for activist bloggers, while others would be looking for a union open to anyone across any potentially professional source and subject – no matter how trivial.Despite the relative advantages of medical coverage and accepted work standards potentially in the offing through an official bloggers union, there are those who would certainly not welcome its arrival. Specifically, Curt Hopkins, the founder of the Committee to Protect Bloggers, offered that blogging is "anarchistic", allowing writers to pen whatever they want, whenever they want to, "and oh my God, you’re not going to tell me what to do."Mr. Hopkins also highlighted that the blogging community lacks "commonality" and that any proposed large-scale union is "doomed to failure." That said, the worth of certain elements within the blogosphere is not going unnoticed, with Gerry Colby, president of the National Writers’ Union, revealing to the Associated Press that various bloggers are "on our radar screen right now for approaching and recruiting into the union."

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Terry FinleyAug 8th, 2007 - 03:12:20

If this idea did ever work, it would lead to the development of many other such blogging unions and on and on. All battling for control of the blog arena. That would end in chaos. It will lead right back to where we are now: each blogger doing his/her own thing and trying to get fair market share.

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