Flame — HabitableZone

Flame » in reply to We will always have gifted amateurs in many fields.

re: We will always have gifted amateurs in many fields.
gbaikie — (archived)

"When a field become dominated by amateurs, the field becomes overrun by hacks who think that doing a thing at all equals doing a thing well.

At that point, the gifted people begin to establish professional standards to exclude the hacks. The amateurs become the new professionals, and their group becomes the new Establisment.

Blogging hasn't gotten to that point yet. The hacks are still the dominant group."

"Gifted people" and "hacks", hmm. Let's see does this apply to the field of Photography? Does it apply to Music- is the guy on the sidewalk playing music, what you mean by a "hack"? Whereas the guy with a contract with a big label a "gifted people".
How about in the field of Astronomy? [Is Raoul a hack?] Or how about in field of culinary delights? [Is my Mom a hack?]
Poets, palm readers, soldiers, loggers, bricklayers, sailors, firefighters, salesmen, receptionists, whores, librarians, gardeners, and groceries should have professional standards in order to exclude the hacks?

Anywho. Bloggers do have a ranking system:
http://www.truthlaidbear.com/index.php

E.g. [instead of gifted people they are called "Higher Beings":
"Higher Beings
1.Technorati: Home (30290) details
2.Instapundit.com (4799) details
3.Michelle Malkin (3467) details
4.Daily Kos: State of the Nation (3407) details
5.Power Line (2953) details
6.lgf: may impair your ability (2830) details
7.Captain's Quarters (2704) details
8.DRUDGE REPORT 2005® (2288) details
9.Boing Boing: A Directory of Wonderful Things (2263) details
10.Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah Marshall (2256) details"

Though it's measured by a crude stick of traffic to the site.

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