re: Amongst the barbaroi
I don't have much to add to that except two comments:
--It wouldn't take much in the way of references to modern best-seller lists to show that the hard-copy publishing BS filter is a pretty damn weak one.
--I still think you underrate the talent writing on the internet today. Granted, I suspect the ratio of BS to gold on the net is higher than the printed page, but the gold isn't that hard to find.