The Internet: Tenure Killer, Quasi-Media, Soul-Less Presence?

Curious ponderings today in the blogosphere, from rusings on the creative underpinnings of the World Wide Web to its ability to intefere with academic tenure.

Tenure off track
Today's No. 35 top link tells the tale of Daniel Drezner, a political science blogger of some renown who nonetheless isn't being offered a professorship at the University of Chicago, and some are speculating that his blog might be to blame. Blogger John Bruce has a lengthy analysis of academics and blogging.

Web de-volution?
Today's No. 4 top blog post from Nicholas Carr argues that the (d)evolutionary World Wide Web, with its initial possibilities for endless opportunity and global creativity, is instead "changing the economics of creative work - or, to put it more broadly, the economics of culture - and it's doing it in a way that may well restrict rather than expand our choices." Interesting theories...and equally interesting comments. (Or, as Pat Robertson figures things, is the world just coming to an end? (today's No. 32 top news story).

You, the Media* (*Bloggers Excluded?)
When tech writer Dan Gillmor published We the Media in August 2004, he probably had in mind something like Yahoo's News search function, which now serves up blog data and Flickr photos in results. (today's No. 2 blog post). Reactions range from "a little disappointing" to "sweet." But don't get all excited, bloggers, about any federal shield law protecting your behinds. Bloggers "probably" wouldn't be included in the definition of journalist (today's No. 26 link). Tech Law Prof Blog offers some perspective, as does the blogger at Middle Earth Journal.

Random Veep stuff
Today's 34th top link asks: are George and Dick on the outs? Are Dick's Halliburton stock options really worth that much? (today's No. 28 news story).