We are developing the social individualist meta-context for the future. From the very serious to the extremely frivolous... lets see what is on the mind of the Samizdata people.
Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]
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1. noun. One of a large number of blogs (qv) which sprung up after September 11th 2001 (mostly in or after November 2001). Most at least initially were created to provide anti-idiotarian (qv) commentary in the aftermath of Al Qaeda’s attack upon the United States. Warblogs are essentially a subset of pundit blogs (qv). Someone who runs a Warblog is a Warblogger.
2. noun. Any blog largely or primarily dedicated to coverage of terrorism, the war or terrorism, and conflict in the Middle East, regardless of when it was started.
3. noun. Any blog that take an editorial position generally in favor of military intervention by the United States in one or more Middle Eastern or Central Asian nations linked to terrorism.
(probably coined by Matt Welch)
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Note: As of mid 2002, many ‘warblogs’ are now less exclusively focused on military affairs, terrorism and the related politics and some have quietly stopped describing themselves as ‘warblogs’.
Update June 2004: It would be fair to say the term ‘warblog’ is now of historical significance only. Although many of the former self-described ‘warblogs’ are still publishing, the terms is now largely unused.
Also see: Anti-idiotarian.
noun. A blog (qv) with more than one regular contributing writer. Also: Groupblog.
1. noun. A blog (meaning 1).
2. noun. A single contributor weblog.
Note: The term Me-zine is already fading from use, being rapidly replaced by ‘blog’.
(Possibly coined by Dori)
verb. To use Internet search engines to ascertain the veracity of dubious claims made in the press.
(coined by Ken Layne)
Usage: “We can fact-check your ass!”
noun. Someone opposed to a whole raft of political values which are derived from a fundamentally irrational meta-context (world view). Anti-idiotarians can be found across a wide section of the political spectrum and are primarily characterised by vocal rational judgmentalism, generally hawkish sentiments and transcendent loathing of Noam Chomsky.
(coined by Charles Johnson)
Usage: “Like most anti-idiotarians I cannot but marvel as the sight of the Palestinian leadership forming yet another circular firing squad at the first grudging sign of reasonable behaviour by the Israeli government”
– Perry de Havilland.
Also see: Idiotarian, Tranzi, Warblog
verb. Similar to ‘Fisk’ (qv). A point by point refutation.
noun. Derived from ‘Transnational Progressive’, a term popularised by John Fonte. Transnational Socialists. Not a term of endearment.
(coined by David Carr)
noun. A concept or point within an article on a blog that is not quite grandiose enough to be a ‘meme’.
(coined by Brian Micklethwait)
1. noun. A person who owns or writes for a weblog.
2. proprietary.Blogger.com, the most widespread blog publishing software package created by Evan Williams. www.blogger.com
noun. An unusually high volume output of articles on a blog.
Usage: “Well, 48 hours and 4,195 words later, we’re reaching for our dictionary to check the definition of “significantly.” After that, we’re going to look up blogorrhea.”
– William Quick
Following the remarkable reaction to the article The real England speaks, several people have e-mailed us to ask what ‘our’ views are regarding the ‘War on Terrorism’ or ‘Israel and the Middle east’ or just plain old ‘war’.
Firstly, Samizdata.net has no ‘editorial positions’ on issues per se. Our writers would all be described as libertarian, ranging from anarcho-capitalist to minarchist to neo-libertarian conservative. In other words we all hold fairly divergent views on quite a few issues, but broadly speaking we all tend to fall into the more hawkish end on issues of war and peace, taking the view that violence based tyranny is best dealt with by confronting force with force, though without losing sight of illiberal abridgements of civil liberties which may be wrapped in more genteel cloth closer to home.
Articles laying out what we feel is the rational position regarding these issues are…
The modern bestiary of comparative belligerency
Birds of a feather… sometimes don’t flock together
Brendan’s back and rallying…not
With friends like these…
Saddam moves in mysterious ways
Exquisite appeasement
None of the above
The Palestinian Götterdämmerung
The time for choice is long past
Why the US fights the way it does
As we have written enough articles on the topic of war and peace to fill ‘War and Peace’, this is by no means the totality of germane articles we have written… but if you read these you will have a pretty shrewd idea where the writers of samizdata.net are ‘coming from’.
noun. The totality of blogs; blogs as a community; blogs as a social network.
(coined by William Quick)
Usage: “The blogosphere has been abuzz with the Trent Lott story for the last few days and many of the blogs are baying for blood!”
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The key to understanding blogs is understanding the blogosphere. Blogs themselves are just a web format, whereas the blogosphere is a social phenomenon. It is hard to overstate the importance of this.
What really differentiates blogs from webpages or forums or chatrooms is that blogs (at least properly implemented ones) are designed from the outset to be part of that shifting internet-wide social network. There have been many attempts to design ‘social software’ but thus far the only effective example is the blogosphere, which was not ‘designed’ by anyone but is an emergent phenomenon.
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Who Are We? The Samizdata people are a bunch of sinister and heavily armed globalist illuminati who seek to infect the entire world with the values of personal liberty and several property. Amongst our many crimes is a sense of humour and the intermittent use of British spelling.
We are also a varied group made up of social individualists, classical liberals, whigs, libertarians, extropians, futurists, ‘Porcupines’, Karl Popper fetishists, recovering neo-conservatives, crazed Ayn Rand worshipers, over-caffeinated Virginia Postrel devotees, witty Frédéric Bastiat wannabes, cypherpunks, minarchists, kritarchists and wild-eyed anarcho-capitalists from Britain, North America, Australia and Europe.
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