Who am I?

There seems to be some debate as to who I am. Cory Doctorow says that I'm a "failed dotcom entrepreneur". One bouncy young lady (from a website called, appropriately enough, Boing Boing) that I debated on the KCRW show To The Point said I was "disgraceful". Another young lady in the audience at the World Advertising Research Council event in London accused me of being a "control freak". I've had angry emails from people who listened to me on the Coast-to-Coast call-in radio show this weekend suggesting, in no uncertain language, that I'm a "communist", a "fascist" and a "monarchist." Meanwhile, Clay Shirky argues that even though I love technology and own four computers, I'm still a "Luddite".

So, this is what I am: "a disgraceful fascist luddite communist control freak monarchist failed dotcom entrepreneur". I think that's a pretty fair description of who I am. Now I'm not saying that I'm better than anyone else (especially you) -- but who else can claim such a distinguished identity?

Does that make me, as the Guardian's Victor Keegan suggested, the Martin Luther of Internet Counter-Reformation?

Comments

[Seth Finkelstein]

It makes you a pundit version of a professional wrestler.

[Alan]

Well, speaking as an internet ignoramus, I have really enjoyed your talk from Googleauthors. And in my experience, if people are misunderstanding you in various (and mutually contradictory ways) then you probably have stated very clearly what it is you believe. You are what you said.

That's probably not much comfort....

[Stephen]

To be honest these are people who are trying to face facts that they indeed are the "evil ones" your not the one destroying industry culture or music your pointing out THEY are and more needs to be done to prevent the current trends.

http://www.thelongtail.com/the_long_tail/2005/12/the_probabilist.html

This is what i has told by a simple minded admin when i asked if someone with connections could find a reliable source of information. I got a link to wikipedia.... i told them i choose not to believe a statement that i could change within five seconds this was his reply

"You sound like the sort of person that would believe any idiotic statement so long as it was made by a "professional"."

[Josh S.]

You must be doing something right, Andrew, to get such a diverse range of labels.

[Stephen Smoliar]

In a world in which people get all their knowledge from television (:-)), I would have expected you to just tell everyone to watch your appearance on Book TV this Saturday (noon ET) and figure out the answer for themselves!

[mns]

Having been called worse things by the amateur "journalists" at boingboing, I can safely say that if they're busy defaming you, they're doing it because you hit a nerve. In fact, having read your book, I also feel comfortable saying that boingboing pretty much embodies the worst aspects of what passes as "conversation" in the "blogosphere".

That said, keep up the good work, sir. And kudos on the book.

[Zeno Izen]

It seems that one of the first casualties of the cultural insurgency is punctuation and spelling.

[Frances Grimble]

Obviously, your critics should focus on what you and your book have to say, not on their perceptions of your personality.

Then again, so should you. I'm interested in your ideas, but I'm not any more interested in what you think of your personality than in what your critics think of it. If you want to debate your ideas, focus on the ideas.

[Stephen Smoliar]

I have now seen Andrew on Book TV. Since I feel all the points about substance have been covered many times over, I decided to blog about style:

http://therehearsalstudio.blogspot.com/2007/07/who-is-andrew-keen.html

Andrew, I hope you eventually get more time to write; so you can spend less time tilting at these windmills!

[José Moreno]

On this post:

187 words
14 "I"s
3 "Me"s

It reminds me of the best way to change a light bulb: Andrew holds the bulb and the world revolves around him.

By the way Andrew: "I"'ve just bought "your" book.

[Nuno Machado Lopes]

I purchased your book in audio format as I spend up to 4 hours in traffic every day and thus benefit greatly from the iPod, audiobooks and podcasts.

I did have one question for you as I "read" your book. Is it meant to be serious or a genius work of satire? It would certainly help me in understanding where you are coming from. Perhaps that’s the idea…

I have to admit that your book is in fact extremely useful as I play devil's advocate to practically much of what you write about. The result? The best way to inform my clients of the necessity and benefits of integrating Social Media in their marketing mix - it's not my place to judge Social Media. My clients rely on me to ensure that they don't become the next Victim 2.0 and instead understand the need to move from mass to niche, from self-promotion to conversation… you know the rest.

One thing is for sure, you have my attention - I just can't make my mind up to whether you are on an Al Gore mission or simply taking a [huge] stab at the new order.

Ps. Are WE meant to believe YOUR blog?

[Bob]

Andrew

I see that the professional mainstream media that you revere is looking a little tarnished in the UK. The BBC,supposedly a paragon of editorial virtue, has admitted to poor editorial control in two programs and is also embroiled in a premium rate telephone scandal.

Perhaps there is not such a chasm between the professional and the amateur.

[Hans]

Dear Andrew,

I was glad to find your home page through Amazon, as I love your work, but I'm confused to find you blogging at all; and letting that blog software drive you to vanity and superficiality like the rest of them. Judging by this entry, you'd think your site is part of the problem instead of the solution; isn't this exactly the kind of annoyingly narcissistic blog post one finds much to often?

Kind Regards,
Hans

[Ian]

It seems to me it is impossible to play the role of Martin Luther in a Counter-Reformation! Maybe you could be the Ignatius of the Counter-Reformation.

[Antikronos]

Maybe to add to your description: "A typing hysterical monkey" since you blog yourself and are getting all the media-attention for your book via this channel.

In other words: You exist, because of what disgusts you and as a direct result of the insulting statements in the book that caught the attention.

That must be even more frustrating!

I consider it a piece of art and at the same time wish you wisdom and good taste.

[Doug van Aman]

Early on in the book, Mr. Keen noted that -- at the time he was writing the book -- Israel and Hezbollah were once again engaged in bloody warfare. He lamented how this important news was buried beneath the tripe of the mundane and mediocre (my words, not his). The wistful me questions if this may not be such a bad thing since the terrorist/freedom fighter (choose your own noun) relies so much on the global reactions that accompany bloody deeds.

[Paul M]

I noted that portion too :

Though I approve of the book I was gladdened that people would be interested in the natural world (the elephant story) and the man made one (the tunnels in Japan) These stories peaked my interest as someone interested in the sciences. This gave me hope that people are still curious about the world around them. Not that the Middle East doesn't deserve coverage. But there are dozens of wars going on as I type that recieve little if near non existant coverage from the standard and/or electronic press. Honestly I'd rather read about elephants. The natural and man made world is not banal and childish. And the constant attention to one war in one part of the world is numbing.

[Mister EDgAr [h.]]

Well, I'm a Bipolar_Robot who use to be a four slot bagel toaster so screw you!

I just have a vague idea of the subject of your "controversy" since i haven't read your book yet [I still haven't found it to download yet?!..] Anyway! I think that I agree somewhat/mostly with you but I love Amateur works..