Dave Winer, Publisher of the Longest Currently Running Weblog, Speaks at Stanford

On November 24, 2003, the Stanford Center for Internet and Society and the Stanford Law & Technology Association invited Dave Winer to speak about blogging and its relevance to cyberlaw. Winer published one of the first blogs on the Internet in 1994 and is currently a fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School.

“Blogs are a very American thing,” Winer said. A blog, or weblog, is a frequently updated website consisting of diary-like entries that may contain text, images, media objects, and links to other websites. Prior to blogging, emphasizes Winer, the media controlled the publishing of news and could easily censor more controversial points of view. With the advent of blogs, anyone with a computer becomes free to share ideas on the web.

Winer also offered his thoughts on the 2004 U.S. Presidential campaigns. Although presidential candidates such as Howard Dean have begun to use blogs, Winer said that politicians have not come close to unlocking the full power of the Web. Dean’s website, for instance, is well-suited to supporters of his campaign but does not do much to convince the unconverted that Dean should be their candidate. To increase the power of online campaigning, Winer suggests that independent bloggers be allowed onto campaign buses. To improve communication, he also encourages candidates to post their schedules online. Lastly, he suggests that it is the role of candidates and their supporters alike to get people excited about democracy and teach them about the power of blogging.

After his talk, Winer opened up a question and answer session during which students, faculty, and Winer himself explored the lack of reciprocity in online links, media objectivity, and questions about the New York Times news archive.

Visit Dave Winer's blog at http://www.scriptingnews.com