Blogs are everywhere. They have exposed truths and spread rumors. Made and lost fortunes. Brought couples together and torn them apart. Toppled cabinet members and sparked grassroots movements. Immediate, intimate, and influential, they have put the power of personal publishing into everyone’s hands. Regularly dismissed as trivial and ephemeral, they have proved that they are here to stay. In Say Everything, Scott Rosenberg chronicles blogging’s unplanned rise and improbable triumph, tracing its impact on politics, business, the media, and our personal lives. He offers close-ups of innovators such as Blogger founder Evan Williams, investigative journalist Josh Marshall, exhibitionist diarist Justin Hall, software visionary Dave Winer, "mommyblogger" Heather Armstrong, and many others. These blogging pioneers were the first to face new dilemmas that have become common in the era of Google and Facebook, and their stories offer vital insights and warnings as we navigate the future. How much of our lives should we reveal on the Web? Is anonymity a boon or a curse? Which voices can we trust? What does authenticity look like on a stage where millions are fighting for attention, yet most only write for a handful? And what happens to our culture now that everyone can say everything? Before blogs, it was easy to believe that the Web would grow up to be a clickable TV–slick, passive, mass-market. Instead, blogging brought the Web’s native character into focus–convivial, expressive, democratic. Far from being pajama-clad loners, bloggers have become the curators of our collective experience, testing out their ideas in front of a crowd and linking people in ways that broadcasts can’t match. Blogs have created a new kind of public sphere–one in which we can think out loud together. And now that we have begun, Rosenberg writes, it is impossible to imagine us stopping. In his first book, Dreaming in Code, Scott Rosenberg brilliantly explored the art of creating software ("the first true successor to The Soul of a New Machine," wrote James Fallows in The Atlantic). In Say Everything, Rosenberg brings the same perceptive eye to the blogosphere, capturing as no one else has the birth of a new medium.
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"Really well-reasearched and artfully presented history of blogging. Scott is very sensitive and perceptive, and doesn't merely hash over tired controversies, but brings sharp insight to the blogging saga."
— Steven (5 out of 5 stars)
" Felt somewhat narrowly focused, but a decent overview of some of the blogging players. How does WordPress barely get a mention, though? "
— Mike, 1/6/2014" Another great time capsule for the state of the media in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Very easy to read. "
— Alex, 12/14/2013" If you want one book that documents the real history of blogging and a lucid explanation of how it is changing media, read Say Everything. "
— Micah, 12/13/2013" Too much gossip, too much fluff and too little in the way of the actual history of blogging for my tastes. I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this one up, but it wasn't this. I came away with a sense that I had just attempted to make an entire meal out of cotton candy. "
— Lumpenprole, 11/8/2013" Read for "Patron 2.0" paper. "
— Sarah, 2/13/2013" Very well researched, thorough, fairly interesting history. "
— Dianna, 1/13/2013" It wasn't the most in-depth analysis, but overall it was a pretty interesting overview of the history of the blog. An easy read, to be sure. "
— Spencer, 9/24/2012" I found it interesting until I realized I didn't really want to read 400 pages about the history of blogging. At that point, I just skipped ahead and read the profiles of the people whose names I recognized :-) "
— Lisa, 6/19/2012" Some really awesome narratives. Some really bad "extras." I feel like this book could have been more enjoyable if it were 200 pages long. "
— Tyler, 5/23/2012" An interesting history of blogs and the people behind the very first ones. If you're a serious blogger, you should check it out. "
— Mike, 6/3/2011" Too much gossip, too much fluff and too little in the way of the actual history of blogging for my tastes. I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this one up, but it wasn't this. I came away with a sense that I had just attempted to make an entire meal out of cotton candy. "
— Elwood, 4/2/2011" I found it interesting until I realized I didn't really want to read 400 pages about the history of blogging. At that point, I just skipped ahead and read the profiles of the people whose names I recognized :-) "
— Lisa, 7/24/2010" An interesting history of blogs and the people behind the very first ones. If you're a serious blogger, you should check it out. "
— Mike, 2/3/2010" If you want one book that documents the real history of blogging and a lucid explanation of how it is changing media, read Say Everything. "
— Micah, 1/30/2010" Some really awesome narratives. Some really bad "extras." I feel like this book could have been more enjoyable if it were 200 pages long. "
— Tyler, 1/15/2010" Very well researched, thorough, fairly interesting history. "
— Dianna, 7/15/2009Scott Rosenberg is an award-winning journalist who left the San Francisco Examiner in 1995 with a group of like-minded colleagues to found Salon.com, where he served first as technology editor, later as managing editor, and finally as vice president for new projects before leaving in 2007 to write Say Everything. For much of that time he wrote a blog covering the world of computers and the web, explaining complex issues in a lively voice for a non-technical readership. His coverage of the Microsoft trial, the Napster controversy, and the Internet bubble earned him a regular following. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Wired, the San Francisco Examiner, and other publications. His previous books include Dreaming in Code.
Lincoln Hoppe is an accomplished actor of stage and screen with several films, plays, television shows, and numerous audiobooks to his credit. His audiobook narrations have earned him nine AudioFile Earphones Awards. His diverse voice characterizations can be heard on animated films, video games, and commercials across the globe. He is a member of the Lost Angeles Comedy Sportz Improv Company.