Craig Newmark, the Craig in Craigslist, spoke to and with us last night at the Social Media Club NY meeting. It was nice to hear him again so soon after hearing him speak on a panel discussion two weeks ago at Personal Democracy Forum. As others have more fully blogged about this
event, including Mark Rose, Howard Greenstein, Allen Stern, and Donna Bogatin, I want to muse on some of the random thoughts and ideas Craig raised as I thought some
of them were useful.

“Death is my exit strategy.”

• I like this quote of Craig. While he used it in the context of when he will leave his work at Craigslist, I suppose in a more postmodern way, this is true for all of us. I wonder how strategic many of us are about this, both for whatever legacy we are interested in leaving as well as how we want to leave our memories once we are gone (like we really have any control over that).

“We need people to speak truth to power.”

• I have never heard this Quaker phrase before, but it seems consistent with Craig’s political views that he shared at the meeting. Here, I thought that was original at the time. Catchy phrase, and when trying to learn a little more about it, I found this on the Quaker site itself:
• To those who hold high places in our national life and bear the terrible responsibility of making decisions for war or peace.
• To the American people who are the final reservoir of power in this country and whose values and expectations set the limits for those who exercise authority.
• To the idea of Power itself, and its impact on Twentieth Century life.
• I keep thinking about Foucault and Weber and Marx (who has some great stuff that is often missed due to the American experience with Communism and the Cold War). Power exists in all human interaction, and I wonder why, given the great amount of American frustration with the course of the war in Iraq, the status quo continues. Perhaps people find it better to complain and shake our heads rather than get up and do anything to change the course of the conflict. I suppose if those in power do not feel pressure
  to change (i.e., power), then why do anything differently? Here, after the Democrats took over in Congress, nothing seems to have changed with the war. Another broken promise, or is that too simple a way of looking at this?
• I wonder, too, about this, in the manner Craig spoke. He was very calm, and while I find him wonderful to listen to, there was little moderation in his tone and speaking manner. His words seemed passionate, but there was little animation as he spoke about this. Interesting disconnect.

Craig’s theme of journalists and the need to have them to tell what is really happening in the world.

• I was glad he did not use the term “tell the truth” about situations in the world. I am becoming inclined to see the concept of “the truth” as being a subjective assessment of the world, as opposed to an objective descritpion of world events. I know, I am not sure how objective anything can be (i.e., can we ever speak about anything outside of our prior experiences?), but journalists have the same pressures (their beliefs, power relationships, personal and organizational political hurdles) we all do, so I find
  it a challenge that they should be held to an other standards than other people. I think about the New York Times and their All the News That’s Fit to Print – who decides what is news and what aspect (i.e., which side or perspective of it) should be presented (i.e., discussed). So, if the “news” does not cover a story, does that mean it is not news?
• Perhaps I need to study some journalism. I wonder if Jay Rosen at Assignment Zero is onto something here?

I like the meetings of Social Media Club. Having been a member for a few months now and having attended a few meetings and listened to some really talented people talk about some really interesting things, I feel stimulated. Isn’t that what social media is all about?

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