WHILE THE RAIN IS EASY
Winds are hard
To recreate
Once cast
While researching the New Media, I became fascinated with the development of the Flu Blog. It seemed to represent not only the direction but the form and structure of the changing media in the Internet Age.
My original thesis was to write a series of articles detailing, as thoroughly as possible, the creation of the Flu Blog from inception to mainstream assimilation.
However, as often happens in war and creativity, events overtook the plan.
My derailment occurred in the following manor:
By December of 2006 I had researched, compiled and databased every conceivable factoid relating to the early years of flu blogging. I felt ready to publish my first article and on the second day of 2007 I started writing and soliciting feedback on a website called CurrentEvents.
I was very pleased with the finished product believing that both technically and factually I had established the main point of my thesis control of the media was being altered forever and that the evolution was being driven from the bottom up.
Here is that article:
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2007
2. Hong Kong Health Secretary calls for calm as SARS cases double, (83 up from 42 on Sunday)
3. LATEST SARS UPDATE - DETAILED MEDICAL INFORMATION
4. BREAKING BIG: POSSIBLE PATHOGEN DETECTED IN SARS CASE
5. Killer Virus (SARS) Identified
6. Seven victims of mystery pneumonia stayed on same floor of Hong Kong hotel
7. Guangdong doctor linked to SARS outbreak
8. President of the American Society of Microbiology on SARS - "Everything says it is airborne."
9. SARS REACHES HONG KONG SCHOOLS - 32 NEW CASES (IS THE BUG OUT OF THE BOX?)
10. CDC increases SARS cases to 22 in U.S.
11. CHINA CONFIRMS CASES AND DEATHS (SARS) - HONG KONG SITUATION DETERIORATING - 22 CASES IN US
12. Causative agent of SARS virus isolated from lung tissue - test is reliably identifying cases
13. SARS cases on the rise in Canada, may be spreading even further, 12 people showing symptoms
14. VIETNAM NEW SARS HOT ZONE, U.S. Warns Citizens in Vietnam To leave
15. SARS cases on the rise in Canada, may be spreading even further, 12 people showing symptoms
16. Singapore - 740 people quarantined, 14 new cases on Monday, Hospitals close, SARS spreads
17. 37 In United States May Have SARS
18. SARS epidemic spreads in Taiwan, three other CDC officials have become ill.
19. WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF SARS? ONE VIRUS, TWO VIRUSES WORKING IN CONCERT, OR A DETERMINANT UNKNOWN
20. Killer-flu a 'white terror': Expert, "It is the worst medical disaster I have ever seen.
21. Preliminary Clinical Description of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
- and over the next eleven days guided both lay and professionals, transformed the web site, crushed the paradigm and changed the way we interface with breaking news forever.
Oh, and there is that strange aspect of her name.
Every literate person on the Web new and understood, not only what it meant, but the endless nuances that lay associated with that name, in this context.
She signed on as Mother Abigail.
I have pinged your name because you are on MA’s final SARS thread.
I am certain there are many other poster who need to be pinged but I will leave it up to you to do so.
On Thursday (Thanksgiving) I will be conducting my final interview with Mother Abigail. Because she has been kind enough to give me carte blanche on questions - I am giving you a chance to ask whatever you feel is appropriate and respectful to one of the most sensitive and brilliant scientists I have ever known - and I will relay that question.
After Thursday I will be moving on to new projects (nothing lasts forever) but for now you have the floor - is there anything you want to know?
I have closed my hotmail account and will no longer be responding to that access.
James
There have been a number of readers who have requested direct links to the first three articles. Here below you can access them.
This is a discussion board for scientists, however it is free and easy to register (very nice administrators), and it is a site you should have saved in your favorites just in case the SHTF. Here you will be getting the straight dope.
James
Article #1 http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?s=c8d75930eb6602cebe6804dc5e621d7a&t=114481
Article #2 http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?s=c8d75930eb6602cebe6804dc5e621d7a&t=128997
Article #3 http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?s=c8d75930eb6602cebe6804dc5e621d7a&t=139635