Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Agudah and the Internet II












Almost a year ago, I posted on the Agudah and the Internet. Although in theory one should perhaps oppose the internet, in practice this is becoming less feasible.

I have stumbled upon a new blog which is promoting the Agudah agenda. In the past, Agudath Israel has had their news releases posted on websites such as Matzav and YWN. Cross-Currents also carries their press releases.

Following the ban on VIN, there has been a stronger effort on behalf of the other news blogs to police their websites/comments more efficiently. The creation of the Agudah blog may be a precursor to a possible future ban on all news blogs. Or, it is more probable just an outgrowth of the old dictum "If you can't fight them, join them".

The recent publication of Dialogue shows that there is a market for intellectual literature produced by Yeshiva graduates. Like it or not, more and more Yeshiva people are joining the online blogvolution. Just this past week, I have added several more blogs to my blogroll that are authored by "Youngerlight".

While it may be worthwhile for those who can learn to spend their time in the BM, perhaps we can look at Jblogging as an exercise in Kiruv, permitting those on the "right" to express their thougts to combat the misinformation of the internet. So to my dear blogging pal Hamavdil, I say, keep up the good work. Even if you are just a voice, in the wilderness, your message is being heard.


Update: Agudah has shut down the blog pending further notice.

7 comments:

  1. Easy come, easy go.

    ReplyDelete
  2. A. As it is not supposed to have any interactive capacity don't know how it can be called a blog. It is barely even a official website. More like an e-newsletter IMO.

    B. I am not attempting kiruv and base on how our comments are received by Jews to our left all of us "frum" bloogers may in fact be perpetrating rikhuk. I have no idea how you mean that my message is being heard when on an average day fewer than 10 people even read the posts and my paranoia tells me that even the few who do are laughing, mocking and deriding. As for the others, that's not kiruv. That's what's known as "preaching to the choir/the converted"

    C. I don't khop the link to hirhurim especially insofar as my blog is concerned.

    ReplyDelete
  3. A. There was a comments section.

    B. Hang in there. One day you'll be the first one to post on a new issue of DIALOGUE, put in something controversial such as "There is no Psak re: Hashkofo", and "they will come".

    C. Is your blog not a self proclaimed "voice in the wilderness? Although, I agree that it would be more appropos for my new commenter, FKM.

    ReplyDelete
  4. A. from the site: "The site, started a few days ago without authorization by Agudath Israel’s recently appointed director of communications, was established with good intentions, for informational purposes only,
    and with no interactive capacity. ". How can they make this claim if there is a comments section?

    B. Bah humbug. I post many controversial things. Still just tumbleweed

    C. Not a voice in the wilderness but in a vacuum. Still don't khop the link . Please see and respond to your email;

    ReplyDelete
  5. >How can they make this claim if there is a comments section?

    Comment moderation was enabled.

    How can they make the claim? How can they make the claim that a rogue employee (with an @agudathisrael.org email address) set up the blog, with commenting capability, and yet at the same time say it had no interactive capacity?

    Answer: they can say anything they like, including that this Leah Zagelbaum did it all on her own. At least she gets to keep her job.

    (In fairness, there is a setting so that no comment box appears altogether. Perhaps the intention was to have no comments, but she or whomever set it up didn't realize how to do that. As it is it was absurd someone there to set up a blog for them on Blogger rather than to purchase a URL and set it up through Wordpress or something else that they could claim isn't a blog.)

    ReplyDelete
  6. What is your email? I don't see it posted anywhere?

    ReplyDelete
  7. If you comment often under a name other than Anonymous, perhaps I'll send you my email address also.

    ReplyDelete