Writers write. That’s what they do. They might go to conferences sometimes, or sit around shooting the shit (aka complaining) about writing, but they have to produce. It’s part of the job description; it is the job description, whether they’re a novelist, a newspaper reporter, a blogger, whatever they may be. If you truly “make the media,” then make it, for God’s sake.

It’s no different than punk rock or “outsider” art or anything else. You pick up a guitar or a paintbrush or, in this case, a pen or a keyboard. You’ll make a lot of mistakes. But you’ll do it because you love it, and someone else might like it, too.

I would’ve gone batshit crazy at a conference called “We Make the Media” where the solons on the stage didn’t actually do it (and if someone is described as “having a lot of irons in the fire” or “having a lot of balls in the air,” that’s a flashing red siren they’re not getting anything done well).

Look. A writing community can be a fine thing. But as I observed so often in Portland, people got so caught up in the notion of ‘community’ as a goal unto itself — rather than a byproduct of achievement — that they sat around gassing about community and got very little done. If you write, or paint, or fix pipes, eventually you will become a part of a writing community, or a painting community, or a plumbing community.

But the work comes first, and the work is often solitary and mundane and mind-numbing, and the work comes first, and talking about what you intend to do is the surest way never to do it, and THE WORK COMES FIRST.

Writers write. That’s what they do. They might go to conferences sometimes, or sit around shooting the shit (aka complaining) about writing, but they have to produce. It’s part of the job description; it is the job description, whether they’re a novelist, a newspaper reporter, a blogger, whatever they may be. If you truly “make the media,” then make it, for God’s sake.

It’s no different than punk rock or “outsider” art or anything else. You pick up a guitar or a paintbrush or, in this case, a pen or a keyboard. You’ll make a lot of mistakes. But you’ll do it because you love it, and someone else might like it, too.

I would’ve gone batshit crazy at a conference called “We Make the Media” where the solons on the stage didn’t actually do it (and if someone is described as “having a lot of irons in the fire” or “having a lot of balls in the air,” that’s a flashing red siren they’re not getting anything done well).

Look. A writing community can be a fine thing. But as I observed so often in Portland, people got so caught up in the notion of ‘community’ as a goal unto itself — rather than a byproduct of achievement — that they sat around gassing about community and got very little done. If you write, or paint, or fix pipes, eventually you will become a part of a writing community, or a painting community, or a plumbing community.

But the work comes first, and the work is often solitary and mundane and mind-numbing, and the work comes first, and talking about what you intend to do is the surest way never to do it, and THE WORK COMES FIRST.

I do think Matt’s doing some much-needed work aggressively covering both local crime and social justice issues here in PDX. And I don’t think it’s true that people aren’t paying attention, either.

I do think Matt’s doing some much-needed work aggressively covering both local crime and social justice issues here in PDX. And I don’t think it’s true that people aren’t paying attention, either.

Just because someone isn’t covering local politics doesn’t make them unqualified as a journalist. More importantly, a simple Google search will tell you that (outside of past journalism of a much higher caliber than Matt’s) Abraham has been an editor for the past few years, currently for one of the most read and respected technology publications on the Web.

Then he implies pretty frankly that Abraham is out to fuel a cyclical conversation about media in order to make money. Last time I checked no one was making any money from free journalism meet-ups and conferences. Great way to do your legwork and provide us with the constructive criticism you claim is your value in this whole conversation.

Just because someone isn’t covering local politics doesn’t make them unqualified as a journalist. More importantly, a simple Google search will tell you that (outside of past journalism of a much higher caliber than Matt’s) Abraham has been an editor for the past few years, currently for one of the most read and respected technology publications on the Web.

Then he implies pretty frankly that Abraham is out to fuel a cyclical conversation about media in order to make money. Last time I checked no one was making any money from free journalism meet-ups and conferences. Great way to do your legwork and provide us with the constructive criticism you claim is your value in this whole conversation.