How To Build An Internet Mob in 7 Easy Steps

by PPP on Nov 1, 2008 12:00 PM EDT Comment 11 comments

And I realized that the only purpose to revolution is to be able to love who you want, how you want, when you want and where you want…
- Dan Bern, "True Revolutionaries", Smartie Mine (1999)

On Tuesday, a campaign that has shown the unbelievable organizing power of the internet will conclude (all Americans: please vote!). On Friday, we saw an extremely small scale demonstration. SBN's co-founder Markos Moulitsas Zaniga would have been proud of The Barilkosphere. TorontoPassion noted that it was an interesting development and, maybe it's just interesting to me, here's a primer on how a group of strangers harnessed the power of the internet to make a small blip.

Alec Brownscombe tosses an e-mail to MF37 letting him know about the craziness that Working Class Howie had penned.
After pulling up his jaw and making sure that it wasn't some sick joke on Alec's part MF37 throws the link into an e-mail to a group of bloggers that had been working on another project.
Simultaneously, the blood pressure in front of seven computers shot through the roof. The first to demand the head of the aristocrat: Godd Till. Actually, he suggested an open letter but you can see where the similarities lie.
Down Goes Brown helped overrule my idea of publishing Berger's address and calling for an actual torch and pitchfork wielding mob (just kidding) by framing the tone of the open letter.
MF37 used his communications background (good thing bloggers don't just go through j-school eh?) to frame the message.
E-mails went out to the rest of The Barilkosphere (and of course I missed some names) and the stage was set to unveil our plan.
Messages were sent to other blogs, newspapers, and anywhere we could think to alert about our plan.

So there you have it. The organizing ability of the internet. Imagine how Leafs fans must have felt when they read similar columns in the 80s? Here's a rundown of the outcome:

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Well Done

And a great job to all those involved. This Leaf fan thanks all of you.

by lordosis on Nov 1, 2008 12:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

love it

i also posted it up on my blog, and I know a few of us posted it on Facebook.

the key here, is to not slow down. I plan on reposting the open letter in Berger’s comment thread continually until I’m booted over at hockey buzz, or he doesn’t post there anymore.

Not sure if there’s a spot to post comments on the FAN’s website, but if so, someone should hit it up there. Really, anywhere Leaf fans congregate, we should be sharing that open letter. I was going to take something to the Kings game in December when the Leafs are out here, as it’s always a home game, more Leafs fans than Kings fans in LA…

Anybody throws me against the boards I'm gonna piss all over myself.
The Left Coast Lock

by blurr1974 on Nov 1, 2008 12:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

HockeyBuzz

Berger will never get fired from Hockey Buzz. He’s more or less an owner from what I am told.

But, I like the idea and handing out a card with URLs at the Staples Centre sounds like a great one too!

Pension Plan Puppets: A Toronto Maple Leafs blog and a group therapy session.

by PPP on Nov 1, 2008 2:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Fan does have comments, but they’re moderated. Last time I looked there weren’t any comments to his “loser” piece, which makes me think they’re not posting anything.

Down Goes Brown - Because it's technically possible that things may get better before we all die.

by Down Goes Brown on Nov 1, 2008 8:20 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs