tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post115158300717771761..comments2024-03-04T17:54:32.559+00:00Comments on Iain Dale's Diary: A Response to Mary DejevskyIain Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03270146219458384372noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-75083738582683704542008-07-08T14:24:00.000+01:002008-07-08T14:24:00.000+01:00"Iain Dale is a Conservative pro-Cameron MP.It rea..."Iain Dale is a Conservative pro-Cameron MP.<BR/>It really must break some sort of record to make two factual innaccuracies within the first six words of a supposedly well-informed column. Just for the record, I am not an MP and having been David Davis's Chief of Staff it is slightly inaccurate to make me out to be a Cameroon henchman. But we'll see if things improve..."<BR/><BR/>And it's also "slightly inaccurate" to confuse the name of the Tory leader with a West African state.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1152301574070221422006-07-07T20:46:00.000+01:002006-07-07T20:46:00.000+01:00I'm one of the 'rare' female bloggers and I have n...I'm one of the 'rare' female bloggers and I have nothing whatsoever to say about politics, childcare or gynaecology ( although I did refer to periods recently).<BR/><BR/>I wish I had time to find how to leave a comment for Hairy Mary but this technicological gadgetry scares me and besides, I'm too busy cooking dinner and making the house nice for my yet-to-be-met husband. <BR/><BR/>Thankyou for your well-crafted response, Iain. I'm far too bashful to have been able to have done something like that myself. Silly Bint!Cherrypiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01601809750914618402noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1152047215475774082006-07-04T22:06:00.000+01:002006-07-04T22:06:00.000+01:00Just because she's more wrong than you doesn't mak...Just because she's more wrong than you doesn't make you right.<BR/><BR/>In your post you elided blogging with political-blogging. Political bloggers are a tiny proportion of the blogosphere. In the Big Blogosphere, rather than in the elite circle of Westminster-based navel-gazing, there are probably as many female bloggers as male. I honestly don't know. But there's a lot.<BR/><BR/>Secondly, mainly-male Westminster-based navel gazers tend to blog primarily about the news headlines and similar issues, the rivalries between and the fights within parties. In the rest of the blogosphere, as in the rest of the country, people, some male some female, write about stuff, which is often completely non-political, but is often far more important politically than the insular world of many political bloggers. <BR/><BR/>Gynaecology and childcare have the potential to be very political, because for many members of the public, these are their prime interface with public services. And the issues on which they base their perception of Government performance and ultimately their vote.<BR/><BR/>But people, including women, who blog about transport issues, the environment, planning and development, crime and disorder in their neighbourhoods, their elderly parents' NHS treatment etc are all being <I>political</I>. They are voters and taxpayers, and they are bored stupid by wankfests of insider gossip and are, men and women, alienated from the political process as a result. <BR/><BR/>As a former elected representative I can see clearly the overlap between life and politics. It does democracy a disservice when opininators ignore, or are unaware of, this.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1151743857876049892006-07-01T09:50:00.000+01:002006-07-01T09:50:00.000+01:00re: the Dejevsky opinion piece - totally awful! To...re: the Dejevsky opinion piece - totally awful! Total nonsense - no female bloggers, my arse! I've just written a letter to the Independent about it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1151658436133947682006-06-30T10:07:00.000+01:002006-06-30T10:07:00.000+01:00"Why would I check further?" Dunno, maybe I though..."Why would I check further?" Dunno, maybe I thought you might have some vague interest in facts... clearly not.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1151622965974613312006-06-30T00:16:00.000+01:002006-06-30T00:16:00.000+01:00Dr Fegg - How the hell would I know who the Yazzmo...Dr Fegg - How the hell would I know who the Yazzmonster writes for? She pollutes The Guardian, if such is possible (like saying Matt Frei pollutes the BBC). Why would I check further?<BR/><BR/>Perhaps people who pay actual money to read The Independent are the cretins, eh, Dr Fegg?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1151621146595883402006-06-29T23:45:00.000+01:002006-06-29T23:45:00.000+01:00Gaaaah."She sounds just like the Polly Filler char...Gaaaah.<BR/><BR/>"She sounds just like the Polly Filler character in Private Eye."<BR/><BR/>Fine. "She sounds like". If you actually read the Independent, rather than making snap judgements on the basis of one column, you'd understand that Mary Dejevsky is generally quite a thoughtful columnist. This particular column, however, was crass, and stupid, and uncalled for - absolutely. Whereas every single one of Iain's postings since the year dot, and that of every other blogger in the world (including me), has been completely reasoned and well-founded.<BR/><BR/>Gaaaaaaaaah.<BR/><BR/>As for: "The Independent's answer to the Yazzmonster" - the Yazzmonster writes for the Independent already, you cretin.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1151619253287069212006-06-29T23:14:00.000+01:002006-06-29T23:14:00.000+01:00The odd thing is that Mary's thesis fell apart the...The odd thing is that Mary's thesis fell apart the minute I looked at my blogroll - a majority of the arts/literary blogs I read daily are written (or contributed to) by women - ten out of sixteen. Another daily read is the blog of American law professor Ann Althouse, which has a certain amount of political and legal commentary along with lots of pop culture and 'personal' material. <BR/><BR/>Modestly retreating before the crimson tide of opinionated testosterone... I don't think so!Craig Ranapiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08923246310584658857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1151616650931375952006-06-29T22:30:00.000+01:002006-06-29T22:30:00.000+01:00I think the issue is that when you write with dead...I think the issue is that when you write with dead trees it is done, you can move on knowing how perfect and smart your contribution to knowledge is.<BR/><BR/>On the other hand when you write on the internet you are not finihed. You may well have to answer questions and indeed justify what you said.<BR/><BR/>For a wind bag, it is an intolerable position.Benedict Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382732288664789210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1151610135031314172006-06-29T20:42:00.000+01:002006-06-29T20:42:00.000+01:00I've arrived here a bit late in the day to read th...I've arrived here a bit late in the day to read the whole damned article, Iain's comments and everyone else's comments, but one obvious methodological point leaps out: how can you be sure of the sex of a blogger? Hiding behind aliases is part of the fun. As an Archbishop in real life I have no option.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1151607581191390842006-06-29T19:59:00.000+01:002006-06-29T19:59:00.000+01:00I don't normally side with Conservatives, but that...I don't normally side with Conservatives, but that was an outstanding and elegantly written response. Unfortunately, every issue of the 'Independent' (except the sports pages) could do with the same treatment. It used to be a quality newspaper, now it's just the 'Socialist Worker' with pretensions, edited and written by people for whom fatuous, unsubstantiated assertions taken as read have become a substitute for proper journalism. The paper needs a spring clean.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1151606046751947592006-06-29T19:34:00.000+01:002006-06-29T19:34:00.000+01:00Her article infuriated me - thanks for posting it ...Her article infuriated me - thanks for posting it in full though. We've been discussing it at my blog (shocking - a woman with a blog, and it's not even about gynecology or childcare) but I was too frightened of lawyers to print the full thing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1151604528974028242006-06-29T19:08:00.000+01:002006-06-29T19:08:00.000+01:00Never bothered to read the Indy, and now I know I ...Never bothered to read the Indy, and now I know I haven't missed a thing.<BR/><BR/>What a load of rubbish, thought the "poor little feeble woman, I'm a victim, I have to be treated differently because I'm so sensitive, boo-hoo, can't cope with life because I'm so busy washing up and being down-trodden" school of journalism had gone out in the 50s.<BR/><BR/>She is actually paid to write this nonsense? By a real newspaper?<BR/><BR/>Shame her research is non-existent and her writing is crap.<BR/><BR/>Get a life Mary, woman aren't a protected species, they're half the population! If they want to blog, they blog, and if they don't, they don't. Personally (being female) I tend to think that everyone is entitled to my opinion on virtually all subjects, but I don't blog, and not because I'm modest or downtrodden. <BR/><BR/>I like Iain's blog (and Guido's) because I'm interested in politics and current affairs - probably like everyone else reading this.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1151602840359839572006-06-29T18:40:00.000+01:002006-06-29T18:40:00.000+01:00Thanks for your entertaining blog on Ms Dejevsky's...Thanks for your entertaining blog on Ms Dejevsky's column. However, you do yourelf a disservice by not acknowledging a valid point which she makes, which is that many women, whilst getting into the worklpace, are still tied to the drudgery of housework. The unequal division of housework will surely restrict the time available to blog?<BR/>Further, very few blogs are as professional or as entertaining as yours, and most of the "nerd" or "Dweeb" blogs will come from those who really should get a life. Maybe most womens lives are just too full to bother!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1151602185549898222006-06-29T18:29:00.000+01:002006-06-29T18:29:00.000+01:00As well as the knowns we know we know, there are t...As well as the knowns we know we know, there are the unknowns we don't know we don't know. At least three female UK political bloggers (on the right - dunno about the left) prefer to appear androgynously anonymous. Busy working women all, with real lives, never been paid a bean by Fleet Street, don't want to stand for Parliament, no time for election campaigning, but getting involved in the only way their busy lives (you listening, Mary? Get it?) allow: by blogging and posting on political blogs like this one in their limited spare time. You never can tell ;-)<BR/><BR/>As for Mary-Mary with her tightly circumscribed view of the world of words, she's getting paid shedloads for writing utter crap when the blogosphere volunteers are producing much more readable (often lipsmacking, actually) stuff which in your case, Iain, gets widely reported, even by the Beeb. As the old printers used to say (I once worked in the dead tree sector), "There's no 'F' in 'justice'."<BR/><BR/>Hang on a sec... maybe there is. How many mover and shakers see Mary-Mary as a must-read or political bellwether, as opposed to Iain, Guido, ConHome... ? Maybe that's what's worrying the dear girl. Heheheh.Prodicushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18024865482933469271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1151602113582918502006-06-29T18:28:00.000+01:002006-06-29T18:28:00.000+01:00One small bone to pick: She isn't a feminist, she...One small bone to pick: She isn't a feminist, she is just a bitter airhead with a bad attitude to life and people in general.<BR/><BR/>She would never be able to have a blog because she'd get shot down in flames the moment she'll allow people to tell her what they think of her scribblings. <BR/><BR/>Some hacks at the Grauniad made the experience that writing a blog is harder than spinning off some filler for the paper -- and certain columnists now comment without 'freeing' the comments for... ahem, comment. Lightweight wimps, the lot of them :-D<BR/><BR/>Ps.: The most feared bloggers are female. Be glad there aren't too many of us... muhahaha... >-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1151601574985533082006-06-29T18:19:00.000+01:002006-06-29T18:19:00.000+01:00Iain are you sure you aren't Scott Burgess of the ...Iain are you sure you aren't Scott Burgess of the Ablution under another name? That was a truly excellent fisk.<BR/><BR/>As a sad pe(n)dant though I'd like to point out that according to my computer the phrase "Iain Dale is a Conservative pro-Cameron MP" is 7 words long not 6. Is Iain Dale considered as one word or are you omitting the "a"?<BR/><BR/>To more serious matters, it may be true that there are comparatively few British female bloggers, particuarly those writing political stuff, but if you can manage to look beyond the shores of this island you'll find plenty around. Many of them unfortunately seem to be of the radical "progressive" feminist variety but even some of these are entirely readable.<BR/><BR/>If Ms Dejevsky had a clue and were able to use Google she would have criticised the argument not the man by writing a column based precisely on your apparent British bias. Unfortunately for her, she clearly lacks either the intellect or the googling skills to do this sort of thig and hence tackles the man.dirty dingushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16851047053461441682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1151600757807268172006-06-29T18:05:00.000+01:002006-06-29T18:05:00.000+01:00I really thought Craig Brown had retired Bel Littl...I really thought Craig Brown had retired Bel Littlejohn. He's a clever bloke and no mistake.<BR/><BR/>Croydonian - "the bulk of we...". You're better than that!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1151599203215781402006-06-29T17:40:00.000+01:002006-06-29T17:40:00.000+01:00Brilliant demolition-job. Highly enjoyable to rea...Brilliant demolition-job. Highly enjoyable to read.Garethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10021800974251370747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1151598841720240462006-06-29T17:34:00.000+01:002006-06-29T17:34:00.000+01:00All publicity is good publicity, eh, Iain?All publicity is good publicity, eh, Iain?SPLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09499448861385839223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1151596888513000762006-06-29T17:01:00.000+01:002006-06-29T17:01:00.000+01:00The Independent's answer to the Yazzmonster.The Independent's answer to the Yazzmonster.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1151596820678036652006-06-29T17:00:00.000+01:002006-06-29T17:00:00.000+01:00I can't beleive they want me to pay a £1 to read t...I can't beleive they want me to pay a £1 to read that article. The entire bloody paper doesn't cost that much.dizzyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04250325010662356883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1151596139506285932006-06-29T16:48:00.000+01:002006-06-29T16:48:00.000+01:00Sorry, am I not allowed to call you Mr Dale anymor...Sorry, am I not allowed to call you Mr Dale anymore?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1151595263209164132006-06-29T16:34:00.000+01:002006-06-29T16:34:00.000+01:00Ms Dejevsky obviously does not visit Blogistan ver...Ms Dejevsky obviously does not visit Blogistan very often otherwise she would have noticed that many bloggers and commenters choose nicknames that either reflect their personality or have some (possibly humourous) allusion to a literary or cultural icon.<BR/><BR/>This post alone has 5 Anonymous comments, 9 by people with identifiable names and 11 by people who have chosen an "alternative" ID. Without spending a day counting and classifying names used across the Interweb, I'd guess that was a fairly average spread.<BR/><BR/>Methinks the lady knows not of what she writes. Daft bat.<BR/><BR/>RMThe Remittance Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13104149259707414863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1151595006490742432006-06-29T16:30:00.000+01:002006-06-29T16:30:00.000+01:00Iain, I prefer your verbal incontinence to hers.Ho...Iain, I prefer your verbal incontinence to hers.<BR/><BR/>How dare a columnist complain about someone else thinking that others might be interested in their ideas?<BR/><BR/>Bizarre dinosaur.Benedict Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382732288664789210noreply@blogger.com