Wednesday, July 21, 2010

ScienceBlogs Meltdown, Part II

A couple of weeks ago, the collection of blogs collectively called ScienceBlogs experienced a storm of protest from within its ranks, due to management's decision to let PepsiCo run a self-fluffing Science™! "blog" on the Sb site. This decision was reversed within about a day, as your correspondent described elsewhere.

However, the change of mind was not enough to mollify some of the Sblings (not mine, wish it were). Some saw it as the final straw and departed to blog elsewhere. And it's beginning to look like the unhappiness isn't over -- two more bloggers, PalMD and Bora, have announced their departure, and PZ Myers's most recent post (dated noon yesterday) features a giant ON STRIKE banner and an explanation of why he's stopped blogging.

Obviously, I have no knowledge of the inner machinations of Sb beyond what I read during Pepsigate and the occasional hint I've picked up from reading PZ over the years. That said, it seems beyond dispute that (1) most if not all of the bloggers are quite unhappy (and that's just counting the ones who haven't already left), and (2) their complaints are legitimate. It's also beyond dispute to say how sad it be for Sb to fall apart.

(h/t: uncle ebeneezer, via PM)

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[Added] In case you've not heard of ScienceBlogs, or are only vaguely aware of the name, this graphic (via Bora's post) may help illuminate its importance:

[Added2] Scab! ;)

[Added3] PZ: "The strike is over. We had a productive discussion with the Seed Overlords …"

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