Starbucks and the Revolution
June 11, 2005 6:11 PM Subscribe
The Tatler. First post: April 12, 1709.
...wherein I shall from time to time report and consider all matters of what kind soever that shall occur to me, and publish such my advices and reflections every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday in the week for the convenience of the post. I have also resolved to have something which may be of entertainment to the fair sex...
From Samuel Johnson's Rambler #177 (11/26/1751):
[From Vivaculus:] ... I hasted to London, and entreated one of my academical acquaintances to introduce me into some of the little societies of literature which are formed in taverns and coffee- houses. He was pleased with an opportunity of shewing me to his friends, and soon obtained me admission among a select company of curious men, who met once a week to exhilarate their studies, and compare their acquisitions. ... Every one of these virtuosos looked on all his associates as wretches of depraved taste and narrow notions. Their conversation was, therefore, fretful and waspish, their behaviour brutal, their merriment bluntly sarcastick, and their seriousness gloomy and suspicious. ...
[Response:] It is natural to feel grief or indignation when any thing necessary or useful is wantonly wasted, or negligently destroyed; and therefore my correspondent cannot be blamed for looking with uneasiness on the waste of life. Leisure and curiosity might soon make great advances in useful knowledge, were they not diverted by minute emulation and laborious trifles. It may, however, somewhat mollify his anger to reflect, that perhaps none of the assembly which he describes, was capable of any nobler employment, and that he who does his best, however little, is always to be distinguished from him who does nothing. Whatever busies the mind without corrupting it, has at least this use, that it rescues the day from idleness, and he that is never idle will not often be vicious.
(quoted here.)
posted by myl at 7:09 PM on June 11, 2005 [1 favorite]
[From Vivaculus:] ... I hasted to London, and entreated one of my academical acquaintances to introduce me into some of the little societies of literature which are formed in taverns and coffee- houses. He was pleased with an opportunity of shewing me to his friends, and soon obtained me admission among a select company of curious men, who met once a week to exhilarate their studies, and compare their acquisitions. ... Every one of these virtuosos looked on all his associates as wretches of depraved taste and narrow notions. Their conversation was, therefore, fretful and waspish, their behaviour brutal, their merriment bluntly sarcastick, and their seriousness gloomy and suspicious. ...
[Response:] It is natural to feel grief or indignation when any thing necessary or useful is wantonly wasted, or negligently destroyed; and therefore my correspondent cannot be blamed for looking with uneasiness on the waste of life. Leisure and curiosity might soon make great advances in useful knowledge, were they not diverted by minute emulation and laborious trifles. It may, however, somewhat mollify his anger to reflect, that perhaps none of the assembly which he describes, was capable of any nobler employment, and that he who does his best, however little, is always to be distinguished from him who does nothing. Whatever busies the mind without corrupting it, has at least this use, that it rescues the day from idleness, and he that is never idle will not often be vicious.
(quoted here.)
posted by myl at 7:09 PM on June 11, 2005 [1 favorite]
I know, I forgot about the fuckwad theory. It's nice to have a jpef of that around.
Shitcock.
posted by jmgorman at 8:33 PM on June 11, 2005
Shitcock.
posted by jmgorman at 8:33 PM on June 11, 2005
electric lights in 1709? ... 18th century english literary expression as some kind of ideal? ... 800 readers for today's "tatler" as some kind of goal that will transform net.culture?
possibly his talk connects all this in a way that makes sense, but this seems rather incoherent to me ... and my impression of 18th century english literature is that it was dryly dependent on manners and form and less so on inspiration
one could look 90 years into the 19th century for a better model to emulate ...
posted by pyramid termite at 10:46 PM on June 11, 2005
possibly his talk connects all this in a way that makes sense, but this seems rather incoherent to me ... and my impression of 18th century english literature is that it was dryly dependent on manners and form and less so on inspiration
one could look 90 years into the 19th century for a better model to emulate ...
posted by pyramid termite at 10:46 PM on June 11, 2005
Excellent piece of how large groups adapt to new mediums.
Now where's the wiki?
posted by futureproof at 10:56 PM on June 11, 2005
Now where's the wiki?
posted by futureproof at 10:56 PM on June 11, 2005
as some kind of goal that will transform net.culture?
Mostly just interesting musings. The goal won't be apparent til we have the audio (wouldn't have posted if I'd known it was coming).
posted by Tlogmer at 11:15 PM on June 11, 2005
Mostly just interesting musings. The goal won't be apparent til we have the audio (wouldn't have posted if I'd known it was coming).
posted by Tlogmer at 11:15 PM on June 11, 2005
The link between blogging and 17th journals was really just a lead up to show the thesis that every new technology produces a necessary change in etiquette. I then went on to say that one of the major limiting factors to the take-up of modern tech isn't that the device, say, is too complex, but that people are unsure of the new social conventions, and are afraid of appearing rude. And what this means and what we can do about it, and so on.
The mp3 will be a lot clearer. Slides aren't meant to be read literally, you know. At least, not if you make them properly.
Although, the word shitcock is just great.
posted by DangerIsMyMiddleName at 7:54 AM on June 12, 2005
The mp3 will be a lot clearer. Slides aren't meant to be read literally, you know. At least, not if you make them properly.
Although, the word shitcock is just great.
posted by DangerIsMyMiddleName at 7:54 AM on June 12, 2005
Meh. I still like your intro more than your carefully thought out thesis. Now you know how Matt Goering feels when kids with crew cuts wear Bart Simpson t-shirts cause they like the phrase "eat my shorts" and how Charlie Kaufman feels when people watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind because Kate Winslet is hot.
Incidentally, I named my zine the Addison, after the cooler Spectator and Tatler editor. I would have used the Steele, but that sounded more like a porn mag.
posted by NickDouglas at 4:28 PM on June 12, 2005
Incidentally, I named my zine the Addison, after the cooler Spectator and Tatler editor. I would have used the Steele, but that sounded more like a porn mag.
posted by NickDouglas at 4:28 PM on June 12, 2005
and let's not forget the very first blog, Samuel Pepys' diary
posted by Creosote at 8:11 PM on June 12, 2005
posted by Creosote at 8:11 PM on June 12, 2005
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