Of course with art an overriding concern with the first thing can lead only to pleasantries such as only connect. But we don't gang up on Hippocrates, do we?

Connecting is so much more various, so much more social, there's so much latitude it's like scanning the crowd for the successful results of reproduction -- goth meet goth, stud meet babe, or stud, or goth, whatever.

It is precisely this whateverness (and its corresponding wtfitude) against which art must seem to set its jaw, even if, especially if it's angling for a Guggenheim. There must be this enigmatic reaching after some withheld truth, and by no means should the reader be assured of complicity.

Blogs as such (fie on the comments field) establish only this complicity, a mild scolding reading along when they're critical, and a benevolent though addictive illusion of conversation, understanding, support. Well, we also establish a common frame of reference, and never more than when we wave our Kermit arms at some silly idée fixe or other.

There's a difference between centralized power and distributed network processing. Blogsearch the word flarf every few days for a month. The ratio of sniping and/or dismissive references to positive or neutral ones will probably continue to increase, as will the rate of references. The concept is fuzzy and evolving. The sniping, by the way, is scratching at a healing wound.

Hollow out the language, by all means, but fill it back up with something useful, or funny at least. Peeps, maybe.