Chrislott.org is smarter than I am

Chris Lott has a great post responding to my last post about this gatekeeper business.

As I commented on his blog:

Well said, Chris Lott.org! I know you used my blog post as a example of disagreement, but you have stated my central point quite well: “The issue here is that many in this debate use the term ‘Gatekeeper’ when what they mean is ‘powerful connector’ or something of that ilk.”

I’m not disputing the shape of the long tail or the influence of Doc’s link love– the question is just who, in your metaphor, is driving the Ferrari.

I claim that the drivers are Dave Sifry of Technorati and Page and Brin of Google, not Doc Searls. I also agree with your description of the desire behind the argument, the desire to have Searls (for example) “recognize the influential power they have and the amount to which they tend to link inside their circle and that other worthy people don’t get that link love.”

I was just drinking some cocoa at the old Darwin's with the translation-obsessed SJ Klein, and we talked over the gatekeeper business. I suggested an idea I had recently:a Wordpress plugin that presents your blogroll in reverse order of Technorati rank. SJ suggested an even more amusing possibility-- sorting by reverse Technorati authority.

When this gets written, you'll see the news here first (unless someone else writes it).