This week’s “On the Media” is a collection of the show’s commentary on how the Internet is changing the ways we communicate.
Which, you might think, would result in a recap made from a collection of our commentary on how Bob Garfield doesn’t get it, and how Brooke Gladstone does.
That wouldn’t be wrong, if I could be bothered to dig up our old commentary.
The episode provides a nice stopgap while Brooke is still on book leave and Bob, presumably, works on something big for next week. (Kerry owes me two recaps in a row, so please tell me that Bob’s working on expanding the stupid/amusing “present and future models for monetizing the newspaper industry” theme song into an hour-long rock media critic opera.
The episode needs to be heard; while Bob’s story about online defamation seems somewhat alarmist, he’s at least good about having better reason for taking that position than does everyone who’s told me that they don’t want to join Twitter because they’re afraid of identity theft.
And I’m also still very much a fan of Brooke’s story about how security measures in technology can step in the way of freedom and innovation. As a (happy) iPhone user, I have found myself frustrated that Apple gets the final say in what applications get to my phone, thereby somewhat limiting its capabilities.
I can’t get myself to imagine a situation in which I’d enjoy it if they exerted the same type of control over my actual computer.
But the best thing about this last story is how Bob wraps up the episode.
Say what you will about Bob – he’s been great in Brooke’s absence. And it was nice to have Mike Pesca for a week. But he says it better than I could when he falls down on his knees at her doorstep, pleading for her to “please please please please” come back soon.
Brooke, take whatever time you need for your book; it’s going to be great, but we miss you.
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