Ideas worth shoveling.

Do you really want to push an influential tech leader's (my) buttons*? “Make” a lazy, hastily thrown together thinkpiece on how the real problem with techies lies with the “silent majority” in hopes of jumping in on a burgeoning story with a “fresh perspective.” That's the bigger problem here.

For the sake of context, I am compelled to summarize the lazy thinkpiece, which I luckily can do in one sentence: “Why don't all the 'good' tech people speak up in defense of San Francisco?” Or better yet, in the words of MLK Jr., “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” 

That's all there is to it! Wow what a lazy article. And in 600 words no less! Now you are enlightened. A new angle on a pressing controversy or whatever.

But needless, lazy, excessive, overwrought verbosity is not the real problem here. The real problem is that other writers from The Bold Italic remain mum on their employer's practice of commissioning sloppy, topical press cycle surfing. I'm sure many of these writers prefer to devote their time and energy to articles that will do more than simply generate pageviews while gently stroking the brain waves of an audience who would rather be watching TED talks. But it's because they remain silent, or continue shoveling more clickbait, that the sentiment against this entire publication is able to build such strength.

I do believe that The Bold Italic has altruistic missions, loves San Francisco, and wants people to know that, in a better world, they would never make flip lists that are really just a showcase for cutesy illustrations. But the silence is deafening compared to the middling showcase of uninspiring clickbait.

* I am the founder of slobonmylob.com, a leading lobster recipe website that generates $50,000 in lobster sales and ad revenue per month.