The decision by a number of notable social commentary bloggers in Bermuda to step away from the online world through disillusionment and a questioning of whether their efforts make a difference has reverberated elsewhere in the region.
The online community of Anguilla, in the British West Indies, is encouraging one of its most active bloggers not to follow the decision of Bermuda bloggers Limey in Bermuda (Phillip Wells) and 21 Square (Dennis Pitcher) who have recently pulled back from blogging.
The worth of blogs as a place where the community can discuss and debate what is happening around them — particularly in the areas of Government and politics — has been reinforced by online writers in Anguilla who follow the musings of lawyer Don Mitchell, CBE, moderator of the Corruption-free Anguilla blog.
They have encouraged him not to follow the decision taken by the high-profile Bermuda bloggers.
"Do bloggers really make any useful contribution? I am not the only one who has been asking myself this question. Recent developments with bloggers in Bermuda show that others are asking themselves the same thing," wrote Mr. Mitchell.
In his own reflection on what has happened in Bermuda, Mr. Mitchell, QC, noted also that a new Bermuda blog started last December by Policeman Allan Palmer, called Crushing Fools, saw only one post by the officer who Mr. Mitchell knew when he served in St. Vincent.
"He challenged his readers to take back the island from the criminals on the street. He called on the community to be "courageous" and to unite against violence and crime. He came in for high praise in the media. After his first article, he published nothing more. He loves writing. He would not have stopped without pressure. I suspect he was shut down by his superiors, never mind he was asking the public to cooperate with their police."
Mr. Mitchell, who is a native of the Caribbean and has lived in Anguilla since 1976, mentioned the re-election of the PLP as Government despite "revelations of shenanigans" within Government "frequently published prior to the election in the courageous mainstream press such as The Royal Gazette."
He told his readers that Bermuda's Mr. Pitcher, on his blog 21 Square, had received personal attacks that left him "tired, saddened and disillusioned" concluding that "Government representatives and their supporters prefer to shoot the messenger rather than discuss the message".
The retired lawyer said Limey in Bermuda's Mr. Wells had given detailed reasons why he was closing his blog, believing that continuing to criticise Government made things worse and attracted racially-intoned attacks, whether you were a blogger, a journalist or a member of the political opposition.
In considering the worth of blogging, Mr. Mitchell said it was misguided to think a blog could make a difference other than offer a place for alternative perspective and ideas.
He told The Royal Gazette he started blogging just over a year ago, explaining: "I was fed up with the silence in the community in the face of what seemed like obvious impending doom."
But he added: "I recognise blogging is a complete waste of time if the blogger intends it to achieve anything positive. It is a private mediation done in public. It is not a pulpit designed to influence and change people's behaviour. Blogging is most fun when the blogger does not care if a soul in the world agrees with what is written."
And on his blog he said:"After all, no politician is lying awake at night worrying about what is published about him on a blog."
In response, readers of the blog pointed to the difference between Bermuda and Anguilla — particularly in terms of mainstream media.
One said: "In Bermuda they have three real newspapers, one of them a daily. They don't hesitate to criticise the Premier and his friends. Lord knows what outrageous things Dr. Brown would do if he didn't have to think 'How is this going to look in the Gazette tomorrow?'" and opinioned that as Anguilla "doesn't have a real newspaper" or a "real opposition", Mr. Mitchell's was serving a needed role.
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