It looks like Monday we were officially added to the 9Rules blog community in the “Special Interests” category and I want to make it clear I had no vote — and was never asked — where this blog would land over at 9Rules even though I asked several times where this blog would be placed.
The fact this blog was even located in a community was news to me until I discovered it myself this morning. 


That public connecting of this blog to that community requires a public
explanation here disavowing any foreknowledge — or approval — of that
connection. “Special Interests” is such a negatively loaded political
phrase it makes me wonder why such a community name even exists on
9Rules. This blog does not fit in that narrow idea and I will ask
9Rules to clarify their position on the matter and hope for an answer
to my inquiry this time.
Merriam-Webster’s second definition of “Special Interest” states:

2 : an individual, group, or corporation having a special
interest in usually a particular part of the economy and receiving or
seeking through political pressure special advantages from the
government often to the detriment of the general welfare — usually
used in plural

We are not any of that, in fact, we are everything BUT that awful definition and I apologize for that unfortunate connection.
I offered to lead a new 9Rules community dealing with urban issues but that idea never received a response.

On a happier note, tomorrow I will announce another writing
opportunity for you as we launch a new writing category here in your
favorite, NON-Special Interests Urban Semiotic blog. I am excited about the idea and I look forward to your participation!

4 Comments

  2. I don’t know, Joe. I was checking the “Official 9Rules” section and didn’t see anything.
    Something of this importance should be done via email don’t you think?
    I confess I find that forum hard to read, though. A dark grey background with light text is hard for aging eyes to see. An RSS feed would be better where we can select our own viewing mode for scraping information.

  3. David,
    I have responded to your email, but this should come as to no suprise to you since the list of community placements has been in the forums since 6/17.

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