Clearly there is something wrong with me. I became obsessed with discovering who the "a-list" is. I'm sure this is very old hat for most of you, so feel free to skip this post, since it has nothing to do with IA and everything to do with bizarre web subcultures. However, if you --like me-- rather enjoy bizarre web subcultures, hop on.
I wandered back to MeFi where they had given me four names. I did a seach on "derek" and "powazek" hoping to track down the war that started it all. I finally did find it (or one of the wars, anyhow) on metatalk by searching on "webby" and following a link.
It was a pretty funny "flamewar"-- the worst the thread had to offer was a suggestion that {fray} was past it's prime (along the line of saying it's "so five minutes ago" and patently untrue). I did enjoy meg saying her grandmother was past her prime and she still loved her... woo, I thought I had a penchant for puttting my foot in my mouth. I never did find the insulted other three, but by that time I no longer cared.
Having now surfed MeFi and MeTa so much, I was amazed how often people referred to this "a-list" as if it were something written up somewhere. I did a quick search on it, and found no originating thread or official list. Shuffleboard soon convinced me that the a-list was a group hallucination held by heavy bloggers.
Continuing my inane streak. Woo hoo! No wiser, and never did figure out who the a-list consists of beyond meg, ev, cam(maybe), matt, powazek and kottke. But deeply amused trying so very hard to unravel something "everybody" knows.
, from oldest to newest:
hmm...since you're making a list.
add Zeldman and Lance. =)
Also, I've notice on MeFi that any frontpage topic started on any of these A-listers usually generates more comments than say a topic on a new drug that cures cancer. It's kicky fun for all.
Posted by dan @ 05/07/2001 09:20 AM pst
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did you ever run into this Christina...
http://a-list.blogspot.com/
;)
cheers,
J
Posted by Jess @ 05/07/2001 10:11 AM pst
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put down the helium, christina.
Posted by mike @ 05/07/2001 10:46 AM pst
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I think the whole "a-list" phenomenon is endemic to the net, no, wait, endemic to life. I remember lo! these many years ago when I first got on Usenet that the hot topic of conversation was the Backbone Cabal. The accused responded that "There Is No Backbone Cabal". Kind of like on a-list.metafilter.com.
Yawn.
(I'm on the Y-list. That's for people who don't know Y anyone cares about this stuff. I would be on the Z-list, but Zeldman got there first.... :-)
Posted by Ralph Brandi @ 05/07/2001 11:04 AM pst
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did you ever run into this Christina...
http://a-list.blogspot.com/
Yes. It seems they got bored with it very quickly...
Posted by christina @ 05/07/2001 11:18 AM pst
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Sorry, left off the four names I got
"Derek, Maggy, Alex and Lance."
who's alex?
Posted by christina @ 05/07/2001 11:37 AM pst
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christina, you are a delight. i'm having so much fun reading your posts. please continue your untiring search for the A-list. if this helps, i think one of them is named Face, and one is named Mr. T, and they drive around in a van and shoot people.
btw, the "alex" you asked about is Alex Massie, of www.alexmassie.com.
Posted by jo @ 05/08/2001 12:14 AM pst
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so who dubbed these 4 the a-list? was it self induced or did it come about in a collective mind share like the appeal of disco or pet rocks?
Christina - not everyone knows who they are. I read the ALA posting and was wondering if this infighting on the list was about the IA list because I had read it right after our flame war broke out between you and modern - so that shows you how self centered I am.
Posted by erin @ 05/08/2001 10:06 AM pst
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