I suppose people will say "I'm one to talk" - but I'm amused by the tone taken by "Naked Conversations" co-author Shel Israel in response to Nick Carr's latest a-list comments:

Nick, I read a few minutes ago that you are about to take a vacation. I hope you enjoy your space away from the blogosphere. Don't worry about your rankings while you are away. I'm sure when you come back, you will manage to offend enough lovers of this new conversational media, that your A-List ranking will remain secure.

The other thought is that maybe you should reflect on just quitting your blog. You don't like the blogosphere. You certainly don't seem to like those of us who are dedicating lives and energy to its promotion, and--don't be offended by this Nick--we really won't miss you a whole lot if you just sit down and shut up.

Hmm. Anyone who reads this blog knows that I disagree with Carr quite frequently - but I keep reading him because he raises interesting points that are worth thinking about. Apparently, Shel thinks that some points of view aren't worth hearing about - which runs somewhat counter to his book's premise.

In any event, Carr is writing in a fairly obvious style - he's adopted the curmudgeon pose, ready to call BS on many things. That's fine, and it's usually interesting - even when I disagree. I have no idea what Shel's problem is, but perhaps he's the one who needs to step away from the keyboard and take a few deep breaths before he goes back to it.