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Traditional media has left a void, nature abhors a vacuum, and the progressive blogosphere is evolving to fill it. The FDL work, as well as the recent events with Edwards Campaign bloggers, show this evolution.
Of particular interest to me is that the FDL written record, produced at the trial, is by definition a primary historical document. Unlike many blog records, it is not composed solely of opinion/analysis of events reported elsewhere. Rather, the FDL transcript is part of the primary court documentation, along with court evidence, transcripts, artistic renderings, reportage, and so forth.
I hope that bloggers will understand and accept the importance of their work, and I hope they will also appreciate the need for permanent preservation of their site records. By this, I don't mean that blog archives should remain accessable through the life of a given blog. That is not an historical archive. What I am referring to is a functional archive that will safely preserve blog records for posterity-- permanently. I hope that bloggers of all stripes will give this issue some thought, and will take steps to permanently preserve these unique records of public discourse for future generations.
