Yesterday, I had a flippant reaction to the picture that Huffington Post chose to represent Columbus for its article spotlighting Columbus as the 17th most social media savvy city in the United States.

I still think the picture doesn’t really represent Columbus, but in the cross-fire was Tee Jayes Country Place. That was a pretty douchebaggy, and not the New Media Douchebag variety, just plain old douchebaggy, thing to do.

Nobody really called me out on it. But I felt bad after reading some recent posts on Facebook about the place and the owners.

My friend Tim was the first to comment:

There is quite a history to that sign at the corner of north High and Morse. It used to be Jerry’s Drive-In and that sign is a landmark. I remember riding by it regularly as we were heading to our grandparents in Clintonville. I agree another picture would be a better choice but now you know some trivia if you didn’t already.

Then I see Liz Lessner’s post stating:

Huge congratulations to two of my favorite Columbusites and friends, Dayna Sokol Sandsten and Randy Sokol on the 40th Anniversary today of their restaurants and Columbus institutions, Tee-Jaye’s Country Place. What would we do without that amazing sign on High at Morse?

So I guess Tee Jays is a Columbus institution. They are celebrating their 40th Anniversary. Today. They are good people doing good things for Columbus. And I was the only douchebag in Columbus to rain on their parade.

Oh well. My apologies.

It won’t be the last time that I regret a flippant comment.

Yesterday was an exciting day in the Columbus blogosphere. My friend Andy, who blogs at Fine Repast, blasted (ill advised I might add) Columbus Underground, alleging that it steals content from him and other sites. Comments were exchanged. I tweeted the exchange. Walker put up a forum post on CU. 

Then it got interesting. Lawsuits were threatened. Fair Use was claimed. Andy was called a douchbag (not by Walker). Hey, don’t say I didn’t warn you. The fur was flying. Then, as soon as it started, it ended. Both took down their posts. And unless Google or someone else cached it, the exchange was lost in the ether.

I’m not trying to fan any more flames (becuase I like and admire both Andy and Walker), but now that the issue has raised its ugly head, is it gone? 

If you goto the Columbus Underground homepage, you’ll find a WordPress blog with posts that consists of original content and snippets of blog posts from other blogs or news articles from the media (I’ll call these snippet posts). Walker takes great care in not posting the entire article in the snippet posts and only publishes one or two paragraphs. Often he’ll post a picture from the article or blog. And if you catch CU on the right day, well over half of the posts on the front page consists of snippet posts.

Is this Fair Use as Walker contends? Or is Andy right? Give me enough time, and I’ll craft a legal argument for both Walker and Andy. But that’s not the point of this post.

The point is: Is Columbus Underground the 800 pound gorilla in the main street media’s room? Let’s not kid ourselves. The Dispatch has attorneys. So does every other media outlet in Columbus. And with media dying, I have no doubt that the Columbus Underground has been vetted by one or more of these company’s attorneys. That’s just the world we live in. We want an open web. But the ones in control, well want control.

So Walker said that Andy’s the first that has ever made a stink about copyright. And for Walker’s sake, I hope it will be the last. My personal theory is that Walker has built sooooo much goodwill within this city, that any media company would be foolish to try to force him to change his ways. 

But while threatened lawsuits from Andy might not change CU, increased competition from the likes of Indie Columbus might. As far as I can tell, CU and IC reach out to the same audience. Posters on CU also write for IC. But IC relies on original content to spur discussion. CU uses other sources to spur discussion (although there’s plenty of originally spurred discussion on the message board).

So I guess what I’m saying, is that I’d like to see CU move in the direction of providing more original content on the main page. Move away from the snippet posts. If a post anchors on an article from the media, write content that links to it rather than copying and pasting a couple of paragraphs. CU has the readers and contributors that will continue to make CU the vibrant community that it is. But with more original content on the front page, CU will be seen as more than JUST an aggregator from outsiders and its detractors.

There. That’s my non-legal analysis. Even though I am an attorney. Now Walker and Andy, kiss and make up.

Yes. Yes he did.

Which makes you wonder what this rocket scientist is thinking.

My 5 year old child loves bears and wants to have one at his birthday party. I need a real live bear. Not no kid in a bear costume walking around taking pictures with the kids and everything. I need a real genuine grizzly. Something large and ferocious that maybe one of the adults at the party can wrestle or we can have all the children take their picture with the animal.

Ad posted in Craigslist one one day after the trainers’ death. Which makes you wonder if this guy is just punking us.

Gosh darn it. Columbus bloggers are just too freaking nice. We really need some New Media Douchebags to liven things up. What’s a New Media Douchebag you ask? Well, watch this clip from Cinnamon Pants first. Then continue reading.

Okay. So we learned that to be a New Media Douchebag, you have to do four things:

1. Don’t do any real work
2. Talk, Type, Tag, Text & Twitter
3. Hate a lot of stuff, and tell folks
4. Celebrate the other New Media Douchebags

Oh, snap! I think I do all four. I am a douchebag. Especially to you Ohio State fans. And more so now, as I commence to celebrate the Columbus New Media Douchebags. But I don’t hate on things that much. And I’m a pretty nice guy. So I’ll rate myself as a pretender. I want to know who the REAL New Media Doucebags are in Columbus.

One guy I know isn’t is Walker. He’s a class act and to soil his name in this post is heretic. But his site Columbus Underground certainly plays hosts to a few douchebags. And I say so in a loving and respectful way, so take no offense.

My friend Andy, who does the FineRepast and Ohio Golf Blog, is a douchebag in real life, but not online.

Okay, ColumbusING. Now that’s a real New Media Douchebag site. But I do have to knock it down on the douchebag scale since it’s resident douchebag Underducky hasn’t posted since October 7, 2007. Probably because he’s moved on to publishing Votelessness, some snarky douchebag site about the joke that is democracy. Pinky communist.

Film School Rejects. Now they are douchebags. And not for the reasons listed above. I mean, you give a shout out to a local blog done good and you don’t even get an acknowledgment. Not even a “thanks for the link dude”. And you @rejects them on Twitter, and they give you no @ replies. Not that I’m stalking. But geez! Where’s the love. Love the site though, keep up the great work.

Fly Paper Blog. Now there’s a non-douchebaggy site, in the gives respect kind of way. They at least thanked me for the link via e-mail. But are they New Media Douchbags? I think they are. Yea, I’d classify them as that. Welcome to the club, or as 50 Cent would say “da club”. Gosh. I am such a douche.

You would think that The Columbus Beer Wench would be a New Media Douchebag. But no. She isn’t. She’s just spreading her love and knowledge for beer to our fine city. And plus, I’m working with Ashley on a cool project, so it wouldn’t be nice of me to call her a douchebag. Even though in my world, being called a douchebag is a compliment.

If you call Bullshit on the Columbus Dispatch for their ULTIMATE DOUCHEBAG move on letting passengers fly out on Skybus while knowing that there will be no return flight, then you blog 256, an O’Shaughnessy production, are a New Media Douchebag. And you, Columbus Dispatch, that’s just you being a flat out, no complement here, douche.

Boys Wear Pants. Now Josh is a real New Media Douchebag. And if I ever get off my duff on a Friday night to have some beers instead of writing douchebag posts at midnight on Friday, then I’d love to toast a beer with you.

My twitter friend @soldierant, who also writes Soldier Ant, now there’s another New Media Douchebag that I’d like to have a beer with. Maybe the Wench can organize a New Media Douchebag outing. Call it: Drink with the Wench and her Douchebags.

Have I missed anyone? Of course. I’m a douchebag. If you know a Columbus New Media Douchebag, continue the conversation and out them in the comments.

Cheers!