Letters

The New Digital Democracy

We continue to sift through your reactions to having been named Person of the Year, reactions that range from the giddily delighted to the grandly disappointed. Many of you who are strict advocates of the "Great Man" view of the world let us know just who should have taken your place on the cover

I was delighted by TIME's choice for Person of the Year [Dec. 25, 2006--Jan. 1, 2007]. It was well-deserved recognition for the Internet users who are coming together to shape the future in virtually every sphere of our lives. But it is also an opportunity to reflect on how the Internet is a product of the work of collaborating communities, which means there is no central control. Open standards and collaboration, rather than top-down or centralized governance, have ensured that the Internet's development remains in the hands of those who know most what they need.

LYNN ST.AMOUR

PRESIDENT AND CEO, INTERNET SOCIETY

Geneva

I'm guessing I'm not the only reader who saw that the Person of the Year was "You" and said, "Ewww." It's sad that a once important cultural touchstone has devolved into the equivalent of everyone-gets-a-trophy day at summer camp.

MATTHEW OBERNAUER

Austin, Texas

Your selection reflects the reality that more than ever, people are not merely observers but participants in a world that we are creating. It's a good time to recall Albert Einstein's words: "The world we have created is a product of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking."

DAVID ALEX

Chicago

TIME is right. It is the age of "Me." Cell-phone users hold personal conversations loud enough for the world to hear. Drivers swerve down the freeway, coffee in one hand, cell phone in the other, honking and worrying about no one but themselves. Totally uninteresting people make videos describing their lives. Has all this noise made things better? Maybe the next Persons of the Year should be "They," so people might actually consider the existence of other human beings.

BOB WIDMER

Pleasanton, Calif.

TIME finally figured out who is important. It's not the pundits from the press, cable or radio freak shows, not the politicians or bureaucrats, not even the business fat cats who influence the politicians. It's us--the taxpayers, consumers, employees and workers--who make this country tick. Wake up, America! You are in control. So take advantage of it.

JOERG SCHROEDER

Stamford, Conn.

If Not You, Then Who?

Your Person of the Year stories completely missed the real power of the Internet [Dec. 25, 2006--Jan. 1, 2007]. You should have honored the altruistic Craig Newmark for his network of online urban communities, Craigslist.org Just ask any recent college grad who is looking for a job, an apartment, a date, an affordable car or a buyer for an old laptop. Craigslist isn't fluff but the real stuff of daily life.

HENRY M. CAROSELLI

Manhattan Beach, Calif.

In 2006 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad fueled destabilizing forces in Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine while pursuing a nuclear weapon. His influence cost thousands of lives and threatens many more in the future as he sparks continued deterioration of the region that is the world's greatest source of oil and terrorists. By avoiding the choice of Ahmadinejad, TIME sacrificed its journalistic integrity. Henceforth the rightful name for your selection should be Popular Person of the Year.

GORDON LANDWIRTH

New York City

U.S. troops in Iraq were the people of the year, not a select group of computer users sitting on their backsides. We may be watching videos online, but they are putting their lives on the line.

CAMILLE E. CAZEDESSUS

Chimney Rock, Colo.

The Person of the Year should have been Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. His speech to the U.N. General Assembly aside, he has changed the political makeup of Latin America for the benefit of all citizens, not just the rich.

ROY DICKINSON

Fort Pierce, Fla.

Klein's Kudos

Columnist Joe Klein's admiration for outgoing U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan was misplaced and misguided [Dec. 25, 2006--Jan. 1, 2007]. Annan's 10 years at the U.N. saw the organization's effectiveness and reputation drop to new lows. The list of scandals, misappropriations and misdeeds was surpassed only by the opportunities missed. Ten years ago, I supported the U.N. mission. Now, owing largely to Annan's pathetic leadership, I no longer support the U.S.'s role in the U.N. The cost to U.S. taxpayers (remember, we pay 25% of the U.N.'s budget) is not worth it. At the very least, we should dramatically reduce the share we pay of the U.N.'s budget. I think 1% is about what it's worth. Thanks, Kofi. Now get out of town.

STEVE TEMPLE

Sandpoint, Idaho

Klein stated that Al Gore "Seems liberated, less awkward than he has ever before appeared in public and eager to propose more inconvenient truths ... I don't know if he's running for President. Probably not. But he should." Millions of Americans agree and are praying that Gore will decide to make himself available to his country one more time. This time though, Gore shouldn't worry about winning or losing; he shouldn't worry about raising money. He can remain liberated by making his campaign all about truth--not all about winning. Imagine Gore uncensored, speaking his heart and his mind loud and clear. How liberating for him; how exhilarating for the world.

CHARLES LINGENFELTER

Carlsbad, Calif.

Web 2.0 vs. Old Media

Brian Williams, the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, argued that the new world of user-generated and personally customized media may keep us from noticing events and ideas of universal importance [Dec. 25, 2006--Jan. 1, 2007]. Williams wonders what effect that will have on our democracy, but such arrogance is the very reason for the mass exodus of viewers from the old TV networks and other traditional news outlets to new sources like cable TV, talk radio and the Internet. Choice fortifies rather than harms democracy. Williams seems to want to return to the day when the Big Three networks would force-feed us a single view of the news. The only thing the new media are hurting is his ratings. If Williams wants to know why he works so hard yet reaches fewer viewers, he should read his own article with an open mind.

GARY MARCHUK

Alpharetta, Ga.

Kudos to Williams for an excellent article and extremely valid points. There is real danger in swimming only in your own pool, so to speak. America is great because of our diversity, and we lose that if we don't try to spend some time talking to people about things we don't already know everything about. If everyone always holds the same views and pays attention solely to sources that agree with those opinions, there can be no discussion. And if there is no discussion, what does that mean for democracy?

MATT EVENTOFF

Lawrenceville, N.J.

The mainstream media have created their own problems by trying to influence political policy. The editorial page has legitimacy, but when every journalist tries to push a point of view in every story, there's no reason that ordinary people shouldn't also find their editorial voice and get on a soapbox of their own. Real journalism is about presenting the public with facts, not arguments.

CLAUDE LAPIERRE

Columbia, Conn.

War Reporting

In "The Real War" [Dec. 25, 2006--Jan. 1, 2007], author Bob Woodward said, "It is almost a war without a home front ... There is almost a sense that we're not at war. I can't explain that phenomenon, but I find it deeply troubling." What's so difficult? If this truly were a national effort, everyone would be asked to sacrifice, and that would mean a draft, so the burden would be shared equally. But the Administration is afraid to even breathe the word draft for one simple reason: the war in Iraq is so unpopular, no one would go. People would vote with their feet, and that would make Bush and other lawmakers face up to the disaster that this has become.

JIM CALIO

Marina del Rey, Calif.

The roundtable of authors' views on the war in Iraq contradicted the notion that "you" or "we" were most important in 2006. The points raised were about our society. It was simply not possible to argue against the war in 2003. One was either "with us or against us." Intelligent discussion was pre-empted. So the issue is not about journalism and the courage to express different opinions but about self-censorship and the crushing of unpopular opinions.

PHILIPPE CHANIET

Narita, Japan

What American journalists did not do in analyzing the events that propelled their country into deep conflicts at home and abroad, they have started to do now. Things went wrong in large part because the press has not done its job well. Now, as the U.S. gets mired in Iraq and is becoming increasingly unpopular in the world, journalists who should have done some serious investigative work five years ago are playing catch-up.

JAVED AKBAR

Markham, Ont.

In Memoriam

After reading the "Farewell" section [Dec. 25, 2006--Jan. 1, 2007], I would like to suggest that next time around you include the loss of infamous notables, like Yugoslav strongman Slobodan Milosevic and al-Qaeda's Abu Mousab al-Zarqawi, in a separate section titled "Good Riddance."

LARRY PECK

Chester, Va.

Sports Shorts

Re your list of the "10 Best Sports Moments" [Dec. 25, 2006--Jan. 1, 2007]: Major League Baseball holds a small contest between two teams each year around the end of October. Perhaps TIME has heard of it. It's called the World Series. This year it was won by the underdog St. Louis Cardinals. I find it hard to believe that the incessant ball hogging of the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant was anywhere near the achievements made in the postseason by the Redbirds in their first year in the new Busch Stadium. Not only that, but Tony LaRussa managed circles around his longtime friend and protege, the Detroit Tigers' Jim Leyland. So Bryant scored 81 points in a game, big deal. How many times did he pass the ball?

BRANDON ELDRIDGE

Sikeston, Mo.

I was shocked that you put international soccer star Zinedine Zidane on your list of people who earned their 15 minutes of fame. Zidane is in a completely different category. He may have had his 15 minutes of fame in the U.S., but in the rest of the world, he is revered, loved and considered one of the greatest soccer players of his generation. You also incorrectly assumed that this caused headaches for the French, which is anything but true. The people of France still think him a hero.

DIAN XIAO

Harleysville, Pa.