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Disclaimer before deconstruction: this isn't a blog about PrinceOfPetworth. However, he is of such interest because the breadth of his blog (in terms of content and readership). He is a BIG PLAYER in the DCBLOG GAME, hence being named the FIRST blogger of the month by the washington post.

However, I'd like to examine this PoP entry, 9th and U Street Market or How I almost Got My Ass Kicked. It is notable not only for the content authored by the blogger, but also the dialog that emerges in the comments.

In this adventure, PoP takes his first trip to the black market (woah was that a racist double entendre?, no, it wasn't). In short, PoP has stumbled upon a Flea Market and allows the fact that his camera was interpreted as intrusive to color his commentary. He postulates not only that vendors are adamant he does not photograph because their wares are possibly ill gotten but also asserts that there is

"a very large immigrant community at this market and perhaps, some may still be undergoing some paperwork because the iciness of the stares I got resembled the look on Rocky Marciano’s face when he stared down Joe Louis."

I question how he deduces the presence of an "immigrant community" and and assume about his assumptions: there is a large Puerto Rican community in the area, perhaps this is what he perceives as immigrant? (here is a word from my undergraduate degree:
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PUERTO RICAN IMMIGRANTS??? PUERTO RICANS ARE U.S. CITIZENS BY THE WAY. However, there are a lot of Dominicans in this area as well.... maybe PoP asked them if they were Puerto Rican or Dominican. durh durh durh.)

Anyway, as I said, what I find interesting about this post appears in the comments. It's rather simple.

A.) Thirty-seven comments exist in what proves to be a lively discussion. Clearly, thirty-seven individuals didn't participated. Rather, repeat posters create some really banal banter. Some express disgust at the idea of stolen merchandise:

GforGood Says:
November 28th, 2007 at 10:32 am

Sickening. I will certainly stay away from that flea market for good.

This is probably my favorite comment, in which the situation is likened to that which is common in an African capital city, where degenerate thieves abound, apparently:

# Steve Says:
November 28th, 2007 at 4:12 pm

Perhaps some of the dectives from MPD could go “shopping” there from time to time (sic). Pretty funny that people fence stolen goods with out a care in the world. Kind of reminds me of my time in Nairobi!

This conversation interests me in that a general consensus is reached. Flea markets are bad! Counterfeit merchandise cannot be tolerated because it devalues the authentic merchandise honest people possess. The discussion of common values is important for building community. It is more than likely that those who buy and sell at the 9th and U street market live in the area, along side those engaged on PoP, yet they're not present in this CYBER conversation while still existing in the REALSPACE community.

B.) But wait! Somebody (who wasn't my participant ethnographer , sock puppet or outsourced-troll problematizes the conversation!

# DCMovieGirl Says:
November 29th, 2007 at 10:49 am

The hazards of gentrification include missinterpreting differences in communication because of culture, assuming, and other such adventures in ignorance…

You’re living within different cultural area, Prince.

How about asking people next time, instead of drawing your own conclusions?

Most people don’t bite other folks…In public.

PWND. And I'm wanting to interpret her final statement "Most people don’t bite other folks…In public" as implicit opprobium of PoP's inclination to be very critical of his neighbors. As, of course, much of the internet is in the public sphere.