Later this week, I’m supposed to give my answer to the question “What Matters Now: Proposals for the New Front Page” at the Aperture Foundation. To answer a question, one must first understand it. Consider this:
(i) At the end of a two week period of discussing what matters now, ‘what matters’ will have changed — yes or no? If yes, did it ever matter?
(ii) If what matters is relative to a given time, is it also relative to a given person? If yes, does what matters to me matter to you?
(iii) In saying that x matters, are we making a statement that is true or false? Or do we express a feeling that x is important? Should the Front Page be a place to express feelings or not?
(iv) Or do we say ‘x matters’ because we think it is expected to say that x matters? Would that be newsworthy?
(v) Do we enjoy saying that x matters — if yes, why do we enjoy saying it? If not, why not?
The only point about being on a panel, so I am told, is to be invited back. Since everybody hates people who answer a question with a question, I guess what matters now is to come up with some answers…