American Idol - what up?

So, this modest blog got a link from Helen A.S. Popkin's MSNBC story about American Idol and Sanjaya the other day.

Just to get full disclosure out of the way . . .

1. I know Helen outside of the Internet. She knew about what was in my blog already because we talk about Internet stuff.
   
2. American Idol makes me throw up in my own throat.
3. I don't really mind if you like or hate AI, that's not what this blog is about.
   

I could care less about the travesty that Howard Stern or Time's Person(s?) of the Year is wreaking on the popular show except that it illustrates some interesting trends in virtual communities.

So, in the unlikely event that you click over to this blog and read this post before commenting on Sanjaya, please follow these points of courtesy:

1. don't shout - no one likes shrill posts in ALL CAPS
2. challenge yourself to argue your point, not just state it - One poster for instance, tells us that "If you vote for Sanjaya, you are asking for everyone to boycott the next American Idol". Yeah? So? Is that important or bad? If so, why?