Webbies Mock Fuddy-Duddy Media

Internet geeks are finally king in Washington. Just consider the way they sneered at old media and political campaigns with weak Web pages at the annual Politics Online Conference. First, the campaigns. Without a good site, say several Web execs, campaigns will miss out on the trend toward online donations and support groups. "The Internet and using technology is no longer an option," said Google exec and former Clinton aide Bob Boorstin. He then turned on the media and a former employer, the New York Times. Reading from a story that suggested that the Internet was important to presidential campaigns, he smiled and said, "Well, gee, I'm glad that the traditional media has caught up to the rest of us."