Jean-Remy von Matt is head of the Jung von Matt ad agency which concieved the “Du bist Deutschland” campaign. A lot of German bloggers have expressed the opinion that the campaign is baloney, and so it’s no surprise that Herr von Matt doesn’t like weblogs:
Weblogs, the bathroom walls of the internet. What gives every PC user the right to excrete* their opinions? Most bloggers simply excrete. This new low point in the building of opinions is clear when one searches for ‘Du bist Deutschland’ at www.technorati.com.
Nico Lumma is only too happy to oblige big media types, so just for Herr von Matt he presents the site klowaende.de, which is basically blogg.de with a bathroom wall skin.
*Translator’s note: the German original uses the verb ‘absondern’, which is a new word for me. It means to secrete, excrete or lactate, but also means to separate. It may have a slang meaning which I’m totally missing.
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Interesting one, I’m struggling to translate “absondern” as well. I tend towards secrete, the picture I have in mind is a snake secreting its poison, which in a way what he had in mind.
Oh, and I would have translated “Klo” with “toilet”. We are a bit more blunt here in the UK and call things by their name
@Armin: I was thinking he was using a fancy word for pissing, but you’re probably right.
“Bathroom wall” is the terminology in the States for the wall in the room that contains a toilet. I’m sure the Brits have a more colo(u)rful term.
Proof that an over-educated idiot is the stupidest idiot of all!
I’m not that over-educated, I never finished my Masters.
a friend of mine translated the text for me and used the verb “exude” for “absondern”. But i like the tone of “excrete”, too. Sounds smelly
“Absondern” is a degrading word for letting ones thoughts out. It’s supposed to mean that the words are worth going right to the toilet (ok, Armin…), basically.
I agree with Frank. That´s the best translation!
Hey Scott.
Maybe I can shed some light on this one. ( born in Germany lived there for 30 yrs – american since 1990)
In it’s true sense the word “absondern” is actually a term almost exclusivly used to describe an involuntary secretion ( the slime trail left by a snail would be a good example) that’s controlled by the vegetative nervous system – nothing derogatory or a “bad” word per se
When used to describe somebody’s conscious actions it becomes a strong insult (while at the same time being pretentious;))
In the above mentioned context, absondern is intended to be derogatory as it uses the metaphorical concept “opinions [of bloggers] are pus, slime,…“, i.e. something regarded as being disgusting [to many people].
Hi all together. ^^
As a born german I can say, that the german word “absondern” doesn’t have a negative meaning for itself – it could be used in different ways.
The first and mostly used meaning could be explained by a group of people. Someone, who stands outside and doesn’t want do go into the group: he “absondert” himself. So … i think, the meaning of the text (if I try a retranslation to german) should assumedly be like “What gives every PC user the right to have their own opinions? (away from the mainstream)”
And sure … a snake “absondert” her trail … but the better word for the snake would be, that it “ausscheidet” her trail … and this word would be the little bit smelly one.
(and again – not every time negative … the loosing team of a football match “scheidet aus”. 
– the context counts. ^^
… after reading the german text ( yes, I have found the link now :/ ), I have to correct me a bit. The text has really a negative touch between the lines. So – I would translate the first sentence like this:
What gives every PC user the right to leave there trashy opinions without asking?
Isn’t it very oppositional, that he takes himself the right, to jugde in that way? Think so.
Cool