New York Times on food forums

The New York Times has a story today on Jim Leff, one of the founders of Chowhound, the original but least useful food forum.  The article also goes into a bit of detail about the growth of other food forums thanks to Leff's tricky character.  I appreciate this is not a riveting subject for everyone, but I love this stuff.

The very insular world of food forums is like a microcosm of wider political society.  Schisms open up, people defect, new sites start, schisms open up and so the story continues.  In the end it all becomes political, in so far as there is always someone keen to take ownership, get some power and exert influence so the board reflects their values.  Food is obviously ripe for such arguments because taste is so subjective and personal.

I am convinced that the history of the development of some of the largest food forums (Chowhound, eGullet, Opinionated About and Mouthfuls) and the ongoing conflicts between them, would be a perfect subject for a sociology PhD.

Hat-tip: Opinionated About (registration req'd & strongly recommended)