Does snark cast a shadow over online conversation?

If you weren't lucky enough to catch it in the car this morning, you should be sure to check out NPR's fascinating discussion of "snark" and its ill effects on the world.

I've often been called a snarky blogger, which is probably merited by some of my posts on AdFreak. But I've actually tried to avoid the sneering condescension that became synonymous with blogging due to the success of sites like Gawker.

Thanks to my time in newspapers, I know what it's like to be eviscerated by anonymous callers, bloggers and public figures. It made me come to value earnest criticism, however angry it happens to be, and ignore hollow bullying hurled from the gallows mob.

NPR's interview is with David Denby, author of a new book called "Snark." He makes a valiant attempt at drawing the distinction between snark and satire, although I don't know if he accomplishes the goal.

True snark, however dispariging, requires a decent amount of intelligence to pull off. Personally, I think the Internet is about 1,000 times more plagued by people who think "lol ur gay" is a pointed social critique.