As a clicks-generating tactic, LATimes.com could do worse than having op-ed columnist Joel Stein chat live with visitors again. Last week's chat brought in a few readers and some attention. [Including by us last Tuesday.] After Romenesko mentioned it today, Gawker took a look and weighed in with a rebuttal of sorts. It seems Stein, in response to a question of why Gawker hates him so much, replied that "I just talked to the Gawker woman and she was really nice. I think hate is their way of showing love." Gawker's version: "Interestingly, a brief survey of the 'Gawker women' yielded exactly zero who had spoken to Stein--like, ever."

Stein, of course, also won the high honor in the LA Observed Reader Survey vote for top Los Angeles media story of 2007. "Joel Stein embeds in Iraq" led the list of unlikely events that readers most hoped to see.