Interesting stuff I saw online, Aug. 26 to Sep. 9
Here’s some of the stuff I thought was interesting while stomping through the Internet from Aug. 26 through Sep. 9:
- The newsroom view of user content revealed – Well, this isn't really a surprise. Most journalists find user-generated content a distraction.
- Social Media: Fighting the Fear – Good piece reinforcing the ways individuals (and, particularly, businesses) can get past the fear of social media.
- Measuring the Value of Social Marketing and Media – "While social marketing was originally developed from the desire companies had to capitalize on commercial marketing techniques, it has evolved into a more integrative and comprehensive discipline that draws on a wide array of technology, from the traditional media to new media referred to as 'social media.'"
- ‘Skanky’ Blogging, Anonymity and What’s Right – More helpful fodder for those of us who are constantly fending off attacks on the ability for readers to post anonymously. I was particularly fond of your point, “People who’d ban anonymity don’t seem to realize that it’s technically impossible unless we’re willing to turn over all of our communications in every venue to a central authority — a system that would herald the end of liberty.”
It’s a point I’ve made often to anyone who will listen. Even Facebook, which prides itself on “requiring” real names, can live up to that requirement.
Greenfield reinforces ‘free newspapers bad’ theme
Jeff Greenfield
CBS Sunday Morning was a celebration of its 30 years on the air, with features that looked back at life in 1979. It included a segment with media critic Jeff Greenfield, who whirled through a look at how the media has changed. He effectively described how the digital revolution has converged our information and entertainment into a handheld box.
What stuck in my craw was this line, delivered with an image of the Los Angeles Times on an iPhone: “You don’t want to buy a newspaper? Read it for free online — one reason why newspapers as we know them may not be around much longer.”
My wife turned and said that’s probably true. Ugh. My own wife. A week earlier, I had this debate with colleagues in own newspaper. I’m tired of people blaming free content. It’s not one reason why newspapers are in the fix they’re in. It’s not the 10th reason. It’s not in the top 100.
What did a newspaper cost in 1979? Well, I found an article that said the Los Angeles Times increased its newsstand price to 25 cents that year.
If you don’t think that we were (and still are) effectively giving away newspaper content for free, then I guess we can’t have a conversation about this.
Interesting stuff I saw online, Mar. 21 to Mar. 24
Here’s some of the stuff I thought was interesting while stomping through the Internet from Mar. 21 through Mar. 24:
- Clive Thompson on the Taming of Comment Trolls – A couple of the comments on this story might be more interesting than the item itself: "The challenge Obama faces in allowing conversation at the digital White House is obvious: trolls. Discussion-thread veterans will tell you that politics attracts more vicious, raging, insult-hurling trolls than almost any other topic."
- Economist Blames Twitter for Down Economy – Professor Martin Schmeldon of Harvard Business School recently released research findings that suggest excessive Twitter use may have caused the current economic downturn.
- The rise and fall of social media (according to mainstream media reportage) | higher ed marketing – The seven phases of mainstream media coverage of social media, illustrated with a chart.
- Xark!: 2020 vision: What's next for news – Wow. An incredibly comprehensive outline for trends and ideas to look out for in the next generation of news. A reading assignment, but worth a look.
Interesting stuff I saw online, Jan. 6 to Jan. 8
Here’s some of the stuff I thought was interesting while stomping through the Internet from Jan. 6 through Jan. 8:
- Corporate Blogging 101: What To Do With Comments – Blog – Standing Partnership – "Once clients get past all the discussion on this topic (and it is sometimes a long, drawn-out discussion) and decide, as we hope all clients will, to allow comments to be published, then clients want to know, 'How come there are no comments on our blog posts?'"
- Model Sues Google Over Snarky Blogger Remarks – Section 230, anyone? "The defamation suit, filed in Manhattan, seeks a court order compelling Google and its Blogger service to identify the anonymous blogger."
- Top Marketing Trends for 2009: Execs ‘Sick’ of Web 2.0 – A little scary: "Twice as many marketers are 'sick' of hearing about Web 2.0 and related buzzwords such as 'blogs' and 'social networking' compared with last year’s survey. However, marketers still admit they don’t know enough about it. This was evident in results from a November 2008 MENG social media study showing 67% of executive marketers consider themselves beginners when it comes to using social media for marketing purposes."
- How the newspaper industry tried to invent the Web but failed – Slate Magazine – "Newspapers deserve bragging rights for having homesteaded the Web long before most government agencies and major corporations knew what a URL was. …One would expect to find plenty in the way of innovations and spinoffs. But … newspapers sought to invent the Web in their own image by repurposing the copy, values, and temperament found in their ink-and-paper editions."
Interesting stuff I saw online from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1
Here’s some of the stuff I thought was interesting while stomping through the Internet from Nov. 25 through Dec. 1:
- When Everyone Is A Blogger, Nothing You Say Is Off The Record – "Needless to say, his statements indicating that ‘blogging is a dangerous phenomenon’ spurred a lot of angry (and funny) reactions in the local blogosphere, making the situation for him much worse than it already was…"
- The Role of Internet Intermediaries in Censoring Online Speech | Citizen Media Law Project – "Besides the important free speech issues, the article raises interesting questions about the professional responsibility of lawyers faced with potentially conflicting imperatives of pursuing their client's best interests and upholding larger ideals of social justice and human rights. It would make an excellent case study for a law school ethics class."
- Your customers have evolved into a community. Have you joined? – So, in order to reach (your customers), you had to entertain them, turning your customer into your audience
- Research shows generation gap among journos- JOURNALISM.CO.ZA – According to study, 100 percent of millennial respondents, those ages 18 to 29, believe “new media and communications tools are enhancing journalism,” while just 40 percent of journalists ages 50 to 64 believe the same.
Kurt's Tweets- Why is this not a national story? Maybe I missed it. Appalling. Disabled woman was tortured and held as a sex slave http://ow.ly/2CiAq
- Bravo. RT @pwthornton: "Banning unsigned online comments undermines the media’s role as a forum for debate.” http://bit.ly/bmZsOn
- I would like to just take the two steps forward and skip the one step back. How about that? Would that be OK?
- Still seeking talented journalists to run #Patch sites in two south St. Louis County communities. Know anyone? http://ow.ly/2Axnv
- Waiting for a listings collector to give her more #Patch marketing cards. The work never stops.