Posted on 08/06/2008 2:39:53 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
With media stocks plummeting, a noisy army of pundits is predicting the imminent extinction of print newspapers and magazines. I hope they're wrong--for two reasons.
The obvious reason is self-interest: If freebie blogs and news aggregators kill off the National Post and its ilk, then I'm going to have to go back to my high school job, manning the drive-thru at McDonald's.
But I have a more noble reason, too: a genuine, altruistic desire for an educated citizenry. Not to be old-fashioned, but there are certain kinds of important stories that simply cannot be covered, except by deep-pocketed traditional media organizations employing professional journalists.
This thought struck me with particular force on Sunday, as I read "Malwebolence," Mattathias Schwartz's extraordinary article about Internet trolls in this week's issue of The New York Times Magazine.
You probably have met an Internet troll -- even if you don't know the term. They are the juvenile cretins who infest Internet message boards, taunting the earnest types chatting away about Gossip Girl, or Barack Obama, or Scientology. Their method is to post willfully ignorant, insulting messages, then sit back and enjoy the righteous, impotent fury aroused among the true believers.
Trolling is an inherently nihilistic activity -- which is why most trolls tend to be adolescent males, the sort of specimens who would otherwise entertain themselves by using bathroom graffiti to libel the sexual habits of high-school classmates. But there is a small elite that has turned trolling into a full-time calling. They congregate on anonymous Web sites such as 4chan.org, and informally tally the "lulz" they've earned by humiliating others.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalpost.com ...
“but i have a more noble reason too: a genuine, altruistic desire for an educated citizenry.”
ben franklin could not have said it better, but he ain’t no ben franklin.
About like I would miss a case of v.d.
Very good analysis!
By his own admission, if he lost his job as a reporter, the only other thing he is qualified to do is man the drive-thru at McDonald's.
And he would probably screw up every other order doing that.
They will hire two. One to represent the hard left and another to represent the harder left.
The "Malwebolence " article is a perfect example of why not to trust the MSM. The idiot writer was obviously pwned into writing about a fictional term called 'lulz' which is supposedly a measure of a troll's effectiveness.
I was listening to the TWIT This Week In Tech) podcast last week when this article was discussed, and none of the TWITs had ever heard of the term 'lulz'. The conclusion is that the writer was fed a line of hokum as a joke, and being the Times, printed the story. Why would the Times writer do this? Because in his heart, the writer wanted it to be true. MSM writers like Mattathias Schwartz see the great unwashed writing on the internet as a threat to his once 'noble' profession.
Stories like these should be reserved for TMZ or Entertainment Tonight.
Journalists and the MSM don’t have to be impartial, fair, or even honest. Neither do the bloggers.
The ruination of the MSM stems not from lack of impartiality, but lack of (wish there was a better word) diversity. Once the MSM started marching in lock-step (goose-step?) people had to look elsewhere for views they could tolerate. That’s why Fox news can get such an audience even though they are merely more balanced than the rest. Rush too came along and a very large portion of the country finally had someone speaking to their views.
There used to be multiple newspapers in every medium sized city to cater to differing views. Consolidation and group-think left people with no alternatives until the internet came along.
Liberals never will understand the internet because it is individual-based not elite-mandated. The internet used to be blissfully void of liberals. I think the 2000 election finally clued them in that there were a lot of people who just ignored the elite media in favor of real reporting on-line.
also, I’d say 98% of the trolls on-line are liberals nowadays.
“You’ll miss us when we’re gone.”
I think the salient point is they went off the edge a long time ago - they’re “already gone”.. Hm.
How can I miss you if you won't go away?
I know a little about the muckrakers and the yellow press. Ironically, I think the idea of impartiality would be more positively received now than during any time in the past. Call me an idealist. But I also know that, unfortunately, news websites based on the idea of impartiality just don’t get the clicks these days. I wish they did.
Bingo!
This is why back in the day (when The Republic flourished) newspapers were often financed by the leaders of the various factions, hence The Such And Such Republican and/or The Daily Democrat.
Sure they were biased, but at least one knew what one was getting .
Like The New Republic's embedded soldier who made up US atrocities in Iraq? How many columns did they print before they were called out? Where were the "professional" editors to vet the clown?
Simple Google of "lulz" turns up a reference in the 01.18.08 edition of Wired magazine.
Or perhaps you'd prefer an earlier reference? Blog posting from 10-FEB-2007
Looks as if the TWITs got it wrong.
Well, after giving this serious thought, the only downside that comes to mind is this; the paper newspaper is perfectly designed for holding with two hands while sitting on the throne with one's legs spread. I have tried it with a laptop on my lap but one has to keep their legs together while in this position which is not conducive to performing the act at hand. I suppose one of those stands musicians use for their music might work for holding one's laptop - I might give that a try. If the paper newspaper is on it's way out I will have to think of something for sure...
But that's what most Leftists are qualified for.
The rest, of course, are qualified for jobs as mafia hitmen...oops!...hitpersons or maybe... What else is a sociopath qualified for? President-for-Life in a Third World Country--okay--but most of those jobs are already taken.
You got that right, Free! Those people disappeared years ago, as far as I'm concerned, and I never missed 'em at all. In fact, I have a hard time remembering who they were.
Maybe the DNC needs more writers?? Course how hard is it to say the gummit can solve that?
PRay for W and OUr Troops
"HEY!! I AM IMPORTANT, TOO! Really! I've got things to say. Like how pointless bloggers are. So pointless that I'll take time out to interview them and then take up newsprint+electrons to write about them. But enough about them, let's talk about ME!"
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