Author Topic: The Print Media Thread (Books, Magazines, Newspapers, etc.)  (Read 95016 times)

Big Fingers McGee

  • The Core
  • Heavy Duty
  • *****
  • Posts: 3376
    • View Profile
Re: The Print Media Thread (Books, Magazines, Newspapers, etc.)
« Reply #180 on: August 15, 2013, 10:34:52 AM »
and -- BOOM! -- just like that, the Chron gets rid of the paywall after just 4 months:

http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2013/08/chronicle_kills_its_paywall_--.php

I like how they refer to sfgate content as 'dreck'.... the quality on that site has certainly declined in the interim.

eh, you get what you pay for.

Agreed. 

I don't blame the Chron for trying the paywall.  It's unfortunate that nobody has figured out a viable model for funding quality content for true journalism.  You know, with editors and experienced, talented writers and stuff.

One might argue that WSJ has a good system - general articles available for free, with the "good stuff" available for a price - of course, that was kind of the intent of SfGate's firewall.

Free to Pay-for Content for newspapers is like network to cable television. You have to pay for quality. Generally speaking, anyway. SfGate's free content in recent weeks has consisted of items like "Top 50 Places to get a suntan".

dischead

  • The Core
  • kiloposter
  • *****
  • Posts: 1373
  • Honorary Knight of the Command Line
    • View Profile
Re: The Print Media Thread (Books, Magazines, Newspapers, etc.)
« Reply #181 on: August 15, 2013, 10:21:25 PM »
and -- BOOM! -- just like that, the Chron gets rid of the paywall after just 4 months:

http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2013/08/chronicle_kills_its_paywall_--.php
I like how they refer to sfgate content as 'dreck'.... the quality on that site has certainly declined in the interim.
eh, you get what you pay for.
Agreed. 

I don't blame the Chron for trying the paywall.  It's unfortunate that nobody has figured out a viable model for funding quality content for true journalism.  You know, with editors and experienced, talented writers and stuff.


Back in the early to mid-90s, I read many breathless articles in newspapers
about how this Internet thing was going to "change everything."  I guess the
people running the papers don't pay much attention to their own work.  Most if
not all of those articles' authors aren't working there anymore.

The strongly-held conceit of the newspaper folks is that they are in the
journalism business, and their job is to provide reporting, commentary, and
analysis to the public.  Then Mr. Newmark came along, and with a simple,
text-only web site poked a hole in their business model and let literally
hundreds of millions of dollars of classified ad revenue leak away into the
ether.  In the process he demonstrated that conceit to be false, and that the
newspaper people didn't seem to realize what their business really was.

Google, in contrast, hasn't made that mistake.  Google knows it isn't in the
business of providing search results, free e-mail, maps, satellite photos, or
any of the dozens of other services they offer.  Google is in the business of
selling advertising; it is their main source of revenue.  And whether they
realize it or not, newspapers, magazines, radio, and television are all in the
same business -- selling advertising.  The articles and programming offered by
these media is simply the bait to assemble an audience, which can then be sold
to advertisers.

It is a little sad that the newspapers forgot what their business really was,
and that mistake may ultimately lead to their demise.  Nothing can replace a
lazy Sunday brunch with one's sweetie, reading the paper, trading sections back
and forth, and pointing out items of mutual interest.

Not quite as romantic with two laptops, e-mailing links to each other.
"Your favorite songs, played beautifully"

dischead

  • The Core
  • kiloposter
  • *****
  • Posts: 1373
  • Honorary Knight of the Command Line
    • View Profile
Re: The Print Media Thread (Books, Magazines, Newspapers, etc.)
« Reply #182 on: October 28, 2013, 11:09:09 PM »
I only read the Sunday SF Comical, not so much for news but for many of the features.  Tom
Stienstra's column in the sports section hasn't appeared for a month.  Anybody know why,
or is it just one of those things?
"Your favorite songs, played beautifully"

dischead

  • The Core
  • kiloposter
  • *****
  • Posts: 1373
  • Honorary Knight of the Command Line
    • View Profile
Re: The Print Media Thread (Books, Magazines, Newspapers, etc.)
« Reply #183 on: October 29, 2013, 10:14:17 PM »
I only read the Sunday SF Comical, not so much for news but for many of the features.  Tom
Stienstra's column in the sports section hasn't appeared for a month.  Anybody know why,
or is it just one of those things?

I've discovered that he's been away on assignment or some such; so the Sunday columns
should resume soon.
"Your favorite songs, played beautifully"

CapnJack

  • The Core
  • 10^4 Super Patriot
  • *****
  • Posts: 34091
    • View Profile
Re: The Print Media Thread (Books, Magazines, Newspapers, etc.)
« Reply #184 on: February 03, 2014, 04:58:44 PM »
In my mailbox today: Joel Whitburn's Cash Box Pop Hits 1952-1996.



Should be fun thumbing through these pages.  :)
Tuned to a natural E

Big Fingers McGee

  • The Core
  • Heavy Duty
  • *****
  • Posts: 3376
    • View Profile
Re: The Print Media Thread (Books, Magazines, Newspapers, etc.)
« Reply #185 on: February 03, 2014, 08:09:50 PM »
In my mailbox today: Joel Whitburn's Cash Box Pop Hits 1952-1996.



Should be fun thumbing through these pages.  :)

Awesome! I've spent the last 18 months compiling the Top 10-100, from 1940 through where I'm currently at, April 1967.

RGMike

  • The Core
  • Eight Miles High
  • *****
  • Posts: 79280
    • View Profile
Re: The Print Media Thread (Books, Magazines, Newspapers, etc.)
« Reply #186 on: June 12, 2014, 01:37:41 PM »
You only die twice:  For some reason, the obituary fro actress Deborah Raffin -- she died in Nov 2012 -- is being linked to in multiple places on SFGate today. WTF?
You spin me right 'round, baby, right 'round

Tinka Cat

  • The Core
  • Master Poster
  • *****
  • Posts: 8080
    • View Profile
Re: The Print Media Thread (Books, Magazines, Newspapers, etc.)
« Reply #187 on: June 12, 2014, 03:18:44 PM »
You only die twice:  For some reason, the obituary fro actress Deborah Raffin -- she died in Nov 2012 -- is being linked to in multiple places on SFGate today. WTF?

just curious where you see/saw it... is it in the Most Popular thingy?  users basically control that by reading the story, and those readers might come from some outside place, like some BB.  Once it shows up in that list, other readers are like "Oh, I want to read what everyone else is reading" and it steamrolls.
~CPL593H~

RGMike

  • The Core
  • Eight Miles High
  • *****
  • Posts: 79280
    • View Profile
Re: The Print Media Thread (Books, Magazines, Newspapers, etc.)
« Reply #188 on: June 12, 2014, 03:36:21 PM »
You only die twice:  For some reason, the obituary fro actress Deborah Raffin -- she died in Nov 2012 -- is being linked to in multiple places on SFGate today. WTF?

just curious where you see/saw it... is it in the Most Popular thingy?  users basically control that by reading the story, and those readers might come from some outside place, like some BB.  Once it shows up in that list, other readers are like "Oh, I want to read what everyone else is reading" and it steamrolls.

earlier it was actually on the front page under "More News" It disappeared from there and was underneath a current story as a "From Around The web" link.. FWIW, it was not a old SFGate story; it was from DeadlineHollywood.
You spin me right 'round, baby, right 'round

urth

  • The Core
  • Transcendent Typist
  • *****
  • Posts: 15274
    • View Profile
Re: The Print Media Thread (Books, Magazines, Newspapers, etc.)
« Reply #189 on: June 12, 2014, 05:24:27 PM »
You only die twice:  For some reason, the obituary fro actress Deborah Raffin -- she died in Nov 2012 -- is being linked to in multiple places on SFGate today. WTF?

just curious where you see/saw it... is it in the Most Popular thingy?  users basically control that by reading the story, and those readers might come from some outside place, like some BB.  Once it shows up in that list, other readers are like "Oh, I want to read what everyone else is reading" and it steamrolls.

People are such sheep. :)
Let's get right to it.

Tinka Cat

  • The Core
  • Master Poster
  • *****
  • Posts: 8080
    • View Profile
Re: The Print Media Thread (Books, Magazines, Newspapers, etc.)
« Reply #190 on: June 12, 2014, 09:50:24 PM »
You only die twice:  For some reason, the obituary fro actress Deborah Raffin -- she died in Nov 2012 -- is being linked to in multiple places on SFGate today. WTF?

just curious where you see/saw it... is it in the Most Popular thingy?  users basically control that by reading the story, and those readers might come from some outside place, like some BB.  Once it shows up in that list, other readers are like "Oh, I want to read what everyone else is reading" and it steamrolls.

earlier it was actually on the front page under "More News" It disappeared from there and was underneath a current story as a "From Around The web" link.. FWIW, it was not a old SFGate story; it was from DeadlineHollywood.

Under "more news" on home page?  really?  That's not right.  That stuff is curated, new.  I can see it popping up for some users as a "From Around The web" link. Those links pop up based on your viewing habits, the story you're reading, etc.  Some weird stuff pops in there, too, though. 

It's ponderous, man, ponderous.
~CPL593H~

RGMike

  • The Core
  • Eight Miles High
  • *****
  • Posts: 79280
    • View Profile
Re: The Print Media Thread (Books, Magazines, Newspapers, etc.)
« Reply #191 on: June 17, 2014, 09:40:57 AM »
It seems that SFGate is disabling the comments section on a LOT of posts these days, where comments used to always be an option -- Politics Blog, etc. Or is it just my old browser?
You spin me right 'round, baby, right 'round

Big Fingers McGee

  • The Core
  • Heavy Duty
  • *****
  • Posts: 3376
    • View Profile
Re: The Print Media Thread (Books, Magazines, Newspapers, etc.)
« Reply #192 on: June 17, 2014, 09:52:06 AM »
It seems that SFGate is disabling the comments section on a LOT of posts these days, where comments used to always be an option -- Politics Blog, etc. Or is it just my old browser?

I've noticed the same thing, and it's true both at home and at work. Maybe TinkaCat knows why? Maybe it was too much of an investment to monitor them?

Tinka Cat

  • The Core
  • Master Poster
  • *****
  • Posts: 8080
    • View Profile
Re: The Print Media Thread (Books, Magazines, Newspapers, etc.)
« Reply #193 on: June 17, 2014, 10:16:14 AM »
It seems that SFGate is disabling the comments section on a LOT of posts these days, where comments used to always be an option -- Politics Blog, etc. Or is it just my old browser?

I've noticed the same thing, and it's true both at home and at work. Maybe TinkaCat knows why? Maybe it was too much of an investment to monitor them?

my guess: comment platform weirdness. In other words: it's them, not you. 

Got any examples of places where comments are not visible?  and what browser/OS are you on?
~CPL593H~

Big Fingers McGee

  • The Core
  • Heavy Duty
  • *****
  • Posts: 3376
    • View Profile
Re: The Print Media Thread (Books, Magazines, Newspapers, etc.)
« Reply #194 on: June 17, 2014, 10:23:54 AM »
It seems that SFGate is disabling the comments section on a LOT of posts these days, where comments used to always be an option -- Politics Blog, etc. Or is it just my old browser?

I've noticed the same thing, and it's true both at home and at work. Maybe TinkaCat knows why? Maybe it was too much of an investment to monitor them?

my guess: comment platform weirdness. In other words: it's them, not you. 

Got any examples of places where comments are not visible?  and what browser/OS are you on?

Here's one I was hoping to see comments on:

http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Casey-Kasem-He-kept-reaching-for-the-stars-5553898.php

I believe we have IE9 at work.