subism: diversions

"Folks who decry the idea of subscriber fees argue that paywalls won’t work, and that those who..."

Fri, 25 May 2012 13:10:53 -0500

“Folks who decry the idea of subscriber fees argue that paywalls won’t work, and that those who advocate for them, don’t understand the Internet. The opposite is true. These folks don’t understand the first thing about actual journalism. It costs money to cover a metro region, or a nation, or the world comprehensively, to place reporters at key points and maintain them while they cover a beat and glean information year after year. Anyone who still thinks that this can be achieved by amateurs or hobbyists are embarrassing themselves.”

-
David Simon, creator of The Wire and Treme, on the Times-Picayune cuts : CJR

Smart people aren’t advocating the substitution of previous paid models for journalism that don’t work online in favor of amateurs/hobbyists so maybe take that straw and use it for something other than making men.

Here is some smart writing (and links) about why paywalls aren’t smart.

(via ourmaninchicago)

I love this and it’s spot on in one regard. However it too fails to point out the deeper problem. Old school newspaper journalism as it is is broken. The situation of pay walls or ad support is a red herring to the real problem. Business as usual doesn’t work anymore because it’s simply too bloated.

If old media wants to survive it needs to reform itself from the top down. The cuts that have happened over the years have been from the wrong places. It’s not the writers and photographers that need to go, it’s the editors, executives and content deals. Things like farming out the mobile version of the website and treating it as something separate is fundamentally wrong.

We don’t need a different content and different brands for each city either. Media companies can and should distribute the same content across different markets and add in local content based on market. Some of this is already done but not nearly enough.

Things like http://chicago.times.com http://philadelphia.times.com http://us.times.com should be how it is structured and have the content served to them by geography but allow them to switch with their login. (Yes, possibly a paid login)

Give people an actual reason to create an account other than withholding information.

Blogs and amateurs succeed because they aren’t mired with red tape, archaic licensing and content deals. They can work with distributed workforces a ton more nimbly and most are focused on the issues at hand rather than trying to figure out how to turn the clock back 20 years and be fat cats again.

That said they will never have the resources that a company like the Times or the Tribune does and international reporting and livable wages suffer because of it. Big media are the only ones who can save big media and they are too focused on how to bring the old revenues back to realize they completely need to restructure for a new world instead.

Photo

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:25:02 -0500

AMAZING!

Sun, 20 May 2012 23:05:24 -0500

AMAZING!

I really want these

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:28:13 -0500

I really want these

Wow. I love Obama but I wish we had a President baller enough to...

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:31:17 -0500

Wow. I love Obama but I wish we had a President baller enough to do this.

-eternalflame:

Instant reblog forever

What I Imagine the Groupon HQ looks like.

Mon, 14 May 2012 10:18:00 -0500

soyeahduh:

But where is the drunk Andrew Mason kitty?

I Wil not apologize for this Big Pun.

Mon, 14 May 2012 09:53:00 -0500

I Wil not apologize for this Big Pun.

carlovely: tom gabel of against me! comes out as...

Tue, 08 May 2012 23:03:14 -0500

carlovely:

tom gabel of against me! comes out as transgender

Against Me! singer Tom Gabel reveals plans to begin living as a woman in the new issue of Rolling Stone. Gabel, who has dealt privately with gender dysphoria for years, will soon begin the process of transition, by taking hormones and undergoing electrolysis treatments. Gabel will eventually take the name Laura Jane Grace, and will remain married to her wife Heather.

Wow, I have been an Against Me! fan for years and while this was unexpected I can’t say this comes as a total shock. I admire the heck out of Tom and I will continue to admire the heck out of Laura. Now more than ever.

whatshouldwecallsocialmedia: WHEN SOMEONE CALLS THEMSELVES A...

Tue, 08 May 2012 13:57:38 -0500

whatshouldwecallsocialmedia:

WHEN SOMEONE CALLS THEMSELVES A SOCIAL MEDIA GURU.

For everyone who says there are no male / female character pairs in popular culture that are truly...

Sun, 06 May 2012 22:46:32 -0500

For everyone who says there are no male / female character pairs in popular culture that are truly platonic I have this to say to you:

The Doctor and Donna

That is all.

phampants: Ain’t no party like a Time Lord party!

Sun, 06 May 2012 22:44:07 -0500

phampants:

Ain’t no party like a Time Lord party!

youranonnews: UNSEAT THE #1 PUBLIC ENEMY OF THE INTERNET:...

Sun, 06 May 2012 14:56:37 -0500

youranonnews:

UNSEAT THE #1 PUBLIC ENEMY OF THE INTERNET: REPRESENTATIVE LAMAR SMITH

2012 ELECTIONS

Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX21) is bought and paid for in full by the entertainment industry and corporate interests. He no longer serves the constituency of voters who elected him to office 25 years ago. Instead, he has auctioned off his position as a representative of his community to the highest bidder.

Lamar - senile, stubborn, negative Lamar. In short, Lamar is the king of not giving a flying fuck about the concerns of his constituency - the 99% who depend on him to bring them fair and strong representation in the US Congress. Lamar has not represented his constituency while in Congress — he has MISREPRESENTED them.

Recently, Lamar put his full ignorance and unwillingness to understand modern society on public display when he SPONSORED the now-infamous Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). Widely regarded as one of the most dangerous pieces of legislation that has been written and presented to Congress in recent history, SOPA touched on hot-button issues of censorship, scope of government power, and restricting the Internet. The bill, which would have severely threatened individual liberty and free enterprise both on and offline, was shelved after activists, non-profits, companies that saw its danger banded together in a now-famous Internet blackout.

SOPA, bought and paid for by corporate interests in the entertainment industry (much like Lamar himself), was an incredibly flawed piece of legislation that tried to curtail the Internet and citizens’ ability to enjoy an unrestricted, free Internet. Not only was SOPA poorly written and researched (which Lamar failed to realise or remedy before sponsoring the bill in Congress), but its authors also made no excuse about the fact that it infringed upon every citizen’s constitutional rights and curtailed the use and enjoyment of the Internet for all US citizens. All this in the name of saving the corporate entertainment industry a few dollars from the perceived, not-yet-proven, finical threat from piracy.

In the 2012 election season, Lamar (a long-time incumbent in the Texas 21st congressional district) faces a direct threat to his seat from the innovative and passionate Richard Morgan, an energetic young software engineer and activist who has stood up boldly to save the Texas 21st from additional misrepresentation by Lamar. Morgan seeks to restore voter faith in their local US Representative — he vows to stand on principle and demonstrate a full commitment to hearing and working for the concerns of his voters, not the corporate entertainment industry. You can donate to Morgan directly HERE and read a Q&A he did on Reddit HERE to get a better idea of his views.

The Internet has already joined together to erect an UNSEAT LAMAR billboard in Lamar’s Texas district. Monies have been raised, but more donations are needed to continue to fuel the opposition candidate, Mr. Morgan, as well as other efforts to show the voters in the Texas 21st just how much Lamar has sold them out to Hollywood. If you can donate your time, money or skills to helping unseat the Number 1 Threat to the Internet, Lamar Smith, please, see HERE for ideas on how you can help. This will take all of us to join together, but the Internet is nothing if not far-reaching and effective. We can do this. Let’s unseat Lamar in 2012.

Elections NOT auctions, Mr. Smith. You would do well to remember this.

" “Comic-Con nerds will have multiple orgasms,” predicts critic David Edelstein in New..."

Sun, 06 May 2012 12:46:58 -0500

“” “Comic-Con nerds will have multiple orgasms,” predicts critic David Edelstein in New York magazine, confirming something I had vaguely suspected about them. If he is correct, it’s time for desperately needed movies to re-educate nerds in the joys of sex. “”

- Roger Ebert, Re: The Avengers.

With all respect sir, go fuck yourself.

Wow... Re: Not Everything Is Sexual

Tue, 01 May 2012 12:21:00 -0500

Wow, I’m really amazed, seriously, at the level of civil discussion and discourse going on around my post from last night. Lot’s of people extrapolated this to male/female dynamics in pop culture, which I hoped people would do. Many people are talking deeper about friendship and love. I’m impressed.

Only two people have ignorantly called me a homophobe instead of understanding what my point was. I expected the moron level to be a lot higher. This gives me hope for humanity.

Thank you. Seriously.

Not every close-working male duo in pop culture needs to be...

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 22:58:00 -0500

Not every close-working male duo in pop culture needs to be banging.

I mention this because it feels like every-time I log into Tumblr I see a flood of posts of Sherlock and Watson, Tony and Steve, or Bruce and Dick recontexualized to imply sexual relationships.

Why do we need to immediately jump to the conclusion that any duo of strong male characters with close bonds have to be a couple?

Why does everything have to be sexualized?

It’s disappointing to me that we can’t accept or appreciate that life, friendship, and even love can be deeper than, and even unrelated to, sexual preference. By saying that it’s impossible for two men to be close friends, business partners, or just share a close bond, without being homosexual we’re basically creating the same kind of intolerance and lack of understanding that bred homophobia in the first place.

Love knows no sexual preference. Why does it matter who bangs who?

Can’t we just appreciate good characters, good stories, and love without turning it into something it’s not?

Apple’s Response on Its Tax Practices - NYTimes.com

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:45:00 -0500

Apple’s Response on Its Tax Practices - NYTimes.com:

chartier:

Apple not only responded to the New York Times on the (admittedly ridiculous) taxes story, but supplied it with a four-paragraph statement to be printed in full.

I love Tim Cook’s Apple.

This is pitch perfect from Cook and something I think Jobs wouldn’t have necessarily done.

While I think Apple should pay more taxes I do not fault them for taking advantage of these loopholes. I fault our broken government system that creates these scenarios. I’m glad these things are coming to light and people are getting angry about them because now maybe we’ll see change happen but “don’t hate the player, hate the game.”

Avengers Barbecue by Awkward Spaceship

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:27:48 -0500

Avengers Barbecue by Awkward Spaceship

Harry Caray (FujiFilm) on Flickr.Shot on my Canon EOS Rebel G...

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 12:33:07 -0500

Harry Caray (FujiFilm) on Flickr.

Shot on my Canon EOS Rebel G with expired Fujicolor Press 800 Film.

themarvelageofcomics: Here’s John Romita’s pencils for the...

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 20:34:47 -0500

themarvelageofcomics:

Here’s John Romita’s pencils for the cover to AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #157

So gorgeous. Sometimes I look at much older comic pencils today and really curse the heavy ink and flat color styles of the 60s and 70s.

"So 16 percent of bestselling titles are exclusive to the Kindle Store — and the Department of..."

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:08:48 -0500

“So 16 percent of bestselling titles are exclusive to the Kindle Store — and the Department of Justice is investigating Apple’s iBookstore. Got it.”

- John Gruber (via ericmortensen)