A bunch of readers were really helpful when I posted a few days ago re the Future of Journalism on the Web. I was, as LeaNder noted, posing a question about the character of social news production, and how it would pay for itself. I'm fascinated as a journalist by this issue. (Two years ago I made money off this question, by writing about the great Craig Newmark, who invented Craigslist and delinked lucrative classified advertising from news-reporting, with stunning consequences to the news business).
On the issue of this blog, MM said I should hire an editor to shuffle the posts, correct typos etc. My question: Let's say I created more of a front page, what order does MM or anyone else think I should supply to posts?
Related posts:
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- The Most Important Obama Question (What Does His Movement Want?)
{ 19 comments }
Don't hire anyone, it's a timesuck, and will use up money you don't have. And don't bother correcting typos. Matt Yglesias's blog is big and influential with no end of spelling errors. You might include the rare photo though.
Focus on what matters: your own thinking and increasing your hits. For the latter, you may want to – once every two weeks or so, no more – comment on what some big blogger like Kaus or Yglesias or Sullivan or similar – says about US policy in the Middle East. At the moment, you are self-isolated from the top blogs and links from those is where the hits come from.
In terms of upgrading the look, you probably only need to upgrade as far as e.g. Rhubarb Pie http://rhubarbpie.typepad.com/rhubarb/, or http://unfogged.com/. You dont need anything too fancy and in fact it's not too bad right now.
And do some book reviews with Amazon links with your % on the sales.
Or Marginal Revolution http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/
Good looking but simple site, maybe better use of space than yours.
Old-school journalism buries the process in favor of the final product–and the final word–of the journo/editors.
Journalism '2.0' is more transparent and process-oriented, that is, an ongoing conversation. No deadlines, no limits, no quarter for dangerous off-the-record types.
Me, I'd shuffle content to give the site more of a conversational feel, eg Seliger's post (or linked excerpt) appearing right next to Phil's piece, and first lines of the most recent comments listed underneath respective posts. (Comment feeds are already quickly becoming a norm, and Phil's there, but why not demonstrate them on the FP already?)
Of course then the conversation is developed further in the comment area itself, so the hardcore maniacs can go there to waste as many hours as they'd like.
Content-wise, I think Phil has really hit the bullseye with these recent back-and-forths, and there are so many potentially interesting subjects. He could concentrate more on these conversations, illuminating as they are, and editorialize at length maybe less frequently.
otto–Yglesias has always been employed by larger institutions (Atlantic, TPM, now Think Progress), and while that would be one option for Phil, if he'd just you know embrace an undivided Jerusalem among other things, I got the impression he was wanting to run his own place.
If time isn't a constraint Phil could handle the formatting, editing, and advertising himself. Otherwise I still think he's gotta hire somebody, so he can concentrate on original content, interviews, and the like.
Yglesias became big before he was taken on by the big institutions. And the big institutions never edited MY's text for typos.
MM says "If time isn't a constraint Phil could handle the formatting, editing, and advertising himself". MM may be right – but my own view is that not too much time should be spent by *anyone* on editing or formatting (barring once a year-ish site upgrading of format) and advertising depends entirely on hits/sales links/etc as I understand it. Again look at Marginal Revolution: no big investment there, no editor, but big influence. And maybe some income, though others may know better.
otto — seriously? Yglesias didn't make any real money with his blog before TPM. He got name recognition of course, but that's different.
Additionally, the outlets he worked for–TPM, The Atlantic, TNR–all have documented zionist biases against criticism of Israel. But like I alluded to, Phil could just accept an undivided Jerusalem in his heart and the golden gates would surely open…
But I agree with you that formatting itself doesn't need to be so labor-intensive, once the template and scripts are in place–the point is that humans are superficial and clever packaging is sometimes just as important as what's inside.
Not much time today, but two comments:
MM Otherwise I still think he's gotta hire somebody, so he can concentrate on original content, interviews, and the like.
Absolutely. I see we basically agree. Admittedly I have more a PR angle, and that always concerns more the person and the larger field than the special techniques.
Concerning Otto:At the moment, you are self-isolated from the top blogs and links from those is where the hits come from.
Is this really a problem on the net? But yes, it is partly my impression too. I am simply not so sure why. Imagine for a while, he was cited much more frequently by the people you mentioned. Would he feel similarly isolated to you then?
You can't handle a Taboo and want to be the hero of the masses.
So isn't this about the "public perception" of Phil Weiss position? And how to change it? … How is this related to bringing the story mainstream, make it discussible.
"The key is public awareness of Phil and his issues. Since the beneficiaries of such awareness are not moneybags, the key is
buried for good. This is the elite form of eco-socialism. It always rules until the masses have the courage of desperation.
Friendfeed reaction to Phil's combination of Rosh Hashanah and the Financial Crisis
Comment: …Also, re your cites source – that guy really IS an idiot, I suspect at least part of Mathew's frustration had to do with the source – Soup
Soup: do you think Phil Weiss is an "idiot" or were you referring to someone else? I think Weiss is one of the ten best minds on the planet who is wrestling with cutting-edge issues dealing with Mideast politics, Zionism (the ideology and the real world implementation), the Jewish tradition, American culture, etc. People who are far ahead of the curve tend to ruffle many feathers. Do you have a few examples of his "idiocy"? – Sean McBride
Sean, I do think Phil Weiss is an idiot. More importantly I think he's an inflammatory, shit-stirring pseudo-journalistic shock jock who is less interested in providing actual news than he is attaching himself to the insane theory of the day. That in itself would only be about an 8 on the annoyance scale for me but his tendency to immediately flee the scene before he can be held accountable for the hurt and harm kicks him straight up to a 10. I think he's a bad man, in every sense of the world. If you like him then good for you but do consider that a fair portion of your audience is going to immediately ignore anything you say when you're primary source for an argument is someone so inflammatory. You could have had an actual, reasonable discussion in these many, many comments had you instead taken 5 minutes to find the same opinion from someone less likely to be immediately offensive to so many. Instead you chose him and your discussion point was lost to an extended fight defending the extremist opinions of some chappie you, I assume, don't even really know. – Soup
Soup: what specific post by Phil Weiss has annoyed you and why? – Sean McBride
Sean, His entire career has annoyed me, not just the latest iteration on the blog. But this post isn't about Phil Weiss, or at least it wasn't meant to be. I'm unwilling to continue to discuss a guy who annoys me – why torture myself that way? I don't like him, you already have said you do, we're not going to change each others minds and I'm sure we both have better things than play political Sisyphus – Soup
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Definitively feature that make the article sharable via the "usual suspect tools" would be helpful.
reaction on, gone
LOL
I love it!!!!
One must be stepping on some toes and discomfort some consciences to earn such a venom!!!!
Brownie points for Mr. Weiss.
Between zionists and gentile sports nuts, I fear Phil is way ahead of the game that will come to pass.
There is no need to order the posts any differently.
Rootless Cosmo, has a nice wany of using 'asides' the separate column on the right.
Also has Mondo considered paying for google adense, it is quite cheap, and you only pay when there is a click. (I think .005 cents) and the ads are placed for a targetted audience.
"I think Weiss is one of the ten best minds on the planet who is wrestling with cutting-edge issues dealing with Mideast politics, Zionism (the ideology and the real world implementation), the Jewish tradition, American culture, etc. People who are far ahead of the curve tend to ruffle many feathers."
I couldn't agree more, LeaNder. I've been telling everyone I know about this blog, posting it on facebook and other sites, writing to newspeople to get them to read it. I think it's the best blog on the internet, hands down (not that I'm familiar with lots of blogs). It's "real," for lack of a better way of putting it.
Phil is a Stalinist Jew. He is the type of Jew that clung to Stalin even after Stalin purged the murderous Trotskyite Capitalist Jews. True Marxist. Likable sort. Wants to tear everything down including Israel.
A friend of mine put up a blog about monetary issues, including a 3-hour video tutorial which chews up lots of bandwidth and costs him thousands a month.
Recently he found a patron — a retired Silicon Valley whiz with some spare millions — who shares his views and wants to help promote them.
We always hear about the billionaire Jews who support zionist causes. But maybe there are a few antizionist Jewish billionaires who don't want to come out of the closet yet, but might lend a quiet hand to Phil? "Ask and ye shall receive." OOPS, that's from Jesus, but maybe worth having a go anyhow.
Here's the new patron, in his own words:
http://www.chrismartenson.com/blog/joining-forces-chris/6045
I was thinking something along the
http://talkingpointsmemo.com
I like TPM's layout and it appears to be quite effective.
How about featuring links to my and other neocon's newest books?
Phil,
This is a link to some very powerful web software; according to the physician who writes this blog…Conversant software does a fair amount of the work automatically.
http://www.wakingupcosts.net/about
http://conversant.macrobyte.net/
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