5 ms·

I’m An Article About The Internet That You Repost On The Internet

93 points by dwynings 14y ago

lionhearted 14y ago
It used to be that the vast majority of media was controlled and shaped by very few people. The internet is gradually changing that. It's a pretty big deal. The internet is simultaneously an incredibly powerful publishing/distribution platform, and an incredibly powerful consumption channel. So, take the title: > I’m an Article About the Internet That You Repost on the Internet It could be said, "I’m an Article About [Internet Consumption] That's [Published and Distributed on the Internet]" Which suddenly comes across a lot less witty and clever. Yeah, the internet is a big deal. People are going to keep talking about it. And the trivial noise? That was around before the internet; it's just no longer in the hands of a select few publishers/distributors.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- laconian 14y ago
  It's not critical about publishing on the Internet. The article is about Internet publishers' obsessive infatuation about the meta aspects of Internet publishing. I think your reply is a good exhibit on that subject.
  - dmckeon 14y ago
    Old media discovers internet feedback, becomes introspective, publishes introspection. Perhaps the self-referential pieces begin to reach past introspection? Here are some others: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/the-lay-scientist/2010/sep/24/1 http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/the-lay-scientist/2010/sep... This is a news website article about a scientific finding http://faultline.org/index.php/site/item/incendiary/ http://faultline.org/index.php/site/item/incendiary/ This is the title of a typical incendiary blog post https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtGSXMuWMR4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtGSXMuWMR4 How To Report The News
joejohnson 14y ago
I wonder if Teddy Wayne could have requested that this article be posted without all of the Tweet/Like/etc at the top. The inclusion of these buttons both hurts the point that he's making while ironically explaining why online media has become such a vacuous echo chamber.
- spacemanaki 14y ago
  Note, for those that don't know, that this will appear in the print edition of the magazine that is on its way to mailboxes and newsstands everywhere, so maybe the point would be hurt less in print. Maybe it would be funnier in print too, although I kind of doubt that. Shouts & Murmurs is very rarely funny.
- FuzzyDunlop 14y ago
  How many people will have read it and decided not to use those buttons for some fear of proving the article's point? > Just post me and pretend like you personally did something good. When’s the last time you volunteered or even gave money to a homeless person Ideally, this would be a really cynical comment. Sadly, it is not.
spinchange 14y ago
Here's the real meta/synecdoche subtext: >oh, Jesus, I once had dreams of being a Pulitzer-winning series about Congo. How did I end up on the bullshit-tech-story beat?
ruedaminute 14y ago
hee. I do wonder just how much innovation is being stifled in terms of time-wasting and demoralization by the hype-machine. I don't mind articles about apps or new techs, but I'm about getting my fill of the incessant stream of news about funding, VCs, i.e. the "business" of startups...and that's not to mention the umpteenth post about how your startup isn't lean enough if you don't validate your idea or do A/B testing.
Tossrock 14y ago
I am reminded of a comment tree I participated in back on Reddit several years ago [1]. I guess at a certain size all organizations have to have a meta discussion about themselves. [1] http://www.reddit.com/r/WTF/comments/9j8vh/i_was_at_work_the_other_night_when_i_ran_across/c0czm9m http://www.reddit.com/r/WTF/comments/9j8vh/i_was_at_work_the...
dsr_ 14y ago
This is the title of this story, which is also found several times in the story itself. http://consc.net/misc/moser.html http://consc.net/misc/moser.html (It's been said before.)
- dredmorbius 14y ago
  This is a sentence. That fragments. Useful device.
thespin 14y ago
I'm a Journalist Trying To Come To Grips With Technology That Is Making My Profession Irrelevant
- par 14y ago
  Exactly
- tatsuke95 14y ago
  Technology is making good journalism irrelevant only to those who have no attention span or don't read. The internet crushed distribution, but nowhere has it eliminated the demand for great writing. If anything, that need is greater now than ever.
  - thespin 14y ago
    True, especially the part about the need for great writing. Unfortunately, re: your first point, that's a large audience, one which advertisers are happy to target. And I'm not sure good journalism was ever relevant to those with short attention spans or who don't read. However those folks have always been relevant to advertisers. Advertisers are not going to save good journalism. Maybe good writers must do it, and maybe only for the love of writing. Cost of distribution: zilch.
  - Apocryphon 14y ago
    Unfortunately, the internet is also crushing attention spans.
  - Tsagadai 14y ago
    I can't agree with you more than I do. Good writing and journalism is more important than ever but it is completely missing. Blogs are mostly crap, successful online news generally consists of fluff pieces and most actual news is repeated and retold to the point of being a muffled meme. Page view driven journalism is taking us down a dark path. I would not be surprised if George Takei and Ashton Kutcher are the premier sources of online information for most people in 5 years. Good writing is not required for a large number of page views.
narrator 14y ago
I really like that the low brow look-at-my-cute-cat culture is taking over. You see, culture should travel up too. All this "hi-brow" stuff is just manipulation or rehashed manipulation and narrative control coming down from the even "higher brow" newspapers, research institutes and political organizations. Most people wouldn't give a crap about most of it if it wasn't for their petite bourgeouis, keeping up with the "smart" people desire for acceptance or "what should I worry about today that has absolutely no effect on my life?" news junkie syndrome.
anigbrowl 14y ago
I can't upvote this enough.
MrMan 14y ago
If HN understood this article they would have buried it by now.
ktizo 14y ago
And so here's a comment on the internet about the article on the internet that is about the articles on the internet that are reposted on the internet that was reposted on the internet. this post has been brought to you by the court of King Caracticus and the letter 'j'
frasertimo 14y ago
I don't think we need to get all defensive about this. Yes we overtweet, share, retweet, 'like', etc, and we love how self-aware we all are. Good point, Teddy Wayne. Now, what suggestion do you have as an alternative to offer? Ah, I thought so.
jchrisa 14y ago
I was hoping this was written by machine.
- dredmorbius 14y ago
  Wait ... is that in reference to the article ... or your own post ;-)
mekazu 14y ago
May 14, 2012? Am I in the future now?
- klez 14y ago
  I think it's the date of the printed edition of the magazine.
jballanc 14y ago
I can't help but feel that the author could've saved himself the time and effort and just posted a link to the Wikipedia page for the "Tragedy of the Commons" instead. Here, I'll help: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons

93 points by dwynings 14y ago

It used to be that the vast majority of media was controlled and shaped by very few people. The internet is gradually changing that. It's a pretty big deal. The internet is simultaneously an incredibly powerful publishing/distribution platform, and an incredibly powerful consumption channel. So, take the title: > I’m an Article About the Internet That You Repost on the Internet It could be said, "I’m an Article About [Internet Consumption] That's [Published and Distributed on the Internet]" Which suddenly comes across a lot less witty and clever. Yeah, the internet is a big deal. People are going to keep talking about it. And the trivial noise? That was around before the internet; it's just no longer in the hands of a select few publishers/distributors.

deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
laconian 14y ago
It's not critical about publishing on the Internet. The article is about Internet publishers' obsessive infatuation about the meta aspects of Internet publishing. I think your reply is a good exhibit on that subject.
- dmckeon 14y ago
  Old media discovers internet feedback, becomes introspective, publishes introspection. Perhaps the self-referential pieces begin to reach past introspection? Here are some others: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/the-lay-scientist/2010/sep/24/1 http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/the-lay-scientist/2010/sep... This is a news website article about a scientific finding http://faultline.org/index.php/site/item/incendiary/ http://faultline.org/index.php/site/item/incendiary/ This is the title of a typical incendiary blog post https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtGSXMuWMR4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtGSXMuWMR4 How To Report The News

joejohnson 14y ago

I wonder if Teddy Wayne could have requested that this article be posted without all of the Tweet/Like/etc at the top. The inclusion of these buttons both hurts the point that he's making while ironically explaining why online media has become such a vacuous echo chamber.

spacemanaki 14y ago
Note, for those that don't know, that this will appear in the print edition of the magazine that is on its way to mailboxes and newsstands everywhere, so maybe the point would be hurt less in print. Maybe it would be funnier in print too, although I kind of doubt that. Shouts & Murmurs is very rarely funny.
FuzzyDunlop 14y ago
How many people will have read it and decided not to use those buttons for some fear of proving the article's point? > Just post me and pretend like you personally did something good. When’s the last time you volunteered or even gave money to a homeless person Ideally, this would be a really cynical comment. Sadly, it is not.

spinchange 14y ago

Here's the real meta/synecdoche subtext: >oh, Jesus, I once had dreams of being a Pulitzer-winning series about Congo. How did I end up on the bullshit-tech-story beat?

ruedaminute 14y ago

hee. I do wonder just how much innovation is being stifled in terms of time-wasting and demoralization by the hype-machine. I don't mind articles about apps or new techs, but I'm about getting my fill of the incessant stream of news about funding, VCs, i.e. the "business" of startups...and that's not to mention the umpteenth post about how your startup isn't lean enough if you don't validate your idea or do A/B testing.

Tossrock 14y ago

I am reminded of a comment tree I participated in back on Reddit several years ago [1]. I guess at a certain size all organizations have to have a meta discussion about themselves. [1] http://www.reddit.com/r/WTF/comments/9j8vh/i_was_at_work_the_other_night_when_i_ran_across/c0czm9m http://www.reddit.com/r/WTF/comments/9j8vh/i_was_at_work_the...

dsr_ 14y ago

This is the title of this story, which is also found several times in the story itself. http://consc.net/misc/moser.html http://consc.net/misc/moser.html (It's been said before.)

dredmorbius 14y ago
This is a sentence. That fragments. Useful device.

thespin 14y ago

I'm a Journalist Trying To Come To Grips With Technology That Is Making My Profession Irrelevant

par 14y ago
Exactly
tatsuke95 14y ago
Technology is making good journalism irrelevant only to those who have no attention span or don't read. The internet crushed distribution, but nowhere has it eliminated the demand for great writing. If anything, that need is greater now than ever.
- thespin 14y ago
  True, especially the part about the need for great writing. Unfortunately, re: your first point, that's a large audience, one which advertisers are happy to target. And I'm not sure good journalism was ever relevant to those with short attention spans or who don't read. However those folks have always been relevant to advertisers. Advertisers are not going to save good journalism. Maybe good writers must do it, and maybe only for the love of writing. Cost of distribution: zilch.
- Apocryphon 14y ago
  Unfortunately, the internet is also crushing attention spans.
- Tsagadai 14y ago
  I can't agree with you more than I do. Good writing and journalism is more important than ever but it is completely missing. Blogs are mostly crap, successful online news generally consists of fluff pieces and most actual news is repeated and retold to the point of being a muffled meme. Page view driven journalism is taking us down a dark path. I would not be surprised if George Takei and Ashton Kutcher are the premier sources of online information for most people in 5 years. Good writing is not required for a large number of page views.

narrator 14y ago

I really like that the low brow look-at-my-cute-cat culture is taking over. You see, culture should travel up too. All this "hi-brow" stuff is just manipulation or rehashed manipulation and narrative control coming down from the even "higher brow" newspapers, research institutes and political organizations. Most people wouldn't give a crap about most of it if it wasn't for their petite bourgeouis, keeping up with the "smart" people desire for acceptance or "what should I worry about today that has absolutely no effect on my life?" news junkie syndrome.

anigbrowl 14y ago

I can't upvote this enough.

MrMan 14y ago

If HN understood this article they would have buried it by now.

ktizo 14y ago

And so here's a comment on the internet about the article on the internet that is about the articles on the internet that are reposted on the internet that was reposted on the internet. this post has been brought to you by the court of King Caracticus and the letter 'j'

frasertimo 14y ago

I don't think we need to get all defensive about this. Yes we overtweet, share, retweet, 'like', etc, and we love how self-aware we all are. Good point, Teddy Wayne. Now, what suggestion do you have as an alternative to offer? Ah, I thought so.

jchrisa 14y ago

I was hoping this was written by machine.

dredmorbius 14y ago
Wait ... is that in reference to the article ... or your own post ;-)

mekazu 14y ago

May 14, 2012? Am I in the future now?

klez 14y ago
I think it's the date of the printed edition of the magazine.

jballanc 14y ago

I can't help but feel that the author could've saved himself the time and effort and just posted a link to the Wikipedia page for the "Tragedy of the Commons" instead. Here, I'll help: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons