3 ms·

Gina Trapani! That's a name I haven't heard in a long time and at first couldn't place correctly -- for some reason, my mind went to Groklaw, but Lifehacker was

by pronik 2y ago

Gina Trapani! That's a name I haven't heard in a long time and at first couldn't place correctly -- for some reason, my mind went to Groklaw, but Lifehacker was the correct answer. Maybe I'm idolizing my own youth and its associated available free time just a tiny bit and I can't actually believe it's been 20 years, but those felt like good times, Web 2.0 with its focus on communication instead of publishing, with Slashdot up top for tech news, Lifehacker, Engadget and many other sites not yet owned by big corporations feeling fresh and bearing individual flair, making you feel being a part of something. A rare feeling in modern times.

sneak 2y ago
There are still tons of websites (more now than ever) not owned by gigantic corporations. It's not their fault that you and the masses mostly stopped going to them in favor of facebook and twitter and instagram and, of course, apps. (You're on one right now, naturally.) I get the same feeling when people say "RSS is dead". I read dozens of websites via RSS and my RSS reader still works fine. Very few blogs I want to read don't support RSS.
- unmotivated-hmn 2y ago
  Could you share a few that you frequent? I'd love to read!
- kqr 2y ago
  This happens with programming languages also. Lots of people cry "Perl is dead" because its market share is decreasing. But its absolute user count is increasing! It's not a competition for a limited size of pie; the pie is still growing at a frightening pace, along with all its pieces.
  - OccamsMirror 2y ago
    Although there used to be a time you could be a "successful blogger" and make enough money from advertising that you could focus on it full time. Those days are long behind us.
    - darkwater 2y ago
      Those days brought us to successful blogs/websites to be acquired by bigger corp and then enshittified. Moreover, what used to be a successful blogger is now a successful YouTuber, no? Because generally speaking, masses prefer to watch and listen to things rather then read.
      - OccamsMirror 2y ago
        Or maybe a successful Substack author?
    - bookofjoe 2y ago
      There are a few, such as https://kottke.org/ https://kottke.org/ (started in 1998)
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- pronik 2y ago
  I'm firmly on the RSS bandwagon though. The shift comes from much more limited time and I need to filter what I can use it for.
- linhns 2y ago
  Actually, it’s making a comeback now somewhat, thanks to the inherent capability to filter and select only wanted content and weed out the noise in this world.
tuananh 2y ago
ah that's it. i remember the name from when lifehacker was still popular.
sircastor 2y ago
I did the same thing! For me though it was a bunch podcasts she was on.
- jedsundwall 2y ago
  She was just on my podcast! https://techsontexts.net/episodes/2025/01/zevin-gina-trapani/ https://techsontexts.net/episodes/2025/01/zevin-gina-trapani... She's the best. :)
tushar-r 2y ago
Haha, I was thinking about her and the old Lifehacker just this last week! :-)
Semaphor 2y ago
I loved the old LH when she ran it (and a short time after, before it became fully enshittified). Still have a Steelcase Leap chair, which was the usual runner-up to the Herman Miller Aeron in their office chair votes.

by pronik 2y ago

sneak 2y ago

There are still tons of websites (more now than ever) not owned by gigantic corporations. It's not their fault that you and the masses mostly stopped going to them in favor of facebook and twitter and instagram and, of course, apps. (You're on one right now, naturally.) I get the same feeling when people say "RSS is dead". I read dozens of websites via RSS and my RSS reader still works fine. Very few blogs I want to read don't support RSS.

unmotivated-hmn 2y ago
Could you share a few that you frequent? I'd love to read!
kqr 2y ago
This happens with programming languages also. Lots of people cry "Perl is dead" because its market share is decreasing. But its absolute user count is increasing! It's not a competition for a limited size of pie; the pie is still growing at a frightening pace, along with all its pieces.
- OccamsMirror 2y ago
  Although there used to be a time you could be a "successful blogger" and make enough money from advertising that you could focus on it full time. Those days are long behind us.
  - darkwater 2y ago
    Those days brought us to successful blogs/websites to be acquired by bigger corp and then enshittified. Moreover, what used to be a successful blogger is now a successful YouTuber, no? Because generally speaking, masses prefer to watch and listen to things rather then read.
    - OccamsMirror 2y ago
      Or maybe a successful Substack author?
  - bookofjoe 2y ago
    There are a few, such as https://kottke.org/ https://kottke.org/ (started in 1998)
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
pronik 2y ago
I'm firmly on the RSS bandwagon though. The shift comes from much more limited time and I need to filter what I can use it for.
linhns 2y ago
Actually, it’s making a comeback now somewhat, thanks to the inherent capability to filter and select only wanted content and weed out the noise in this world.

tuananh 2y ago

ah that's it. i remember the name from when lifehacker was still popular.

sircastor 2y ago

I did the same thing! For me though it was a bunch podcasts she was on.

jedsundwall 2y ago
She was just on my podcast! https://techsontexts.net/episodes/2025/01/zevin-gina-trapani/ https://techsontexts.net/episodes/2025/01/zevin-gina-trapani... She's the best. :)

tushar-r 2y ago

Haha, I was thinking about her and the old Lifehacker just this last week! :-)

Semaphor 2y ago

I loved the old LH when she ran it (and a short time after, before it became fully enshittified). Still have a Steelcase Leap chair, which was the usual runner-up to the Herman Miller Aeron in their office chair votes.