The day this was announced, I was interviewed by a local news channel for an "expert" opinion. I rebundled Mike's logic--presented here at that time--in my interview.
They were looking for something more purient than section 230, I think. They didn't use very much of what I said.
Interesting cafe metaphor, but the site I am watching is www.everyblock.com. It was recently purchased by MSNBC.
EveryBlock scrapes public databases (crimes, real estate sales, restaurant inspections), and some private databases (restaurant reviews) in a one, three, and eight block circumferance of a requested location in a dozen or so major US cities.
If my guess is right, MSNBC has much greater plans for EveryBlock. I picture it as one vision of the newspaper of the future.
Imagine
1. EveryBlock expands to all of the US and, in time, all of the world (where there is a friendly government that permits it);
2. MS/Bing scrapes all geo-tagged web informaiton for use in EveryBlock so a reader has access to news and much more than the databases currently delivered;
3. EveryBlock enables user posting (citizen journalism). So neighbors can post (and comment on) restaurant reviews, hood happenings, school news, etc.
If MSNBC plays this right, EveryBlock could be the next big thing (a la Facebook, Craigslist, etc.) The engine and concept are that strong.
Great that the Plain Dealer has found community. Eric Zorn from the Chicago Tribune has been engaging readers on his Tribune blog for five or so years already.
Not just bloggers. Expect every premium AP story to be Twittered about immediately. You don't get the AP content, but you know it is happening - and someone else out there must be reporting it too.
Or Linden Lab could have licensed use of the Mark to the wiki for a very nominal fee (say $1) and an explicit statement at the wiki that it is a licensed Mark.
Mark is protected from the generic argument, and a useful tool guiding people to use the LL product is encouraged.
I developed a group process about 15 years ago for large group collaborative writing. I've taken a group of 12 people and led them through this process to write a 150 page book in less than a week.
I've tried to show this process to text publishers (in tech fields) thinking that getting a book to market faster would be a good thing. But it is so different than their standard way of thinking about author/editor/publisher relationships I haven't gotten anyone to bite off even attempting it.
It strikes me, though, that the wave of the future is multiple authored texts (can you say crowd sourcing?) produced over a short period of time.
Independent of this, of course, the wave of the future is a digital delivery mechanism that might even make continuous upgrading of content possible.
I had the same experience (list of names during jury selection) a few years ago. My father was disqualified once as my sister had dated one of the attorney's involved. [I asked my father which way that would have predisposed him; he didn't answer.]
I am not a lawyer, but it strikes me that all of the acts not in the top 200 would have a pretty strong class action suit against ASCAP and BMI. And if they pulled off that suit (without an early settlement) they would do some real damage to the current royalties structure.
They aren't saying that ad payments will result in editorial content. What they are saying is that they aren't going to invest (much) money in editorial content, so if candidates want to get their names out there, they have to buy advertising to do it.
While this may not be a great journalism advancing the usefulness of this weekly paper to its community, there is nothing ethically wrong in deciding not to cover a particular type of news.
Not much in it for a court to side with a child killer over free speech when the lawyer is simply trying to intimidate.
Oh, and note to the lawyer (who is probably reading this): Just because I called your client a child killer instead of an alleged child killer doesn't mean I have any personal knowledge of the case.
This (the legalese issue) is why I don't bother reading EULAs.
I have come to realize that I am not going to understand the contract anyway.
And what I mean by that isn't that I am not going to understand English. Rather, I am not going to be able to parse the word choices the lawyer made, and relate those word choices back to the civil law to know the implications of the word choices.
So, there is no way for me to make an informed decision anyway. Why bother reading?
"Those people will be asked to pay something, typically getting a big discount if they already have a print subscription"
I love newspapers; I read two to three every day on dead trees; I studied journalism in college.
Right now my only paid subscription is to the Chicago Tribune. If the Trib required me to pay *extra* for access to their website when I am already one of the dwindling few giving them a regular subscriber revenue stream, that would be the end of my subscription.
As much as I love features in the Trib, there are way too many similar options for free on the web. As much as I love several of the regular writers in the Trib, if they shut me off from those writers on the web, I know of many more I like I just don't have time to read right now. As much as I love to have paper in my hands on the train and in the coffeehouse, I have a printer at my PC to print out some puzzles - and my Blackberry news/RSS/games options are getting better all the time.
The one thing a full universe of paid newspaper subscriptions (if they can pull it off without some papers leaking) MIGHT do is drive me to buy a Kindle.
On the post: Bad Idea Central: Toyota Sued After Viral Marketing Attempt Convinced Woman She Was Being Stalked
Re:
What in the name of ANYTHING does this have to do with convincing the customer to BUY A TOYOTA?
Does anyone have a clue as to how they think this will help them sell cars?
On the post: Court Teaches Cook County Sheriff About Section 230, Dismisses Case Against Craigslist
waste of time
They were looking for something more purient than section 230, I think. They didn't use very much of what I said.
On the post: Future Of News? Newsroom As A Cafe
EveryBlock
EveryBlock scrapes public databases (crimes, real estate sales, restaurant inspections), and some private databases (restaurant reviews) in a one, three, and eight block circumferance of a requested location in a dozen or so major US cities.
If my guess is right, MSNBC has much greater plans for EveryBlock. I picture it as one vision of the newspaper of the future.
Imagine
1. EveryBlock expands to all of the US and, in time, all of the world (where there is a friendly government that permits it);
2. MS/Bing scrapes all geo-tagged web informaiton for use in EveryBlock so a reader has access to news and much more than the databases currently delivered;
3. EveryBlock enables user posting (citizen journalism). So neighbors can post (and comment on) restaurant reviews, hood happenings, school news, etc.
If MSNBC plays this right, EveryBlock could be the next big thing (a la Facebook, Craigslist, etc.) The engine and concept are that strong.
On the post: It's 2009 And Newspapers Are Just Now Realizing That Reporters Should Interact With Their Communities?
Check out Eric Zorn
On the post: Another Court Tells Newspaper, Comcast To Reveal Identity Of Anonymous Commenters
More on the story
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-buffalo-grove-web-fightoct14,0,4615421.story
On the post: Senegal President Wants Royalty On Tourist Trap He Built
On the post: AP Wants To Charge For Scoops
Re:
On the post: Linden Lab Gets Legal With Helpful Resource On Using Second Life For Education
or it could have been a win win
Mark is protected from the generic argument, and a useful tool guiding people to use the LL product is encouraged.
On the post: Maybe Failing Faster Is Really The Way To Go
This is easy to do, if done right
I've tried to show this process to text publishers (in tech fields) thinking that getting a book to market faster would be a good thing. But it is so different than their standard way of thinking about author/editor/publisher relationships I haven't gotten anyone to bite off even attempting it.
It strikes me, though, that the wave of the future is multiple authored texts (can you say crowd sourcing?) produced over a short period of time.
Independent of this, of course, the wave of the future is a digital delivery mechanism that might even make continuous upgrading of content possible.
On the post: Really @NHL? Is It Necessary To Fill The Whole Background With Legalese?
Even Archimedes had principles!
Question: trisect an angle using only a compass and straight edge, and prove your answer correct.
On the post: Googling Juror Leads To Verdict Being Overturned
Re: Standard Procedure?
On the post: How Performing Rights Groups Funnel Money To Top Acts And Ignore Smaller Acts
class action?
On the post: Glenn Beck Didn't Rape And Murder Anyone... But He Doesn't Want Websites Discussing It
pot is hoisting the kettle by its own black petard
I love that he can't win for denying and he can't win for not denying. This is *so* Karl Rove.
On the post: Newspaper Proudly Announces It Will Only Cover Political Candidates Who Buy Ads
This is not a big deal; move along here
While this may not be a great journalism advancing the usefulness of this weekly paper to its community, there is nothing ethically wrong in deciding not to cover a particular type of news.
On the post: Lawyers For Guy Charged In Death Of 4 Year Old, Demanding IDs Of 300 Newspaper Commenters
Courts will agree
Oh, and note to the lawyer (who is probably reading this): Just because I called your client a child killer instead of an alleged child killer doesn't mean I have any personal knowledge of the case.
On the post: Hyperlinked Contract Terms Are Enforceable
Re:
I have come to realize that I am not going to understand the contract anyway.
And what I mean by that isn't that I am not going to understand English. Rather, I am not going to be able to parse the word choices the lawyer made, and relate those word choices back to the civil law to know the implications of the word choices.
So, there is no way for me to make an informed decision anyway. Why bother reading?
On the post: Is The Kindle's Antisocial Nature Holding It Back?
good insight
On the post: Brill Gets More Delusional: Now Thinks 10 to 15% Of Online Newspaper Readers Will Pay
Re: Re: It's about price and convenience.
Damn that Amazon one click patent! :-)
On the post: Brill Gets More Delusional: Now Thinks 10 to 15% Of Online Newspaper Readers Will Pay
I'm not paying
I love newspapers; I read two to three every day on dead trees; I studied journalism in college.
Right now my only paid subscription is to the Chicago Tribune. If the Trib required me to pay *extra* for access to their website when I am already one of the dwindling few giving them a regular subscriber revenue stream, that would be the end of my subscription.
As much as I love features in the Trib, there are way too many similar options for free on the web. As much as I love several of the regular writers in the Trib, if they shut me off from those writers on the web, I know of many more I like I just don't have time to read right now. As much as I love to have paper in my hands on the train and in the coffeehouse, I have a printer at my PC to print out some puzzles - and my Blackberry news/RSS/games options are getting better all the time.
The one thing a full universe of paid newspaper subscriptions (if they can pull it off without some papers leaking) MIGHT do is drive me to buy a Kindle.
On the post: Court Dismisses Case Against Yahoo From Woman Upset How She Appeared In Results
That was such a "Stayart"
Let's see how she reacts to that!
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