Agreed. I liked TD for its dispassionate explanation of legal issues, but now the writing is sloppy and the editorial is only interested in the President-Elect.
Driving up viewer/clicker numbers necessitates widening the focus of the site, eventually into a blur.
The magic of the internet forum is its ability to provide a focus. I have no interest in visiting a site for social reasons; my life, neighbors, and job more than fulfill that appetite. I visit TD for knowledge. Some of the writers are very focused, others have a 60/40 mix of opinion/fact.
In all cases, TD is one of the pleasant few sites that is not distracted by its reflection in the mirror.
1. The romantic viewpoint that the Internet is the 1997 freedom inspired outlay to society is patently outdated and wrong. Most of it has evolved into a commercial necessity no different than any city main street or highway. While no site should be mandated to deny anonymity, it would be in Amazon's best interest to force real names. Amazon is a business first. Let trolls open up their own domains and anonymously kvetch about anything they want, all they want, but stop clogging up commercial thoroughfares.
2. The stats are wrong. "For every Hotstud77" there is a "someone.. to add something useful" is nonsense. There are thousands of Hotstuds per "someone.. useful" and their numbers make the forum unusable. Additionally, if the "useful someone" is unable to reveal themselves then their usefulness is questionable. Their name is their ethos and by extension the usefulness of the comment.
Anonymity is not cowardice, but I don’t know of any true revolutionary that did not boldly paint their cause with their real face and name.
IMHO
Techdirt has not posted any stories submitted by WDF.
Re:
TD seems lost.
Agreed
The magic of the internet forum is its ability to provide a focus. I have no interest in visiting a site for social reasons; my life, neighbors, and job more than fulfill that appetite. I visit TD for knowledge. Some of the writers are very focused, others have a 60/40 mix of opinion/fact.
In all cases, TD is one of the pleasant few sites that is not distracted by its reflection in the mirror.
Anne Rice Comment (as Dan Felix)
1. The romantic viewpoint that the Internet is the 1997 freedom inspired outlay to society is patently outdated and wrong. Most of it has evolved into a commercial necessity no different than any city main street or highway. While no site should be mandated to deny anonymity, it would be in Amazon's best interest to force real names. Amazon is a business first. Let trolls open up their own domains and anonymously kvetch about anything they want, all they want, but stop clogging up commercial thoroughfares.
2. The stats are wrong. "For every Hotstud77" there is a "someone.. to add something useful" is nonsense. There are thousands of Hotstuds per "someone.. useful" and their numbers make the forum unusable. Additionally, if the "useful someone" is unable to reveal themselves then their usefulness is questionable. Their name is their ethos and by extension the usefulness of the comment.
Anonymity is not cowardice, but I don’t know of any true revolutionary that did not boldly paint their cause with their real face and name.
IMHO
Techdirt has not posted any stories submitted by WDF.
Submit a story now.
Tools & Services
TwitterFacebook
RSS
Podcast
Research & Reports
Company
About UsAdvertising Policies
Privacy
Contact
Help & FeedbackMedia Kit
Sponsor/Advertise
Submit a Story
More
Copia InstituteInsider Shop
Support Techdirt