Tag Archives: Media

The death of everything!

Posted on June 19, 2010 | 4 Comments

I am getting a little tired of reading blog posts and articles proclaiming the “death of this” and the “end of that.” Just a quick Google search turns up the death of beer (The Atlantic), the death of fiction (Mother Jones), the death of the open web (New York Times — actually an article I liked), the end of men (The Atlantic again), the end of the best friend (New York Times again) and the death of the Internet (quite ironic for a video posted on YouTube). Other things rumored to be dead or dying: newspapers, science fiction, the novel, print books and my sense of humor.

This hyperbole makes me weary. It is not really appropriate to proclaim the death of anything until you have actually viewed the corpse. But I often find that articles making such proclamations have very little in the way of real evidence to back up their predictions. Instead, they tend to reach for the worst conclusions based on scant evidence and overblown fears. I’m ashamed of these fine publications for succumbing to wild speculation just to bring in readers.

From now on, I will refuse to read an article that proclaims the death or the end of anything, unless it’s an obituary for an actual living being. I want to read about life, not death.

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Posted in Random Rants

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Quality content is not free: The New York Times to start charging online

Posted on January 22, 2010 | 1 Comment

Much ado has been made about the New York Times‘ recent decision to charge for online content via a metered system. (We already consider the Times’ content worth paying for and subscribe to the print version, so we are not affected.)

I don’t think the Times has a choice in the matter. The Times is one of the highest quality sources available to us for accurate news and information and informed opinion, and quality costs money. Investigating, reporting, writing and editing are all professions that deserve compensation, and it is not realistic to expect the Times to fully support itself through advertising. I place more faith in subscription-supported content anyway.

The online version of the newspaper brings a lot of value that you don’t get from the paper itself, such as up-to-the-minute analysis of breaking news, specialized blogs and photo essays. The Times is all over Twitter, keeping me informed as stuff happens. This all requires extra effort, and online advertising just isn’t as lucrative as subscription advertising is, which has a known “eyeball” number and demographics.

Internet content has been free for so long that we users have come to think that we’re somehow entitled to have it all for free. I think this is the source of much of the anger directed at the Times for their entirely reasonable decision. If what the Times produces is worth our support, then we should kick in, though. It is not fair to ask the thousands of professionals who work there to not be paid fairly for their efforts. None of us would accept that, so why should they?

What we have to consider is the value that the New York Times and other members of the press offer us. If we value a trustworthy source of information about the activities of government, corporations and other institutions that affect our everyday lives, then we need to make sure that they stay accessible, unbiased and thoroughly vetted. It doesn’t seem too much to ask to kick in something to support those values.

If you don’t value those things, then broadcast TV news is still free, last time I checked.

A New York Times columnist breaks down the metered subscription proposal. My husband also has some thoughtful things to say on this. Go to MetaFilter for a variety of other opinions, mostly negative.

Here’s how the New York Times brings value online:

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Posted in Reactions

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The post-apocalypse fantasy…

Posted on December 9, 2009 | 2 Comments

Why do we enjoy imagining such a horrific event as the demise of most of humankind? We never seem to tire of books, movies, TV shows and music about the post-apocalypse. While not many of us would like actually experiencing the apocalypse, imagining it is a cathartic fantasy.

Who hasn’t fantasized about starting all over again from a completely clean slate? Walking away from your family, friends and stuff, moving to a new place, perhaps even changing your identity. Just starting from zero. The post-apocalypse is that fantasy writ large. It’s not just you starting over, it’s the whole human race.

Also, the apocalypse provides a neat solution to the overwhelming problems that face us today. Such issues as climate change, overpopulation, scarce resources, poverty, epidemics and never-ending violence are overwhelming to us as individuals, when we feel we can’t do much about these global problems. The apocalypse — usually caused in some way by these problems — is also the universal solution to them. In one fell swoop, the number of people is reduced to a manageable number. No more climate change because no more pollution. And unless they were destroyed in the event, resources become plentiful. Depending on who is killed off, such pervasive problems as violence and even disease might be ended. Humanity gets the chance to start over and not make the same mistakes this time.

Finally, the post-apocalypse is an individual fantasy of the ultimate challenge. What would I do if the world ended and I survived? How would I react? How would I deal with the new problems I would have? Would raising my own food be a better deal than having to go to a soul-sucking job at an office every day? (Perhaps.) It’s the greatest “what if” situation, one we may never get tired of contemplating.

As is the norm, I’m sure that if the apocalypse actually did occur, it would be both nothing like and very similar to what we’ve already imagined it to be.

The Boston Globe also has an article wondering why we are so fascinated with the apocalypse in books and movies. It gives a bit of a retrospective of the apocalypse envisioned in film over the years.

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Posted in Notebook

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