The Union Tribune wants to play the blogger game too, audaciously calling it “U-T Opinion Online: America’s Finest Blog.“ HAH! According to the announcement in the paper, readers should expect “thoughtful, irreverent, snarky, offbeat and sharp elbowed takes from Union-Tribune eidtorial writer Chris Reed.” Bla bla bla…
Comments will only be posted if deemed to be “the best counterattacks. (Please no profanity)” and Reed has a penchant for proper journalese (no snarky comments that I could find) so I’m not really sure what the point of this blog is. Doesn’t the UT already have an Opinion section? Is this an attempt to find a younger, hipper demographic for the paper? All I can say, is “yawn”.
Joe, we want to have a new large headshot of you with a similar “deer in the headlights” expression, prominently displayed at the top of the SDB sidebar.
Now that’s the kind of comments I’m talkin’ about! LOL!!
Heh heh.
The UT has been blogging for a little while, since 2003 or so. How successfully, well, I dunno. They’re trying, and they do have RSS as well, since 2004.
But yes, maybe we need to have more frightening/frightened mugshots on the site.
My vote: Not a blog.
This sounds pathetic. The concept of the author only posting “the sharpest responses” is a sad attempt to continue the paper tradition of controlling what the public sees. The cultural economics of the blog comes out of transparency. As someone once said, “If you’re gonna be naked, you better be buff.” Holding back comments proves he’s got something to hide.
The U.T. is trying to reach the younger audience with their entertainment section, but City Beat’s already there. Why isn’t City Beat blogging?
I like how there are javascript errors all over America’s Finest Blog. I grabbed a screen shot and uploaded it in case they fix it. http://www.flickr.com/photos/36413894@N00/110254058/
I like how you can’t leave comments, very Web 2.0. The subtitle should be “Welcome to the discussion… now shut up!” A lot of people read blogs mainly for the comments to see what other people are writing, that’s not possible there.
Andersen Cooper has a blog, you can leave comments and he appears to actually read them. The UT and Voice of San Diego do not have blogs. They have websites adorned with four meaningless letters.
And so I say to the omnipotent pulp pushers: Let the people be heard! Though our blogs aren’t as “Fine” you might actually learn something.
Somehow I doubt they read blog comments but I just had to say something.
Oh by the way, the friendly guys at Craigslist are getting into the news business which should help speed the transition process (they’ve asked me to help test their beast) though, in my dank basement, late at night, I’ve been building an online newspaper killer. It’s an Ajax based website, kind of unorthodox, but I could use some help.
If you know databases and/or AJAX and want to see the prototype please drop me a line at mckirkusATyahooDOTcom.
Maybe it’s an attempt to spearhead more San Diego bloggers? I mean, we know LA bloggers are all over the map. But where are the San Diegan bloggers? Maybe they’re hoping to encourage more people to participate in the blogosphere?
My vote - still not a blog.
Where are San Diegan bloggers? how ’bout checkin’ out http://sandiegobloggers.com