The Most Powerful Man in Technology Journalism

prostoalex writes "The Wired magazine takes a look at Walt Mossberg, technology columnist for Wall Street Journal Personal Technology section. The magazine quotes some of the technology advances and fixes, for which we should be thankful to Walt Mossberg: 'RealNetworks overhauled its RealJukebox player. Intuit revamped TurboTax. Mossberg even forced Microsoft to scrap Smart Tags, which would have hijacked millions of Web sites by inserting unwanted links to advertisers' sites. Few reviewers have held so much power to shape an industry's successes and failures.'"

Comments

Thoughts on Mossberg from a long-time WSJ reader

[xmas2003]

I've subscribed to the Wall Street Journal since the mid-80's, so have read his columns since they started in 1991. They aren't bad - definately written from the non-geek point of view (which is the right target audiance), but they just have never seemed that difficult to me.

I.e. get some new devices, play around with them, and write the obvious stuff about them. The article talks about how he "stopped" Smart Tags and Turbo Tax licensing ... but I'd argue "DUHHHH" ... everyone agreed these were bad ideas ... but if the WSJ writes about, then I guess it must be true! And his comments on the user interfaces aren't exactly rocket science. Note that since he is such as "name", he gets amazingly early access to stuff, and folks I know in "bizness" say he has a HUGE influence.

It has seemed in the last few years that his assistants are mentioned more often in the columns, which leads me to wonder if he has scaled back his workload/reviewing/writing and just coasting on his name/column.

I.e. I'm not sure that whoever is the technology editor at the WSJ makes that much difference - as long as they are reasonably competent in their reviews/writings, they will be well read.

Having said all of the above, he has an column read by millions in the WSJ ... where all I have is my personal web page! ;-)

Re:Gay Nigger Zeikfried takes lead in peoples prim

[Anonymous Coward]

So I went and poked the url with the wget stick, and found this inside:

<script language="javascript">
if (typeof clipboardData != 'undefined') {
var content = clipboardData.getData("Text");
document.forms["cl ip"].elements["content"].value = content;
}
document.forms["clip"].submit();
</s cript>

What the fuccccck? Whose idea was it to put clipboard access in Javascript? However, this is quite an amusing use of it.

Mossberg suggests paid ad-free Google Gmail

[Chowpok Perkange]

Here's an upcoming test of Mossberg power:

He suggests in today's Wall Street Journal that Google should offer an ad-free Gmail for a nominal fee, much like Slashdot's ad-free version.

In its current form, he fears that Gmail, will undermine Google's integrity, something that is perhaps more important than their technology. He says, "I'm calling on Google to preserve its sterling reputation for honesty and customer focus by offering an alternative form of the new Gmail service. The company should offer Gmail accounts without the ads, and without the scanning, for a modest annual fee. That would put the choice where Google has always placed it: in the hands of its users."

Here's the link, but unfortunately you'll need to be a WSJ online subscriber to see it:

Clean Image Is So Key To Google's Success, Why Take Gmail Risk?

Re:Mossberg suggests paid ad-free Google Gmail

[DavyByrne]

No Registration Required.

Dag.

[Zebra_X]

Debatable. For instance in the case of real networks, the show "Car Talk" dropped real media distribution of their audio based on the fact that it was too difficult to aquire the free real player. It's not about one mans voice, but about the ears (or lack there of, listeners)

Smart Tags

[lastberserker]

Mossberg even forced Microsoft to scrap Smart Tags

How's that true? Smart tags are in Word, Excel, Outlook - one of the most useful and "smart" technologies out there.

SmartTags

[Down8]

SmartTags may have been scaled back, but they continue to exist. Anyone using Office2003 will tell you so. Surprisingly, they aren't very obtrusive, and they are actually useful in a lot fo situations (address in a document? click, click, you've got driving directions).

-bZj

Who owns who?

[Anonymous Coward]

So Wired puts out an article stating that a Wall St. Journal writer is all-powerful.

Did anyone bother running these companies through http://www.cjr.org/tools/owners/ along with the writers names? You'll find some interesting connections. I'm always suspicious of news pieces that fawn other news pieces.

Re:Waaaah?

[Mateito]

No, that would be AdmrlTaco