Slashdot Mirror
Mainstream Media To Start "Crowdsourcing"
guanxi writes "Gannett, one of the largest newspaper publishers in the U.S., plans to change its newsrooms to utilize Crowdsourcing, a new term for something Slashdot readers have been familiar with for years: \From the article, they will 'use crowdsourcing methods to put readers to work as watchdogs, whistle-blowers and researchers in large, investigative features.' Last summer, the The News-Press in Fort Myers, Florida asked readers to help investigate a local scandal. The response was overwhelming: 'Readers spontaneously organized their own investigations: Retired engineers analyzed blueprints, accountants pored over balance sheets, and an inside whistle-blower leaked documents showing evidence of bid-rigging.' Public service isn't their only concern, of course: 'We've learned that no one wants to read a 400-column-inch investigative feature online. But when you make them a part of the process they get incredibly engaged.' Is this the beginning of a revolution at major media organizations? Can they successfully duplicate what online communities have been doing for years?"
It's old media trying to make themselves relevant in today's jargon-filled world. The term "crowdsourcing" is another excuse for the corporate owners to avoid putting money into investigation teams that take a hard look at society to knock over some apple carts, make readers want to buy their product, and win prizes for good old fashion journalism.
And you are the perfect example of the flaw in your approach.
This has EVERYTHING to do with Democracy. It isn't whether any person or group of people considers him/themselves to be "more informed". It matters whether they ARE more informed.
Democracy depends upon the participation of informed citizens. When you take away that "informed", Democracy fails. That is why every totalitarian government first cracks down on the media. It is not a coincidence.
But feel free to keep arguing that uninformed people make better decisions than informed people.
Considering the ultra-conservative bias that most of the Slashdotters here have, I can't see this being a good thing in popular media. The right have their fingers in all the pies right now and you can't move an inch without being blasted with right wing lies and propaganda. The left is being incredibly squelched and this mainly has to do with one thing: right wingers are cunning. Note smart, but cunning. They know how to game the system to their advantage regardless of how small their numbers may truly be. The left, on the other hand tend to be people who are more cerebral. They don't game the system to their advantage, they make the mistake of trying to use the system honestly and as it was intended to be. So applying the same kind of approach to big media news is going to result in the very vocal minority of right wingers having even more control and shaping the news to their fantasies, rather than the reality that we actually have to live in. After all... some of us lefties live in the fact based world which is apparently a bad thing.
Add to this the fact that most right wingers don't like to think or persue more in-depth analysis of a topic. They instead prefer a digest that feeds them more "facts" to support their flimsy beliefs. Lefties, on the other hand like to analyze things to death, possibly to the point where their conclusions no longer apply when they're done with the analysis. By the time the left has the real facts and answers, the issue is no longer an issue and it's likely that the "stupids" of America have bought into the fast food "news" that tells them what they want to hear. So again, from this perspective, I expect to see lots of "in-depth" coverage of a story that involves EXTREMELY biased "investigation" by the amateur pundits with an axe to grind. (ie, not much reality based news)
Let's face it everyone. America is lost and severly damaged and it's all thanks to the citizens who don't want to think for themselves and prefer sound bites to dissertations. It's all thanks to the populace getting dumber each year and just THINKING that they're smarter. It's all due to this huge push to keep the average person stupid and happy. After all, what's a few thousand American lives lost in Iraq for a war based on lies, when you're fat stinking American asshole has a big cushiony SUV to sit in and drive anywhere? Who cares if the elections in this country are being rigged to satisfy the needs of the people who REALLY have control (people with lots of money and they really don't care about Democrats or Republicans as long as they can keep making more money) when you can go home after sticking an icepick in your brain, err... pulling the levers for the wrong (ie. Republican) candidates and watch it all in video game fashion with slick graphics as Fox news tells you what's REALLY going on and it jibes with what you think reality is? Who cares if you aren't going to be able to leave or return to the U.S. without the appropriate clearance this coming January and likely for good, when you can watch that stock ticker on you PC and feel like you're some kind of financial maverick which somehow makes you untouchable? Yeah... who cares about anything that matters as long as "number 1" is looking OK?
Finally, as much as many of you assholes will brand me as some liberal or commie "nutjob", let me make something completely clear to you numbnuts on both major sides of the fence (and you whackjobs in the libertarian camp too even though you're stubborn idiots). There are currently two major parties: Republicans and Democrats. The alternate parties will NEVER win anything other than some small seats here and there so they aren't worth discussing unless the voting system changes drastically. But the REAL key here is that there are also voters (that's most of you who are in reality completely powerless as long as you aren't working together) and there are also politicians (that's the jerkoffs who want to control you) of each stripe. So just taking the two major parties (Repugnica
-"...bad old ideas look confusingly fresh when they are packaged as technology" - Jaron Lanier (Digital Maoism on Edge.o
"Considering the ultra-conservative bias that most of the Slashdotters here have"
Are you really serious? I've seen those on the left whine about right-wing conspiracies modding them down on Slashdot...and I've seen those on the right whine about left-wing conspiracies modding them down on Slashdot. I've also observed much of the modding behavior applied to overtly political comments: it goes equally both ways. Only a "nutjob" could see such bias in Slashdot. I did not brand you as one: your own conspiracy-theory comments did.
Where were you when the voynix came?
Regarding the use of the the standard English word "rechristened," you wrote:
It's remarkable how much Christian mythology is used in common language. Stop and think before you keep promoting Faith over Reason.
Right. We should always keep in mind the etymology of every word we use, avoiding any with ascientific roots. In the future, please refrain from using the words "goodbye," "soulful," "Wednesday," "Thursday," well all the days of the week really, maybe the months too, and heck, let's throw in "breakfast" (only religious extremists fast).
Or... we could just accept that the meanings of words change over time, and not try too hard to read an agenda or conspiracy into the use of common words that can in specific contexts denote a religious ceremony.
Apologies for feeding the troll.
I am the man with no sig!