Chris Pirillo » News

Are You Reading Fact or Fiction on Your Favorite Blog?

Chris Pirillo — Wed, 04 May 2011 02:29:04 +0000

It has now been nearly 48 hours since the world learned of the death of Usama Bin Laden at the hands of a United States soldier. There have been thousands upon thousands of blog posts and news stories written, dissecting every possible angle of this monumental story. Still more articles have been penned which do not even come close to anything resembling the truth. Speculation, conspiracy theories and outright lies have been printed on websites around the globe. The Internet is a fantastic place to get the news, there’s no doubt about it. But it is always accurate news you’re reading?

I cannot begin to tell you how many times in the past two days I have literally slapped a hand to my forehead, nor how often I have sighed very loudly while reading yet another far-fetched account of the events in Pakistan. The problem is that it’s not a simple matter of people having different opinions and viewpoints than you or I do. The issue is that too many people are focused on getting as much traffic as they can… and they don’t really care if they are printing actual facts. These types of people will say anything they can to suck you in. They love to tick you off, knowing you’ll link to their “journalistic piece” on their social networks in order to tell others how bad it is. That, of course, gains them even more traffic.

Earlier tonight, I happened to be browsing my way through recent stuff posted on our LockerGnome questions and answers site. I was reading a thread where people are debating whether or not the burial of Bin Laden was “proper.” An argument broke out when one person posted something absolutely ludicrous, claiming it to be a fact. When asked to back up his statement, he provided a link to an obscure blog that he favorites. Clicking through to read their article, my hand once again made contact with my head. (Note to self: invest in a forehead cushion!)

A quick ten-second Google search gave me the needed ammunition. Solid proof can be found on a website dedicated to the teachings of the Islamic religion. Which “facts” are you going to believe… those which came from a blogger who clearly doesn’t agree with something and hasn’t done his research or an official website of the religion itself?

Take everything you read online with a few grains of salt, even supposed news stories. Fiction abounds, my friends, as do people with less-than-honorable intentions. You also have to wade through rumors to determine what is real. Let’s not forget that the original stories about Bin Laden included the “fact” that he had been dead for a week. Unfortunately, there are many out there still holding on to that little tidbit as truth.

Just like when buying a product, do your research before accepting what you are reading as truth. Try to set aside your feelings and take the words in through an open mind before deciding whether the words on the page are facts.

Facebook Releasing Public Commenting System

Chris Pirillo — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 03:05:09 +0000

According to CNET, Facebook is set to unleash a new public commenting system in just a few weeks. This system is said to be set to roll out on some “major blogs and sites” as soon as it is officially ready. The same system is already being used on Facebook’s own blog, and it looks mighty nice.

Looking at the actual comment system on their blog, you can see how elegant it looks. You can post as yourself, or as a Page. If you hover over a person’s name, you will see how many comments they’ve left and what their “Like” percentage is. It’s unclear right now if these Like percentages are made up only of actual Likes, or if it’s a combination of Likes and how many times someone pushed the big red X in the comment.

An official (yet short) announcement out of the Facebook camp has very little to say:

Based on feedback from developers about ways to improve our existing comments plugin, we’re testing an updated plugin that leverages authenticity and social relevancy to increase distribution. We’re testing the plugin on our Facebook Blog and Developer Blog but have no further details to share at this time.

Note the words “authenticity” and “social relevancy.” For public sites and blogs who implement this commenting system, people are held more accountable. You will be leaving your pithy little messages under your actual name – the one you registered with on Facebook. No more hiding behind the handles “anonymous poster” or “concerned citizen” when leaving a trolling missive.

I see this as a fantastic step in a good direction. Other comment systems – such as Disqus – are likely not as optimistic, though.

Where Do You Read the News?

Chris Pirillo — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 11:50:57 +0000

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My dog, Wicket, decided to demonstrate how to use Google News. I figured I’d let him.

Wicket proved in a matter of seconds how easy it is to consume your news right within Google. You’re likely already using it as your search engine or home page on your desktop, laptop and mobile devices. Why not use it to find out what’s going on in the world around you, as well?

How do you find the news? Do you use a particular website or service to alert you? Where do you go to read up on the latest happenings around the globe?

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Digg Hires Editors to Bring You the News Faster

Chris Pirillo — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 05:11:14 +0000

Digg has always had trouble getting the hottest news to you as quickly as they would like. With the way things used to be done, it could take hours for users to submit a story and vote it up. From now on, there will be editors on staff to make sure headlines make it onto the site as quickly as possible.

“Starting today, Digg will add a breaking news/interesting stories module that will be managed and curated by Digg’s community team. This team will aggregate stories that they think should be on the Digg front page but haven’t garnered enough votes by the community yet. These curated modules will appear on the top right side of the Top News, My News and Upcoming pages.”

Do you think this move will make Digg more viable as a news source?

Don’t forget to stop by our software center to see what’s new today.

Twitter: Social Media or News Source?

Chris Pirillo — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 08:50:31 +0000

There have been a flurry of stories on the web today about Twitter and their new home page. I admit to being as excited as the next guy over the changes. The mini profiles, in-line media and new design are definitely worth talking about. However, it was a story on Read Write Web that captured my attention. Instead of simply regurgitating the same story about these changes, Sarah Perez began a discussion stemming from comments made by Kevin Thau during the press conference.

@kevinthau, Twitter’s VP for business and corporate development, stated emphatically that Twitter is not a social network. With those words, every person in attendance was momentarily shocked into silence. Confusion reigned supreme for a few seconds until Kevin continued: “Twitter is for news. Twitter is for content. Twitter is for information.”

Well, duh! We already knew this, right? Twitter is hands down the best and fastest way to obtain information and learn about breaking news these days:

Twitter is changing the very nature of news today. Journalists are sending their stories to Twitter and some are even publishing directly to Twitter. It’s also allowing everyday users to become journalists themselves by providing them with a simple mechanism to break news.

However, does that mean that we aren’t being social at the same time? Social media is about meeting people, making connections and sharing information. If that sharing of information just happens to be a breaking news story, does that make the Twitter mechanism any less social? It’s almost as though there are negative connotations being placed upon being social, and I don’t like that one bit. Can we not be serious while being social? Is it impossible to merge the social world with the newsworthy one?

As social media outlets continue to surface and we allow our connections to the world to grow, the very definition of the word social will continue to evolve. Sites such as Twitter and Facebook will become more important to us… we will turn there first when needing advice and opinions, when wanting to find out what is happening in the world and when hoping to gain other perspectives. It doesn’t matter if we are looking for breaking news stories or the hottest new disco club in the city. Social media is where we will figure out the answers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network

Photo credit to Read Write Web

Flipboard for the iPad – Free!

Chris Pirillo — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:34:09 +0000

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The other night my long-time friend Robert Scoble tweeted out a link about his interview with the CEO of the company that created the free Flipboard application. This app is the future of news distribution. It’s a beautiful mashup between social media connections as well as traditional and community sources. This, my friends, is the way I’m going to start navigating information that flows through all of the channels I am most interested in.

Flipboard takes news sources that YOU choose and mashes them together with your Twitter and Facebook feeds. It then provides you with a unique web experience. Maneuvering through the interface is as easy as flipping the page in a printed magazine. Things shared across Facebook are suddenly turned into articles in said magazine, and all of your multimedia is put right in front of your nose when you want it.

Right at the top, it shows me my Twitter lists. If I wanted to, I could add information from the various lists I have built into my Flipboard stream. There are some interesting “picks” that the app suggests for you to check out – which is a fantastic way to discover new types of content.

The only drawback I see thus far is being limited to only nine different sources. Hello! I’m a Geek. I need more information – not less! It was quite late when I recorded this video, so forgive me if I missed something somewhere. There may very well be a way to add more. I simply hadn’t found it as of the recording of this video.

Thanks so much to @scobleizer for sharing information about this app. This is by far the most amazing must-have app I’ve come across in a long time.

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Why are Digital Journalists Burning Out so Fast?

Chris Pirillo — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:44:57 +0000

An article in the New York Times today discusses the early burnout rate of journalists who work exclusively in online media formats. As I read the article, I could completely understand and empathize with every word in front of me. This is a cutthroat world we live in online. There are thousands of news outlets, all of which have to compete with each other to publish first and publish better. There are more places to read your news online than there are stories to digest. This equates to a niche that is so competitive we are seeing high turnover rates at many big-name media sites.

Google search ranking is the name of the game. If your story doesn’t rank up at the top, it may never be digested by anyone at all. You have to not only crank out articles the very nanosecond they hit the wire… you also much be conscious at all times of keywords, SEO and branding. Gone are the days of writing interesting articles and intensive investigative pieces for the Sunday edition. The world we live in demands to know everything about everyone – and they want to know it now.

Many companies track how many page views each article published on their site receives. Authors are paid (and/or given bonuses) based on these numbers. At Gawker Media’s offices in Manhattan, a flat-screen television mounted on the wall displays the 10 most-viewed articles across all Gawker’s Web sites. The author’s last name, along with the number of page views that hour and over all are prominently shown in real time on the screen, which Gawker has named the “big board.”

While this is an interesting way to attempt to reward and motivate writers, many feel that it is more of a “wall of shame.” If your name doesn’t appear on the board at all times, then you are regarded as not being “up to par.” The stress that these companies are placing on their staff is astronomical. I’ve heard from many of you out there who want to write for a living. There is so much talent and enthusiasm inside of you all. The problem is, I also have seen too many fresh-faced young journalists end up burned out and cynical before the ink on their degree has fully dried.

What are your thoughts? How do you feel we can begin to slow things down to a reasonable pace? Is it possible?

Is the New iPhone 4 Newsworthy?

Chris Pirillo — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 01:58:17 +0000

KING 5 News here in Seattle came knocking on my door this morning to get some live reactions to my new iPhone 4. After showing the long lines at the Apple store, they cut away to me standing in my front yard playing with my new toy. The reporter asked me how the new phone compares to previous versions before anything else.

The new iPhone 4 is faster, but the biggest difference is in the screen. While the two screens side-by-side may look the same, they definitely are not. There are four times as many pixels in the resolution of the iPhone 4 than in the 3GS model. That makes for crisp text and clear picture. Using FaceTime to talk to other iPhone 4 users is not only easy – it’s a beautiful experience thanks to this screen.

The biggest downside to the new phone is the display issue with the Retina display. Some phones that have yellow bands or spots on the screen will be replaced, according to Apple. There’s also a cosmetic defect on the phone… if you join your finger and bridge the gap between the two antenna your signal will drop to zero. Apple is reporting that this will be fixed with a software update. The entire perimeter of the iPhone 4 is an antenna. In the spot where there is a tiny gap, some type of short is made and your signal will simply fade to nothing in a snap.

This is my favorite phone by far. Apple controls the software and the hardware. How well the hardware works with the software is what makes something great. Even though other phones may have the same basic hardware, they don’t necessarily have the software to back it up. I will go back to that every single time. If the two don’t play nicely together, you’re going to have a horrible experience.

Thanks so much to the team at KING 5 for coming out to talk to me today.

USA Today Delivers News Right to Your iPad

Chris Pirillo — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 00:06:16 +0000

The USA Today is the top-selling print newspaper in the country. Today, they announced that the USA Today app for the iPad will be available beginning tomorrow. Access will be completely free until July 4th, thanks to Courtyard by Marriott. Once Independence Day has passed, the app will only be available by paying a subscription fee.

Newspaper officials say that the app will provide a rich news experience which include graphics and photos. Matt Jones, VP of mobile strategy and operations, said this morning: “Our team is very excited to see the launch of the USA TODAY app for iPad. With its sleek format and vivid touch screen, the iPad is the perfect device to display USA TODAY’s signature design and content. We think we’ve delivered a very high quality product and I can’t wait to see people explore and interact with our news and information in a whole new way.”

The popular paper has been downloaded by millions of people using the iPhone or Android devices. The app looks much like the physical news source you would pick up off of your doorstep in the morning. The layout and design are virtually the same, and using your finger to “turn” pages should make it feel similar, as well.

Maybe if we all switch to reading our newspaper in this manner, a few trees can be saved!

How Will the End of Print Journalism Affect Pack Rats?

Chris Pirillo — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 22:39:01 +0000

How Will The End Of Print Journalism Affect Old Loons Who Hoard Newspapers?

I had to embed this on my blog… it’s fabulous!

With so many newspapers struggling financially, some people fear for their future. However, if print media dies, what will old loons do with all of their hoarded papers? Where will they go? Will our landfills overflow with useless paper, or will our air become toxic due to all of the burning?!

Let’s hear your thoughts. What should the pack-rats do with all that paper?!

What Role Do Blogs Play in Your Life?

Chris Pirillo — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:07:21 +0000

Even if you’re not a blogger yourself, chances are you read a few of them. It seems like everyone is blogging these days, including my mom on occasion (so ok, maybe not recently). Heck, even when you aren’t intending to read a blog, you may end up doing so after following a link from a search engine when you’re looking for something specific. Let’s face it – blogs are everywhere.

Obviously, blogging is a central part of my life. The work I do here plays a large part in not only my work life, but my personal one, as well. I like to think I’ve found a good balance between the two, and try to keep them as “equal” as possible here on my site. My friend Robert Scoble is the same way. If you go through his blog, you’ll see that he also has managed to balance life/work/family, and wrap it all nicely into his blog.

To me, that’s the way a blog should be. I’ve seen people who have several different blogs. They may post work-related things to one, personal to another, and social things to yet another. Where’s the sense in that? Why can you not post everything in one central place? Both Robert and I – along with many, MANY others, have managed to do so. If you have more than one blog, why do you? I would like to hear from some of you “multi-bloggers”, and hear your reasons as to why you do things the way you do. Understand that I’m not putting down the way you do things. I honestly feel that maybe I am missing something, and not seeing the whole picture.

In any case, blogs are important. They can be a source of information. They can keep you current on what’s hot – and what’s not. They can give you different viewpoints on matters that you may not have otherwise thought of. And, they can make you laugh. So, I ask you…

How do reading blogs impact your life? For the blogs you go back to time and again, what attracts you? Is it the content itself, or the author’s writing style? Are you gaining information, educating yourself, or just having a good laugh? What types of blogs do you subscribe to – and how many of them?

Our Lockergnome community is devoted entirely to bloggers, with topics ranging from IT to Dogs – and everything you can think of in between. Over on Geeks, we have a large number of bloggers, as well. How many of these people are you taking the time to follow? If you aren’t checking them out, you’re missing out.

I have a team of people working hard every day to bring you updates on all of your favorite programs and apps, and let you know about the best new ones available. Keep your eyes on what’s new every day, so that you don’t miss out on anything!

Mark Glaser and Jim Ray – Hacker Journalists at Gnomedex

Chris Pirillo — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:02:41 +0000

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Why did media companies miss the boat on the web? They haven’t always valued the input from their own technology folks on staff. That’s changing as the web is becoming an important source for news and information. So now local newspapers, radio stations and TV stations are hoping that a new breed of “hacker journalists” can help them out by having experience in coding and also understanding journalism issues.

Mark Glaser is a longtime freelance journalist whose career includes columns on hip-hop, reviews of video games, travel stories, and humor columns that poked fun at the titans of technology. From 2001 to 2005, he wrote a weekly column for USC Annenberg School of Communication’s Online Journalism Review, and he still writes the OPA Intelligence Report email newsletter for the Online Publishers Association. Glaser has written essays for Harvard’s Nieman Reports and the website for the Yale Center for Globalization.

Glaser has written columns on the Internet and technology for the Los Angeles Times, CNET and HotWired, and has written features for the New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, Entertainment Weekly, the San Jose Mercury News, and many other publications. He was the lead writer for the Industry Standard’s award-winning “Media Grok” daily email newsletter during the dot-com heyday, and was named a finalist for a 2004 Online Journalism Award in the Online Commentary category for his OJR column.

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Is Your Attention Spa… Cookies!

Chris Pirillo — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 02:18:41 +0000

OmniDragon read an article on CNET, which explains how Starbucks might ban laptops in their stores – because people come in there, buy a coffee, and sit on their computers (using the Internet for hours and hours at a time). He scribbled this:

I got to thinking about what you said last year during Gnomedex. I think it was on Twitter? Something like: “I wish everyone would put their laptops down and talk to each OTHER!” How is it possible that this machine is hindering me from communicating with other people? It’s my comfort zone. This is my TV, my radio, my telephone, my magazine, my newspaper, my IM client, my chat… my megaphone. When you’re in an auditorium listening to someone on stage with a microphone, you don’t need your megaphone. All you need is your brain. Maybe what helps people think is distracting themselves with something else?

Oh, I’m sorry. Were you saying something, dude? I was checking my tweets when you emailed me.

Can You Predict the Future?

Chris Pirillo — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:49:09 +0000

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News is breaking right now. What kind of news? You name it. Something is always happening. When something does, you may want to share it online with friends and family, or make a prediction into the outcome. What about generating money based on the successful predictions you make?

On Hubdub, you can predict the news. Hubdub makes news more exciting by letting you stake virtual dollars on the outcomes of real running news stories. You stake virtual money on predictions about the outcomes of real news stories. If you’re right you win more, if you’re wrong you lose what you staked. The more Hubdub dollars you have, the better Hubdubber you are – and the higher on the leaderboards you climb.

People just like you make up questions, and you can even come up with your own in order to see what people think will happen. Choose a category and start answering questions, based on things you know about. The more certain you are of what “could” happen, the more of your “dollars” you should wager.

You can make your own private leaderboard for just you and your friends to compete on. Or, join the community itself to discuss and debate the hottest news items of the day.

Hubdub is not only a trendy news source, it’s also a lot of fun.

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Konnect

Chris Pirillo — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 07:51:22 +0000

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I recently attended the WTIA Fast Pitch Forum & Technology Showcase. The conference featured two dozen of the of the hottest technology companies in Washington presenting their business in a competition for “Best In Show”. Konnect was one of the presenters. They are the only social media platform designed for local newspapers.

Konnects is a social media platform designed for online publications, magazines and newspapers to bring interactivity to your organization’s website. Their platform is easy to deploy and their solutions team can assist you in getting your online community up and running quickly.

Choose the colors, fonts, and banners to give your online newspaper community a unique look and feel that matches the branding of your organization. Each Konnects powered online community comes with its own email importers to allow your members to grow your audience base for you. As your community grows by word of mouth, so will your brand recognition, marketing opportunities, and ability to generate additional revenue.

If you are a part of an online news source, consider checking out Konnect. Don’t get left behind in the ever-changing world of the Internet… and the way we consume our news.

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