Comments on: The End of Culture as We Knew It http://www.ratdiary.com/2007/06/09/the-end-of-culture-as-we-knew-it/ Homo homini rodentius est Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:20:21 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: SD http://www.ratdiary.com/2007/06/09/the-end-of-culture-as-we-knew-it/#comment-3471 SD Tue, 19 Jun 2007 02:23:37 +0000 http://www.ratdiary.com/2007/06/09/the-end-of-culture-as-we-knew-it/#comment-3471 Thanks, Andy. It is a tough issue. Here's hoping it gets more play in the blogs. Thanks, Andy. It is a tough issue. Here’s hoping it gets more play in the blogs.

]]> By: Andy http://www.ratdiary.com/2007/06/09/the-end-of-culture-as-we-knew-it/#comment-3442 Andy Mon, 18 Jun 2007 21:40:38 +0000 http://www.ratdiary.com/2007/06/09/the-end-of-culture-as-we-knew-it/#comment-3442 I doubt there is any perfect medium. People want to control their intake, but this could lead to an ignoring of a minority/alternate viewpoint. But how much do we want the media shaping the message--giving us what we need to see, rather than what we want? Nice post. I doubt there is any perfect medium. People want to control their intake, but this could lead to an ignoring of a minority/alternate viewpoint. But how much do we want the media shaping the message–giving us what we need to see, rather than what we want?
Nice post.

]]> By: SD http://www.ratdiary.com/2007/06/09/the-end-of-culture-as-we-knew-it/#comment-2913 SD Fri, 15 Jun 2007 02:33:59 +0000 http://www.ratdiary.com/2007/06/09/the-end-of-culture-as-we-knew-it/#comment-2913 Eric, thanks for stopping by. Well, I would expect an "online media cultist" to be optimistic about new media ;-) and I agree that more choice is better than less -- I'm just lamenting a relaxation of standards and, maybe just as much, a loss of common culture. When you describe cherry-picking your inputs it sounds like the niche marketing of information. For the individual that's (probably) a good thing. Not sure about the effects on society at large -- probably too soon to tell but the signs have me worried. Eric, thanks for stopping by. Well, I would expect an “online media cultist” to be optimistic about new media ;-) and I agree that more choice is better than less — I’m just lamenting a relaxation of standards and, maybe just as much, a loss of common culture.

When you describe cherry-picking your inputs it sounds like the niche marketing of information. For the individual that’s (probably) a good thing. Not sure about the effects on society at large — probably too soon to tell but the signs have me worried.

]]> By: Eric Berlin http://www.ratdiary.com/2007/06/09/the-end-of-culture-as-we-knew-it/#comment-2907 Eric Berlin Fri, 15 Jun 2007 01:34:26 +0000 http://www.ratdiary.com/2007/06/09/the-end-of-culture-as-we-knew-it/#comment-2907 Maybe I'm an optimist, but I see the proliferation of new media -- particularly online -- as a great thing. I can avoid all the Paris Hilton junk and engorge myself on cricket news if I want. It's up to each individual to set their own personal filters. The only news shows I watch are Hardball and Meet the Press, for instance (and The Daily Show!) Maybe I’m an optimist, but I see the proliferation of new media — particularly online — as a great thing. I can avoid all the Paris Hilton junk and engorge myself on cricket news if I want. It’s up to each individual to set their own personal filters.

The only news shows I watch are Hardball and Meet the Press, for instance (and The Daily Show!)

]]> By: SD http://www.ratdiary.com/2007/06/09/the-end-of-culture-as-we-knew-it/#comment-2804 SD Wed, 13 Jun 2007 22:23:40 +0000 http://www.ratdiary.com/2007/06/09/the-end-of-culture-as-we-knew-it/#comment-2804 Muaddib (good handle, btw), The "there were no good 'ol days" canard is a weak apology for what's happening and misses the point. The point is, there were "better" days. Over a long time, journalistic standards developed in institutions that were supported by a successful business model. That model is being dissolved and the institutions are foundering with nothing as good to replace them. The new media economy excels at volume and velocity -- more stuff delivered faster. But faster isn't necessarily better. It will be a long, long, LONG time before the fractured, solipsistic blogosphere, which looks to be supplanting traditional journalism, produces anything of the quality of Woodward and Bernstein in 1974, or [<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_of_Shame" target="_blank">Harvest of Shame</a>], or even Ida Tarbell's one-woman takedown of Standard Oil. Muaddib (good handle, btw),

The “there were no good ‘ol days” canard is a weak apology for what’s happening and misses the point. The point is, there were “better” days. Over a long time, journalistic standards developed in institutions that were supported by a successful business model. That model is being dissolved and the institutions are foundering with nothing as good to replace them.

The new media economy excels at volume and velocity — more stuff delivered faster. But faster isn’t necessarily better. It will be a long, long, LONG time before the fractured, solipsistic blogosphere, which looks to be supplanting traditional journalism, produces anything of the quality of Woodward and Bernstein in 1974, or [Harvest of Shame], or even Ida Tarbell’s one-woman takedown of Standard Oil.

]]> By: Mer http://www.ratdiary.com/2007/06/09/the-end-of-culture-as-we-knew-it/#comment-2803 Mer Wed, 13 Jun 2007 19:49:33 +0000 http://www.ratdiary.com/2007/06/09/the-end-of-culture-as-we-knew-it/#comment-2803 Of course celebs have always been on the news in some way, shape or form, but there were not entire networks devoted to following their lives like now and there weren't entire hours of shows on basic broadcast devoted to keeping tabs on the stars. They're not news. The only story I want to hear about Paris Hilton from here on out is when she gets shanked in a prison riot. Of course celebs have always been on the news in some way, shape or form, but there were not entire networks devoted to following their lives like now and there weren’t entire hours of shows on basic broadcast devoted to keeping tabs on the stars. They’re not news. The only story I want to hear about Paris Hilton from here on out is when she gets shanked in a prison riot.

]]> By: muaddib420 http://www.ratdiary.com/2007/06/09/the-end-of-culture-as-we-knew-it/#comment-2802 muaddib420 Wed, 13 Jun 2007 16:04:28 +0000 http://www.ratdiary.com/2007/06/09/the-end-of-culture-as-we-knew-it/#comment-2802 celebrities have and always will be interesting to people. this isn't a new thing invented by the interwebs. there was never a "good ol' days" of perfect media reporting. you don't really believe that people weren't interested in Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh's lives do you? or how about babe ruth and his sorrid life? it's all good to criticize todays media, but it's a mistake to say that it was any better. the common denominator will always be that: the common denominator. why would you expect otherwise? celebrities have and always will be interesting to people. this isn’t a new thing invented by the interwebs.

there was never a “good ol’ days” of perfect media reporting. you don’t really believe that people weren’t interested in Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh’s lives do you? or how about babe ruth and his sorrid life?

it’s all good to criticize todays media, but it’s a mistake to say that it was any better. the common denominator will always be that: the common denominator. why would you expect otherwise?

]]> By: SD http://www.ratdiary.com/2007/06/09/the-end-of-culture-as-we-knew-it/#comment-2798 SD Wed, 13 Jun 2007 13:05:33 +0000 http://www.ratdiary.com/2007/06/09/the-end-of-culture-as-we-knew-it/#comment-2798 Kurt, As always, I guess, it comes down to economics. I left a response to a post on [<a href="http://battellemedia.com/archives/003669.php" target="_blank">Batelle's Search Blog</a>] about the impact of Google on journalism -- basically saying that "new media" is great at destroying the economics of the journalistic institutions that took a hundred years to develop -- but crap at replacing them with anything worthwhile... Kurt,

As always, I guess, it comes down to economics. I left a response to a post on [Batelle's Search Blog] about the impact of Google on journalism — basically saying that “new media” is great at destroying the economics of the journalistic institutions that took a hundred years to develop — but crap at replacing them with anything worthwhile…

]]> By: Kurt http://www.ratdiary.com/2007/06/09/the-end-of-culture-as-we-knew-it/#comment-2795 Kurt Wed, 13 Jun 2007 08:38:18 +0000 http://www.ratdiary.com/2007/06/09/the-end-of-culture-as-we-knew-it/#comment-2795 Couldn't agree more. You could blame the "mean" or average person, but then you'd need to confront the fact that the "elite" are in large part responsible for creating the lemming society we have today. At the same time, there are some of us that haven't been sucked into this stupidity vortex, so who's left to blame? Couldn’t agree more. You could blame the “mean” or average person, but then you’d need to confront the fact that the “elite” are in large part responsible for creating the lemming society we have today. At the same time, there are some of us that haven’t been sucked into this stupidity vortex, so who’s left to blame?

]]> By: A Second Hand Conjecture » News Brief, Running Away Edition http://www.ratdiary.com/2007/06/09/the-end-of-culture-as-we-knew-it/#comment-2787 A Second Hand Conjecture » News Brief, Running Away Edition Mon, 11 Jun 2007 22:00:50 +0000 http://www.ratdiary.com/2007/06/09/the-end-of-culture-as-we-knew-it/#comment-2787 [...] certainly should be of strategic interest to the U.S. Oh well. I suppose weeping gash jail bait Paris Hilton was far more deserving of [...] [...] certainly should be of strategic interest to the U.S. Oh well. I suppose weeping gash jail bait Paris Hilton was far more deserving of [...]

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