Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: Transmeta was Not "Obnoxious"

Author:Karl Fast
Posted:1/21/2000; 10:00:28 AM
Topic:Transmeta was Not "Obnoxious"
Msg #:14684 (In response to 14683)
Prev/Next:14683 / 14685

OK, I'm whiny.

I'm whining about the sorry state of technology journalism, a cadre that does a pretty good job of coming off as obnoxious themselves.

I just think that if a techology driven society is going to work the technology press needs to do a much better job of helping the average person understand what this is all about. They've been failing at this for years. The Y2K hype was a pretty good example of that.

I should amend this. This attitude is not restricted to technology journalists. Tech companies are just as guilty. Without their press releases the press wouldn't write the stories about these wonderful sounding future technologies. And readers, apparently, soak this stuff up. The cycle is complete and it feeds on itself.

I'm reminded of the entertainment industry. Ever noticed how most so-called entertainment news is about who's dating Brad Pitt, how much money is being made, the best and worst dressed stars, and predicting the next big blockbuster? This is what passes for journalism in the world of entertainment. Only a minority of the entertainment press actually provides useful commentary, analysis, and thought-provoking discussion that works to convert the hollywood money machine into something that can produce positive changes in society.

Is technology journalism headed down this same path? I dunno. Sure hope not. Maybe weblogs like Scripting News will prevent that. Sure hope so.

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