Tag Archives: Real Journalism

Opinion, Tech

Pfft Free Speech

39 Comments

I have been listening to these three great minds (below) for quite some time. These are three advocates of free speech and three self-proclaimed journalists, who think that Twitter is a cesspool and *needs to close, and Redditt needs to grow up and trash the “bad” subreddits. Facebook is fine because Zuckerberg, a man obsessed with profit, already unilaterally decided that on his site, home to billions of people, a kid in flip flops, all alone will decide what you can say.

Three Great Minds who Don't Like Name Calling
Three Great Minds who Don’t Like Name Calling

In 1980 you would be shunned if you said gays should be allowed to marry. In 1960 you could be lynched if you screamed blacks should use the same toilet as whites. In 1940  Germany you could be shot for advocating hiding a Jew in your home. In 1520 you went to jail for proposing that the Earth is flat.

Sometimes the majority is wrong: true that.

Maybe free speech has some draw backs, like trolling, but it is still kinda important, heck it’s even in some documents in famous museums.

Genius or Lucky Nerd?
Genius or Lucky Nerd?

We can either let hipsters with beards running websites determine what is allowed and what isn’t, or we can just like, sorta allow all free speech, like how the founding patriarchs of America intended. Jeff Jarvis or Thomas Jefferson? Lance Ullanoff or John Adams? Sometimes, once in while, here and there, the unpopular opinions are even right. Some of those opinions even change the world. (Albeit, not the ones about the TWiT CEO)

I can cut them some slack when curtailing opinions on a small medium like an irc, but don’t these intellectuals realize that if the pillars of the internet, Facebook, Twitter and Reddit, disallow free speech, it sorta creates a problem. Kinda like  if all the TV stations refused to air what they don’t like. Yea, I kinda sorta make sense sorta.

Just to be clear douche-bags; having the pillars of the internet prohibit free speech is effectively prohibiting free speech.

Who knows why the symbol for justice is a scale?
Help, I can’t see!

Perhaps Jeff Jarvis should have to deal with someone calling him a shill on Twitter and Leo should have to deal with someone calling him fat. There is a reason lady justice holds a scale, some issues are more important than others. Lastly, whenever you take “haters” and put them in a ghetto away from normal people you excasserbate the problem. If you’re a lone racist in a crowd of normal people you will be quieted. If you are a racist amongst racists you create peer pressure to be even racist-ier.

Full disclosure I could not care less about Free Speech, it’s just the hypocrisy I can’t stomach.

UPDATE: This is in response to a comment: I am well aware that these are public companies and they are not bound by law to comply with any Free Speech doctrines. Yet, I feel that companies of their size should voluntarily adhere to these Free Speech principals in order to retain credibility as a platform.

* Per Jason Cortez – they never said “it needs to close” that was an assumption by the author regarding the critique of these sites for allowing trolls
**Please alert me in comments for spelling and grammar mistakes
***Sorry for America centric notions but that’s my hometown. And all you other countries like California copied us anyway.

Misc

Exclusive Interview With Sarah Lane

21 Comments
The lovely & talented & happy Sarah Lane
The lovely & talented & happy Sarah Lane

#TotalDrama knows what the fans want and we went after it: The exclusive one on one interview with the wonderful Sarah Lane. And we delivered, the only negative is we could not actually get Sarah Lane, but we did not let that stop us. Here is how the interview would have transpired. It is a long piece so we put in a ‘Continue reading’ button you will need to click to expand the page for the entire interview:

Sightclass Coffee, Where SF players drink green tea
Sightclass Coffee, Where SF players drink green tea

I sat at Sightglass Coffee nervously awaiting her arrival. The world was spinning in anticipation. I fought my nerves and poured over my notes, I was looking up every thirty seconds to see if she was here. Then it happened, the door opened. The room brightened and a smell of spring flowers overtook the SF watering hole. Her hair flowed down the side of her face like spun gold and her eyes danced making the afternoon sun shimmer in jealousy. She walked toward my small table and eased herself into the seat opposite myself. I was a wreck until a warm hand rested on mine and she said her first words, “chill dog.”

TD: Oh my god, I love your hair, Sara

SL: It’s Sarah with an “H” and thank you

TD: Before we talk about the big news and your future plans we have to ask some questions about the past. Tell me about the past year.

SL: [Grumbles] It was difficult. When #Soup threw away TNT it was a real slap in the face to everyone working there. TNT was the best thing to come out of the network that was separate from #Soup. All the speeches about how he wanted to make TWiT less about him now rang hollow. It was clear he would never get over his narcissism.

TD: Was that the moment you sent out your resumes or was it when he accused you of sabotage?

SL: Look; I knew what was up when he made Elgum “a star.” He lost touch with reality, but the thing that set me off was the Richardyea incident. If you watch the video and focus on me you can see my heart breaking, after that there was nothing left at TWiT. After that, the show cancellations, the treatment of Amber and Shannon, none of it meant much because TWiT was already dead.

A young girl came by asking Sarah for her autograph and Sarah graciously asked if she could pause the interview and spend a few minutes with the fan. Since it augmented my time with her I agreed.

TD: Why was that incident so difficult?
Continue reading Exclusive Interview With Sarah Lane →

Misc

Blame Canada

8 Comments

*Editors Post*

.eu 4ever
.eu 4ever

We have left totaldrama.ORG and moved to totaldrama.EU. Look at your URL if you do not believe me. And…. we will be moving IRC servers too. Everything you love will still be here, just Europeanish to fit in with the other .EU’s. No longer will we be harassed by the freedom-loving Americans and their cowboy boots. Leo, Sarah and Burke have already updated their bookmarks—and so should you. (IRC info)

America was cool but if Gum won’t move away on his own, we will be forced to lead as role models. Maybe one day he will follow our example. And I don’t mean travel to Shenzhen China to cover stories about hard drive manufacturing. Do not worry, the whole team acted as one and all your favorite writers are on board, everyone from Helloworld to Captain Juno to Emojit3ch. Thank you, on behalf of everyone, to the team who worked day and night on this noble task. It was so moving to see everyone chipping in with their expertise.

I am looking forward to a 2015 filled with real journalism and no ad hominem attacks. Welcome to Canada!

*A percentage of some proceeds from site will be donated to Unicef (.0000001 like TWiT)

Misc

Scumbag?

7 Comments

Native advertising, it is a thing despised by Leo Laporte and @profjeffjarvis, two scrupulous experts on journalism. When one is viewing a respected publication such as the New York Times, one may read a story that is actually a paid ad in article format, with a disclosure that it is an ad  only revealed in small print. This is a disgrace. This is offensive. This is known as native advertising.

As we know, 70% of the podcast audience is audio only.  They do not see a lower-third. Therefore, it is the host’s responsibility to make them aware when he is reading an ad.  Most reputable radio networks employ policies requiring phrases like “and now a word from our sponsor” or “this show is brought to you by” to be read, so the audience knows, at the outset, that it is an ad. Listen to the clip (below) and see when or if #soupguzzler does a disclaimer that he is reading an ad for Blue Apron. This is especially offensive on a podcast where the host often talks freely about favorite games and apps and phones and movies and maybe food services too. The #soupguzzler does these native ads constantly.

How long does he wait to say it is an ad?
Does he ever reveal it is an ad?
They’ll figure it out when they hear an offer-code?

Theeeeeeeeeeee Tech Guy!

https://soundcloud.com/ghostdog-6/commercial
He Like a de women!
Original content aired by TWiT.TV under Creative Commons license

Misc

QUICK ON HIS FEET

12 Comments

Nothing says you’re a pro like being quick on your feet. When guest co-anchor Katie Benner asks Gum why a new phone is not being offered for sale in the US, she catches the eloquent speaker off guard. He has a quick mind and wastes no time before blaming the Kremlin and disparaging the website he is using as a source.

And #Soup says he doesn’t listen to JCD and Curry because they are conspiracy theory nuts. This video is offered up for airing on the No Agenda podcast without prejudice.

Misc

Standards & Practices

35 Comments
Love is in the air when this airs!
Love is in the air when this show hits the airwaves!

There are a few news outlets that give respectable journalism institutions like #TotalDrama a bad name. Take TWiG, never has there been a more biased editorial(?) news(?) or reporting(?) program on any screen. A show fraught with love for a company that is in dire need of coverage by real journalists. Google is a powerhouse with a mighty hand in modern society that needs to be scrutinized. Instead the gang at TWiG drools over the company and its employees. They swallow the stories of Google Glass saving lives in surgery and self driving cars making the world a better place like [redacted] swallowing [redacted.]They literally apologize for putting Google multimillionaire Matt Cutts on the spot with questions.

sarah
Stunning look!

Corporate shill and purple faced kook Jarvis continues to press for a job, at the Goog, but continues to be denied. Google PR has decided that unbiased love of Google will be more effective coming from an outsider. A decision was made to keep him off payroll but attached to the Goog’s nipple via lucrative speaking engagements, unparalleled access, and business trips across the world to the finest hotels.

Something you wont find at TWiT
You wont find  this on the TWiT mantle!

#TotalDrama has standards. One standard is verifying leads. We have a pair of stories that our audience would be extremely interested in but we have been unable to corroborate with two independent sources. Our board met and decided the best way to move forward is to present the stories as what they are at this time, speculation.

Story 1

Something is awry with the #twitlive IRC. It is a fact that the longtime head poobah of the chat-room seems to be out. What we don’t know is why. That guy would never give the position up voluntarily. Additionally, the mods have been biting their acid tongues on kicks in recent weeks. Have they been given a stern lecture by the real boss?  Keep your eyes open for what went on behind the scenes.

Story 2

It appears that TWiT sponsor Lynda.com (spelled with a “Y”) may have had something to do with the new format of the travesty of a show called Coding 101. Did they have an issue with a how-to-show being on TWiT which competes with their core business? A long standing promise by TWiT is that sponsors will never dictate content. But we know about TWiT and its promises. [emoji]Winkyface[/emoji]

*Note If anyone has a lead, the email address totaldramaorg@gmail.com will forward to someone on our team. Thanks to our fans, we could not do it without you!

**Note If you want to try Lynda.com they are sponsored by the 5by5 network. If they sponsor a Sarah Lane program this will be updated

Misc

No #Soup For You

4 Comments

Another investigation was launched recently by #TotalDrama’s dedicated staff. Ace reporter Richard Yes (me) released a blockbuster report back in August that predicted a scenario detailing how the end is near for TWiT, and Richard gave this eloquent prognostication:

When the lease comes due he [Leo Laporte] will not renew. He will broadcast the four big shows from his mansion and the employees will be cut loose. Lives will be ruined to maintain his extravagant lifestyle.

The readership of this site is aware that our hypotheses are always followed up. Unlike Elgum, we back up what we say. Hawk-eyed reporters and fans alike have had their eyes and ears open for clues, and the clues were harvested in record time:

1) In this article’s video, captured by crackerjack reporter Skieast, we saw a moment where Laporte gets sentimental about how he will “not be in the Brick-house forever. ” No Kidding

2) This #scoup, by Helloworld, detailed how the Brickhouse lease is indeed up and an increase is needed if TWiT LLC is to live out the expensive lease option. This shirt collar feels tight!

3) Another #scoup, by award winning journalist Helloworld, illuminated the inner mind of Laporte as he contemplates throwing out his current business model. Desperate times call for…

Thank You Lisa
Thank You Lisa

4) And an avid reader, we suspect is using a fictitious name, pointed out that calculations are being conjured up for the cost of each show to help determine which shows survive.  Destroy a few lives, save a few bucks.
Click on the image for details —>.

Will interns just roll him home?
Will interns just roll him home?

5) Everyone watching has also noted the rapid weight gain is making it increasingly difficult for the man to walk to the studio. Although the parking lot is only a few steps away from the living room set, the long walk is clearly taking its toll on the man. The dream of being shaken awake to do an episode of Macbreak Weekly from his bed may be too hard to resist.

The conclusion of this official investigation (independently conducted) into the validity of the initial thesis by Richard Yes, finds the report both “credible and reliable.” You can take that to the bank.