That. Is. Excellent.
I googled MLP. How does My Little Pony help you consider issues re: tomorrow’s Brexit deal vote?
Or is it something else?
I drop in on "fact check" sites like Snopes.
And I wonder how much if any of this matters in our post-fact world.
All sorts of other online sites like Snopes for checking the garbage I see on Facebook.
I've always been quite impressed by the New Yorker whenever I've looked at it, but that's rarely cos it's not really available here and it's articles tend to be lengthy stuff which I prefer to read in paper rather than on screen.
I've always been quite impressed by the New Yorker whenever I've looked at it, but that's rarely cos it's not really available here and it's articles tend to be lengthy stuff which I prefer to read in paper rather than on screen.
I think one of the negative effects of digital media is that everything has to be short
I've always been quite impressed by the New Yorker whenever I've looked at it, but that's rarely cos it's not really available here and it's articles tend to be lengthy stuff which I prefer to read in paper rather than on screen.
I think one of the negative effects of digital media is that everything has to be short
Unless it's another sodding video, or worse - a podcast.
Podcasts, I suppose, are useful for those that like the opportunity to listen to something while doing something else, but again, I'd rather read the transcript.I think podcasts can be good when they're a discussion about something worth discussing between people who know and care about that subject and are able to convey their knowledge and care to an ignorant audience.
Yeah, there has to be some "value add"; some sort of performance.Podcasts, I suppose, are useful for those that like the opportunity to listen to something while doing something else, but again, I'd rather read the transcript.I think podcasts can be good when they're a discussion about something worth discussing between people who know and care about that subject and are able to convey their knowledge and care to an ignorant audience.
I think one of the negative effects of digital media is that everything has to be short
Unless it's another sodding video, or worse - a podcast.
I suspect this is a sign of age – unless there's specific visual information, I don't see the point of having someone stand in front of a screen and read a script. Of course, then people have to make pointless animations or make people stand in the middle of field to give it 'some value.' I could have read the information in 30 seconds, but no, now I have to sit there for 5 minutes. But marketing will insist 'it needs a video' and sadly, they're probably right.
Podcasts, I suppose, are useful for those that like the opportunity to listen to something while doing something else, but again, I'd rather read the transcript.
But the bane of my media experience are the Twitter stories. There's a good dozen in the Guardian today. Reporting on people being angry or offended on Twitter, illustrated with their Tweets. It's not news, not everyone uses Twitter, and frankly I don't care what people on Twitter think (if indeed they do, which I doubt). It's just lazy journalism to fill space cheaply.
The thing about the Tweet stories is that it's mostly the opinions of random people. Alistair Staircase doesn't like it. Nor does Jane Cabinet. However, Sophie Stopit thinks it's great. Uh? What great insight am I supposed to arrive at through the opinions of a small, random bunch of people?
Even when it's not the opinions of non-entities, is anyone actually surprised when Donald Trump used the paltry wealth of characters to express another half-witted, half-formed view? Or that Piers uses it yet again to prove he's a – no, the – colossal bellend. These are self-evident properties of the individuals in question.
That said, if Twitter disappeared tomorrow, the world would be a better place.
The World Service! I remember listening to that as a teenager, and also to international broadcasts on short wave from weird and wonderful places like Radio Tirana and Vatican Radio. Tirana must have had the strongest signal to country size ratio of any radio station anywhere.
Come to think of it, I get all my news from Number Stations.
TBH I don't remember anything they said, I just remember the brass notes played over and over followed by "This is Radio Tirana" in various languages. The principles and policies of autarchic stalinism passed me by.The World Service! I remember listening to that as a teenager, and also to international broadcasts on short wave from weird and wonderful places like Radio Tirana and Vatican Radio. Tirana must have had the strongest signal to country size ratio of any radio station anywhere.
Radio Tirana, I remember that on SW back in the late 70's. I think they hated everybody.
the BBC website has gone to shite in recent years. It seems to be aimed at teenagers.+1
I'm glad it's not just me that gets irritated by videos. Unless it's tremendously complicated I can get the gist of something much quicker by scanning or reading, and it doesn't disturb anyone else either.
Does it succeed? I doubt it.the BBC website has gone to shite in recent years. It seems to be aimed at teenagers.+1
I'm glad it's not just me that gets irritated by videos. Unless it's tremendously complicated I can get the gist of something much quicker by scanning or reading, and it doesn't disturb anyone else either.
+1
Does it succeed? I doubt it.the BBC website has gone to shite in recent years. It seems to be aimed at teenagers.+1
To be fair, the BBC is damned if it does, damned if it doesn't. People will always complain. Complaining about the BBC is a great British institution, like going to M&S to moan about the clothes.
I think the general assumption for online content is to aim it at fifteen-year-olds with ADHD who are on their fourth energy drink of the day.
Further to videos: when something does not have its own intrinsic soundtrack, but is inherently visual, like this explanation of spinning ice disks posted by T42:
https://youtu.be/ILG4sLfXYNQ
I'd really rather not have background music.
It annoys me though when it starts muted and I think "What are they saying? What's going on?" I turn on the sound and... aargh!
Can only agree. I watched that one with the headphones on the desk.
What annoys me more are GREAT BIG CHUNKS OF EXPLANATORY TEXT half-obscuring the images. They need to parse the sub bit of subtitles.
Heh. MrsT had one ear done in by malaria, or maybe the atabrin they treated it with, as a child. When we watch films on Netflix we often have English audio with French subtitles.
It shouldn't do. It should be sent to the top of the screen (assuming the GREAT BIG CHUNKS OF EXPLANATORY TEXT are at the bottom). I used to know the technical word for sending captions to the top, but I've forgotten it.Can only agree. I watched that one with the headphones on the desk.
What annoys me more are GREAT BIG CHUNKS OF EXPLANATORY TEXT half-obscuring the images. They need to parse the sub bit of subtitles.
You can bet that if there is closed captioning, when enabled it will appear on top of the GREAT BIG CHUNKS OF EXPLANATORY TEXT...
It shouldn't do. It should be sent to the top of the screen (assuming the GREAT BIG CHUNKS OF EXPLANATORY TEXT are at the bottom). I used to know the technical word for sending captions to the top, but I've forgotten it.Can only agree. I watched that one with the headphones on the desk.
What annoys me more are GREAT BIG CHUNKS OF EXPLANATORY TEXT half-obscuring the images. They need to parse the sub bit of subtitles.
You can bet that if there is closed captioning, when enabled it will appear on top of the GREAT BIG CHUNKS OF EXPLANATORY TEXT...
I can gather all the news I need from the weather report.
You are Paul Simon and I claim my £5!(click to show/hide)
Updates: Major Bristol road in Hartcliffe closed due to car fire - emergency services on sceneNote the last line. "It is not yet known how the blaze started." So how can you say it's "suspected arson"? Oh, you've removed that bit, but not from the "front page".
A major road in Hartcliffe has been closed after a car caught fire this morning (January 17).
Fire crews are currently attending the incident on Hareclive Road.
A picture of the incident shows plumes of smoke trailing across the road and a car well alight, with a fire engine positioned nearby and a firefighter tackling the flames.
It is not yet known how the blaze started, however Avon Fire and Rescue has been contacted for comment.
I'm saddened to find no mention of RSS in the thread :(. I still use it for a few things (Graudniad (sic), Scotsman, xkcd, .......) but it is gradually dying out.One of my main news sources is through various RSS feeds through the Feedly App (which also picks up YACF)
I’m still finding The Big Issue is the nearest thing I can find to proper journalism. It’s just excellent.Interesting. I haven't read it for years, maybe I'll give it a try.