We have repeatedly expressed our sympathy to the print media for their modern day conundrum: everybody can take to the web and write the same great things they do.
Or the same dumb stuff they write.
What do you do as blogster to get your news?
Published studies are a wonderful, free, source of information. Yes, we wrote about open source publishing, too. Just enter the term into your favorite browser, and you are good.
The blogger's life gets even easier when you read the "papers" and comment on their work.
It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it.
If not, the likes of BILD Zeitung would rule the world and our German readers would believe that the Greeks are greedy or that German means tested social security recipients are lazy bastards - who somehow manage to study all the case law and find all the loopholes, allowing them to always be one step ahead of valiant elected officials attempts to stem the hemorrhaging of the toil of the many into the coffers of the lazy poor.
At times, the more classy and respected papers (which do not include the K-Landnews) fall for the easy reporting on a study, for example, a study on how Twitter and Facebook distort our reality.
In articles like this one in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the twists and turns of the newspaper's interpretation are often much more interesting than the underlying study.
Twitter and Facebook algorithms have as their primary purpose "to increase our satisfaction."
[Blink, rub eyes, laugh]
Here's the deal: Unless you are a masochist, you don't use a social media site which does not increase your satisfaction.
We know, we did Facebook, and after an hour or so TheEditor of the K-Landnews started strumming the air guitar and dancing in front of the screen: I can't get no...satisfaction, I can't get no...
The reality distorting bit is utterly predictable, only worth editor time for the word "distort" because that implies the existence of a normal, undistorted reality.
Had they said "shapes reality", it would be news but nothing scary. Oh, right, there was a study of how Google shapes your reality.
Make a note: write about how Angry Birds distorts reality.
Actually, extend the note: write about how any activity changes your brain! Yes, any. It is true, read up on some neuroscience, especially mirror neurons.
So, thank you for letting us change your brain for a minute today. Have a great weekend.
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