{"id":205,"date":"2008-08-20T07:44:10","date_gmt":"2008-08-20T12:44:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ssgreenberg.name\/PoliticsBlog\/?p=205"},"modified":"2008-08-20T07:44:10","modified_gmt":"2008-08-20T12:44:10","slug":"that-newspapers-are-the-central-banks-of-social-currency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ssgreenberg.name\/PoliticsBlog\/2008\/08\/20\/that-newspapers-are-the-central-banks-of-social-currency\/","title":{"rendered":"That Newspapers Are the Central Banks of Social Currency"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Richard H sent me <a title=\"Article on the Value of Print Newspapers\" href=\"http:\/\/www.economicprincipals.com\/issues\/2008.08.17\/331.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>this link<\/strong><\/a> to an article that explains why the print versions of newspapers are so important even in this internet age.<\/p>\n<p>As\u00a0I\u00a0read\u00a0this,\u00a0I\u00a0kept\u00a0thinking\u00a0back\u00a0to\u00a0my\u00a0experience\u00a0at\u00a0DEC.<\/p>\n<p>When\u00a0Sun\u00a0started\u00a0producing\u00a0workstations,\u00a0DEC\u00a0laughed.\u00a0\u00a0Knowing\u00a0the<br \/>\nhuge\u00a0investment\u00a0that\u00a0DEC\u00a0had\u00a0in\u00a0developing\u00a0its\u00a0operating\u00a0system,<br \/>\nthere\u00a0was\u00a0no\u00a0way\u00a0that\u00a0some\u00a0pipsqueak\u00a0upstart\u00a0could\u00a0afford\u00a0the<br \/>\ninvestment.<\/p>\n<p>Surely\u00a0the\u00a0almost\u00a0free\u00a0version\u00a0of\u00a0UNIX\u00a0that\u00a0they\u00a0acquired\u00a0would\u00a0be<br \/>\nno\u00a0match\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0mighty\u00a0VMS.\u00a0\u00a0As\u00a0Professor\u00a0Richard\u00a0Newton\u00a0used\u00a0to<br \/>\nsay\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0huge,\u00a0cumbersome\u00a0hardware\u00a0sold\u00a0by\u00a0DEC,\u00a0all\u00a0that\u00a0stuff\u00a0in<br \/>\nthere\u00a0isn&#8217;t\u00a0for\u00a0nothing.\u00a0\u00a0Surely\u00a0there\u00a0must\u00a0be\u00a0a\u00a0reason\u00a0why\u00a0DEC&#8217;s<br \/>\nhardware\u00a0is\u00a0more\u00a0complex\u00a0than\u00a0SUN&#8217;s.<\/p>\n<p>Yet,\u00a0SUN\u00a0ate\u00a0DEC&#8217;s\u00a0lunch.\u00a0\u00a0After\u00a0being\u00a0partially\u00a0responsible\u00a0for<br \/>\nputting\u00a0DEC\u00a0out\u00a0of\u00a0business,\u00a0SUN\u00a0is\u00a0suffering\u00a0the\u00a0same\u00a0fate\u00a0from\u00a0the<br \/>\nlikes\u00a0of\u00a0Intel\u00a0and\u00a0Linux\u00a0based\u00a0machines.\u00a0\u00a0Interestingly\u00a0enough,\u00a0Sun<br \/>\nis\u00a0making\u00a0the\u00a0same\u00a0arguments\u00a0DEC\u00a0used\u00a0to\u00a0make\u00a0to\u00a0explain\u00a0why\u00a0their<br \/>\nproprietary\u00a0version\u00a0of\u00a0UNIX\u00a0called\u00a0Solaris,\u00a0is\u00a0better\u00a0than\u00a0the<br \/>\nLinux\u00a0free\u00a0software.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0huge\u00a0presses,\u00a0tons\u00a0of\u00a0ink,\u00a0and\u00a0massive\u00a0fleet\u00a0of\u00a0trucks\u00a0of\u00a0the<br \/>\nnewspaper\u00a0business\u00a0does\u00a0not\u00a0necessarily\u00a0add\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0reader&#8217;s<br \/>\nexperience\u00a0of\u00a0getting\u00a0the\u00a0news.\u00a0\u00a0Ultimately,\u00a0if\u00a0the\u00a0huge\u00a0effort<br \/>\nand\u00a0expense\u00a0you\u00a0put\u00a0out\u00a0does\u00a0not\u00a0have\u00a0as\u00a0huge\u00a0an\u00a0impact\u00a0on<br \/>\nthe\u00a0customer&#8217;s\u00a0experience\u00a0of\u00a0your\u00a0product,\u00a0then\u00a0you\u00a0are\u00a0nothing<br \/>\nmore\u00a0than\u00a0an\u00a0Ed\u00a0Sullivan\u00a0Show\u00a0act.\u00a0\u00a0Ed\u00a0Sullivan\u00a0frequently\u00a0had<br \/>\ncircus\u00a0type\u00a0performers\u00a0on\u00a0his\u00a0TV\u00a0show.\u00a0\u00a0Sure,\u00a0what\u00a0they\u00a0did\u00a0was<br \/>\ncomplicated\u00a0and\u00a0very\u00a0hard\u00a0to\u00a0do,\u00a0but\u00a0I\u00a0kept\u00a0asking\u00a0&#8220;is\u00a0it<br \/>\nentertaining&#8221;.\u00a0\u00a0Apparently\u00a0the\u00a0answer\u00a0was\u00a0&#8220;not\u00a0for\u00a0long&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>It\u00a0is\u00a0not\u00a0the\u00a0barrier\u00a0to\u00a0entry\u00a0that\u00a0makes\u00a0the\u00a0reputation\u00a0of\u00a0the<br \/>\nmajor\u00a0dailies,\u00a0it\u00a0is\u00a0the\u00a0quality\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0news\u00a0reporting\u00a0and\u00a0the<br \/>\nquality\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0other\u00a0features.\u00a0\u00a0As\u00a0the\u00a0NYT\u00a0lets\u00a0that\u00a0quality<br \/>\nslip\u00a0away,\u00a0their\u00a0dominant\u00a0position\u00a0will\u00a0disappear.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Richard H sent me this link to an article that explains why the print versions of newspapers are so important even in this internet age. As\u00a0I\u00a0read\u00a0this,\u00a0I\u00a0kept\u00a0thinking\u00a0back\u00a0to\u00a0my\u00a0experience\u00a0at\u00a0DEC. When\u00a0Sun\u00a0started\u00a0producing\u00a0workstations,\u00a0DEC\u00a0laughed.\u00a0\u00a0Knowing\u00a0the huge\u00a0investment\u00a0that\u00a0DEC\u00a0had\u00a0in\u00a0developing\u00a0its\u00a0operating\u00a0system, there\u00a0was\u00a0no\u00a0way\u00a0that\u00a0some\u00a0pipsqueak\u00a0upstart\u00a0could\u00a0afford\u00a0the investment. Surely\u00a0the\u00a0almost\u00a0free\u00a0version\u00a0of\u00a0UNIX\u00a0that\u00a0they\u00a0acquired\u00a0would\u00a0be no\u00a0match\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0mighty\u00a0VMS.\u00a0\u00a0As\u00a0Professor\u00a0Richard\u00a0Newton\u00a0used\u00a0to say\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0huge,\u00a0cumbersome\u00a0hardware\u00a0sold\u00a0by\u00a0DEC,\u00a0all\u00a0that\u00a0stuff\u00a0in there\u00a0isn&#8217;t\u00a0for\u00a0nothing.\u00a0\u00a0Surely\u00a0there\u00a0must\u00a0be\u00a0a\u00a0reason\u00a0why\u00a0DEC&#8217;s hardware\u00a0is\u00a0more\u00a0complex\u00a0than\u00a0SUN&#8217;s. Yet,\u00a0SUN\u00a0ate\u00a0DEC&#8217;s\u00a0lunch.\u00a0\u00a0After\u00a0being\u00a0partially\u00a0responsible\u00a0for putting\u00a0DEC\u00a0out\u00a0of\u00a0business,\u00a0SUN\u00a0is\u00a0suffering\u00a0the\u00a0same\u00a0fate\u00a0from\u00a0the likes\u00a0of\u00a0Intel\u00a0and\u00a0Linux\u00a0based\u00a0machines.\u00a0\u00a0Interestingly\u00a0enough,\u00a0Sun is\u00a0making\u00a0the\u00a0same\u00a0arguments\u00a0DEC\u00a0used\u00a0to\u00a0make\u00a0to\u00a0explain\u00a0why\u00a0their proprietary\u00a0version\u00a0of\u00a0UNIX\u00a0called\u00a0Solaris,\u00a0is\u00a0better\u00a0than\u00a0the Linux\u00a0free\u00a0software. The\u00a0huge\u00a0presses,\u00a0tons\u00a0of\u00a0ink,\u00a0and\u00a0massive\u00a0fleet\u00a0of\u00a0trucks\u00a0of\u00a0the newspaper\u00a0business\u00a0does\u00a0not\u00a0necessarily\u00a0add\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0reader&#8217;s experience\u00a0of\u00a0getting\u00a0the\u00a0news.\u00a0\u00a0Ultimately,\u00a0if\u00a0the\u00a0huge\u00a0effort and\u00a0expense\u00a0you\u00a0put\u00a0out\u00a0does\u00a0not\u00a0have\u00a0as\u00a0huge\u00a0an\u00a0impact\u00a0on the\u00a0customer&#8217;s\u00a0experience\u00a0of\u00a0your\u00a0product,\u00a0then\u00a0you\u00a0are\u00a0nothing more\u00a0than\u00a0an\u00a0Ed\u00a0Sullivan\u00a0Show\u00a0act.\u00a0\u00a0Ed\u00a0Sullivan\u00a0frequently\u00a0had circus\u00a0type\u00a0performers\u00a0on\u00a0his\u00a0TV\u00a0show.\u00a0\u00a0Sure,\u00a0what\u00a0they\u00a0did\u00a0was complicated\u00a0and\u00a0very\u00a0hard\u00a0to\u00a0do,\u00a0but\u00a0I\u00a0kept\u00a0asking\u00a0&#8220;is\u00a0it entertaining&#8221;.\u00a0\u00a0Apparently\u00a0the\u00a0answer\u00a0was\u00a0&#8220;not\u00a0for\u00a0long&#8221;. It\u00a0is\u00a0not\u00a0the\u00a0barrier\u00a0to\u00a0entry\u00a0that\u00a0makes\u00a0the\u00a0reputation\u00a0of\u00a0the major\u00a0dailies,\u00a0it\u00a0is\u00a0the\u00a0quality\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0news\u00a0reporting\u00a0and\u00a0the quality\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0other\u00a0features.\u00a0\u00a0As\u00a0the\u00a0NYT\u00a0lets\u00a0that\u00a0quality slip\u00a0away,\u00a0their\u00a0dominant\u00a0position\u00a0will\u00a0disappear.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[141],"class_list":{"0":"post-205","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-periodic-posts","7":"tag-newspapers","8":"czr-hentry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ssgreenberg.name\/PoliticsBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ssgreenberg.name\/PoliticsBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ssgreenberg.name\/PoliticsBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ssgreenberg.name\/PoliticsBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ssgreenberg.name\/PoliticsBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=205"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ssgreenberg.name\/PoliticsBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":206,"href":"https:\/\/ssgreenberg.name\/PoliticsBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205\/revisions\/206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ssgreenberg.name\/PoliticsBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ssgreenberg.name\/PoliticsBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ssgreenberg.name\/PoliticsBlog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}