Shared posts

23 Mar 07:38

Journal pulls paper due to “legal context” created by climate contrarians

by John Timmer

Two years ago, a group of researchers published a paper with a provocative title: "NASA Faked the Moon Landing—Therefore, (Climate) Science Is a Hoax." In the paper, they noted that a subset of the community that has a hard time accepting the evidence for human-driven climate change tends to more generally believe conspiracy theories.

Ironically, the community responded with... conspiracy theories. Which some of the original authors then analyzed in a paper that was accepted for publication in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. But shortly after its appearance, the article was pulled from the journal website and has existed in an unusual academic limbo since. Today, Frontiers has confirmed that the paper will be pulled permanently—not due to any flaws in it or misconduct by its authors, but because its "legal context is unclear." All indications are that lack of clarity involves some of its subjects threatening defamation suits.

The initial paper produced results that weren't entirely surprising. By surveying visitors to climate blogs, its authors found that free-market fans tended to reject scientific findings that had potential regulatory implications, something that's been found by a variety of other researchers. But it also found that there is a population of people who doubt scientific findings simply because they tended to doubt nearly everything, ascribing a variety of things—the Moon landings, the World Trade Center attacks, etc.—to conspiracies. This might seem surprising, but the results held up when the same authors extended the study to the US population in general.

Read 10 remaining paragraphs | Comments

23 Mar 06:47

if youre on tumblr youre an idiot

if youre on tumblr youre an idiot

23 Mar 06:47

Architects remake the Chess set | Via Architecture and...













Architects remake the Chess set | Via

Architecture and chess have always been related—the rook is obviously the fortress, a building that moves in 90-degree angles only. But the connections run deeper than pure aesthetics: the standard “Staunton” set that we know and love was designed in 1849 by architect Nathan Cook. Cook took inspiration from the neoclassical buildings of London, and in effect, derivatives of Greek and Roman architecture like the Parthenon ended up on our chessboards.

The CHESS at Jai and Jai Gallery in Los Angeles continues the connection, challenging a dynamic group of eight young architects from all over the world to redesign the chess set. The rules were loose; the sets did not have to be playable.

22 Mar 07:27

gotitforcheap: people with samsung galaxies 



gotitforcheap:

people with samsung galaxies 

22 Mar 07:27

fuckyeah1990s: sheisasystem: How I rang in my 18th...





fuckyeah1990s:

sheisasystem:

How I rang in my 18th birthday.

I don’t know how long ago your birthday was, but thats a cool cake.

22 Mar 07:26

Teens Migrating from Facebook To the Comments Section of Slow-Motion Deer Video

by EDW Lynch



The Onion
reports that teens are flocking to a hot new social network—the comments section of a YouTube video depicting a deer running in slow motion.

Trendwatchers say more and more teens are leaving Facebook and Twitter in favor of the comments section on a YouTube video of a deer running in slow motion.

22 Mar 07:26

me at restaurants: is there wi-fi

me at restaurants: is there wi-fi
me at the mountains: is there wi-fi
me at the beach: is there wi-fi
me at family parties: is there wi-fi
me at school:is there wi-fi
me in hell: is there wi-fi
22 Mar 07:23

MLB And Match.Com Want To Unite Singles Over Hatred For Other Teams

As the baseball season approaches, Major League Baseball and Match.com are focusing on singles.
22 Mar 07:22

The Earliest Days Of Lucasfilm Games

"We were probably the only group outside of George in the company that got to make up new stories, and call them Lucasfilm."
22 Mar 07:21

Drone Warfare Is Why We Can't Find Malaysian Airlines Flight 370

The long and frustrating hunt for missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 might be a sign of what’s to come, thanks to our growing obsession with drone imagery at the expense of the quaint technology of satellite radar data.
22 Mar 07:21

Sochi Is Deserted

The Sochi Olympics is over and the city has become rather deserted. Sportsmen and fans have left, buses are empty, cars are rare, and some buildings have never been finished.
22 Mar 07:21

I Worked For The U.S. Army, And It Was A Horrible Place To Be A Woman

Despite the amount of women now gracing the ranks of our proud military divisions, it is still, most certainly, a man’s world.
22 Mar 07:15

PBS Interviews Metal Band, Don't Get What They Bargained For

Power Trip are a really heavy band full of pretty normal dudes. They might be the Drake of metal.
22 Mar 05:27

A&E Pulls “Breaking Boston” After One Telecast | TV Media Insights – TV Ratings & News – Network TV Show Reviews and Daily Ratings

by gguillotte
On the heels of removing scripted drama “Those Who Kill” with Chloe Sevigny after two episodes comes word that A&E has pulled reality series “Breaking Boston” from Mark Wahlberg after just one airing. The show, which followed four blue-collar women in their 20s trying to make it in Boston, was DOA with just 313,000 viewers in the 10 p.m. hour on Thursday, March 13. Airing in its place last night was an encore telecast of “The First 48.”
22 Mar 04:04

Photo

firehose

via rnas via Rntannus



22 Mar 04:03

How to suppress women's coding.

firehose

via saucie

How to suppress women's coding.:

dailydot:

Last week, GitHub’s first female developer, Julie Ann Horvath, quit the company over a staggering string of allegations that while working there she was subjected to harassment, intimidation, and sexism in the workplace. Considering Horvath also launched GitHub’s Passion Projects initiative to recruit more women into the Open Source community, this was quite a loss. GitHub has responded by putting the founder at the source of her claims on leave pending an investigation.

In discussing what to do in response to the GitHub debacle, we floated the inevitable idea: write about how every woman who ever makes an issue of sexism in tech culture or geek culture is routinely subjected to backlash or harassment.

I didn’t want to write that article. I always write those articles, and I am exhausted.

In the days to come, you’ll read think pieces that examine sexism in Open Source communities. You’ll read roundups of similar issues in tech and geek culture, like the ones we’ve written many times over. You might even hear of the inevitable backlash and harassment that always seems to follow whenever a woman speaks about sexism in tech or geek culture.

But if there’s one thing to take away from what happened to Horvath, it’s a glimpse of a culture in which women’s voices are silenced, the same thing we learned from Joanna Russ’s landmark exploration of the systemic marginalization of women in publishing.

Here’s a guide for the uninitiated.

[READ MORE]

22 Mar 04:03

More On the Disposable Tech Worker

by Soulskill
firehose

via Albener Pessoa

Jim_Austin writes "At a press conference this week, in response to a question by a Science Careers reporter, Scott Corley, the Executive Director of immigration-reform group Compete America, argued that retraining workers doesn't make sense for IT companies. For the company, he argued, H-1B guest workers are a much better choice. 'It's not easy to retrain people,' Corley said. 'The further you get away from your education the less knowledge you have of the new technologies, and technology is always moving forward.'"

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Read more of this story at Slashdot.








22 Mar 04:02

Local bartenders, distillers show a different side of rum: The Cocktail Hour

firehose

via saucie
ha ha fuck, portland, how are you only just learning about rum in cocktails

Local bartenders, distillers show a different side of rum: The Cocktail Hour:

As rum-focused bars such as Hale Pele and Rum Club show off the spirit’s versatility in cocktails, distillers with Portland ties help feed a growing demand.

22 Mar 03:59

Southern Food Group: Boudin

by rreed
firehose

via saucie
best food ever

As a child, chances are you learned about the five food groups: fruits, vegetables, dairy, grains, and meat. The Southern Foodways Alliance has decided to rewrite the food pyramid in 2014 by introducing the twelve Southern food groups. Each month this year, the SFA will pair up with Garden & Gun to explore one food group that’s essential to our region’s cuisine.

We began with oysters, followed by gumbo. This month, we remain in Louisiana, shifting our focus to boudin.


Photograph by Chris Granger

We can think of many Southern delicacies—oysters on the half-shell, barbecue shrimp with French bread, juicy summer watermelon—whose proper consumption requires rolling up your sleeves. In cases like these, the messiness of the dish is directly proportional to the culinary pleasure it affords. Boudin, the pork-and-rice sausage endemic to gas stations and family-run butcher shops in Louisiana’s Cajun country, falls squarely into this category. 

Calvin Trillin once wrote of boudin: “I figure that about 80 percent of the boudin purchased in Louisiana is consumed before the purchaser has left the parking lot, and most of the rest is polished off in the car. In other words, Cajun boudin not only doesn’t get outside the state; it usually doesn’t even get home.” To be fair, in 2014 a savvy diner can find boudin balls on the menu at upscale restaurants in Louisiana and beyond. They’re a staple at John Currence’s Snackbar in Oxford, Mississippi, and Kelly English of Restaurant Iris in Memphis has been known to fill his boudin with rabbit instead of pork. But for most boudin aficionados, the best way to get a fix is to squeeze the filling right out of the casing and into your mouth. Using teeth and fingers are encouraged; saltines are an acceptable vehicle for daintier souls.

In addition to pork, rice, and spices, liver was once a key ingredient in boudin. But nowadays, many makers cater to contemporary palates less accustomed to the flavors of organ meats. Even fewer artisans continue to produce boudin rouge, or blood boudin. Rodney Babineaux of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, is among those who carry on this Cajun tradition. In the SFA Okracast below, Babineaux tells SFA oral historian Sara Roahen, how the sausage gets made.

If you’re still hungry:

1. Inexpensive, ubiquitous in gas stations, and managable even with one hand on the steering wheel, boudin might be the perfect road-trip food, at least in Acadiana. Visit the SFA’s Southern Boudin Trail to start planning your own pilgrimage.

2. Boudin making is not just a man’s world. Meet Beverly Giardelli of C. Hebert’s Slaughter House and Meat Market in Abbeville, Louisiana.

3. Listen as butcher and slaughterhouse owner T-Boy Berzas of Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, explains why the best boudin starts with the best hogs, 

 

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22 Mar 03:40

U.K. begging Yahoo to stay in London so it can keep snooping

by kcollier@dailydot.com (Kevin Collier)
firehose

via Russian Sledges

It may not be the most convincing argument Yahoo has ever heard.

22 Mar 01:40

Doctor Who Cooking Apron

by drew
firehose

via multitasksuicide

doctor-who-apron

There’s nothing that makes a lady feel better than dressing up as a spaceship phonebooth that’s had twelve British men inside.

22 Mar 01:31

Trying to get into bed after I've had a few too many

firehose

via Diane
no satan only corg

22 Mar 01:31

shevathegun: callmekitto: seraphatonin: "um starfire’s powers are fueled by the sun that’s why...

firehose

via Lori

shevathegun:

callmekitto:

seraphatonin:

"um starfire’s powers are fueled by the sun that’s why she has to wear skimpy clothes" hey u know who else’s powers are fueled by the sun? superman. come on clark time for that toothfloss speedo chop chop

his nipples are covered by tiny capes

image

truth, justice, and the american way

22 Mar 01:30

Tolkien's Translation Of Beowulf Is Finally Being Published

by Zeon Santos
firehose

via Russian Sledges

(Image Via Wikimedia)

J.R.R. Tolkien’s original stories, like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, get all the attention and overshadow the fact that Tolkien is known in academic circles as an authority on Beowulf, citing the work as having a major influence on his writing.

He delivered a passionate lecture in 1936 on Beowulf's merits as a classic work, and this lecture succeeded in convincing many scholars to take Beowulf seriously.

Tolkien felt that Beowulf should be appreciated as a work of fantasy fiction, and not as just some silly vikings versus monsters story, and in 1926 he finished his own translation of the poem, a translation that would never see publication-until May 22nd, 2014 when Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary arrives in bookstores.

-Via Gamma Squad

22 Mar 01:28

A Crimean Love Story: Putin & Poklonskaya

by Brad
firehose

via Christopher Lantz

Story
22 Mar 01:21

World War II nostalgia sure is a fascinating attempt to pretend that white, straight, able-bodied dudes are better US citizens than anyone else.

firehose

via willowbl00

US History, University of Maryland.

“Nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer”: Portrayals of Masculinity and Ideal Citizenship in World War II Combat Films, 1989-2001

22 Mar 01:17

Piranesi’s Visions Brought To Life

by Site Admin
firehose

via Jakkyn

An exhibition at London’s Sir John Soane Museum demonstrates a new capability enabled by 3D printing. 

It’s a collection of imaginary artifacts originally conceived by 18th century artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi, who etched fantastic visions of buildings and things in them. But here’s the catch: the objects never existed until now. 

The digital magicians at Madrid-based Factum Arte made this happen. They specialize in digitizing ancient artifacts, but in this case there were no artifacts; there was simply Piranesi’s etchings. 

Using the etchings, Factum Arte staff managed to create detailed 3D models of many of Piranesi’s visions. And as readers will know, once you have a 3D model you can produce 3D prints. The large 3D prints were then finished with various means to produce the collection now on display at the Sir John Soane Museum in London. 

We believe this is a new approach: restoring objects that never existed; bringing to life those things imagined by the ancients. One can only wonder what other possibilities there might be using this technique.

If you’re in London anytime before May 31st, we recommend you check out the work of Factum Arte - and Giovanni Battista Piranesi.
 
Via Factum Arte and Sir John Soane Museum

22 Mar 01:05

Apple Drops Windows 7 Boot Camp Support in New Mac Pro

by Juli Clover
firehose

via Albener Pessoa
WHAT COULD POSSIBLY

boot_camp_iconApple's Mac Pro only supports installations of Windows 8 or later with Boot Camp, according to an updated Apple Support document that lists versions of Windows compatible with the 2013 Mac Pro.

Boot Camp Assistant on the Mac Pro also specifies that it only includes support for Windows 8 or later, as evidenced in a screenshot from Twocanoes Software (via MacWindows) indicating that users are not able to install earlier versions of Windows. The 2013 Mac Pro is the first Mac that does not include support for Windows 7 with Boot Camp 5.

It is unclear why Apple has chosen to drop support for Windows 7 on the Mac Pro, but it could be a sign that the company intends to discontinue support for the operating system in future Macs given its advanced age.

This decision may not sit well with users, as Windows 8, released in 2012, has not been particularly popular. As of this month, Windows 8 and 8.1 only represented 10.68 percent of total worldwide OS market share, while Windows 7 represented 47.31 percent. Combined, Windows is installed on 90.84 percent of the world's computers.
    






22 Mar 00:54

Your Inner Sailor Scout Based on Your Myers-Briggs Personality Type

by Kate Gavino
firehose

via KV
I've apparently evolved from Artemis to Neptune since college

by Kate Gavino

Back when your three-ring binder was covered in Imperium Silver Crystals stickers and badly-translated kanji, chances are you had serious discussions with your friends over which Sailor Moon character was your counterpart. The Sailor Scout you related to most was truly an existential dilemma. Were you a brain like Mercury? A diva like Venus? A metaphor for the temporality of life like Saturn? These questions may still plague you, so here’s an easy way to approach the problem: the Myers-Briggs Test. Find out your MBTI personality type, and then match it to the corresponding Sailor Moon character below. It’s so easy, a meatball head could do it.

ESTP-Sailor Jupiter

No one has ever accused you of being a one-trick pony. Like Sailor Jupiter, you can bring a Death Buster to its knees with one swift kick to the ghost gonads, all the while keeping an encyclopedic knowledge of muffin recipes in that bright little head of yours. Though you’re not often patient—you have far too much energy—you go through life based on experience and can take care of yourself. You may be the Soldier of Thunder and Strength, but you’ve got a soft side, too.

ESFP — Sailor Venus

There’s a reason Sailor V was famous before Sailor Moon. Homegirl was a model, singer, and actress before she decided to add “defender of the universe” to her resume. Lover of life, liberty, and the pursuit of volumizing hair products, you blaze through life like a tiara hurtling at Negascum. People gravitate towards you, just as Sailor Venus was second-in-command of the Sailor Scouts. It doesn’t hurt that you’re a total babe, too.

ESTJ — Tuxedo Mask

Admit it: you’re the “dad” of your friend group. You often launch into meandering lectures and rock enough ill-fitting sweaters to make Cosby proud. You may not have the coolest super powers (Lethally sharp roses! And a cane!), but you can always talk sense and comfort people when they need it the most. You can be a bit of overbearing dork (see: top hat), but people love you. In fact, you could say people treat you like a king. (Nudge, nudge.)

ENFJ — Sailor Moon

Wear those meatballs with pride. Your haters may call you a klutz or an airhead or the posterchild for Japanese schoolgirl fetishism, but deep inside, you have reserves of strength. Something about your ability to strive ahead—even when you’re underprepared or outnumbered—inspires people. You may not immediately realize it, but you’re a born leader. In fact, your leadership spans the space-time continuum—something to think about during remedial algebra class.

ENTP — Sailor Chibi Moon

You may be a sweet, little thing, but you have been known to grab the bull by the balls in order to get your way. People underestimate you because of your size or your age, but underneath those cotton candy pigtails, you’ve got the relentlessness of a battle axe. I mean, you take after a little girl who time traveled hundreds of dimensions and galaxies, just to give her future mother a kick in the shins. That’s some next level shit right there. 

ENFP — Chibichibi

Okay, we get it: you’re adorable. You bounce through life with carefree ease—occasionally modifying people’s memories in order to suit your needs (but that’s just a minor detail). Like Chibichibi’s presence strengthens Sailor Moon, you radiate positive energy that other’s feed off of. But you’re not just a happy-go-lucky cheerleader. You’re smart in a way that’s not always obvious and those who don’t see that usually end up with a heart-shaped bruise on their forehead.

ESFJ — Diana

We have reached the utmost level of cuteness. You seek out harmony, like a lost kitten seeking her parents. You are unfailingly sweet, and all you need is a warm bowl of milk and an occasional belly rub to keep you happy.

ENTJ — Queen Beryl

Critics may call you a bitch, but you prefer the term “go-getter.” You don’t see the point in wasting your knowledge and power (whether intellectual or intergalactic) on people who are unworthy of your presence. Like the evil queen herself, you have a very clear vision of the future: you, on a throne, made from the bones of your enemies. Is it really such a big deal that you have to crush anyone who gets in the way of that?

ISTJ – Sailor Mars

Let’s all take a moment and bow down. Is there a more flawless Sailor Scout than Mars? Yeah, didn’t think so. Take some time to congratulate yourself on mirroring the same traits as the Soldier of Fire and Passion. You’ve never been one to make a scene. Instead, you radiate quiet confidence, innate sophistication, and superhuman grace. But then you also have the capability to unleash a giant fireball on someone’s ass. While wearing heels. Again: flawless.

ISFJ – Sailor Mercury

You may get overshadowed by your louder, longer-haired friends, but they know that without you, they’d be stranded somewhere in the Negaverse with their pigtails tied in a knot. Like Mercury, your brain never quits, and you make those homeschooled Spelling Bee winners look like dunces. But you are hardly a robot. Along with your intellect, you’re unfailingly kind and loyal, and to top it all off, you rocked blue hair long before Katy Perry.

INFP — Luna

During the superhero’s training montage, you’re in the background guiding them along, teaching them how to catch flies with chopsticks. You’ve always been able to cut through bullshit and see what’s most important. You’re a natural teacher, and you often find yourself as the de-facto therapist among your friends, doling out advice like catnip. You’re can handle any problem with wisdom and grace. Except hairballs. You do not do hairballs.

INTP — Artemis

You’re the brains of the operation, though you don’t always act like it. You’re a bit more easygoing than your partner, INFP, and this can get on their nerves. But that’s just the burden of your genius. You may be assigned to protect these teenage warriors, but that doesn’t stop you from developing a crush on one of them. Did we mention you’re a cat? Yeah, inappropriate.

INFJ – Sailor Pluto

In kindergarten, you were probably the kid who was allowed to take the class hamster home for the weekend. People have no problem trusting you. In fact, you’d probably be totally fine guarding the gates of time at the end of the universe for all eternity. It’s a lonely job, but you’ve always made sacrifices for the sake of others. You may come off as a little aloof, but once people get to know you, they idolize you. Planet or not, Pluto is a quiet badass.

INTJ – Sailor Uranus

A quiet assassin, you slash through life like a Space Sword through a block of PC-friendly cheese. You cherish your independence and have few friends – but those few friends are your life. You’ve never been easy to categorize, whether if it’s by your fashion sense, loyalty, or even your gender.  You’ve never tried to shock people, but it just seems to happen naturally. You’re just too advanced for us mortal beings, who still can’t say your planetary name without giggling.

ISTP – Sailor Neptune

Like the Soldier of Water, you’re tolerant and flexible but deceptively strong. You look at problems from all angles first rather than tackling it head-on. You’re drawn to those who are your opposite, as you enjoy the challenge of butting heads and seeing things from new perspectives. It’s no wonder that such keen observational skills make Neptune’s weapon of choice of a mirror. Beside, you need something to keep that turquoise dye job intact.

ISFP – Sailor Saturn

Not going to lie: you scare people. Though you’re polite, kind, and sweet, you give off an aura that seems to say, “Cross my path, and I will blow up your planet.” But hey, you had a rough childhood, so what do you expect? Like the soldier of Death and Rebirth, your parents were a little “off” (like, mad scientist “off”) and you spent too much time alone. So in the end, it makes perfect sense that your one superpower is to blow up entire galaxies to smithereens.

 

Previously: 7 Haikus For Failed Hip Hop Clothing Lines

Photo via pasukaru76/flickr.

Kate Gavino is a writer living in Brooklyn. Her work has appeared in the Huffington Post, The Toast, xoJane, and HelloGiggles, and she runs the blog Last Night's Reading. Follow her on Twitter @kategavino.

9 Comments
22 Mar 00:22

You Are Not a Product: Why Premium Pricing is Here

firehose

via Jfiorato

I don't object to paying for it (obviously--I donated, and the premium extension for donating is the main reason I'm still here full-time).

I _do_ object to paying more for a lesser service than its competitors. This post doesn't address that.

It made us angry to see great products like Google Reader shut down for no good reason. It was frightening when we heard The Old Reader might have to close its doors.

It’s easy to shrug your shoulders and just hope that there will always be great free software for content delivery. And if you do eventually have to join some closed social network, it can’t be that terrible, right? It might be controlled by a giant Internet company, but hey, it’ll be free, right?

Why Freemium is the Thing

Since we introduced Premium pricing for The Old Reader, we’ve gotten some thoughtful comments, as well as some pushback. Why should I pay for a technology that’s always been free? Isn’t the whole point of RSS that it’s part of the free Internet? I want to explain why we’re here and why we’ve adopted the Premium pricing plan ($2/month for 500 subscriptions with full-text search).

RSS has been neglected and abused, but as I’ve said before, I believe it will be the preferred content-delivery format once people tire of private/closed networks. Twitter, Facebook and the rest aren’t delivering content- they’re delivering you to advertisers. RSS doesn’t fit that model. That’s why the big players aren’t supporting it. 

Get Your Sponsored Content Somewhere Else

One of the most common questions we get is why didn’t we just bring in advertising. We settled on the freemium model because its the one that supports the service the best while doing the least harm. The more I use Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms, the more I see the subtle and insidious ways they control what I see, what I do, and what I can say, all in the name of advertising.

We’re trying to provide something the closed Internet doesn’t do- give you unfiltered access to the content you choose. The value in RSS is that it doesn’t try to make money by observing your online habits and feeding you sponsored content. But there are costs to making that possible.

We can learn more about you by building closed systems and tracking and targeting your every move and serving up ad content. But as we’ve said, ads introduce bias and distract from the primary purpose of RSS readers. RSS should aggregate the content you choose from the web, not push advertising to you.  

Besides, ads won’t work. Most of you won’t look at the ads. You will do what I do- block them with Adblock or some other tool or just flat out ignore them. Advertisements that don’t get attention don’t pay any bills. Then we’re forced to find ways to make those ads effective, or lose advertisers. That means putting our resources into forcing you to watch more ads, click on more ads, or some other gambit that has nothing to do with getting the content you want.

Finally, an RSS reader knows a lot about people’s interests, but we don’t want to exploit that fact. We should be using that information to find more stuff you like, not selling it to advertisers. We believe in privacy and do our best to protect it. To maximize ad revenues we’d need to violate your privacy to some degree.

It’s Not a Free Ride

But why should Premium users have to pay the bill for the free users? It’s important to remember that this is a social network, and the more friends you have to share with, the better. Not all your friends will be Premium/power RSS users. But the more people using the service, the more great content you can find. (And not sponsored content from advertisers.)

In addition, we hope that over time we are able to attract more and more of our free users to Premium accounts. We know it’ll be a small percentage but we’re working hard to build incredible functionality worthy of a small monthly fee. Besides, I know you’ve heard the “it’s less than cup of coffee” line a thousand times, but we REALLY think it’s a reasonable amount for the power you have. If you’re a power user, know that the money we make from your subscription will be plowed into development. Real, honest-to-goodness development.

I know that there are still free RSS readers available. The Old Reader was completely free until a couple weeks ago. And for the VAST majority of our users it still can be completely free. The freemium model is important because we’re focused on making this a sustainable service that won’t be closing.

In The Words of a Wise Man…

Our goal isn’t just to keep The Old Reader chugging along, but to build an online platform and community that is an alternative to the Facebooks and Twitters of the world. I think Dave Winer said it best when he wrote in our blog comments:

We have as a community, been boring the hell out of users.

This what happens when a product doesn’t introduce any new features for 10 years! :-)

I’m talking about RSS, as a product — vs its competitors, Twitter and Facebook, which have been actively pushing new goodies for users.

We are not doing that in RSS.

So if we want to get users on board, and other developers, we have to move.

Everyone’s been doing it for themselves, and no one has been willing to go first with a new feature that might delight users, and inspire their competitors to follow them.

If we want to have a good open alternative to Twitter and Facebook, we have to do some new stuff!

We’re committed to the open web and giving you the best possible reading experience without sneaking in ads. And we’re also not going to be using your private information to sell you anything or help others sell you anything. That’s not just a promise. That’s the principle behind Premium membership.