Category: Internet

Professional blogger Jason Kottke is taking part in a panel discussion about the rise of citizen critics. This is an idea I floated for a SXSW panel about three years ago. Never got the callback, but I still think this would be a great panel. I mean, I’ve got friends who swear by Metacritic, but I wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole. I’m much more comfortable with the recommendations of trusted friends or professional critics whose tastes I’m aligned with.

If you’re in NYC on November 3rd, check it out and let me know what you thought.

This article in the Guardian might make a really interesting ongoing series. “Experts” examine articles in the user-edited Wikipedia and rate them on accuracy and comprehensiveness.

I know the whole idea of the Wikipedia has been the subject of debate, but here the focus is on the nitty-gritty. Are the articles actually useful? From my own experience, I love the way everything is cross-referenced and linked, but I think I’d be a little more comfortable with some editorial oversight, old snob that I am.

After struggling with a veritable tornado of comment spam, I’ve decided to blacklist the word “Texas” in my comments, due to a certain type of online card game. In all honesty, there are dozens, maybe even hundreds (and quite possibly thousands), of cool Texans, as well as one or two I’m not fond of, but if someone wants to comment on my weblog, and they work for Texas Monthly, for instance, they’re going to have some trouble. It’s a small price to pay, I think.

P.S. I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few more beloved Texans. Sorry!

The Toronto Star has digitized every daily issue of their paper, from 1892 through 2001, and put them online. It’s all searchable, too. What a monumental task. It isn’t free, but this will make researchers jobs much easier. I hope other newspapers follow suit. For now, you can check out all the 1945 issues gratis. (via mefi)

UPDATE: The Globe and Mail has done the same thing, with every issue from 1844 onward. Not available for individual access, but apparently some public and university libraries have paid the site licence fees.

Paper of Record appears to be a sort of super-database consisting of scanned newspapers from Canada, the US, the UK, and Mexico. This could become a great resource.