View from the Wing [VFTW] discussions
#556
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: DFW
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, Admirals Club, Global Entry
Posts: 1,141
From one of today's posts, I rather gather that Gary is a NeverTrump guy. It's his blog, of course, and he can say what he wants, but I don't read View from the Wing for its politics.
Others might like that stuff.
Personally, I like the airplanes and the travel. That's it.
Others might like that stuff.
Personally, I like the airplanes and the travel. That's it.
#558
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,624
From one of today's posts, I rather gather that Gary is a NeverTrump guy. It's his blog, of course, and he can say what he wants, but I don't read View from the Wing for its politics.
Others might like that stuff.
Personally, I like the airplanes and the travel. That's it.
Others might like that stuff.
Personally, I like the airplanes and the travel. That's it.
#560
Original Member, Ambassador: External Miles and Points Resources
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Digital Nomad Wandering the Earth - Currently in LIMA, PERU
Posts: 58,624
On a separate topic, I saw this and thought of VFTW: https://www.theinformation.com/escap...edia-crap-trap
Digital media companies are caught in the "crap trap," mass-producing trashy clickbait so they can claim huge audiences and often higher valuations.
Here is how they fell into this lethal trap: They got into the content game to produce news or info they might be proud of, believing they could lure us to read it and maybe even pay for it. They quickly realized it's expensive to produce quality content and hard to get a lot of people to click on it, much less pay for it. So they deluded themselves that the better play was to go for the biggest audience possible, using stupid web tricks to draw them in. These include misleading but clicky headlines, feel-good lists, sexy photos and exploding watermelons.
And it appeared to work. Traffic spiked. Costs were contained. But revenue never followed because everyone else was doing the same tricks and getting the same spikes—and the simple law of supply and demand drove down the value of their inventory. This dynamic helps explain why Mashable recently laid off so many journalists, BuzzFeed saw its growth miss the mark and many media companies and investors are freaked out.
Here's the good news: This era is getting flushed away. Some companies feel self-conscious about the trash they are producing. Many others realize it's simply not a good business model. But the savviest ones see a very cool reason to change: A content revolution is picking up speed, promising a profitable future for companies that can lock down loyal audiences, especially those built around higher-quality content.
Here is how they fell into this lethal trap: They got into the content game to produce news or info they might be proud of, believing they could lure us to read it and maybe even pay for it. They quickly realized it's expensive to produce quality content and hard to get a lot of people to click on it, much less pay for it. So they deluded themselves that the better play was to go for the biggest audience possible, using stupid web tricks to draw them in. These include misleading but clicky headlines, feel-good lists, sexy photos and exploding watermelons.
And it appeared to work. Traffic spiked. Costs were contained. But revenue never followed because everyone else was doing the same tricks and getting the same spikes—and the simple law of supply and demand drove down the value of their inventory. This dynamic helps explain why Mashable recently laid off so many journalists, BuzzFeed saw its growth miss the mark and many media companies and investors are freaked out.
Here's the good news: This era is getting flushed away. Some companies feel self-conscious about the trash they are producing. Many others realize it's simply not a good business model. But the savviest ones see a very cool reason to change: A content revolution is picking up speed, promising a profitable future for companies that can lock down loyal audiences, especially those built around higher-quality content.
#561
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,625
I haven't seen much evidence of this. These days I mostly read blogs which have very few but high-quality posts, but content still wants to be free. I think someone will always offer good content for free, just as FT does.
#562
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Upper Sternistan
Posts: 10,047
I've got to say, as the signal to noise ratio on this blog gets lower and lower, I'm soon to put it in the pile with TPG and MMS and FTG - all are gone from my Feedly, and even if I do a Google search and get a hit on one of those sites, I won't bother.
Gary seems to be just posting random thoughts these days. But I guess I do still get a little guilty pleasure reading about things as inane as the coffee filter scenario and how much nonsense he read into that situation. He's like a community college English teacher.
Gary seems to be just posting random thoughts these days. But I guess I do still get a little guilty pleasure reading about things as inane as the coffee filter scenario and how much nonsense he read into that situation. He's like a community college English teacher.
#563
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: DFW
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, Admirals Club, Global Entry
Posts: 1,141
Yes, thanks for the reminder on the libertarian thing. I had forgotten.
I guess what really annoys me, as already noted immediately above, is the steadily deteriorating signal-to-noise ratio. I still tune in, but there sure is a lot of static -- and I don't just mean the click-bait titles either.
The quality is still there. That's why I read. You just have to look harder for it.
I guess what really annoys me, as already noted immediately above, is the steadily deteriorating signal-to-noise ratio. I still tune in, but there sure is a lot of static -- and I don't just mean the click-bait titles either.
The quality is still there. That's why I read. You just have to look harder for it.
#564
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Somewhere above the Mason-Dixon
Programs: DL Ham Samich
Posts: 1,661
I'd much rather be known and respected by few than known by many without their respect.
I reckon (possibly first time I've ever used that word) Gary doesn't feel the same
I reckon (possibly first time I've ever used that word) Gary doesn't feel the same
#565
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,130
His response to TPG getting the AMEX Black Card has been fantastic
Post 1: I agree AMEX Black is garbage and I had to write a post evaluating it even though I don't have one because TPG got one so everyone must know my thoughts
Post 2 (today): Well maybe there is value for a few people but I still conclude it's a terrible card (translation: I don't have an affiliate link for it so not going to push it)
I'm not sure why VFTW felt the need to provide his own commentary on TPG getting the AMEX Black Card though...
Post 1: I agree AMEX Black is garbage and I had to write a post evaluating it even though I don't have one because TPG got one so everyone must know my thoughts
Post 2 (today): Well maybe there is value for a few people but I still conclude it's a terrible card (translation: I don't have an affiliate link for it so not going to push it)
I'm not sure why VFTW felt the need to provide his own commentary on TPG getting the AMEX Black Card though...
#566
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Upper Sternistan
Posts: 10,047
His response to TPG getting the AMEX Black Card has been fantastic
Post 1: I agree AMEX Black is garbage and I had to write a post evaluating it even though I don't have one because TPG got one so everyone must know my thoughts
Post 2 (today): Well maybe there is value for a few people but I still conclude it's a terrible card (translation: I don't have an affiliate link for it so not going to push it)
I'm not sure why VFTW felt the need to provide his own commentary on TPG getting the AMEX Black Card though...
Post 1: I agree AMEX Black is garbage and I had to write a post evaluating it even though I don't have one because TPG got one so everyone must know my thoughts
Post 2 (today): Well maybe there is value for a few people but I still conclude it's a terrible card (translation: I don't have an affiliate link for it so not going to push it)
I'm not sure why VFTW felt the need to provide his own commentary on TPG getting the AMEX Black Card though...
It's tough being a thought leader.
#567
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Upper Sternistan
Posts: 10,047
He wrote the entire blog post "This Hyatt Wants to Help You Have Sex" basically just because this Hyatt used the word "trysts" in their promo.
If that isn't just garbage content just for the sake of content, I don't know what is. It's one level above the bots that add spam comments.
If that isn't just garbage content just for the sake of content, I don't know what is. It's one level above the bots that add spam comments.
#568
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 4,511
He wrote the entire blog post "This Hyatt Wants to Help You Have Sex" basically just because this Hyatt used the word "trysts" in their promo.
If that isn't just garbage content just for the sake of content, I don't know what is. It's one level above the bots that add spam comments.
If that isn't just garbage content just for the sake of content, I don't know what is. It's one level above the bots that add spam comments.
#569
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: CMH, West Coast
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, oneworld emerald
Posts: 2,741
He wrote the entire blog post "This Hyatt Wants to Help You Have Sex" basically just because this Hyatt used the word "trysts" in their promo.
If that isn't just garbage content just for the sake of content, I don't know what is. It's one level above the bots that add spam comments.
If that isn't just garbage content just for the sake of content, I don't know what is. It's one level above the bots that add spam comments.
#570
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: CMH, West Coast
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, oneworld emerald
Posts: 2,741
Let's examine this latest "completely random and throwaway article that probably doesn't even belong in one of those clickbait spam lists"
http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....omment-page-1/
http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....omment-page-1/