If corporate reality revolves around the bottom line, then why does Slate keep the fray? Sentimental reasons? Perhaps. I suppose Slate receives nothing for advertising while I type or when you read this post [sarcasm].

My company pays for advertising, and we are consistently analysing what works best. If an ad pays for itself, for example, with just one new client, is it worth keeping? Conversely, I suppose, Slate has to consider whether the pennies they get everytime a fool like me spends his time writing and reading on this board is worth the time for an editor to acknowledge my worthlessness, and the answer appears like a resounding "no".

I believe that the majority of Slate writers fail as journalists, and I don't need evidence to support that claim, at least from the time Slate writers covered the lead to the US invasion of Iraq; but my condemnation of Slate coverage of the Middle East extends to the majority of US news-media, so there's nothing peculiar to Slate in my doing that. I'd compare the US news media coverage of the Middle East to one huge Ponzi scheme built on fanatical jingoism and religious fanaticism, and God knows how much of that intellectually depraved pyramid is going to crumble in our lifetimes.

Lately, however, I've used this site to air out some personal stuff, though I'm not sure why, as writing on this site has caused me real harm in the past, and I'm not referring to the past comments written about me and mine, which I'm sure are not all accurate. I suppose I've read a lot of well-written, passionate, and informative things on ths site, and I've always felt that communities, even pixel ones, are made better by everyone's participation - participation for good or for bad. So my gain has been intangible, and as much as I hate to admit it, I've gained a lot from the many other fools like me on this site. I sincerely thank you for the time you've invested in writing some gems in return for a lot of grief.

Sadly, after reading the commotion about fray editors and the one editor response, I now feel it is time for me to go again. As much as I hated to be associated with the failed journalists who write for the Slate, I'm less inclined to be associated with the fickleness exhibited by the editor. I've had a problem with your fickleness in the past, but, come on, Geoff, sometimes what might seem like a wasteful expense is really an investment. I just don't see how anyone can grow from avoiding tough questions - questions that address deeply-rooted personal beliefs, and silencing any voice cannot be beneficial, no matter how much we disagree with its message.

I'm not sure if I was the first who'd written that there's little free about freedom of the press. Oh, and I can't even imagine how many different interpretations one can write about that.

I hope you all keep on writing, and, if not on this worthless site, I hope you keep your voices heard somewhere.

BOF is not 'the fray.' There are lots of frays that are connected to columns/articles...and they seem to be fine. There are some good posts written on those frays that are worth reading, and they don't seem to be overrun with thumbpuppets, drunks, and anti-semitic diarrhea.

.

Yeah, but most of the ones I have looked at have virtually nobody posting there.

Well, as G suggests you could try and post some of your own topical and political thoughts on them and help to do something positive for the fray. I plan to. But of course being that I have many good fraysters I love discussing things with and visa versa, here, like TheBell,demcon,Iso, lilmacq, skeptical,FirstHawk,JanZ,Unsig­htlyVermin,AT,M09,Friday13, run75441,JV-12,HistoryGuy,you on occasion at BOTF and others...and consider it my home fray I will always post here, as well.

Try branching out TP, it can only help Slate and take your mind off the silly stuff.

A new automobile is a fine place to meditate. I hope you'll consider doing it in a new Toyota. I see you behind the wheel of a 2009 Avalon in our new Cassis Pearl or Magnetic Grey Metallic.

Ghassan:

You do not have to write word one on The Fray in order for Slate to generate revenue. I suspect what they are doing is charging for the number of hits to The Fray to advertisers. Hits on The Fray are just like touting the distribution of a newspaper. If you can say you are hitting 3 million times a week by people reading articles or posting or even just reading posts (views), those hits can be used to say:

"This is how many readers we reach on a weekly basis."

As I stated elsewhere, if the number of posts is 25,000 and there are an average number of views to each post lets say is 10; then the total for the week is 250,000. If you count the number of times an article is hit or openned; then you can market this as distribution to gain advertising. A lot of companies do that on the internet.

You will be missed and I do like reading your words.

LAM I must say I'm a little perplexed and frankly confused by all this talk about the *Fray" coming to an end and that certain people have been banned. If you ever become a moderator here, and you would certainly get my vote, I would recommend that all obscene and foul words are banned along with personal abuse. It works well on my own forum and I'm sure it would help here.

The age demanded that we sing
And cut away our tongue.

The age demanded that we flow
And hammered in the bung.

The age demanded that we dance
And jammed us into iron pants.

And in the end the age was handed
The sort of shit that it demanded.

Ernest Hemingway

Many Posts + Few Readers = Not Good Fray

You are on my one hand of favorite writers.

In fact, if you would write more top posts, we all would have more to discuss.

Otherwise, where may I read you, please?

we have the same problem with our large inventories and few qualified buyers being able to find our lots. perhaps you might reduce this particular problem here by providing a portal to this fray. it is my understanding that BOTF hasn't had an active portal for several (many?) years. it seems unreasonable for you to hold it to the same standard of viewership as you do those frays which can be easily found by new, unique visitors. in fact, it seems arbitrary and ulterior.

Come to our new Toyota dealership. There's not a road to get there, so you'll have to walk. And, you won't be able to drive your new car off the lot, we'll have to have a chopper come and airlift it out (the cost of which, of course, will be added to sticker price). Oh, and by the way, if you do manage to make it to our lot, we will completely ignore you until you get in our face, at which point we'll punch your wife and kick your kids, and then tell you that you should be happy that we did so.

....Where'd all our customers go?

Data Point:

Top post in Fighting Words - 3 days old, so lot of time to generate page views.

So, count 'em.

What do you see?

Michael09:

LAM I must say I'm a little perplexed and frankly confused by all this talk about the *Fray" coming to an end and that certain people have been banned. If you ever become a moderator here, and you would certainly get my vote, I would recommend that all obscene and foul words are banned along with personal abuse. It works well on my own forum and I'm sure it would help here.

Thank you to you as well,M09.

I don't know what I did to deserve your love and praise as I know it was I who initially posted many youtube links of the Hava Nagila <smile>song when you both arrived here. But, I do appreciate your very thoughtful words.

M09 you asked for my email a few weeks ago. You can and AT can always send a line via lam779@gmail.com and I will then give you my more regular email that I use for my main mail, as well.

It would be interesting to chat with people from overseas about anything or if you just need to sound off and bitch about things here or anything else.It sometimes help to sound off and bitch about things that may bug you here as it takes the pressure off from having to act out here and let the pressure build up too much about the minutia and petty stuff. So write anytime.

Have a nice evening.

~LAM