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Web overtakes newspapers as source of news in US survey
Andrew Clark, Guardian
As Barack Obama marched towards the White House and the economy plunged, more Americans ditched newspapers for the internet.
For the first time, more Americans are getting their news online than from traditional ink and paper, although the popularity of television still eclipses all other forms of media.
In an apparently sharp shift in habits, the Washington-based Pew Research Centre found that the number of consumers using the web as a main news source surged from 24% to 40% in a year, overtaking the 35% who rely on newspapers. Television slipped from 74% to 70%.
(27 December 2008)
How To Blog
Farhad Manjoo, Slate
Advice from Arianna Huffington, Om Malik, and more of the Web’s best pundits.
—
… Tens of thousands of people start new blogs every day. I’d guess that most don’t go into blogging to gain a huge audience, but those who do aim to be the next Kos quickly find disappointment. That’s likely because blogging is difficult (I know this from personal experience; my last job was as a blogger), and there are few places that offer tips on how to do it well.
… I called and e-mailed a half-dozen of my favorite bloggers to ask how they blog so well, and I combined their ideas with the best advice from HuffPo. Behold—my own complete guide to blogging.
Set a schedule. Blog often. …
Don’t worry if your posts suck a little. …
Write casually but clearly. …
Add something new …
Join the bloggy conversation. And link! …
Don’t expect instant fame. …
(18 December 2008)
Ezra Klein (American Prospect) wrote:
Figure out where you add value. It’s a harsh realization that you probably won’t be so much better a writer or political analyst that your opinions on Barack Obama will muscle their way through the chaos and cacophony of the blogosphere — and that’s even truer now, with more blogs and more entrenched voices, than it was in 2003, when I began.
So figure out where you add value. Find something specific to follow and follow it deeply. …
Duncan Black (Atrios/Eschaton) agrees: “The easiest way to drum up an audience is to find a some topic, issue, or unfolding event, and make it your own.”
Julian Darley a-blog
Julian Darley, Blogspot
Post Carbon Institute founder Julian Darley is now writing a personal blog apart from PCI. Although he’s still absorbed with energy issues, he seems to be branching out onto other subjects. For example:
Do We Need Beauty More Than We Think?
Healthcare
Media Meltdown.
(December 2008)
Ecofont saves ink
Ecofont
The prints we make for our ‘daily use’ not only use paper, but also ink. According to SPRANQ creative communications (Utrecht, The Netherlands) your ink cartridges (or ink toner) could last longer.
SPRANQ has therefore developed a new font: the Ecofont.
“After Dutch holey cheese, there now is a Dutch font with holes as well.”
Appealing ideas are often simple: how much of a letter can be removed while maintaining readability? After extensive testing with all kinds of shapes, the best results were achieved using small circles. After lots of late hours (and coffee) this resulted in a font that uses up to 20% less ink. Free to download, free to use.
Behind Ecofont
The Ecofont is developed by SPRANQ, based on a hunch of Colin Willems.
With the Ecofont SPRANQ hopes to increase environmental awareness. Some ideas are:
• End-users: print only when necessary, use a modern, efficient printer and use unbleached paper.
• Graphic designers: use modern color separation techniques to avoid unnecessary wastage in ink. In paper choice, take the environment into account.
• (Offset) printers: avoid modern laser techniques that make ink indivisible from the paper. Keep an eye on innovations, such as plant-based ink.
• Printer manufacturers: invest in environment-conscious innovation.
(December 2008)
