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COREY SPRING
Entertainment Journalist by Day (and Night)
Articles Posted: 108; Links Seeded: 239
Member Since: 2/2006Last Seen: 11/28/2009
Member Since: 2/2006Last Seen: 11/28/2009
59 Comments
PrintThe Rumors of My Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
News Type: Event — Wed Aug 2, 2006 9:55 PM EDT
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Unless you've been living under a rock for the last few weeks, you've heard about Jason Calacanis' offer to pay social bookmarkers $1,000 a month to submit news stories to Netscape.com. At digg, reddit, and here at Newsvine, users have debated whether or not the deal is a good one or if it is 'evil,' signals the demise of Netscape, and whether or not those that take the offer are sellouts or geniuses. Today it was revealed who the individuals that will make up the paid Netscape Navigator team are.
Holy crap. One of them is me.
You son of a @!$%#! You sellout! How can you just go and leave us like that?! YOU OWE ME 20 BUCKS YOU @!$%#!
Relax. Breathe. Keep reading.
Yes it is true, I have become a paid member of Netscape's team. I also have made it no secret that I have been critical of the 'New Netscape.' Jason Calacanis does not agree with everything that AOL does, nor do I agree with everything about Netscape. Nevertheless, I was offered a job with the new site, and I took it... with one caveat.
I am not leaving Newsvine. I like Newsvine and have been here since before the doors were open to the public. I agreed to be a paid contributor to the site on the stipulation that I could continue at Newsvine. If yesterday was any indication, I would say people are interested in what I have to say. My agreement with Netscape was contingent upon the fact that I could continue to vote, read, and comment on articles at Newsvine, as well as continue to write my own articles as I always have. The folks at Netscape agreed to this. They also like what I have to say.
The only thing you will see change on my column on this website is my 'seeds.' From now on, I'll be seeding for Netscape. Yeah, that might be kind of a downer to some, others will probably never notice. However, being offered such a good deal where I can essentially have my cake and eat it, too - that's hard to pass up. I will submit stories to Netscape, and I will continue to write my own, like yesterday's Colbert / Wikipedia debacle, at Newsvine. Everybody wins.
While I don't normally justify the decisions in my life for others, Newsvine is a community, one I participate in, and I think it's fair to have a little transparency in this matter now that the news is out. I did not reach this decision lightly or without careful thought. I had a good discussion with Calvin where I asked him his thoughts on the matter, what my apprehensions were, and what I saw as advantages. While the decision was entirely up to me, I value highly the thoughts of the Newsvine team whom I have come to know over the last several months. Calvin and the team echoed my thoughts on the matter, eventually saying "you have our blessing should it make the most sense to you."
If you're worried that I will be a shill for Netscape or AOL, don't bother. If I see a good article at, say, Engadget, an AOL affiliated site, yeah, I will submit it, but it will be because it's interesting or newsworthy. If I see something good and it's written by someone on the Vine, then people ought to read it, and I'm putting it up on Netscape, like any other article. I've done this two two of my own articles, and their popularity seems to have beneficial to both Netscape and Newsvine.
So call me what you wish, evil, a good guy, a sellout, a lucky son of a @!$%#, whatever. I could make the argument that Jason Calacanis is fond of making, that there are paid firefighters and there are also volunteers. It's a good argument. I could also make the argument that it is Newsvine's philosophy that if you produce good work, you should be compensated for it - that's why we have the revenue sharing program. It's easy to complain and criticize (hey I do it all the time) but who actually ever does something about it? This is not only a chance to lend my help to a website that I think could use improving, this is also a good deal for me - I now have a funding source for my continued education.
So don't throw the stones too hard, remember... I'm still here.
77 Votes- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
Published to:
- Corey Spring's Column, All of Newsvine
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- Public Discussion (60)
What's this?
Who's leading the conversation?
This visualization below allows you to see the impact that each user
has on the current conversation.
The top row contains the group of users who have had the most impact, the 2nd
row the group of users who have had the 2nd most impact (et cetera).
Users with similar impact are grouped together, and the average score of the group
is shown to the left of the group. The author of the article is also shown on the
left, in their corresponding group.
Each user's score is based on the number of comments the user has made plus the
number of votes their comments have received. The scores are calculated relative
one another, so while their absolute value is not particularly important, their
relative difference does indicate a larger difference in impact on the conversation.
61
11
3.0
{"commentId":232958,"authorDomain":"ilyanep"}
See that's exactly what I was thinking about; go take their money and be on both sites.
Way to add an extra flow of income :P
{"commentId":232958,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"ilyanep"}
- 2 votes
#1 - Wed Aug 2, 2006 11:35 PM EDT{"commentId":232969,"authorDomain":"rsg"}
I've been a lurker for the past few mo's but I've always enjoyed your articles. Keep it up man.
{"commentId":232969,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"rsg"}
#2 - Wed Aug 2, 2006 11:41 PM EDT{"commentId":232972,"authorDomain":"DrJuice"}
Can I borrow 5 bucks? Us Ohioans need to stick together ya know :)
I don't blame you, if I had been one of those contributors I would've taken the money too, after all, if you don't pay for Internet access (and other necessities, like that food stuff), you won't be able to post anything to anywhere, right?
I'm not sure how well this strategy is going to work, though. As many have said, it takes a community to give any one of those posters any power. You could post 100 stories a week, but if there's no one there to vote for them, you're not really "earning your keep" as the saying goes. I think Calcanis has alienated a lot of average users with his brashness, and in a community such as Netscape, or Digg, or Newsvine, the people like me (that vote and comment) are, to be blunt, more important that the people like you (the posters). After all, a newspaper no one reads is a waste of paper-which is why I've stopped writing posts here.
I don't personally think his $1000 a month pledge will last very long, unless he can find a way to attract ordinary folk like me to vote on the submissions. I prefer Digg to Netscape, and Newsvine to Digg, and to be honest two "social news websites" is about enough for me, I've got only so much time in a day, and only so much time to spend in front of my computer. But in the meantime, roll in the dough, light cigars with dollar bills, buy beer, have fun. And when you throw your OSU-Michigan party, remember some of your Newsvine friends - and those chicks in your picture :)
You can send that 5 bucks through PayPal :)
{"commentId":232972,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"DrJuice"}
- 6 votes
#3 - Wed Aug 2, 2006 11:42 PM EDT{"commentId":233009,"authorDomain":"thevineofhob"}
Netscape is not for the Digg or Newsvine user, it is social bookmarking for the masses with the "friendly" Netscape branding. They would probably never have had the strong base of users that newsvine or digg has due to their more corporate image, so they "bought" those users instead. More power to them if it works. I have a feeling that Netscape will surpass digg and newsvine quite quickly in traffic if it already has not. Netscape is for the casual Internet user, for the masses. Digg and newsvine are not.
{"commentId":233009,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"thevineofhob"}
- 6 votes
{"commentId":233019,"authorDomain":"DrJuice"}
I think the "casual internet users" may already get their news from places like Yahoo!, or television network sites, or print publication sites. While I'm sure there are more of them (casual users) than us ("nerds," for lack of a better term), we're still a pretty big source of traffic, and as I said, I think Calacanis has alienated a lot of his potential users.
{"commentId":233019,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"DrJuice"}
- 5 votes
{"commentId":233172,"authorDomain":"mike"}
Hob: Netscape already had more users than both Digg and Newsvine combined, even before the big switchover. They have been losing users rapidly, however, for the last few years (I believe they lost 33% last year alone). The question isn't whether they will surpass Newsvine or Digg, but rather how many more of their remaining 12 million users they will lose and if and when the trend will reverse itself. My personal opinion is that they will probably continue to lose most of their existing users but perhaps reverse the trend before it's too late by bringing in some new ones... maybe.
Who knows.
I wouldn't trade the Newsvine community for any other community on the web, including Digg, including Netscape, and all others I can think of. Maybe the Victoria's Secret community... if there is one... but that's about it. We've got a great thing going on here and it's being built by a lot more than the top 1% of users. That's kind of the point.
{"commentId":233172,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"mike"}
- 28 votes
{"commentId":233270,"authorDomain":"smaran"}
Hear hear, Mike! Amen and all the rest of that.
@ Corey: You're a sell-out, BUT I would be one too, if I was offered $1-12,000 per month to do what I'm already doing, just at a different place. So, even though many people are disgruntled at your choice, I think they need to stop for minute and put themselves in your shoes. What I'm really glad about is that you're still here, still writing for Newsvine and participating in this community we've all been building since the Priavte Beta. Maybe one day when you're a rich journalist working for some biased US Newspaper, you can finally tell JC (not Calvin and not God's son either, the other JC) to keep his dough to himself and walk away proudly. We'll still be here, seeding stories for free.
{"commentId":233270,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"smaran"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":233490,"authorDomain":"spring"}
{"commentId":234896,"authorDomain":"theannalog"}
Mike, I am a member of the Victoria's Secret online community. By that I mean I am on their mailing list. And by that I mean I routinely get mail like this:
Introducing THE BODY bra by Body by Victoria(R).
That's right, THE BODY by Body by Victoria. Next week, THE MONSTER by Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. The lingerie world is a disturbing place.
{"commentId":234896,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"theannalog"}
- 5 votes
{"commentId":235033,"authorDomain":"robknight"}
And annual paper consumption would be 10% of what it is now. They send more crap by mail...
{"commentId":235033,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"robknight"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":235101,"authorDomain":"DrJuice"}
At least there's one area of technology where the US is blazing a trail.
{"commentId":235101,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"DrJuice"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":235119,"authorDomain":"spring"}
{"commentId":232977,"authorDomain":"rocky21743"}
I don't understand how you do it, really. I've got a list of RSS feeds up the wazoo that I check around 6-10 times a day for interesting stories. Everytime I submit something, it's already been submitted. Granted I have an actual 8-5 job and can't refresh the feed-list/submit stories every minute of the day, I ultimately just assume if content is good, it'll find its way social networking sites eventually, you're not the only person reading the article.
Glad to see you're sticking around.
{"commentId":232977,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"rocky21743"}
#4 - Wed Aug 2, 2006 11:46 PM EDT{"commentId":232989,"authorDomain":"DrJuice"}
That brings up something else I was thinking about, and that's this:
Most of these sites aren't really going to miss these users.
Now Newsvine is different by nature of it's system-posts and seededs are both equally important (or perhaps posts are weighted more as far as Vineacity?) and in that regard, we'd certainly miss some of our users-like Corey.
But on a site like Digg, I figure that an interesting story is going to make it to the site, and if it's that interesting it will make it to the homepage. So while dirtyfratboy may have submitted some great stories to Digg, my feeling is that if he hadn't, someone else would have. I can't prove this because of the Duplicate features on these sites, so that's just my opinion.
{"commentId":232989,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"DrJuice"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":232992,"authorDomain":"mike"}
Corey is right when he says he has our full support on this (not that he even needed it). He may end up enjoying the experience or he may end up hating it... or somewhere in-between. Who knows. But when you're a talented guy and someone throws money your way without requiring the grabbing of ankles (we'll wait on that), why not at least check out the opportunity?
What I love most about Corey are not the sorts of things he's even going to be doing for Netscape (submitting links). It's the articles, the humor, the organizing of charity events, and just the general care and consideration he shows throughout Newsvine. He's aces.
{"commentId":232992,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"mike"}
- 13 votes
#5 - Wed Aug 2, 2006 11:54 PM EDT{"commentId":233680,"authorDomain":"hodgie"}
you're aces ackley kid.
thats gotta be my favorite alltime line.
{"commentId":233680,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"hodgie"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":233029,"authorDomain":"Brad-Leclerc"}
Power to ya man. Stay true to whatever you think you want to do, and everything will be awesome I'm sure.
{"commentId":233029,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"Brad-Leclerc"}
#6 - Thu Aug 3, 2006 12:16 AM EDT{"commentId":233035,"authorDomain":"gregplancich"}
Corey, under any other circumstances I would call you a sellout and you already know my feelings on this. I'm not considering you a sellout for two reasons:
- 1. You are a college student and, while I don't know your financial situation, every penny counts and hopefully, this will allow you to have a bit more breathing room when it comes to money.
- 2. Despite the fact that AOL is a large company with quite a bit of power, and could've easily said, "No" to your requests and nabbed somebody else, you stood up and asked to be able to stay on here. I don't know if you still would have left us if they had said, "No" to you but they didn't and you're staying.
I still don't think it's right and for awhile, for me anyway, there's going to be this cloud over your articles. But hey, my opinion doesn't really matter and you're one lucky summ@!$%#.
P.S. Supposing you hate it and want out, can you just leave or are you contracted?
{"commentId":233035,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"gregplancich"}
- 8 votes
#7 - Thu Aug 3, 2006 12:20 AM EDT{"commentId":233051,"authorDomain":"brianford"}
I'm just going to assume that my invite to the cool kids club got lost in my junk filter.
Otherwise, I'd feel bad.
:)
{"commentId":233051,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"brianford"}
- 5 votes
#8 - Thu Aug 3, 2006 12:35 AM EDT{"commentId":233273,"authorDomain":"smaran"}
I think I'll do the same. Gmail seems to malfunctioning these days ;-)
{"commentId":233273,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"smaran"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":233063,"authorDomain":"thura"}
Congratulations... keep up the good work. I have always enjoyed your articles/posts.
{"commentId":233063,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"thura"}
#9 - Thu Aug 3, 2006 12:40 AM EDT{"commentId":233079,"authorDomain":"farmer"}
Corey, you are on your way! Just keep doing whatever you are doing. I have to ask you. Did you use the Netscape spell check for this article? You must have, you never spelled that well for Newsvine.
You may not realize it but you were my introduction to Newsvine. I am so glad you brought me here. I am so glad you will still be here. Thanks.
{"commentId":233079,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"farmer"}
- 5 votes
#10 - Thu Aug 3, 2006 12:51 AM EDT{"commentId":233142,"authorDomain":"djehuty"}
My feelings about the Netscape site are rather mixed, lets say. I agree with Adam Hobson's comment above that it's not going to be able to achieve with money what a whole community have achieved with group effort here on the vine.
But that's got nothing to do with you, Corey. I'm happy you've been able to find a good way to work with them, and I hope it all turns out ok for you. Plus I'm glad we won't be missing out on the old Corey magic over here ;-)
{"commentId":233142,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"djehuty"}
- 2 votes
#11 - Thu Aug 3, 2006 1:42 AM EDT{"commentId":233147,"authorDomain":"robknight"}
If it was anyone else, I might have got on some high horse made of paper to decry the lunacy of Calacanis and selling out and blah blah blah.
But dude, you explained it well and I think your honesty is one of the keys to why you will succeed here and there.
Between you and me though, I'm just not into in Netscape yet.
{"commentId":233147,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"robknight"}
- 3 votes
#12 - Thu Aug 3, 2006 1:47 AM EDT{"commentId":233226,"authorDomain":"softfacts"}
This is a travesty! It's a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham!
But whatever. I'm over it. Newsvine is a better place with you around.
{"commentId":233226,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"softfacts"}
- 8 votes
#13 - Thu Aug 3, 2006 3:28 AM EDT{"commentId":234228,"authorDomain":"spring"}
{"commentId":234286,"authorDomain":"softfacts"}
I am serious... and don't call me Shirley.
{"commentId":234286,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"softfacts"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":233301,"authorDomain":"rutty"}
Good luck over there Corey. I hope that you can bring some quality to the Netscape experience, pretty much how you have here too. It's great that you'll still be here even if your time will be limited, but I think that your involvement will bring greater exposure to some of the excellent writing here too.
Good on you for spreading your wings
{"commentId":233301,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"rutty"}
- 1 vote
#14 - Thu Aug 3, 2006 5:43 AM EDT{"commentId":233364,"authorDomain":"dojc"}
Congratulations Corey! Sounds like a stellar gig and I think you'll be able to parlay this into something even bigger down the road (and if you start generating more traffic than the rest of the super seeders which I'm sure you will, definitely ask for a raise).
Will you be able to seed articles from newsvine on Netscape?
{"commentId":233364,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"dojc"}
- 2 votes
#15 - Thu Aug 3, 2006 7:53 AM EDT{"commentId":235132,"authorDomain":"spring"}
{"commentId":235737,"authorDomain":"dojc"}
cool, that's awesome Core!
{"commentId":235737,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"dojc"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":233369,"authorDomain":"PeteZaHutt"}
Go Bucks!
{"commentId":233369,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"PeteZaHutt"}
- 2 votes
#16 - Thu Aug 3, 2006 8:05 AM EDT{"commentId":233371,"authorDomain":"rutty"}
Dude, you'd better get your skates on Deidre is already on 288 submitted stories!
She's hotter than you too. Sorry
{"commentId":233371,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"rutty"}
- 2 votes
#17 - Thu Aug 3, 2006 8:06 AM EDT{"commentId":235120,"authorDomain":"spring"}
{"commentId":235375,"authorDomain":"rutty"}
I would, but my girlfriend would probably kill me ;)
{"commentId":235375,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"rutty"}
{"commentId":236991,"authorDomain":"hodgie"}
now you're trying to come up with ways to slow down your competition.
{"commentId":236991,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"hodgie"}
{"commentId":233381,"authorDomain":"danish"}
Congrats, Corey! It sounds like a great opportunity, and 1000 bucks will take you a long way if you invest them carefully. Greatness is yours :)
{"commentId":233381,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"danish"}
- 6 votes
#18 - Thu Aug 3, 2006 8:15 AM EDT{"commentId":236088,"authorDomain":"smaran"}
It's $12,000 if submits more than 150 stories a month, which I'm confident he'll easily manage.
I wonder if any of his college classmates know of his controversial fame.
{"commentId":236088,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"smaran"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":236122,"authorDomain":"ilyanep"}
Holy crap! A full salary if you submit 5 stories a day. Probably seems easier than it is, but you could probably pay off your entire college tuition soon enough.
{"commentId":236122,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"ilyanep"}
{"commentId":233606,"authorDomain":"dennisbullock"}
Sounds like a bang up deal for all of us Corey!
{"commentId":233606,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"dennisbullock"}
#19 - Thu Aug 3, 2006 10:18 AM EDT{"commentId":233690,"authorDomain":"oped"}
Digg has it good. They make more money than a newspaper yet don't have to pay their reporters a dime.
I think someone donating their reporting for free happening shares similarities with the 'giving' meme like OSS, open source software.
But Digg is making money hand over fist while paying the people who actually make the site nothing.
Kudos to Netscape for sharing the spoils a bit, even if it's just a little bit.
{"commentId":233690,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"oped"}
- 3 votes
#20 - Thu Aug 3, 2006 10:53 AM EDT{"commentId":233768,"authorDomain":"robknight"}
Finding news online and submitting it to another website bears little resemblance to "journalism."
{"commentId":233768,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"robknight"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":233782,"authorDomain":"oped"}
I'm not so sure. I heard a stat somewhere that said it's only a tiny fraction of digg users who post most of the articles that make the popular list.
Surely, these few users are contributing something.
And an interesting site can be news in the same way that restaraunt reviews are news.
{"commentId":233782,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"oped"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":233806,"authorDomain":"StephanieBamBam"}
Congrats, Corey, you spend so much time seeding articles here that you truly deserve it. :) And it's so nice the way people on here are reacting positively. I don't advertise on too broadly that I work for AOL, primarily because of the gutteral "I hate AOL" reaction that people give, regardless of what I may or may not be doing for the company (I primarily work on AIM Pages, and have NOTHING to do with the dialup/client business). Welcome to our world (as a friend of mine likes to say) - we're all pulling for Netscape, and it's going to take people like you to make it into Jason's vision. :)
{"commentId":233806,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"StephanieBamBam"}
- 2 votes
#21 - Thu Aug 3, 2006 11:46 AM EDT{"commentId":233853,"authorDomain":"jimdent"}
.....call me what you wish, evil, a good guy, a sellout, a lucky son of a @!$%#, whatever......
You lucky son of a @!$%#. Congrats!!! :-D
{"commentId":233853,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"jimdent"}
- 3 votes
#22 - Thu Aug 3, 2006 12:05 PM EDT{"commentId":233890,"authorDomain":"jimdent"}
Corey, I hope that didn't come out too flippant.... You've worked damn hard and you've earned the right (and respect) to tackle any job you want..... Again, congratulations and best of luck!
{"commentId":233890,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"jimdent"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":233982,"authorDomain":"Jynne"}
Corey,
This sounds like a great opportunity, and it can't hurt on the resume. I enjoy reading your articles, and think you deserve a chance at making some money for your hard work.
Good Luck!
{"commentId":233982,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"Jynne"}
- 1 vote
#23 - Thu Aug 3, 2006 1:02 PM EDT{"commentId":234057,"authorDomain":"paddy"}
Corey, seeing people here on Newsvine will criticize you because of the money, I'll help you out with that (for free!). You take care of the seeding to Netscape, and get them to send the monthly check directly to me. That way you can clear up any doubts anyone might have about your motivations in this matter.
Yes, I know all the shouts of "Mercenary!" will now be directed to me, but sure, if it helps you out, I can take it. That's what friends are for, mate!
{"commentId":234057,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"paddy"}
- 7 votes
#24 - Thu Aug 3, 2006 1:29 PM EDT{"commentId":234176,"authorDomain":"hodgie"}
I think that is weird since you've seeded less than 200 articles but have written over 50.
{"commentId":234176,"threadId":"34714","contentId":"310613","authorDomain":"hodgie"}
- 4 votes
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