I was little dismayed today to find out two of my favorite “content” sites (to use “Internet-economy” jargon), Suck and Feed are–as the Feed editors term it–being put “on ice.” The message from Feed’s editors, dated today, indicates that the ‘zine wasn’t quite making its keep within the relatively new Automatic Media empire, and that it will be looking for a “new home.” Feed’s Automatic Media sibling, Suck, has a Q & A segment up explaining the “summer vacation” the site is taking.
At first there were only rumors that Automatic had laid off its staff. Now those rumors are confirmed both in the company’s discussion forum site Plastic, and on the company’s homepage. Simply, the company ran out of money… not exactly a new story, eh?
The reason I’m dismayed is that I enjoyed both sites quite a bit, for their refreshing combination of intelligence, irreverence and, especially with Suck, sick, childish humor. The content of either site never pandered or patronized, and was never too smart for its own good. And they managed not to get gobbled up by some larger corporate entity more interested in bolstering its “cred” than with the actual stuff on the site.
This event is just another indication that, for better or worse, the web is still a volunteer-driven publishing medium. This means that if you’re a large corporation like the New York Times, you volunteer to sink your money into running a website that doesn’t make any money. If you’re a geek like me, it means you volunteer your time to fill your site. But I’m only partially dismayed by this conclusion. I’m dismayed because I think it would be awfully nice if independently-minded writers, reporters and artists could make an OK living working for themselves, publishing kick-ass content on the web. I’m heartened because it means that, for all their money sunk into the vast chasm we call the ‘net, the corporations that already dominate most of our mental environment still can’t get a profitable foothold on the it.
Automatic Media’s Joey Anuff says that Plastic, which contains all user-generated content based on the Slashdot model, will stay in operation. Plastic user’s aren’t paid, they’re volunteers. Willing volunteers who clearly derive rewards in contributing, yet unpaid nonetheless. But, realistically nobody’s getting paid for what they do.
And I won’t beg you for money.
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