The Evangelist

Before I get started, I just want to clarify a few things, so as to not confuse anyone: I have no problem with internet media such as blogs (which should be obvious considering the fact that this is a blog). This article is simply my analysis of one of the reasons that internet and alternative media have virtually ruined the traditional media. This is an opinion-editorial, and this article simply represents the opinion of the author. Please do not take it as absolute fact, or anything else that it is not intended to be.

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It is clear that the popularity of internet media has greatly damaged the traditional media. Many online sources of news provide their articles for free. In these troubled times, it should come as no surprise that people are turning to free online news in order to save money.

But there is another reason that the internet has basically ruined traditional media, one that is often overlooked. First, one unavoidable truth: the quality of information on the internet is not always ideal. Sensationalist and even false information is commonplace. Now, in their effort to keep up with internet media, the traditional media has turned to the internet for stories and information. Unfortunately, it would seem that in an effort to garner better ratings, they turn to these sensationalist stories.

While this might seem fine and dandy, it also has one unfortunate side effect: there are no original stories, and the quality of the stories that are released are generally fairly low. When faced with the proposition of looking at websites such as Google News for the latest aggregated news stories or watching the news or reading a newspaper, I imagine that many "netizens" would choose Google News. The cream-of-the crop stories are towards the top, and all of the extra gobbledygook has been removed. My point is this: to try to compete with the internet media, the traditional media is trying to become more like the internet media. I simply do not believe this will work.

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Opinions and comments are welcome. To post, simply click on the title of this article and scroll down.

I have been busy with various things lately, and as a result I haven't been able to post for a while. At the same time, I have still been getting a steady stream of viewers, and I appreciate the patience of all of those who are still waiting for my latest post.

Rest assured, I will be posting some new articles for your enjoyment soon.

Again, thank you for your patience.

-The Evangelist

The Evangelist has always been an open forum for discussion, and commenting on articles has always been allowed. The format of a blog allows for the discussion of topics that you can first read about and get acquainted with.

It is our belief, however, that a blog is just one type of great forum for thought and discussion. There may be topics that you want to talk about in tech that aren't discussed here, and we realize that.

That's why we're opening the Evangelist Media Forums. The forums are still in the process of being fully set up, but they are fully-functioning, so please feel free to use them.

It is my belief that this will add another level of depth to the discussion here, and I do hope you enjoy it.

To comment on this post please click on the name of the article at the top of this post and scroll down.

I would like to wish everyone in observance a happy Easter.

May this time of renewal remind you of the promise of tomorrow.

To comment on this post please click on the name of the article at the top of this post and scroll down.

The Evangelist has from our first day been a part of Entecard.com, a community of bloggers who have come together to not only network with other bloggers but also expose our blogs to new visitors from other member blogs of the network.

Originally, the intent was to earn credits on Entrecard by "dropping" your card on other blogs with an Entrecard widget, by displaying advertisements from other bloggers, or by winning them in contests. You could also (as you can now) buy credits from Entrecard. Of course, people did try to sell credits, but these activities were prohibited. This meant that Entrecard was its own contained virtual economy. The more recent addition of the marketplace helped to cement this.

Of course, because Entrecard credits were created every time a person dropped on another blog or bought credits, inflation became rampant with so many more credits in the system. This resulted in higher and higher taxes on various transactions.

The good people at Entrecard have been trying, of course, to keep their economy afloat. Too high a tax on transactions would make certain actions prohibitively costly. Conversly, if they failed to tax enough, inflation would destroy their economy.

Because of these reasons, and to cover their own operating costs and be viable, Entrecard recently revamped their entire economy. This has meant that they are now accepting paid ads. With this, a new CashOut service will become available tomorrow, Saturday, April 10. This will allow Entrecarders to get paid for 75% of the value of the credits they cash in. The other 25% will at least partially go to operating expenses and growth.

These paid ads have caused quite the controversy, so I simply wanted to give this statement:

The Evangelist will be running paid advertisements. Many of these advertisements are for Entrecard blogs, and so we feel that, in running them, we are still supporting the community. Also, it is my belief that advertisers who pay in Entrecard credits will still get their money's worth.

It is my hope that the Entrecard community can see it in themselves to come together and support the community regardless of whether or not they choose to run paid ads.

It is simply a bit too late to change things back to the way they were. It is my hope that the two-widget system comes to fruition sooner rather than later. When the two-widget system becomes available, I will use it to run both Entrecard and paid ads, so as to support the community to the best of my ability.

To comment on this post please click on the name of the article at the top of this post and scroll down.