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from the all-the-better-to-follow-you-with dept.
Google is testing a service called Bulletin that would focus on local news published by the masses:
Google is testing a tool called Bulletin that would allow anyone to publish local news stories and events, according to a report from Slate, which Google later confirmed. The company described Bulletin as a way for others to communicate information of local interest, like bookstore readings, high school sporting events, or information about street closures, for example.
Slate found a website for creating Bulletin posts was already up-and-running, but was still in "early access mode." The service is currently being piloted in Nashville and in Oakland, Calif., the webpage states.
On the site, Google explains that Bulletin is a lightweight app for telling stories, capturing photos and videoclips from your phone, and then publishing them straight to the web – without having to create a blog or build a website yourself.
Meanwhile, Facebook says it will prioritize local news:
In a newsroom post on Monday, Facebook's Alex Hariman, head of news product and Campbell Brown, heads of news partnerships, announced the social platform would begin to prioritize local news outlets in the feeds of its users, emphasizing that local communities benefit and trust the outlets closest to them.
- Facebook and Google Won't Save Local News
- Facebook and Google are trying to dig local news out of the grave they put it in
- Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says users are spending less time on the social network
- Facebook is untouchable (growth in revenue despite less time spent by users)
(Score: 3, Insightful) by VLM on Thursday February 01 2018, @01:44PM (2 children)
What is it really? Because we already have that. Rather than FB being in charge of whats posted, my kids school wants parents to follow their page where they post mostly feel good bullshit (say no to drugs, kids!) but occasionally post special events or schedule changes. Likewise the city DPW again mostly posts feel good bullshit (drive slower in the snow!). The local lame as hell hipster dying independent bookstore likewise went social media a bit less than a decade ago and if some two bit hack wants to visit the literal middle of nowhere for a signing the bookstore will post to its ten or so followers who might visit. My point is Social is kinda dead, but it does (did) exist...
That's kinda the problem why I don't FB anymore after experimenting, people have this weird stockholm syndrome about shitposting cliches so maybe 75% of the posts are attention whoring chewing gum for the mind, but technically the posts do exist and I understand FB extorts the business owners for views, so I'm not seeing the point of a 3rd party reporting my kids school drama club is doing a show of "the little mermaid" next month or wtf, when its already up on the school FB page...
Ah I see its hipster leftist dogwhistle time, its going to be a curated politically correct stream of who locally is holier than thou in their hatred of all things white, male, and Trump. Eh, click "block". As a statistical thing nobody watches that propaganda trash on TV anymore, so its not like you're gonna push it to any more than single digits of the population not to mention the preaching to the choir problem such that it'll have even lower influence.
There is the interesting meta issue where I live two communities west of where I work. The hipster LARP is that everyone lives in a condo across the street from a really trendy independent coffee shop and down the street from where they work. But there are no activities or shopping where I work other than "pin the tail on the homeless person" or buying crack, and my favorite shopping locations are mostly one community to the east of where I live, so I don't care much about trendy hipster shopping where I sleep. So do they spam the hell out of me with everything happening in a 50 mile radius just in case, or spam me with stuff where I am physically located at that instant but won't care about 99% of the time, or ...
This whoie thing is an example of my theory that the social era is now dead and all innovation is based on the interruption era. This "innovation" has nothing to do with social other than a legacy social company is pushing it, could just as well have been a legacy retailer or the local gas company at least WRT no longer being cutting edge. This is merely using tech to interrupt lives to deliver a shitty commercial advertisement that's now only 98% irrelevant to viewers lives as opposed to legacy ad delivery like TV which was 99% irrelevant to people lives. Its not going to save a legacy social company.
(Score: 3, Funny) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday February 01 2018, @01:58PM
Not around my town it ain't. It'll be full of important local news items like how the mayor is hosting a bongwater tasting at his house this Friday.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 01 2018, @07:27PM
Speaking of Stockholm Syndrome, "Just Say No to Fox News!"