Cancel Your Subscriptions to Wired--PLEASE!!!

[Laja]

This from the brand new February 08 issue:

DIGG THE VOTE
One Presidential hope has mastered the art of online campaigning. Too bad it's Ron Paul.
By Jason Tanz

Ever had one of those music-snob friends? You know, the kind who only likes bands that nobody's ever heard of? Well, that's what I'm like with presidential candidates. I'm a sucker for hopeless outsiders. I swooned for Bill Bradley when he went up against Al Gore. I voted for Ralph Nader before it was cool (1996)--but not when it was (2000). Paul Tsongas' Kermit-like voice positively set my heart aflutter. So when I heard that maverick congressman Ron Paul was entering the fray, I got a little excited. And I wasn't alone. The Texas Republican has become the Web's favorite dark horse, harnessing the power of the Internet to turn his long-shot candidacy into a powerful rallying cry for disaffected Netizens.

Pick any Web 2.0 phenomenon and you'll find Paul's supporters exploiting it. Digg? In just two months, a user-generated campaiogn video picked upmore than 16,000 diggs, making it the sixth-most popular video of 2007. Flickr? A group photo pool offers a profusion of grassroots agitprop. (My favorite: a Star Wars-inspired logo declaring Paul "A New Hope.") Facebook? 5,589 fans and counting, baby. For 24/7 Ron Paul, junkies can sign up for his Twitter feed or check out the campaign lifecast on Justin.tv. There are 10 Ron Paul Meetup Groups within 20 miles of San Francisco alone; the biggest hosts near-daily evetns for its 432 members. (Sorry I missed the Irving Street Starbucks gathering, dudes). The candidatehas proven such a draw that pageview-starved webmaaters publish lolRons-Paul-themed lolcats--as a cheap and easy ay to boost their traaffic. Paul's people are so Web-savvy they've even achieved the impossible: a MySpace page that doesn't induce seizures.

All that buzz might be easy to dismiss but for the fact that Paul--unlike most other Web 2.0 phenoms--has managed to convert eyeballs into dollars. On Guy Fawkes Day, he set a record for one-day fundraising by a Republican, pulling in $4.2 million in online contributions. He outdid himself just six weeks later, tapping the Internet for more than $6 million in a single day. Hey, if the presidential run doesn't work out, maybe Paul could join Al Gore with the VC's on Sand Hill Road.

So the guy is wired. Therre's just one problem with the Ron Paul story: Ron Paul. Sure, he seems like a decent guy, forthright and honest. Unfortunately, his paleo-libertarian policies make Ayn Rand look like Mother Teresa. I like the gold standard as much as the next guy, but I'm not sure we're ready to overturn three decades of reasonably successful economic policy in order to reinstate it. I don't agree that the minimum wage should be abolished. (Ever work in retail, Ron?) And while I like Paul's stance on Iraq (let's get the hell out), I'm not thrilled with his position on the United Nations (let's get the hell out).

The Ron Paul candidacy is a lot like the first wave of Facebook apps: thrilling as a notion, disappointing as content. If this were a meta-election--an election on how to run an election--I'd happily throw my digg behind Paul. Unfortunately, it's an election about how to run a country. So, much as I'm drawn to long shots, I'm afraid I'll have to sit out the Paulapalooza. Kucinich, if you're still around when this piece runs, call me. I'm available.

Jason Tanz (jptanz@gmail.com) is a senior editor of Wired.

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I sent a sane, but strongly worded email to Mr. Tanz refuting his negative statements and I told him I was not renewing my subscription to Wired because of all their mistreatment of Ron Paul, not just this piece.

What kills me is that this magazine is geared toward exactly who the majority of Ron Paul supporters are--young, educated, tech-savvy males. Why do they keep dissing Ron Paul. Please write him a letter if you feel so inclined. Just be sure it's intelligently written and hit's 'em where it hurts...the pocketbook. Oh, I also cc'ed in the letters to the editor email. Hopefully they'll give a couple of people who write in a chance to air their views next month. That email address is rants@wired.com

[Shabow]

I posted this in a thread a couple of days ago. It pissed me off so bad, I am going to cancel my subscription ASAP.

[freelance]

My free subscription just ran out. I really like some of their in-depth articles (like the one where they got someone out of Iran during the hostage crisis), but in the interest of not supporting those who do us wrong, I will not subscribe (and I was going to).

[Laja]

freelance, it would be really helpful if you would let them know your decision and why. believe me, i have loved that magazine, but after reading that article, i tossed the rag right into the trash.

[gecko42]

My husband will not be renewing and will tell them why. The tech community should be strongly behind Paul and I don't know why they're not.

[Laja]

i know. just think of vijay quitting his job at google to campaign for RP full time. i'm sure there are many others we don't even know of. i'm still shaking my head in disbelief at this. we should check and see who owns them.

[tcindie]

It depends on the cross-section you look at. The snobbish "I'm cooler than you, because I'm quirky and unique" type as this Jason Tanz guy clearly is (he says so himself in the article) are not. He's probably an Obama fan, despite all his claims of only supporting the unknown long-shot... that article all but screams Socialist ideals.

That's my take anyway.


EDIT: a quick search looks like Wired's various assets are owned between Conde Naste (Advanced Publications) and Lycos. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/07/11/wired-news-and-magazine-reunited-by-sale/)

[Laja]

Interesting, tcindie! I wonder whether conde nast, as a rule, is slanted journalistically. i've noticed that a couple of their young fashion mags are trying to move the young women who read it towards obama.

most of these magazines are geared toward their demographic. yet isn't Wired's demographic who the majority of RP supporters are? Even though Tanz is trying to be cool, why would he write a piece that might really piss off his readers?

[Ricochet]

I don't know. I thought he kept it civil and without distortions and fabrications. It wasn't a "hit piece", it was an opinion piece. The author disagrees with some of Ron Pauls policies and said which ones. People are allowed to disagree and he's clearly a collectivist so what would you expect.

His freedom of speech is part of what we are fighting for, remember? As long as the guy can express his views without blatant lies and omissions, I have no problem with him. FOX News on the other hand...

[tcindie]

I dunno.. personally wired never really did it for me..


I think a lot of dems have decided they don't like the libertarian platform. I was talking to one today, and asked him what specifically he didn't like..

His reply about made me fall off my chair... "I dunno, it seems like libertarians are against all regulation..."

I was thinking.. "Ummm.. how is that bad?" Some people are just strange. But he's youngish too -- early 20's.. and I think people have become so accustomed to the nanny state, they couldn't imagine life without it. His fiance seemed a bit more rational, but doubt she'd jump on our team. I left them a slim jim anyway though and told him to be sure he researched the candidates before voting. (He likes Hillary.. :()

[Crickett]

I don't know. I thought he kept it civil and without distortions and fabrications. It wasn't a "hit piece", it was an opinion piece. The author disagrees with some of Ron Pauls policies and said which ones. People are allowed to disagree and he's clearly a collectivist so what would you expect.

His freedom of speech is part of what we are fighting for, remember? As long as the guy can express his views without blatant lies and omissions, I have no problem with him. FOX News on the other hand...

I agree with you. I also think someone should tell him that Dr. Paul has written books on the economy, and should not be dismissed in that area. Many people do not know this, nor do they know the ConstitutIon demands sticking to the metal standard (the founders had seen what paper money does). Also think some1 should remind him that he does not have to agree with every facet of a candidate's views, but he should be a bit more educated b4 he actually decries them.

[diesirae]

I don't know. I thought he kept it civil and without distortions and fabrications. It wasn't a "hit piece", it was an opinion piece. The author disagrees with some of Ron Pauls policies and said which ones. People are allowed to disagree and he's clearly a collectivist so what would you expect.

His freedom of speech is part of what we are fighting for, remember? As long as the guy can express his views without blatant lies and omissions, I have no problem with him. FOX News on the other hand...

Yeah, the mentality that "so-and-so disagrees with me, ergo I should refuse to frequent his business" is not a very healthy one. People like Mr Tanz are the kind of voters Ron Paul needs to (and CAN) win over -- not to have his livelihood attacked for his political views.

[Battlecruiser]

Apparently he has never taken an economics class. If he did, he might know that minimum wage sucks. People go into poverty because of it. Some people benefit (Mainly the people who actually get the jobs), but people who might have gotten the jobs but since the business owner can't pay many people on minimum wage compared to the number of people they would pay if they negotiated with the worker, they won't even have a job.

[snaFU]

It depends on the cross-section you look at. The snobbish "I'm cooler than you, because I'm quirky and unique" type as this Jason Tanz guy clearly is (he says so himself in the article) are not. He's probably an Obama fan, despite all his claims of only supporting the unknown long-shot... that article all but screams Socialist ideals.

That's my take anyway.


EDIT: a quick search looks like Wired's various assets are owned between Conde Naste (Advanced Publications) and Lycos. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/07/11/wired-news-and-magazine-reunited-by-sale/)

duh

[H Roark]

I already canceled my subscription when they ran that story about the Paul bots.

[KeyLimer]

Although it's an opinion piece I don't get how the author can claim that the economy has been pretty well run in the US for the last thirty years.....(?!)

Chris Rock is over here in UK at the moment -apparently his opening bit is about changing 3,000 dollars at the airport and getting a loaf of bread in exchange.

[colin1]

I dunno.. personally wired never really did it for me..


I think a lot of dems have decided they don't like the libertarian platform. I was talking to one today, and asked him what specifically he didn't like..

His reply about made me fall off my chair... "I dunno, it seems like libertarians are against all regulation..."

I was thinking.. "Ummm.. how is that bad?" Some people are just strange. But he's youngish too -- early 20's.. and I think people have become so accustomed to the nanny state, they couldn't imagine life without it. His fiance seemed a bit more rational, but doubt she'd jump on our team. I left them a slim jim anyway though and told him to be sure he researched the candidates before voting. (He likes Hillary.. :()

Wait until he's a little older, and making some serious coin, then his view on the nanny state may change a bit. Seeing so much of your hard earned cash go to Uncle Sucker can have that effect on people :D