November 3, 2009
by at 4:00 PM
Today, Topix launched its new community toolbar, powered by Conduit.
Never miss a reply to your comments. Stay on top of the latest news for your town. Grab the most popular headlines and Top Stories. Right in your browser.
Already have a community toolbar? The Topix components can be added to any existing Conduit toolbar via the Marketplace.
For more details, check out the full press release.
September 25, 2009
by at 3:32 PM
We really love local news.
We see ourselves at Topix as part of the local ecosystem of news and community, especially in towns which have a lot of usage (We have nearly a million daily page views in Tennessee, mainly in towns just like Sparta). And, we love it when stories are sourced from Topix. But we'll be damned if we let people try to find out the real identities of our users are with a FAKE SUBPOENA.
So, we salute the folks at WMSV TV, Nashville for their investigative piece on Dale Dodson, the Sparta Tennessee police officer who tried to get the IP addresses of people who posted here on Topix with subpoenas that were never signed by a judge.
While I have a lot of respect for local law enforcement, YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW THE LAW, GUYS. Want to see the evidence that in trying to get information, this guy tried to get pass the whole subpoena process?
See for yourself:
We received this hand addressed envelope in the mail:
And, here's the (again, handwritten) note enclosed. Let's check out what the Sergeant had to say:
Sgt. Dodson kindly included a "Subpoena" document. I didn't know you could get a generic subpoena form at the local Piggly Wiggly:
You'll note the lack of case number, clerk or judge's signature and the lack of any sort of official letterhead. Needless to say, we passed this on to our lawyers, and it looks like the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is now on the case.
So. We are happy to try and work with the police, especially when they are trying to track down a murderer. We've worked with the Secret Service, FBI and myriad local law enforcement. We also take the privacy of our users seriously, and this whole episode leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth.
If you're a police officer, you really should try and present a better example. Seriously.
September 11, 2009
by at 10:35 AM
Today, Topix launched its first iPhone app, the Topix Aura.
With in-depth coverage nationwide, Topix Aura dynamically updates local information based on your GPS location or saved ZIP code. You can easily browse a stream of the latest local information, including:
You can also browse news headlines in context via the handy News Map.
Available for every city in the country, Topix Aura is the only local app with complete coverage across the United States. Download it now!
August 20, 2009
by at 11:42 AM
It’s that time again. Time to cast your vote, make yourself heard, and decide the agenda for the 2010 SXSW Interactive Conference.
Last year, Chris Tolles moderated a lively panel on User Generated Content. LA Weekly wrote a great piece about it (complete with tips for how to rock SXSW).
Topix is again in the running, with a great panel on “Driving Business through Community.”
Give us the thumbs up and Tolles will buy you a drink in Austin.
The Panel Picker closes September 4th, so vote today!
August 19, 2009
by at 3:16 PM
An article in the Daily Telegraph, making the "what's all this, then?" argument that the "social media revolution is going nowhere". came my way on Twitter via Andrew Keen.
The author makes a bunch of vaguely arguable points, damns the medium with faint praise, ("Twitter made the world stand up and listen" but failed to bring down the Iranian regime, so is therefore useless, is the gist of it) and in facts ends the article with a "how to use social media" guide. Likely his editor, then tops the whole thing off with the linkbait headline.
But the best riposte to this piece is none other than the actual page where the article appears. Between the the "How to use Twitter" block, and the GIANT CHUNK OF REAL ESTATE for the social network every newspaper likes, Digg, it is quite clear that the Telegraph's business practices reflect that social media is a big part of the the equation for them. There are no less than FOUR separate blocks of pixels, er , references to Twitter on the page here. Subtlety is not a concern for the Telegraph and its use of Twitter.
Obviously, this was a cynical exercise in baiting, or rather soliciting just this sort of response. But jumping Jesus on a Viagra ad, the juxtaposition of what Matt Warman states and what the Telegraph does is cause for a pretty big chuckle. (And the smart guys behind the Telegraph efforts even have the Twitter referrer on this baked into the URL).
So, pointless exercise in being wrong, or well executed pageview generator? The Daily Telegraph -- journal of Luddites, or truly the state of the art version of 2009 journalism? Vomitous applause, to Matt and the Telegraph here.
Let's take a look at the Telegraph piece and all of the myriad of social networking elements on the page (maybe 20% of the screen real estate?):
August 18, 2009
by at 1:02 PM
Great story on SFGate from the Chronicle regarding how their commentary helped show the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555, who had threatened a BART strike, just what the public thought of this during these difficult economic time.
We here at Topix do pretty well with local discussions with over 140,000 comments a day, but in San Francisco, SFGate rocks, and there were over hundreds of comments on several articles on the issues reflecting what people think about the Union, and its threat to strike.
A particularly nice feature of the SFGate's comment system is the "Most recommended comments". Some of the highlights here with hundreds of "votes" behind each of these:
It is incredible that, at a time when California is really on the ropes partially because of bloated payrolls for those working for the State, these workers would even consider striking. How about a lockout followed by a last, best, and final offer, and then hire people who want to work and replace these greedy people! --sheridanw
I was really hoping for the strike because: 1... A lot of lazy jerks would get fired... 2. A lot of people who are out of work would be able to get a new job... 3. I would get to work from home! --inmyopinion
In a region where every politician of note is a Democrat, and the Mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, is currying the favor of a core constituency by promising to be be a "warrior for labor", commentary on the SFGate provide a key and critical place for the public to make its opinions known about issues that a one sided set of elected officials can't touch with a ten foot pole.
I've said this before, but SFGate gets my vote for best use of comments for a newspaper in the US, for actually referring to them in its articles, and wielding their commentariat as a club against the vested interests that prevent discourse on subjects where a few really obscure the opinions of the many (homelessness, unions, club closings, etc). It's a shame that they don't use our commentary system, but I'm a big fan of a major US daily standing behind the opinions of its readers.
Bravo to Carla Marinucci for calling this issue out!
Update: I just noticed Carla wrote up an additional piece on voters, unions, and commentary sentiment here., which is also worth reading.
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