Re: Slashdot and other myths (was Re: Handling developers, "the zone" and other myths)

Subject: Re: Slashdot and other myths (was Re: Handling developers, "the zone" and other myths)
From: Bruce Byfield <bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 12:58:32 -0300


Aahz wrote:

On Mon, May 27, 2002, Bruce Byfield wrote:

http://books.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/04/04/157205&mode=nested&tid=98

reviews a book that supports the notion about the importance of "the zone." Equally interesting are the comments from the techie crowd who read the site, which, with some exceptions, tend to question the whole idea of treating developers specially, as well as the idea of the zone.


The people in my crowd tend to pooh-pooh anything from Slashdot, aside
from the occasional reference to other material and its amusement value.
Does anyone here actually find Slashdot useful for information?

I usually give it a quick scan every day, but I don't take it very seriously.

For me, it has two uses, neither of which is intended, I'm sure, by those who run the site:

- Comments on Slashdot are a useful indicator of a particular segment of the open source and free software communites. I'd characterize this segment as young, and, often, either still in school or else not senior programmers.

- If your company has any connection with the open source or free software, landing a story on Slashdot is great publicity. Once a story hits Slashdot, you can almost guarantee that other sites will pick up the story, too. A few news releases and company position papers that I've written (anonymously, or for somebody else) have been Slashdotted, and I've been gratified with the results. Conversely, I've seen stories on Slashdot that have been major embarrassments for companies (fortunately, none that I've been connected with).

However, if marketing and PR aren't part of your job, or if your work doesn't have the connections I've mentioned, then the site probably has less interest. Or maybe I'm just too old for the target audience?

--
Bruce Byfield 604.421.7177 bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com

"They pout, they pose, they curl their lips,
They miss too many meals
With their implants and injections
Only God knows what is real."
-Garnet Rogers, "Where'd You Get That Little Dress?"





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References:
Handling developers, "the zone" and other myths: From: Bruce Byfield
Slashdot and other myths (was Re: Handling developers, "the zone" and other myths): From: Aahz

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