The Macalope Sells Out
The Macalope is pleased to announce that starting immediately, he’ll be blogging for CNET.
“Well, I know you cant work in fast food all your life
But dont sign that paper tonight,” she said,
But its too late.
This is a great opportunity for this mythical beast to gain a higher profile and, well, start making a little scratch for his troubles. According to the agreement, CNET bloggers retain responsibility for their content so you should not suddenly start seeing a bunch of puff pieces about how awesome companies that just happen to be CNET advertisers are.
Although, by the way, they are really, really awesome.
Yeah, I dont remember what I read,
I dont remember what they said,
I guess it doesnt matter,
I guess it doesnt matter anymore
But, even so, why would you like this? What do you, the Macalope’s lithesome yet virile reader, get out of it?
For starters, the fact that the horny one is now getting paid something reasonably resembling his worth (no offense to the fine folks at Rogue Amoeba who took a chance on a relatively untested mythical creature on their own initiative) means he has an incentive to write more.
Sell out, with me, oh yeah, sell out, with me tonight
Record company’s gonna give me lots of money and
Everythings gonna be all right
Also, there is, you’ll have to admit, a certain poetic irony in the Macalope blogging for the company that owns the company that George Ou blogs for.
What does that mean for this site vis-á-vis the new blog? Well, the Macalope’s not sure yet. He suggests continuing to subscribe to this feed as it may become the Macalope “after dark” as it were — a place to post those posts CNET might think are a little “too blue”.
No more flippin’ burgers puttin on my silly hat you know
I dont want that no more,
I didnt ask when we get paid, I quit my day job anyway,
I guess it doesnt matter, I guess it doesnt matter anymore
One piece of bad news is that CNET does not currently provide full RSS feeds. They provide the first 100 characters which should at least take care of the primary complaint the Macalope heard which was having to click through for short posts. Also, it’s the Macalope’s understanding that they’re not completely wedded to this structure so if you’d rather see full feeds with ads or full feed without ads or full feeds without ads and a free beverage, let them know.
I dont think itll be so bad
I know it wont be so bad
‘Cause the man said thats the way it is
And the man said it dont get better than this, no, no, no
Again, it’s the Macalope’s sincere hope that his good fortune is your good fortune.
Lyrics to “Sell Out” by Reel Big Fish.
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[…] Macalope, a favorite blog of mine (and if you’re an Apple fan, it should be one of yours), has recently accepted an offer to blog for the CNet mothership, which means he’ll actually make some cheddar for his efforts. That’s a good thing. I […]
Mac-eloped!
Congrats to you on the new gig.
Hey, that’s my happy place, too. Unbeliever!It is of course hylrbeope (it’s the Macalope), but these are real questions. As the type of computers many people have in their homes has begun moving in the Mac direction, more and more people are asking to use them in their places of employment. Personal familiarity with a Windows environment might not be such a given in a few years.Now that Macs *do* run on Intel platforms, does that decrease the barrier to acceptance from an IT standpoint?This is going to present challenges to IT departments as they attempt to give their (internal) customers the tools they need to adequately perform their jobs. Microsoft unfortunately doesn’t seem to be doing themselves any favors with the current state of the operating system re: Vista going over like a lead balloon at the enterprise level.
Any chance you can get them to install Smartypants for typographically-correct punctuation? It’s like icepicks to the eyes. 😉
awesome! congrats
It’s not “icepicks”. It’s like antlers right down the eyes.
Congratulations, Macalope. Let’s hope you give them enough reason to regret not affording the luxury of firing you.
What if I want to see full ads without feeds? 😉
BTW, congrats!
I wonder if Veronica Belmont knows it’s deep into rutting season (she’s a prize 2 pointer herself). I’ll bet she’s out shopping for cammos and a salt lick right now.
Hey, Macalope, why not set up a private detective agency as a part-time job for the evenings, and then use *this* blog to describe your adventures?
I notice that you can no longer call yourself “the horny one”–shame that you’ll be more censored now.
Welcome to the joyous ranks of paid bloggers. 🙂 I wish I had known you were looking, I would have offered you a position at TUAW.
From one mythical creature to another….
Congrats on hitting the big time, and so quickly.
From one struggling Tech pundit blogger to another…
Why wasn’t it me CNET!!!!! WHY!!!! 😉
Wow, nice Reel Big Fish reference too!
CNET “macs-have-no-card-reader-so-they-suck” CNET?!
Oh, dear.
Congratulations, and kudos’ for making a good decision when the opportunity arose.
Can you please slap your CNET buddie Robert Vamosi? Thanks. 🙂
Congrats!
Smooth move on the part of Cnet. I mean, me visiting Cnet through a bookmark in my own browser, and that regularly, rather than only on occasions when my favoured bloggers post links there in ridicule?
It took a mythical creature to do this.
I hope they pay you in real money, not Microsoft scrip good for a copy of Works ’97 or something. CNET is so Windows-PC-centric and often has purely retrograde-ridiculous and biased writing; doesn’t that Dvorak person sometimes lurk there? will they force you to reveal your actual genus and species in Latin?
Oh my God….
You made reference to a song I’ve ACTUALLY heard!
Woah,
O_O
Nice one, Macalope!! Rake in the money on your well deserved gig!
Keep your antlers high.
I hope you’ll continue to call bullshit on articles like this http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-3513_7-6743612-1.html?tag=cnetfd.mt in your new column!
Congratulations. I look forward to the “incentive to write more” bearing fruit.
I expect you though long and hard about this. but I just can’t feel good about it.
Unfortunately, I only see your reputation being tarnished by association.
“He/It bogs for CNET? Well then you know it must be crap.”
I know that it I see a link to CNET I don’t waste my time clicking. And now instead of being viewed as editorially independent you’ll be seen as the wacko token Mac guy so CNET can claim balanced reporting.
And thus your credibility will take a hit regardless of how good your writing is.
Never the less, best of luck and keep up the good work.
SteveM
She has a girlfriend now.
That is awesome. I’ll be sticking this site a good-ol’ fashioned bookmark, for those extra articles.
Good luck!
Congrats!
They’ll FINALLY have a writer with a clue about the Mac market.
The Macalope ate my comment?
Curious.
SteveM
PygmySurfer, that’s going to post number 2! Thanks!
Macalope –congrats on the move. Genius move inveting the fake blogger known as “George Ou”, attacking him, then taking him job. Love it!
Yeeesh,
I feel like I got gored in the gut…
I hope your ethics are strong – like bull, or you’ll be a trophy, stuffed and hung in c|net’s foyer.
I’ll be a good sport and give you a 100 yards.
Good Luck roaming the “Dark Forrest” Mr. Macalope!
‘Lope,
I’ll miss this place. This is one of very few truly good places to hang.
I may have to release C|Net from Junk Filter Hell, now. It’ll be worth it.
Keep up the great analysis. Don’t start measuring your work by the accepted standards of the new shop.
Peace.
+2 for the Reel Big Fish song.
Watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0e6LUTjzX0
I hope you’ll pay close attention to whom you’re attaching your antlers:
http://2aday.wordpress.com/2007/06/19/zdnet-really-really-really-hates-apple-the-iphone/
Second order of business, right after you skewer your fellow CNet’er for being a moron, get them to dump their banal comment system. I don’t want to look up my social security number just so I can write pithy comments.
Congratulations! Very cool.
I’m looking forward to Macalope “after dark.” I think. 😉
Congratulations!
Congratulations … that adds a lot of credibility to blogs every where.
Congratulations! That’s not selling out–that’s getting paid to do what you love, and what you do well. Just be true to the herd, and all will be well. 🙂 Rock on, ‘Lope.
Congratulations!
and to think, we knew him when!
I know I’m a little late here, but congrats! Selling out is always the way to go, especially if you can retain editorial control.
Just do us one favor: dump a Costco-sized bottle of Visine into Ou’s water cooler.
tCongratulations!
and to think, we knew him when!
Congratulations! That’s not selling out–that’s getting paid to do what you love, and what you do well. Just be true to the herd, and all will be well. 🙂 Rock on, ‘Lope.