R.I.P. Wired - What's the Point

As our first (and only) commenter pointed out this is a blog dedicated to Wired, but not to 'ripping' them, rather to the memory of the Wired that we all knew and loved before she was replaced by the monster that is Wired.com.

So what is the point? Why 'rip' on a Webzine that has been dead so long we can all smell it's rotten carcass a mile away? A couple of thoughts:

First, as many will be aware, Wired is not just some random online blog or news hub. For a decade and a half 'Wired' has been synonymous with what's latest in the world of tech. Now it's online pages are choked with poorly researched 'articles' pushing the latest Apple product or videos of 'editors' 'reviewing' 'new' gadgetry like giggling girls talking about the new 'cute' guy in school.

Second, and related, if Wired.com lacks editing, research, and 'tech' focus, what's to keep this lack of integrity from permeating their print magazine? At least in the online setting users can immediately correct the errors in logic or the lack of factual reference for an article, not so with print publications.

Third, I would like to think of this site as a sort of 'best of craigslist'. All the 'best' (read, worst) of Wired.com will be exposed for all to see.

So that's it.

Box Art Reviews: Sherlock Holmes’ Mysterious Booger, More

From the Wired.com article: Box Art Reviews: Sherlock Holmes’ Mysterious Booger, More

There is a large, tech-centric publication known as Wired. Wired Magazine has been around since 1993 and, until fairly recently, has been known and trusted as an (if not the) authority on all things tech. I have been following Wired for a few years now and in that time have become very skeptical of their writing, research, and scope.

For example, this recent 'article' on video game box art. Granted, video games may be included in the realm or 'wired' or tech, and so by extension I can understand reviewing box art. But the amount of research seems lacking. It appears as if the author, Tracey John, simply spent the weekend buying video games on Amazon, came across some funny looking boxes and so wrote an article.

I do understand that this is a blog post on a blog hosted by Wired (and not a true Wired article) but it had top listing on Wired.com's main page. I try to use Wired.com as a portal to get my daily tech news (after all, the title of their home page is 'Wired News'), so for this 'article'/blog post to show up and waste 10 minutes of my time (not to mention a subsequent 20 minutes to write this post) is just poor form.

Something that could have made this article truly wired:

Innovative tech process used to design box (maybe seamless aluminum box or computer designed oragami in the shape of the main character --- I would buy a game with Hercule Poirot shaped packaging --- well, maybe not.)



Original Article

Original Poirot image