Newfound Respect for News Aggregators

Alright so…I found this article from TechCrunch via @techglance entitled “Everyone forgets the readers when they bash news aggregators”

Sometimes I have to break down sentences to really understand them…elementary? Yes. Effective? Absolutely. Embarrassing? Slightly.

So okay my thought process:

“News aggregators”… yeah okay I like them a lot

“Forgets the readers”…okay yeah caring about the people

“Everyone forgets…bashing…”…WHAT? Bashing news aggregators who care about the people? Aw hell no!

I never really thought about those who actually aggregate the content I read online. And I’ve never given them the big pat on the back that they deserve. Honestly, without them, I would probably still be spending my online time on Facebook Chat. Those sites opened my eyes to the relevancy of the news, and for that I am forever grateful. I do visit a few actual sites (WSJ, BusinessWeek, Forbes), but only because I haven’t found a really good business news aggregator I like yet (BizSugar hasn’t really cut it in that department). I would say 89% of what I read online (thats a hell of a lot of reading) is found through sites like Alltop, TechCrunch, BizSugar, etc. It’s a brilliant idea. The fact that anyone in the news and/or technology industry would be opposed to it is archaic and counterproductive.

I do love the Mavs, and I hate to express disdain for any part of my team, but come on, Mark Cuban. How can you turn your back on your own kind? I also would never want to say anything to discredit the joys of capitalism, but when someone in the industry insists that making money is more important than spreading a message, I’ve got to question their sincerity. Read that post, it’s really good. And funny. And I like that picture of the vampire.

So way to go, all you content aggregators out there. Thanks to you, all those too young and/or forward-thinking to subscribe to print (or pay online…pshh) get the opportunity to learn and develop and grow. I am who I am today because of these people. (Well…them and the genius that gave me such a great hairstyle)

By the way, I mentioned that I have yet to find a really good site that aggregates serious finance/business news. That was a clandestine attempt to get people to help me find one without flat-out asking for help. So for all of you that didn’t catch it, do you have any suggestions? Send them my way. If the sites turn out to be spam and/or your attempt to market your blog about social media immortality or the joys of tweeting or losing 60 pounds in 3 hours….I will end your world.