[-2] schild – Posted September 22nd, 2008, 2:47 pm

>So the question is, what has Kotaku (and those other sites) done wrong?

It's cool, I mean you're totally wrong, but that's fine. Whatever. They should've picked up the phone, called a friend that feeds them information (protip: every "journalist" knows a hell of a lot more than the public will ever, ever, ever know). His friend probably would have said "total bull****, don't even post it." That's what my friends do.

Running something as a rumor doesn't absolve you of anything. All it says is "we're lazy, we don't care, give us our page-views little man." Sites that report rumors all the time and tend to end up with crappy rumors are just bad sites. Kotaku, as well, is just a bad site. Not only for not being able to call a friend, but for a multitude of other reasons.

I'm really not quite sure what you're getting at, but you obviously have absolutely no concept of how to function as a journalist. And that's absolutely fine, but don't go around defending a site that has no excuse posting crap without any sort of confirmation. Honestly, they don't even have to post they have a source, I'm a big fan of posting the rumor and then watching as people nay-say and then it becomes true. In fact, I'd go as far to say that that's my MO. At the very least though, I've never had to totally retract something as false.

Rule #1. If you're going to say something, make sure you have enough information to stand by it.

Kotaku didn't even have enough information to warrant writing a title, let alone a post about it. That lends itself to harming the gaming press. Not to mention they would've benefitted a lot more by calling CAG out on it. But nope, bunch of lazy, bad journalists.

Now stop defending them, it's slightly bizarre and your defense makes no sense.

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[+1] Fraser MacInnes – Posted September 22nd, 2008, 3:23 pm

I don't think our respective viewpoints can be reconciled, but...

First of all, in response to:

"They should've picked up the phone, called a friend that feeds them information (protip: every "journalist" knows a hell of a lot more than the public will ever, ever, ever know). His friend probably would have said "total bull****, don't even post it." That's what my friends do."

Not sure where you get off offering me protips, seeing as I am an experienced journalist and you are an undergrad studying Education Management, but I'll let that slide for now.

In fact, hit me up on Linked-in, I'd be happy to give you some tips on how not to blacken your name in the industry (trust me mate, this is a relatively small industry and it doesn't take much to get a bad reputation).

Also, yes you are right, journalists do know more than the public about these things, it's their job, but it's not like we are a bunch of super brained clairvoyants, we don't know everything and everyone.

There is not a journalist I know (and trust me when I say I know quite a few) that fact checks every single rumour they get before they post it as a rumour (obviously it depends on the circumstances).

Sure Kotaku may have been a bit negligent here, but don't even try and deny that this is a petty witch hunt. I can see the funny side of this and how it must feel for a small blog to be able to point the finger and shout 'told you!' to everyone, but the whole thing just stinks of schadenfreude.

This could have been handled with a bit of deference and self effacing humour but at the moment, it just comes across as petulant arrogance.

Also, don't pretend you are above looking for site hits, it is, after all, how this whole internet journalism thing functions. In fact, in covering this story with such bile, are you not playing the same game as you claim Kotaku is?

Seriously, there are more obvious evils in online games journalism to target than this...












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[+2] schild – Posted September 22nd, 2008, 3:28 pm

>Not sure where you get off offering me protips, seeing as I am an experienced journalist and you are an undergrad studying Education Management, but I'll let that slide for now.

I'm sorry, what now? Education Management? What are you babbling about?

>There is not a journalist I know (and trust me when I say I know quite a few) that fact checks every single rumour they get before they post it as a rumour (obviously it depends on the circumstances).

This is where I say, get better journalist friends.



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[+1] Fraser MacInnes – Posted September 22nd, 2008, 3:41 pm

From that I'm guessing that you are an undergrad, ah well, I was close I suppose. it's clear I'm banging my head against a brick wall here.

Also,

hush.











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[+3] schild – Posted September 22nd, 2008, 3:52 pm

Dude.

Try doing another search on Linked In.

Now go down One Result. Yea, I know, investigative journalism is HARD. But thank goodness monitors are bigger than 4 inches and we can view more than one search result. Makes our work a little bit easier. I can see why you're siding with Kotaku on this one.

Now realize I've been doing this a _lot_ longer than you have. You graduated college after me and started working in journalism the year you graduated. Now that you've found me on LI, you can see where you took the wrong turn.

Given the list of publications on your profile, getting in a pissing match with me must make this a Red Letter Day for you.

Unless you're the other Fraser MacInnes, to which I say, "lol. psycho."

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[0] Fraser MacInnes – Posted September 23rd, 2008, 3:56 am

I'll hold my hands up and say, yep, I got that wrong, it was the wrong profile I looked at (seriously how many Eric Schilds can there be). Given the tone of this article (i.e. puerile, s******ing and self important) it just seemed to make sense that you would be a young inexperienced journo. The fact that you're not bodes all worse for you my friend.

As for this comment:

"Given the list of publications on your profile, getting in a pissing match with me must make this a Red Letter Day for you."

Thanks, you have just made yourself look like more of a deluded fool than I ever could.

Ok that's it, I'm out, I don't even know why I've wasted this much time on this, that comment at the top from SuckOnThis makes plenty of sense and I'm man enough to say it made me feel a little sheepish.

Good night sweet prince, maybe one day, humility will be yours too.

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[+2] aiwaz – Posted September 24th, 2008, 11:14 pm

Gonna be sore tomorrow from that whoopin!

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[+5] fell – Posted September 21st, 2008, 5:30 am

The source of the rumor was a ******* first time post on someones personal blog. Anyone who took 60 seconds of fact checking could have easily verified it was a joke. Yet even that tiny bit of effort wasnt employed.

A first time blogger is not a viable source. Compounded with a douchey lash out that im sure is motivated by shame and it gets exceptionally pathetic.

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[+4] schild – Posted September 21st, 2008, 1:07 am

>How can you check a source when you didn't have the source to begin with?

Is this a joke?

Microsoft would be the source to contact.



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[+2] Aiwanei – Posted September 21st, 2008, 8:14 am

The source was an insider who leaked a photo of an internal memo. That kind of info Microsoft is notorious for denying, even if in the end it is true. So yes they could have told Microsoft, and Microsoft would say either no comment or flat out deny it, but then again when Microsoft has denied stuff repeatedly in the past, even though in the end the rumor is true, how can you trust Microsofts answer. Yes maybe they should have contacted Microsoft and at least put up Microsoft has denied any such claim, but with their track record, I wouldn't take Microsoft at face value still.

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[+5] fell – Posted September 21st, 2008, 9:03 pm

The source was screen shot posted on a personal first timers blog with no further support given. The "leaked document" in question was so horribly done im amazed anyone could give it any credence. Let alone post it as a news headline.

Kotaku did absolutely nothing to verify the claim before posting it...

Exemplifying the very behavior the "prank" was supposed to reveal. Completely nonsensical material being given head lines with absolutely no fact checking or even critical thought given.

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