

The End of TechCrunch Would Be a Good Thing - cienrak
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/09/07/the-end-of-techcrunch-would-be-good/?iid=SF_F_LN

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jdp23
There's a great comment there, by David Diaz:

tl;dr version: "We hope TechCrunch fails so our tech site gets more pageviews
as a result."

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tptacek
This is such a superficial comment, so obviously something anyone could say
without even reading the article (which I know you did) that I'm compelled to
ask you to defend it.

Is it really the case that TechCrunch is so obviously a good thing for
startups that the only reason Fortune could be criticizing it is out of
professional rivalry?

I found the article compelling and, within the confines of the format of a
mainstream media "blog", not at all superficial.

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jdp23
I didn't think much of the article at all. Looks like the HN consensus agrees
with me: mine's the top-rated response, and hopeless' comment agreeing with me
ranks above yours.

> Is it really the case that TechCrunch is so obviously a good thing for
> startups that the only reason Fortune could be criticizing it is out of
> professional rivalry?

Is it really the case that you infer this from my comment? I'm compelled to
ask you to list ten other reasons I might not be impressed with the article.

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tptacek
Yes, that's what I inferred from your comment. Because TechCrunch is so on-
its-face terrible that a defense was was an interesting idea. But, do you have
one? Or did you just an opportunity to snark about Fortune writing something
negative about a competitor.

I am very impressed by your ability to harness the "consensus opinion of HN",
as an aside. You'll have to teach me that trick sometime. ;)

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petercooper
_And it creates a feedback loop: TechCrunch is the most-reputed site because
of its scoops. Startups offer TechCrunch scoops because it's the most-reputed
site._

Jumping to the conclusion that the end of TechCrunch is a good thing from that
observation is bizarre. You could say the same thing about almost any major
site, like Reddit or even Hacker News. HN has a good reputation and large
userbase because it has so many awesome links. Why does it get so many awesome
links? Because of its good reputation and large userbase. Not exactly a good
reason to wish something dead though.

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tptacek
You've taken a quote from the article out of context and skewed its meaning.

That quote follows a graf in which it's asserted that TechCrunch directly
reaches out to startups with news and harasses them for not providing TC with
the scoops. For a variety of reasons I find this accusation --- the
implication being that you can be punished for not playing quid-pro-quo with
TC --- _highly credible_.

You cannot say the same thing about Reddit or Hacker News.

I would also note that Hacker News _is_ rigged in favor of YC companies, in
ways subtle and not. We don't mind, because whatever the sub- and super- rosa
things being done to promote YC companies on HN, HN is up front about its
bias; it's right there in the name.

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larrys
"HN is up front about its bias; it's right there in the name"

True but it's not immediately obvious to everyone who reads HN and certainly
those new to HN which companies are YC and which are not. And assuming someone
from traditional media followed a link they most likely wouldn't see the
connection and know of the bias.

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vrikhter
Exactly who would this be good for besides the other publications?

If it's not Techcrunch that you have to cold email then it will be
Venturebeat, AllThingsD, Forbes, CNN, etc.

Startups need PR (just like most other companies), so removing TC from the
equation will only push that energy elsewhere.

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dasil003
Typical outside-the-bubble-looking-in thinking TechCrunch is some kind of
kingmaker in the valley. In reality, the only thing TC truly helps with is
fundraising, and that's far from an exclusive.

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tptacek
... so the only thing TC truly helps with is the only thing early stage
startups really --- if you put it to them --- actually care about: their
runway. Got it. They're not at all in a position of abusable power.

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dedicated
The self-proclaimed "journalist" calls this piece journalism? Uh huh.

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jkaljundi
Pathetic.

