Lodwick reports: Gawker commenters are mostly interns
It invalidates every article theorizing about the brilliance of Nick Denton’s so-called user-generated content.
The massive numbers of comments on Gawker: the very content that makes people believe that Gawker is relevant, read, newsworthy and important is just bullshit.
I’ve always thought Denton was maniacal and brilliant, but I am truly blown away by this horsecrap. So, the trick is: create the impression of relevance by pinging yourself. It’s like the old 4th grade trick of sending yourself a Valentine’s Day Card (ahem…not that I ever did that).
Of course, if you don’t have interns, you can do this yourself.
Jakob Lodwick: Nick.
JL: pretend you’re not talking to the world’s slowest retard
Nick Denton: sure
JL: none of them are real?
Nick Denton: no
Nick Denton: there are three or four real ones
Nick Denton: collegecallgirl is one
JL: and the rest are interns.
Nick Denton: yeah
JL: the commenters on gawker are employees of gawker media.
Nick Denton: not employees
Nick Denton: interns
JL: pretending to be anonymous web jerks
JL: you know that I’m going to post this conversation
Nick Denton: sure
JL: and you don’t care because…
JL: …because it doesn’t matter.
Nick Denton: good night
(Thanks to Jakob Lodwick. Sometimes I find you impossibly egotistical, but this news more than redeems your “I intend to one day know [Scarlett Johansson]” post).
22. January 2008 at :
I completely agree. Gawker is marginally important at most. If anything, the comments make people feel better about reading that page 6 trash, because it has always seemed as though there were far more pathetic people reading it. People so pathetic that they actually took the time to post!
22. January 2008 at :
Denton can kiss my ballsac. People who read Gawker are shmucks. Journalism is another Hollywood for ugly people. What’s uglier than a journalist? A journalist paid to report on the exploits of journalists.
22. January 2008 at :
It’s sad to learn this, because the paradigm was very promising. Post salacious material and plan on attracting a loyal following of even more obnoxious commenters. These posters, in turn, provide enough material so that the average viewing time on each post is enhanced and loyalty to the site is enhanced and drives further ad revenue.
Added bonus: posters become sources of information for the site to feed off of.
This drives home the point that we should always doubt the credibility of comments on popular sites, especially when they seem to serve only to enhance the site’s vitriol and base attractiveness.
22. January 2008 at :
Is this post real? Did Denton really say that to Lodwick?
22. January 2008 at :
As far as I know. I can’t see why Lodwick would post a fabrication.
22. January 2008 at :
Are you done now Josh? Have you run out of fake names to come up with?
22. January 2008 at :
Dude…don’t ruin my fun! See…we can do it too!
23. January 2008 at :
Why on earth would you believe this transcript? Do you really think that out of the hundreds of commenters, only a few are real?
C’mon, get real.
23. January 2008 at :
How would I be able to tell it’s not real? If it’s a parody, it’s too dry to be obvious.
23. January 2008 at :
Uh, you realize Denton is joking, right?
23. January 2008 at :
Yes. I’m pretty sure that isn’t even Denton. There’s no way to know for sure anyway, unless I start scouring the IPs in our logs.
23. January 2008 at :
Uh…come to think of it…when was he joking? When he spoke to Lodwick or when he reblogged Lodwick’s post. I actually do find that easier to believe, but I like much better the idea that the conversation was candid and Denton couldn’t give a hoot.
23. January 2008 at :
And what would the IP log tell you?
This is Wordpress, email me.
24. January 2008 at :
The IM conversation is real. Denton is pulling Lodwick’s leg about the commenters being interns. Jake either believes him, or publishes the exchange to screw with those easily fooled by obvious foolery.
24. January 2008 at :
Uh: Clearly many of the commenters are unemployed (given the time expenditure), obsessed, or actually working at a part of the Denton empire. From reading comments on some prominent posts, I’m not certain how much of a joke it is, even if the majority of posts are not written by insiders. I have to take Lodwick’s posts at face value. I’ve asked Denton to confirm or deny in plain language. If he says it’s untrue that his interns post comments under pseudonyms, I’ll correct this. I have no idea which theory to believe. I’m also not sure that I care anymore.
24. January 2008 at :
Nick, not ted (whatever that insider reference means): The IP log could tell me if visitors to this page around the time you posted your comment were from IPs related to known Denton businesses. It wouldn’t prove much either way, but there’s no form verification, so anyone can post any name, etc.
24. January 2008 at :
Maybe you need to get some interns for American Madness.
25. January 2008 at :
So I was coming out of class at NYU when I saw Josh Friedlander outside a move theather with dark glasses and a hat. I believe he was purchasing a ticket to the new Rambo flick. I wonder if he lives in the neighborhood.
25. January 2008 at :
Next up: American Madness Stalker List