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As much as we dislike the DM

This popped up on one of my feeds and as much as I disagree with some of his points of view this one is actually really good. 

PETER HITCHENS: Every time I set out on my bike I prepare for war
https://mol.im/a/11394107

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30 comments

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peted76 | 2 years ago
4 likes

I'm late to this party.. just wanted to chime in with a crazy thought that.. if a DM champion toad like Hitchens can put this viewpoint out into the gammonfest of the DailyHeil.. then.. maybe.. just maybe.. we're seeing the start of cultural sea change?  

Hey.. I'm an optimist.. it's just a thought.

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Simon E | 2 years ago
2 likes

Every link to the DM makes money for them. You are handing $$$ to the haters at the Daily Mail.

If you want to cite Hitchens then quote a line or two and paraphrase him but PLEASE no links.

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hawkinspeter replied to Simon E | 2 years ago
1 like

Simon E wrote:

Every link to the DM makes money for them. You are handing $$$ to the haters at the Daily Mail.

If you want to cite Hitchens then quote a line or two and paraphrase him but PLEASE no links.

As much as I agree with you, it's easy enough to just not click on DM links if people do post them. Personally, I'm waiting for all the Twitter links to stop being posted as that's fast becoming a wretched hive of villainy.

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Rendel Harris replied to Simon E | 2 years ago
1 like

Is that the model? I thought generally publications only get paid per click through from advertising on their site, how do they make money from someone who visits but doesn't click on any adverts?

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Car Delenda Est replied to Rendel Harris | 2 years ago
1 like

I can't say I know but I would be surprised if they didn't use site traffic as a means of attracting advertisers

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Simon E replied to Rendel Harris | 2 years ago
0 likes

Rendel Harris wrote:

Is that the model? I thought generally publications only get paid per click through from advertising on their site, how do they make money from someone who visits but doesn't click on any adverts?

How does any media outlet make money from adverts? The advertisers pay to put them in front of people, just like in newspapers and magazines. More views = more $$$.

Many adverts rely on brand recognition rather than sales as a direct result of their ad.

It's not the same as clicking on affiliate or tracking links.

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hawkinspeter replied to Rendel Harris | 2 years ago
1 like

Rendel Harris wrote:

Is that the model? I thought generally publications only get paid per click through from advertising on their site, how do they make money from someone who visits but doesn't click on any adverts?

I believe one of the old metrics used by Google's PageRank was the number of external sites linking to certain pages, so just having a link can serve to legitimise a site.

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chrisonabike | 2 years ago
0 likes

Peter Hitchens found writing as a contrarian on a wider range of topics than expected ("socially conservative")?  Who would have guessed, coming from his family?

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Daveyraveygravey | 2 years ago
3 likes

I refuse to click on the link.  They supported Mosely and the Blackshirts so I have nothing to do with them.  It's a comic, no better than the Sun.

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Dnnnnnn replied to Daveyraveygravey | 2 years ago
3 likes
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hawkinspeter replied to Dnnnnnn | 2 years ago
3 likes

Dnnnnnn wrote:

May be of interest: 
www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2011/dec/06/dailymail-oswald-mosley

Personally, I haven't seen evidence that the Daily Fail has improved upon its "reporting" over the last 80 years or so. Wikipedia's refusal to accept it as a source of facts is certainly based upon its more recent shenanigans.

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mattw replied to Dnnnnnn | 2 years ago
3 likes

One of my very few claims to fame.

That piece was written in response to one of mine  1 .

And Greenslade added very valuable context. A great piece.

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Daveyraveygravey replied to Dnnnnnn | 2 years ago
1 like

It is an interesting read, but I don't agree, especially as the DM hasn't changed its direction, as far as I can tell.  Our media has led us up the garden path for decades.

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the little onion replied to Daveyraveygravey | 2 years ago
0 likes

Also, this is Hitchens who wrote a book claiming heroin wasn't addictive, but rather people kept taking it because they had poor morals, or something. 

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Steve K | 2 years ago
3 likes

There is a small, but I think significant, number of right wing politicians/journalists who are pro-cycling.  Boris Johnson, of course, and GB News's Tom Harwood, to name a couple more.

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wtjs replied to Steve K | 2 years ago
4 likes

There is a small, but I think significant, number of right wing politicians/journalists who are pro-cycling
No, there is a small number of ... who are pro-The Idea of Cycling - as long as nobody is inconvenienced

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Steve K replied to wtjs | 2 years ago
1 like

wtjs wrote:

There is a small, but I think significant, number of right wing politicians/journalists who are pro-cycling No, there is a small number of ... who are pro-The Idea of Cycling - as long as nobody is inconvenienced

I don't think that's fair comment (and I'm hardly an apologist for the right or for Johnson).  If that were the case - for example - Johnson would have caved to opposition to new segregated infrastructure in London.

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David9694 replied to Steve K | 2 years ago
1 like

Which is as it should be - freedom, etc. 

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Hirsute replied to Steve K | 2 years ago
2 likes

Bit of a stretch to call him a journalist !

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Steve K replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
0 likes

hirsute wrote:

Bit of a stretch to call him a journalist !

Hitchens, Harwood or Johnson?

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Hirsute replied to Steve K | 2 years ago
0 likes

I thought it was Johnson/Harwood option. (Is Johnson still a journalist or a lapsed one?) Harwood anyhow.

 

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giff77 replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
1 like

hirsute wrote:

Bit of a stretch to call him a journalist !

Agreed. Hitchens falls into the columnist catagory which is similar and basically an area where someone writes there opinion. My great uncle was a respected journalist and never wrote personal pieces he simply reported facts.  

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Flintshire Boy replied to Hirsute | 2 years ago
0 likes

.

Author. Journalist. Commentator.

.

Whilst you post on Road.cc.

.

Yep, you've deffo got the drop on this guy's career.

.

 

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Hirsute replied to Flintshire Boy | 2 years ago
0 likes

What books would they be then ?

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Hirsute | 2 years ago
2 likes

Helmet Row !

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Bungle_52 | 2 years ago
3 likes

Thanks for the link. I read it and couldn't find anything I disagreed with .....

until I read the comments that is.

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giff77 replied to Bungle_52 | 2 years ago
8 likes

The earlier comments were pretty much in line with the article. These have now been buried with the standard bile that you come to expect. A classic one followed the lines that the economy would grind to a halt as no deliveries of goods would take place with cars being taken of the road. Like, when did you last see Tescos having their stock delivered by a Ford Mondeo. The poster didn't seem to grasp the concept of not relying on the car for short journeys and changing this mindset would actually free up the roads for essential traffic as well as sustainable traffic. 

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HoarseMann | 2 years ago
3 likes

My gast is flabbered. Once you get past the bit where he nails his colours to the mast as not being one of 'them' Lycra wearing, camera toting, cyclists. It's actually quite good.

The initial 'I'm not one of them' does take the shine off a piece arguing against an us & them culture, but from that publication, it's a revelation!

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giff77 replied to HoarseMann | 2 years ago
1 like

Pretty much my thoughts as well. Very refreshing especially after RLJ sticking his oar in a few months ago. 

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Dnnnnnn replied to HoarseMann | 2 years ago
2 likes

I think Hitchens is more of a free thinker than the usual DM troll journos.
And anything about cyclists gets clicks - which is what the DM is best at.

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