Jalopnik has gone down the toilet ver. 3.0

On positive news, Jalopnik is looking for writers now. Perhaps they want to consider someone that doesn't completely suck. I would apply of course but the combination of a job and not being in new york rather puts a damper on it. Still, I'm sure someone on FG could apply ;)


...I applied. I'm graduating in a few weeks and would love to stay in New York. Would you guys read me on there?
 
...I applied. I'm graduating in a few weeks and would love to stay in New York. Would you guys read me on there?

I Would. I should Add that I also read Stef as well.
 
...I applied. I'm graduating in a few weeks and would love to stay in New York. Would you guys read me on there?

I would, I would also recommend you to everyone I know if you make a video where you beat Doug DeMuro with a croquet mallet :p
 
There are a few good/fun writers there and not much else. Strangely, the formerly stodgy Road and Track feels a lot like classic Jalopnik these days.

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Current article:

Title: "The Turbocharged Fiat 124 Spider Is Actually A Little Cheaper Than The Miata"

What they actually present: "...except when it isn't."

All they do is say that a trim level or two on the Fiat is cheaper than a trim level or two of the Miata (the base-spec Miata is still cheaper than the base Fiat, and the Fiat does have the highest-price trim level anyway)...but they make zero mention about what is in those trim levels. What if Mazda's higher-price trim levels come with more equipment that would put the Fiat into a higher price if you added them as options? They don't mention that at all.
 
Current article:

Title: "The Turbocharged Fiat 124 Spider Is Actually A Little Cheaper Than The Miata"

What they actually present: "...except when it isn't."

All they do is say that a trim level or two on the Fiat is cheaper than a trim level or two of the Miata (the base-spec Miata is still cheaper than the base Fiat, and the Fiat does have the highest-price trim level anyway)...but they make zero mention about what is in those trim levels. What if Mazda's higher-price trim levels come with more equipment that would put the Fiat into a higher price if you added them as options? They don't mention that at all.

Autoblog picked up on the same thing. http://www.autoblog.com/2016/04/29/2017-fiat-124-spider-pricing/

I don't see how thats news. You can get a base Acura TLX for less than a lot of Accords. You can get a base Lincoln MkZ gor cheaper than loaded Fusions. This has been the norm for years.
 
Yeah, letting go of Sean MacDonald was the final nail in the coffin for me. I'll miss lanesplitter!
Yup, it's dead now. MacDonald was the sole Lanesplitter full-timer. It was getting a ton of traffic and growing. And they let him go? Morons.

Tyler Rogoway built Foxtrot Alpha up the same way. Wrote professional, in-depth content while being as unbiased as possible. A real feat when you're reporting defense and international relations. They fuckin let him go too.

I Would. I should Add that I also read Stef as well.
She's about the only person I've read who can make NASCAR sound interesting :lol:. Black Flag is pretty good.
 
I saw the opening for foxtrot alpha, didn't realize they let Tyler Rogoway go as well...
Are they intentionally trying to ruin it?
 
Tyler Rogoway built Foxtrot Alpha up the same way. Wrote professional, in-depth content while being as unbiased as possible. A real feat when you're reporting defense and international relations. They fuckin let him go too.


Foxtrot Alpha was shit. The guy was an unashamed member of the anti-F-35 club and would parrot David Axe and even the fucking clowns at the APA (Airpower Australia, a group who hated the Lockheed Martin F-35 so much the only thing that could save Australia from the "Super Flanker" "threat" was the Lockheed Martin F-22, oh and they wanted the Aust. government to pay them to re-engine the F-111 with F-22 engines, because the F-18E isn't up for it) without doing his own research.
He'd post articles the Ford class being over budged without noticing that a lot of R&D money is being factored in that isn't present over the last few Nimitz's or the next couple Ford's.
His military history articles and what if's were decent but he was a crap military "journalist".
 
the only thing that could save Australia from the "Super Flanker" "threat" was the Lockheed Martin F-22, oh and they wanted the Aust. government to pay them to re-engine the F-111 with F-22 engines, because the F-18E isn't up for it) without doing his own research.

I laughed so hard at this. You don't need to do any reasearch to figure out that this wouldn't work, if you just know the characteristics of the planes, and what were they built for.
 
Yup, it's dead now. MacDonald was the sole Lanesplitter full-timer. It was getting a ton of traffic and growing. And they let him go? Morons.

He's continuing to write here: https://kinja.com/xseanmacdonaldx Unfortunately, he's still choosing to use the god-awful kinja platform.
 
Jalopnik has gone down the toilet ver. 3.0

http://jalopnik.com/when-this-trucks-suspension-breaks-loose-so-does-all-he-1776944261

Such journalism, so wow! Pulitzer-prize winning! I don't know how I would have understood the video without the extra commentary!

YES! Why are YouTube videos worthy to have a journalist write about them? Just because it's vaguely car related? C'mon....

What's also annoying is their use of tumblr style Gifs. 2-3 second long clips of barely anything.
 
Foxtrot Alpha was shit. The guy was an unashamed member of the anti-F-35 club ...
That's one area I'll absolutely side with him. The F35 program is a shit show. Full stop. Unfinished plane that's supposed to magically, somehow, do everything for everyone all the time. Wouldn't be so horrible if it wasn't compromised by the F35B.

Speaking of, we just built the LHA America for the F35B ... only to find out once the F35B was actually capable of VTOL that ... uh, well the ship specifically designed for the the F35B couldn't actually accommodate it. Without warping the deck and other fun shit. So the LHA-6 had to go back to the yards. For like a year. To be refitted to handle the plane it was originally designed for. And there's still only two spots on deck a F35B can land.

Really, fuck the F35. Stupid fucking program. We should have planes suited for the job. Not one plane shafted into whatever role we imagine it can do. While we cross our fingers and pretend it can fill the role.

He's continuing to write here: https://kinja.com/xseanmacdonaldx Unfortunately, he's still choosing to use the god-awful kinja platform.
I'll check it out. Saw an article he did for /drive. And they suck. Those guys spend more column inches talking about the car owner's second cousin's third car from 1970-whatever than they do talking about the actual goddamn car the article is supposed to be about.
 
Seems like a lot of automotive journalism has gone down the same road as my local newspaper.

Gone from actual news and long articles, to just "something happened at 3pm" and expect you to pay a monthly fee for that info.
 
Better to go to sites that are primary sources, rather than mainly reblogging.

I think it jumped the shark when it started posting bomb and drone kill videos
 
That's one area I'll absolutely side with him. The F35 program is a shit show. Full stop. Unfinished plane that's supposed to magically, somehow, do everything for everyone all the time. Wouldn't be so horrible if it wasn't compromised by the F35B.

Speaking of, we just built the LHA America for the F35B ... only to find out once the F35B was actually capable of VTOL that ... uh, well the ship specifically designed for the the F35B couldn't actually accommodate it. Without warping the deck and other fun shit. So the LHA-6 had to go back to the yards. For like a year. To be refitted to handle the plane it was originally designed for. And there's still only two spots on deck a F35B can land.

Really, fuck the F35. Stupid fucking program. We should have planes suited for the job. Not one plane shafted into whatever role we imagine it can do. While we cross our fingers and pretend it can fill the role.

Go look into who spews most of the F-35 hate, the APA, Bill Sweetman and the remaining member of the LWM. BTW the LWM has been THOROUGHLY discredited so it is amazing that anyone listens to Spey and Co.

The F-35 doesn't do anything more special than the Hornet series or the F-16, or the Gripen, or the Rafale does now. Multi-role has ALWAYS existed and provided the most bang for the buck hell even the F-14 was multi-role in the end.
"Unfinished"? The F-16 didn't have a variant that could do BVR until it was in service for almost ten years, and most planes enter service with missing capabilities or planned future upgrades while they are still being built. The space on A and C where the fan goes on B is a fuel tank, so no they are not "compromised".

The media coverage is typical of an American plane being developed. Go look up some of the early articles about the F-16 or F-16 and you can pretty much scratch out those two and insert F-35 and the article sounds the same. Hell you can do that with FFG-7, Spruance class, or Ticonderoga and scribble in LCS. The difference is what was once in special interest magazines or once in awhile in a newspaper is now on click-bait websites with no intention on a balanced story.

The America wasn't built for F-35. It was built as an amphibious assault ship, F-35B is strictly a secondary capability (with only 6 to be carried normally), if it were built "specifically for it" then it would have a ski-jump just like the foreign baby carriers. First of class ships are normally sent back for modifications for changes the navy makes during construction or figures out needs to be changed during trials. In the America's case that also included modifications based on lessons learned on the Wasp during F-35 trials and fleet wide experience operating V-22. With only 6 carried normally having "only" two spots for vertical landing isn't a big deal, besides experience with Harrier shows that vertical landing is a waste of fuel and your bring back weight for ordnance is much lower than if you do slow rolling landing.

As production increases prices are going down (as per the GAO), non member countries are joining the project and none of the original members have bailed (if Canada does that is more due to the disjointed Canadian defense policy and the fact that can't procure anything on time or on budget, they are almost as bad as India).
 
(if Canada does that is more due to the disjointed Canadian defense policy and the fact that can't procure anything on time or on budget, they are almost as bad as India).

Ugh, don't remind me. Our defense procurement is a stupid game of political football and we always end up losing dump trucks of money for nothing. The fighter jet procurement is going to be the fucking Sea King replacement all over again.
 
Going to leave this here.

Gawker Media LLC, which owns titles like Jalopnik, Deadspin and Jezbel, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Friday, following a $140 million judgment in the Hulk Hogan lawsuit, which was secretly financed by Silicon Valley venture capitalist, Peter Thiel.

The media company will not dissolve though, but will continue operations as usual, as shortly after filing for bankruptcy, Gawker issued a press release saying that they?re entering into an asset purchase agreement with American publisher and internet company, Ziff Davis, which owns IGN, Geek, Ookla and PC Magazine, among others.

?We are encouraged by the agreement with Ziff Davis, one of the most rigorously managed and profitable companies in digital media. A combination would marry Ziff Davis? strength in e-commerce, licensing and video with GMG?s premium media brands," Gawker Media founder Nick Denton said in a statement.
 
Wait, they'll be bought by the people who run IGN?

I mean....it's not going to improve a lot there will it?
 
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