Blader Digest: No More Rollernews
I haven't been writing on rollerblading much because, well…
Actually, there are a lot of reasons. I guess as I get older, there's more to experience and do. Some of it has to do with rollerblading, some of it doesn't. Some of them are distractions, others are steps closer to doing what you want to do. Personally, I've been working my ass off on my book, which has a few rollerblading references in it.
Then again, the main reason I haven't been writing about rollerblading is because I haven't checked Rollernews once in months. It feels really good.
Does that make me ignorant about blading? No, it just makes me lazy.
Still, somehow without that aggregate site, I end up seeing the new shit, like this…
Rollernews reposts shit they find on the internet, just like I do here. However, if you'll look around, you'll see not one bit of advertising on this site. (Of course, other than me trying to whore out my book.)
Why? Because if anyone in rollerblading should get paid, it's the actual people who put on the skates or work as a business owner. Those are the real people in blading.
Sure, Soul Skating is where it's at, but if some chump is making money off of your blood, sweat, and sacrifice and you can't afford a post-sesh cold one, you're a chump.
Besides, Rollernews fosters laziness. I wonder how many people on there commenting are too lazy to put on their blades, yet are still prone to spit out some of the dumbest and most ignorant discourse and disinformation in the sport.
Seriously, I'm sick of celebrating people's ignorance and loading up the internet with even more shit talking. I'm fucking sick of it to the point where even scrolling below an edit or photo makes my balls creep up into my belly button. Half the people there are just trying to get a reaction from people like some retarded high school bully.
Sure, ignoring the comments is easy enough, but for every click on Rollernews, the dude who owns the thing makes even more money. Just the way the real ways consumers vote is with their money, the way you support something on the internet is by visiting it and clicking around. All those clicks mean more money.
The companies that advertise should save their fucking money. That money should go to their riders—or at least hooking up some random poor ass little kid with a fresh setup once a month—instead of some jerk off aggregate site like Rollernews. Seriously, it's the Huffington Post of blading:
Little original content
Steals web hits from the original poster
Has little to do with actual news other than what'll drive traffic
Sure, fans of Rollernews will argue that it provides skaters exposure. As a guy who tries to make a living doing a full-time job and freelance projects, I warn you to always be weary of anyone offering "exposure."
That's the magical word they use for using people. They take YOUR talent and make THEIR money off of it. If you ever see your shit on a site with advertising, demand your fucking check and never settle for exposure.
Exposure is for film in cameras, not for people looking to be known.
At least the SHOCK guys had some fun at at the expense of the guy who runs Rollernews. Then again, since it's the SHOCK guys, I have no idea if it's real or not, which makes it all the better.
Besides, it's not like you're going to learn anything new from Rollernews.
Basically, Facebook has remedied a lot of the problems there were with Rollernews.
Mainly, if someone is going to say something, you have some kind of idea who's doing the talking.
See what I mean. Those things next to the pictures are names. Real names, of real people, saying real things they can be held accountable for. And before I go any further, yes, I know it's just Facebook.
Then again, you can customize Facebook. You don't have to see p-rail edits by little kids if you don't want to. You don't have to hear the word "swag" used over and over like it isn't a cliche already. A few clicks and you never have to see shit from a certain person if you don't want to.
You can follow the brands, shops, and skaters you love.
You can add people, you can ignore people, you can see what people are talking about, and you can leave direct feedback to the people in the edits.
The most important thing is that Facebook is free to everyone. People won't have to pay for advertising for "exposure." Advertising on Facebook is free because all anyone has to do is drop a link on your wall and it's just as good as an ad.
It sucks that we have to give Mark Zuckerberg more traffic, but fuck it, you're on Facebook enough already. Either way, you can't put Facebook out of business, no matter how hard you try, but you can get rid of Rollernews. Just stop going there.
Start going here instead:
http://www.be-mag.com/
http://irollny.wordpress.com/
http://stabyourselfintheface.com/
http://www.rollingupdates.com/
http://www.valo-brand.com/
http://www.shimamanufacturing.com/
http://vandownbytheriver.tumblr.com/
Blade or Die,
— Brian Krans
P.S. — Seriously, you should check out my book, Freeze Tag on the Highway.
