Programming note

Sorry no “exile” post today, but the URLs are going to be all screwed up over at NBC anyway as they’re doing a platform changeover sometime today. Good news: no more Newsvine and no more “Continue reading this entry” prompt when none is needed. Bad news: as with all changeovers, there is some minor disruption. You can probably still see the stuff I wrote if you click over there, however. I’m particularly happy with the “swagger” thing.

I have a brief meeting to attend and some lunch to grab, but I’ll be back in a bit.


12 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Nick Whitman
14 years ago

It’s called “swag” now, Craig.  Just make sure yours isn’t wack.

Craig Calcaterra
14 years ago

I don’t know what’s funnier: what that dude was saying in the comments thread, or that it almost made sense to me.

Randy
14 years ago

I always thought swag was that bag of stuff that actors got on awards night, but apparently, according to this credible source (complete with spelling errors), the commenter is correct:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=swag

Thanks to a typo on my part in Google Search, I also found the urban dictionary definition for “swager” (not to be confused with “swagger”)

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=swager

Craig Calcaterra
14 years ago

Wait, isn’t the award stuff “schwag?”  Or is that just the bad bag of weed you get during a dry spell?

Not that I’d know.

YankeesfanLen
14 years ago

Lupica writes a column. Hilarity ensues. Seems about right……

lar
14 years ago

This is what I think of when I hear the word “swag”:

[Bender continues flying through space still holding the bag
          of swag.]

BENDER
I’m going too fast. I’ve gotta lose
momentum. [throws pieces of swag into space] 
Ohh. I’m gonna spend eternity
alone with barely any swag.
[finds watch and puts it on]  Ooo! Hey
universe! Check out the dude with the
rolex! [finds candelabra and monocle]
Wow! Ostentatious!  Except what
good is a candelabra without – wait
I know! [takes small gold piano out of his
stomach compartment. Begins playing melancholy
tune on the piano] Ah the pity. Fated to drift
forever through the void as gravity’s
plaything. Oh cruel fate, to be thusly
boned. Ask not for whom the bone bones.
It bones for thee. The only thing that
keeps me sane is the thought that I
have all eternity in which to perfect
my art. [misses note]  Ohh! [misses 2nd note]
Damn you!

[He picks up the candelabra and uses it to smash up the piano.]

Adam
14 years ago

As anyone from North Jersey knows, “swag” is the stuff that “falls off the truck” and is shared with friends, family and neighbors.

YankeesfanLen
14 years ago

We’re really getting linguistic here today. Swagger and it’s derivative swag have retained their basic meaning for years, really love that Urban Dictionary definition.
Seems like “dude” is about the same as the 70s, with a 20 year hiatus, but “tool” has really moved (see “swag”)
And Adam, you really shouldn’t be revealing the North Jersey language, that’s letting people outside the family know what you’re thinking, so I wouldn’t go on a toll road this PM.

Randy
14 years ago

The first rule of North Jersey language is: “You don’t talk about North Jersey language.”

Rebekah
14 years ago

…all this wonderful wordplay, and here I am just happy that the posts at CTB won’t tell you to “continue reading this post” when there isn’t anything else to read in that post.

YankeesfanLen
14 years ago

But why the corporate stance on getting rid of NewsVine, Craig? Less is really more, you’ll love it!  Just want to keep the eyes on the Blue Network for a few extra hits, commerce on it’s finest.

Craig Calcaterra
14 years ago

Newsvine was a total drag. It’s an MSNBC company, so I understand the impulse of trying to use it for an NBC blog, but it’s not really made for high volume blogging. It’s made to be a social/news hybrid, with little one-sentence links passed between users. The “continue reading” thing is hardwired in the code, because people using Newsvine as it was intended view the reader comments/discussion as part of the story and thus they want you to click through on everything.

Not to kiss corporate butt here, but it would have been really easy for someone over at NBC to just continue using it to make other people at NBC happy. That they listened to the readers (and, um, some of the writers) to throw the platform overboard was a pretty bold move, relatively speaking.

Moveable type should be fully implemented by tomorrow. And not a moment too soon.