I’ve been reading the io9 scifi blog since they started, and met contributers Annalee Newitz and Charlie Jane Anders at Comic Con last year (where I taped their interviews with various scfi celebs — Jewel Staite, why won’t you return my calls?), so it fills my heart with joy and squishiness when they link to me, like they did yesterday about the Lone (shooting) Star. Yay! They do post a lot of space info along with the scifi stuff, so it’s worth your time to read it. It’s in my feed reader and I check it out every day. So should you.
February 17th, 2009 at 7:48 am
I read it for a while, but it was just got annoying. It seemed like every other article was riddled with shallow politics and tired stereotypes. There was one where if you thought the “Phoenix Lights” were flares and not aliens you were definitely in the minority in the comments section.
February 17th, 2009 at 7:54 am
I’ve just added io9 to my RSS Feed after Phil’s recommendation, but now, having read Quiet Desperation’s comment, I’m not so sure.
February 17th, 2009 at 7:59 am
More joy to fill your heart Phil – Time Magazine just listed Bad Astronomy as one of the top 25 blogs out there. There is a sample from one of your anti-vax posts in their write-up.
Well done indeed!
February 17th, 2009 at 8:27 am
I’ll take a look anyway
February 17th, 2009 at 8:44 am
I deleted io9 from my feed reader. They post too many articles per day to keep up with, and very few of them were actually interesting in any way. It’s far less clutter without them.
February 17th, 2009 at 9:56 am
Confirmed. IO9 and other Gawker websites are definitely popular.
Fan of Lifehacker too, I guess?
Gizmodo is OK, but the rest are a waste of time. However, it gives us a good idea of what you are interested in. (12-year old kid stuff)
February 17th, 2009 at 10:19 am
He gives them props, but doesn’t link to them… :/
February 17th, 2009 at 11:06 am
I’m definitely in the “not a fan” crowd. The novelty wore off pretty quick and now it seems like they post the same inflammatory things over and over (but with a twist: “Is Optimus Prime Gay?” becomes “Autobot Leader May Be Gay”).
I’m almost positive I made those examples up, and perhaps I’m being too cynical, but I can’t help but suspect that the majority of entries are written as bait.
February 17th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Very polite of you to give them some kudos, Phil, but put me with the others who are unimpressed with the site after giving them several tries. Definitely a Gawker site in style and tone.
February 17th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
but now, having read Quiet Desperation’s comment, I’m not so sure.
Now, now… I’d say give it a shot. It may have changed, and each to his own. It’s subjective. Personally, I bore easily of petty little politics in every other post, or junior high level gender based snark.
February 17th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
“Is Optimus Prime Gay?”
I would imagine any transforming robot could be any gender desired, or sport whatever cybernetic pleasure organs that struck their fancy.
I forget. Were there any female Transformers?
(googles)
Ah, Wikipedia. You are an endless treasure.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_Transformers
February 17th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
My only issue with IO9 is that they have very little coverage on anime/manga which has a huge contribution to science fiction and its concepts. Most of the sci-fi I read and watch today comes from that.
Annalee Newitz was a cool contributer to the AlterNet where I frequently lurk. Least I liked the stuff she was writing.
February 17th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
I love i09! Like anything, you take the and with the good. There’s some stuff I wouldn’t read, but lots I do. I really like the live blogging of every episode of BSG on Friday night. It’s been on my Google page for awhile now.
February 18th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
I was trying to work out what “I less than three io9″ meant, then my emoticon mode kicked in.
February 21st, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Jewel Staite has a great smile and seems very charming. Maybe we can con her into being a presenter on a certain astronomy vlog when this Stargate gig is over
April 19th, 2009 at 9:59 am
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