by "ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
Published 09/19/2017 at 10:48
by "ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
Published 09/19/2017 at 10:48
No Tags
STARS: 7
....that
stuff I spend hours writing
is here and gone in a flash, while something I throw together in 15 minutes has such staying power? I’m talking about that
Lockheed Martin post
that Kinja is featuring for a second day now (at least on my browser) and has gotten nearly 2k views. Did it get shared somewhere I don’t know about?
"CB" (jrcb)
09/19/2017 at 10:51, STARS: 6
The moral is to give up on quality content, because people will fall in love with the most benign shit and ignore things that take longer than five seconds to read.
(No it isn’t, keep up the good work!)
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
09/19/2017 at 10:55, STARS: 0
And you just bumped it, too.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 10:57, STARS: 1
Looks like it. Karma’s a bitch.
"PartyPooper2012" (PartyPooper2012)
09/19/2017 at 10:58, STARS: 1
write posts with less writing and more videos or gifs. Also old time formula works - sex sells.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 10:59, STARS: 2
In all the years I’ve been dumping content here, I have come to learn that there is indeed a sweet spot on length. My TDIAH posts are rather long, and as such have a smaller following. I’m trying to tighten up my Planes You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of posts to encourage more readership. But two paragraphs with pictures or movies is optimal. Most people just don’t want to be bothered to read anything. And that’s sad.
"Flavien Vidal" (flyingfrenchy)
09/19/2017 at 11:00, STARS: 4
Story of my Kinja life...
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 11:00, STARS: 1
There is definitely a sweet spot. It’s about two paragraphs at most.
"PartyPooper2012" (PartyPooper2012)
09/19/2017 at 11:02, STARS: 1
After a good long paragraph or two, I start to go cross eyed. No matter how entertaining it might be, an image or a gif break pertinent to the story helps
"CB" (jrcb)
09/19/2017 at 11:03, STARS: 0
For me, it depends on the subject. Some things I’m down to read a fuckton about (hell, this is one of my favourite articles on the web ), other times I give up after a paragraph because I don’t care. Writing is hard, which is why I rarely pump out quality content.
"For Sweden" (rallybeetle)
09/19/2017 at 11:04, STARS: 2
We are all just sticks bobbing in an ocean of #content
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 11:08, STARS: 1
Actually, writing is easy. The real challenge is rewriting.
"InFierority Complex" (lanciere)
09/19/2017 at 11:11, STARS: 3
Kinja’s main audience is people at work, I think, which probably limits how much time they are willing to invest in a particular article or post here.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 11:11, STARS: 2
That made me smile, because I have seen your work and the effort you put into it. In the end, though, I console myself with the understanding that I write for a hobby because, first and foremost, it interests me , and if I can find even one or two like-minded souls out there then it’s worth it. In fact, my favorite replies are the ones where somebody says, “Huh. I didn’t know that.” Once a teacher, always a teacher.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 11:12, STARS: 2
Indeed. Timing also has an awful lot to do with it. And while Oppo is definitely international, I have to consider 4 time zones when I pick a post time. But sometimes, you just get lucky.
"WilliamsSW" (williamssw)
09/19/2017 at 11:16, STARS: 3
Because the internet has ADD and it’s contagious?
"Funktheduck" (funktheduck)
09/19/2017 at 11:21, STARS: 1
I don’t post much but all my least effort posts get the most views/comments. Same thing with my comments, especially on the FP
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
09/19/2017 at 11:26, STARS: 3
Very frustrating... I’ve given up on spending any time on OPPO posts because of this. Maybe one day I’ll have the time to resurrect DasWauto’s Best of OPPO... http://oppositeblog.kinja.com/ still exists, but very few use it.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
09/19/2017 at 11:28, STARS: 1
The fire hose of OPPO waits for no quality post.
"Party-vi" (party-vi)
09/19/2017 at 11:28, STARS: 2
WE NEED MORE PLANE SEX
"Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer" (smallbear94)
09/19/2017 at 12:27, STARS: 1
Short attention span. People go for stuff they don’t have to commit much time to.
I have to admit to being on both sides of this. Now I rarely do anything besides shitpost...
"My bird IS the word" (mybirdistheword)
09/19/2017 at 12:32, STARS: 0
they used to share stuff from oppo to the FP, that stopped awhile back. IDK why, but that is why I never bother writing anything quality lol.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 12:33, STARS: 0
Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday @ 12:35.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 12:34, STARS: 1
Best of Oppo was a good idea, but it was a lot of work and I don’t think many clicked on it. I know I rarely did.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 12:35, STARS: 1
Pretty much. I can’t get my kids to read a book. One page in, “This is boring .”
"WilliamsSW" (williamssw)
09/19/2017 at 12:40, STARS: 0
Yeah, I have found that I’m getting less and less patient with anything more than 2 sentences long as I get older, myself.
I’m blaming the internet, not my advancing age for that...
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 12:45, STARS: 1
Funny you should say that. I got my aviation history posts shared to the FP occasionally, plus a handful of random one-off posts. When Kinja rolled out, they pitched it as a platform that would encourage people to make thoughtful, meaty posts. And it did. The quality of content picked up considerably at first, and with the chance of a share to the mothership it encouraged even more effort. But then they got into issues of © and payments and it just wasn’t worth it. So they stopped, and the flow of solid work slowed to a trickle.
I think it’s as much a sign of the times, as people have cultivated the ability to get their point across in 140 characters (or less) and we are reduced to mindless listicles and shock headlines. Perhaps Polonius was right, although the humor lies in the fact that he was anything but brief. But with brevity we give up nuance, context and clarity, all of which are essential to civil discourse and good understanding. But we know where civil discourse has gone....
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 12:47, STARS: 2
I blame the Internet entirely. But it started with TV.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
09/19/2017 at 12:51, STARS: 1
Definitely a lot of work - that’s one thing that OppoBlog was attempting to solve. Best of OPPO actually got tons of views back in the day (in no small part because it was getting shared to the front page). Not sure if it would still get that share today, but I like to think it would...
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 12:55, STARS: 0
Probably not. I think they’ve given up on FP shares entirely. And that’s a real shame.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
09/19/2017 at 13:52, STARS: 1
Yeah, sadly... Most I see these days is the rare hat tip.
"Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now)" (bman76-4)
09/19/2017 at 13:56, STARS: 1
Don’t give up on the This Date in Aviation History because of this, I always read those posts, they’re amazing.
"cbell04" (cbell04)
09/19/2017 at 13:58, STARS: 1
I’m bad at constantly commenting but Flavien and ttyymmnn are 2 of my favorite posters. I’d love to trade places with Flavien for a day on the land of the rising sun and ttyymmnn is just such a wealth of obscure knowledge how could that not be fun to know? My only problem and I think a lot if us are in this boat is I want to watch Flavien’s videos start to finish and ttyymmnn’s detailed articles suck me in and I have to reread portions because I’m hearing all his stuff for the first time so sneaking these two things in at work are challenging. I’ve been trying to bookmark things I like more because my memory escapes me when I try to think of things I want to go back to later in the day. Keep up the good post so long as they aren’t killing you to produce. Some of us love this stuff.
"cbell04" (cbell04)
09/19/2017 at 13:58, STARS: 1
I’m bad at constantly commenting but Flavien and ttyymmnn are 2 of my favorite posters. I’d love to trade places with Flavien for a day on the land of the rising sun and ttyymmnn is just such a wealth of obscure knowledge how could that not be fun to know? My only problem and I think a lot if us are in this boat is I want to watch Flavien’s videos start to finish and ttyymmnn’s detailed articles suck me in and I have to reread portions because I’m hearing all his stuff for the first time so sneaking these two things in at work are challenging. I’ve been trying to bookmark things I like more because my memory escapes me when I try to think of things I want to go back to later in the day. Keep up the good post so long as they aren’t killing you to produce. Some of us love this stuff.
"BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo" (bluemazda2)
09/19/2017 at 14:03, STARS: 0
I spent two hours writing this post from last night and the same pretty much happened.
I feel your pain.
"benjrblant" (benjblant)
09/19/2017 at 14:04, STARS: 1
If shitposts were fewer and further between, good content wouldn’t get bumped to page seven in the first hour.
"McMike" (mcmike)
09/19/2017 at 14:06, STARS: 4
The continual scrolling and the loss of text-in-reply-urls is what keeps my participation down these days. Makes it hard to interact and keep in touch with conversations.
"Wacko" (wacko--)
09/19/2017 at 14:11, STARS: 0
even then, the FP writers reap oppo for their own story Copies ideas without a hat tip
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
09/19/2017 at 14:13, STARS: 4
I try to give them the benefit of the doubt (that they saw it somewhere else than OPPO), but there are enough times when it seems the content and timing are way too much to be a coincidence...
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
09/19/2017 at 14:14, STARS: 1
Yeah, the URL thing kills me. It’s almost an asshole move to star anyone’s post or comment these days, but habit’s a hard thing to break...
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 14:16, STARS: 0
That’s why I despise theme days.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 14:18, STARS: 1
As I said to somebody else today, I write for myself first, and hope to find like-minded readers. Ultimately, this is a hobby for me, and I learn a lot from doing it. So even if I don’t get many readers or commenters, I still enjoy doing it and will continue to do so. So I would encourage you to continue as well. You never know who might read it someday. And if you are ever in a position to provide real content somewhere, you’ve got work in the bank.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 14:22, STARS: 0
Thanks for reading. As I’ve said before in this thread, I ultimately write for myself and hope to find others who enjoy the in-depth treatments. Don’t forget about tags! It’s a great way to keep up on posts that you want to come back to.
Planes You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 14:24, STARS: 3
Thanks for reading. I took a break earlier in the year to focus on some professional development (I had to prepare for an audition, which I won), but these will continue. I’m also devoting more time to Planes You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of . There’s a new one coming tomorrow at 12:35 ET!
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 14:25, STARS: 0
Definitely. :/
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/19/2017 at 14:36, STARS: 0
You could package up your TDIAH/PY(P)NHO posts and publish them in a book and I’d buy that sucker in a heartbeat. :)
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/19/2017 at 14:39, STARS: 0
Glad I’m not the only person guilty of this. Sometimes I’ll craft an essay of a monthly update and get few readers, a far cry from 2015. I try to remedy this by posting during seemingly higher traffic times.
Then again, I guess my posts are doing pretty healthy considering few of those readers are coming from Groupthink anymore. Also my 2015 numbers were padded by the rabid burners that chased me everywhere. Ironically, I get more traffic making comments on Jezebel and The Root.
Likewise, I write mostly because it’s fun and I love to document everything I can. Every once in a while someone says they learned something or their family member learned something from me. That makes it all worth it to me. I’m happy to have spent all of these hours writing on Kinja. <3
"Shamoononon drives like a farmer" (shamoononon)
09/19/2017 at 14:47, STARS: 0
I truly hope that I never write anything that ends up FP.
"cbell04" (cbell04)
09/19/2017 at 14:53, STARS: 0
I’ve been on here since 2012 and still have a hard time with tags and searches. I often cant even find my own post. saved your links. TTYYMMNN now has its own bookmark:)
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
09/19/2017 at 15:05, STARS: 1
Asshole... ;-)
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 15:06, STARS: 0
Bookmark the tags! That’s what I do. Find the tag on the articles you like, click it, and it takes you to the page where all the posts are saved. Lather, rinse, repeat.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 15:07, STARS: 0
It can be a trying experience.....
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 15:08, STARS: 0
Any day I can teach something to somebody is a good day. Keep writing!
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 15:09, STARS: 0
Thanks. I’ve been meaning to drag all of this material into a blog of my own, but I haven’t taken the time. Plus, I’m not that tech savvy when it comes to the Internets. Oppo will have to suffice for now.
"AMGtech - now with more recalls!" (amgtech)
09/19/2017 at 15:14, STARS: 1
I cut TV out of my life about ten years ago. Had a kid. It creeped back in. Now I’m really trying to limit it again.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 15:16, STARS: 0
I spend way too much time on my computer. And I pretty much only watch sports (and Game of Thrones) on TV. My kids, however.....
"AMGtech - now with more recalls!" (amgtech)
09/19/2017 at 15:18, STARS: 0
It’s just so damn convenient when you want to get the kids to shut up and leave you alone for a few minutes!
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
09/19/2017 at 15:36, STARS: 0
So, I was very fearful for my youngest son’s attention span (he’s 4). In the limited time we allow him to watch YouTube Kids, he was often is switching videos every few seconds... Thankfully, in the last few weeks, I’ve seen him spending an hour plus engrossed into an activity by himself (playing with his Hot Wheels, working on a coloring page, etc.). Gives me hope for the future (and his, specifically!).
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
09/19/2017 at 15:37, STARS: 0
Congrats on the W!
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 15:39, STARS: 2
Thanks! I actually won two auditions recently, so now I play for both the symphony and the opera. Mo money mo money mo money!
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 15:41, STARS: 1
We’ve allowed our kids to spend WAY too much time on YouTube. They would sit all day and watch if we let them. But then cutting it off is like taking away the crack. They don’t know how to entertain themselves if it isn’t YT of VGs. I can’t remember the last time they took up a toy or a book. But, as I said, that’s my fault. Fight it for as long as you can!
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
09/19/2017 at 15:41, STARS: 0
Sweet! Are they pretty much always at the same venue, so no overlap?
Prefer on stage or under it? Haha...
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
09/19/2017 at 15:46, STARS: 0
They only get it in 20 minute spurts, a couple times a day. Our oldest two are about to inherit our used cell phones (not as phones, just as screens); I’m thinking I may have to do some fancy work on my router to limit the times they’re allowed to have internet access. Or just do the tried and true: they stay in the drawer until we say you can use them for a while.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 15:48, STARS: 1
Tried and true works best. Old school. My HS freshman is really struggling right now. The phone isn’t the problem, but it’s a symptom. I told him this morning that when he gets home from band practice it goes in a drawer until he can show me that he’s done ALL his work and practicing. Then he gets it back. When it sits next to him on the desk, he’s on Instagram every two or three minutes. He can’t think in long stretches with the thing next to him.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 15:50, STARS: 1
The symphony personnel do both the symphony and the ballet. The opera is a separate orchestra, but it is made up of most of the same players. So all three groups have to work together on scheduling so they don’t overlap.
As for me, I’m much, much happier in the pit. Out of sight.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
09/19/2017 at 16:03, STARS: 0
Not surprised. Can focus on the sounds you’re making and not if your tux is on straight... I’m guessing some like to put on a show, though. Do the violinists gesticulate as wildly in the pit?
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 16:08, STARS: 0
Sitting in the pit means we get to wear pit black: black shirt, black pants. No tux. I hate wearing a tux. All string players gyrate when they play. If I moved around like that I couldn’t keep the mouthpiece on my face.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
09/19/2017 at 16:27, STARS: 0
So comfy. Does anyone like wearing a tux? I’m sure there are a few...
Haha - the different personalities that pair with the different instruments has always been interesting to me. Sounds like good inspiration for one of your future posts!
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
09/19/2017 at 16:28, STARS: 0
Well, I’m just as bad... Ha! Social media is a powerful drug.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 16:55, STARS: 0
I have this mental disconnect that Oppo is not social media, at least not in the vein of Facebook or Instagram. But it’s really no different. Just better people.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 16:59, STARS: 0
Nobody likes wearing a tux. They suck. They are hot and confining. It’s also patently unfair, because women have no formal, strict uniform to wear like the men do. They can wear any comfy clothes they like, as long as they are long and black. They don’t even have to wear a dress.
The different personalities of musicians and instruments is fascinating. While there are always exceptions, you can usually point to people who play different instruments and see how the instrument fits them. I can’t look at somebody and say, “They should play x ,” but I can look at somebody and say, “They probably shouldn’t play y .”
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
09/19/2017 at 17:16, STARS: 1
Haha - if we never checked to see if we got a notification of a star or a response, it’d be different. It’s the same high we’re chasing... But better people, for sure!
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
09/19/2017 at 17:24, STARS: 0
That’s funny - I’m sure the ladies would say you guys have it so lucky because you only need one “outfit” for work, and don’t have to think about it.
Yup. Do drummers fit the stereotype the best, or would you point to another group? Interesting to me the difference in musicians who started with drums and then picked up other instruments vs. ones who picked up the drums later.
"cbell04" (cbell04)
09/19/2017 at 17:24, STARS: 1
Definitely a good practice I’ll be doing that from now on I’ve lost track of a couple people’s post because im too lazy to remember the tag this is my only social media so I’m a little behind on the navigational aspects.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 17:25, STARS: 0
Do you know what they call a guy who hangs out with musicians? A drummer.
Somehow, I think it’s trombone and tuba that fit the mold for some reason. Hard to explain, though.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
09/19/2017 at 17:32, STARS: 1
Haha - nice.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 17:33, STARS: 0
I was teaching at a local college when I saw one of those flyers looking for entertainers for a theme park. It said, “WANTED: MUSICIANS AND SINGERS.”
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
09/19/2017 at 17:35, STARS: 1
Patrick George addressed that directly a while back. They stopped sharing Oppo stuff to the front page, because once Gawker separated Oppositelock onto it’s own URL, Jalopnik doesn’t get “credit” for traffic on Oppo.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/19/2017 at 17:41, STARS: 1
Follow the money!
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
09/19/2017 at 17:59, STARS: 1
I have to say I’m guilty of classifying singers as separate than musicians in my mind. I remember asking my dad one time what his favorite musical instrument was. His answer: the human voice.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
09/19/2017 at 18:05, STARS: 1
Pretty much, yeah!
"SpeedSix" (speedsix)
09/19/2017 at 20:49, STARS: 1
I still visit OppositeBlog before clicking to Oppo most days, since I don’t have much time to weed through shitposts to get to quality writing or local-related posts.
"SpeedSix" (speedsix)
09/19/2017 at 20:52, STARS: 0
I believe Patrick George addressed this (quietly) some time ago - ever since Oppo dropped the Jalopnik part from the web address (oppositelock.jalopnik.com formerly), Jalopnik no longer gets monetization from clicks to a shared Oppo post.
That’s why they now syndicate posts if the author reaches out to them for sharing to FP.
"SpeedSix" (speedsix)
09/19/2017 at 20:54, STARS: 0
I don’t think you can end up on FP anymore - you have to actively message Jalopnik staff to have an Oppo post syndicated on the FP, so that they can get the money from the clicks.
"davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com" (davesaddiction)
09/19/2017 at 22:49, STARS: 0
That’s exactly what it’s for! Glad someone’s using it. =)
"Flavien Vidal" (flyingfrenchy)
09/20/2017 at 03:50, STARS: 0
haha thx :)
But keep in mind all those videos are for work, I just share them here if I think they are somewhat relevant... I don’t really write much anymore...