If you don't agree with Alyssa Walker, don't click on her articles.

"V6 or Bust" (j-turn) 02/18/2016 at 22:54 • Filed to: Rants

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Clickbait. It’s the fuel that powers massive corporate giants like Gawker Media and Huffington Post. It’s an evolution of the old supermarket tabloid shock headline.

It’s there to draw you in- that feeling of anger or disbelief is exactly what the people who create clickbait want you to feel, so that you’ll be intrigued enough to want to see the article, along with a healthy dose of ads.

I may be preaching to the choir a bit here. My point is this:

The people at Gawker who cross-post Alyssa Walker’s crap are doing it because they know that we Jalops will get angry, stomp over to Gizmodo, and leave comments, generating more traffic and ads.

We then go on Oppositelock and complain bitterly, while being served ads.

People at Gawker see that the cross-posting was a huge success- after all, look at how much money and controversy it made!- and will then shoot across another steaming plate of inflammatory nonsense, which generates more traffic, which results in more ads.

Now, we are in a situation where every Alyssa Walker article is cross-posted to Jalopnik. There have been two just today alone. We’re all sick of it. The only solution is to never click on one of these festering piles of cash-grabbery, because, as far as the Gawker mothership is concerned, every click is a win for them, because every click means more ads.

Do you want to personally pay Walker for writing this? Do you want to reward the people who financed this tabloid trash and shoved it in our faces? I certainly don’t. That’s why I’m done reading her articles. I hope the rest of you will join me so that we can put an end to this.

The Transporter > V6 or Bust 02/19/2016 at 00:08

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I doubt that the sum of all Opponaut traffic amounts to so much as a drop in the ocean for any of Alyssa’s ‘articles’. It’s mostly full-time FP’ers who are professionally upset about everything. I say that if the world is going to burn, then we might as well roast a few S’mores.

HammerheadFistpunch > V6 or Bust 02/19/2016 at 01:09

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So much this

Aaron James > V6 or Bust 02/19/2016 at 01:16

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Too bad this will never make the front page. I hope many will read it and follow suit by never clicking on her trash.

Baeromez > V6 or Bust 02/19/2016 at 02:38

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Hiroku > V6 or Bust 02/19/2016 at 07:04

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Step 1: Activate Adblock

Step 2: Read Alyssa Walker article without giving her money

Step 3: Be outraged.

That's gonna leave a mark! > V6 or Bust 02/19/2016 at 07:26

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Could not agree more. Clickbait is what I hate more than anything. Don’t mind reading another point of view - as long as it is informed and well thought out. For my own blood pressure I just learn what to never click on - Gawker and Alyssa being some of them.

V6 or Bust > Aaron James 02/19/2016 at 07:58

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Thank you!

zeontestpilot > V6 or Bust 02/19/2016 at 09:07

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I clicked it, because I was curious. Curious on how she would turn the argument against cars. But I lost interested after the first paragraph.

Though, I’m curious, what does she drive? Does she even drive? Im personally hoping she drives a gas guzzling suv, because her argument would then be sort of moot when she is also part of the problem. Also, does she think that everyone but her should stop driving? These are questions that need answer, IMHO.

for Michigan > V6 or Bust 02/19/2016 at 09:35

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I think there’s another solution: read her articles to understand what someone you disagree with thinks and be mature enough to not get bent out of shape over it.

V6 or Bust > for Michigan 02/19/2016 at 11:13

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Perhaps I didn’t make it clear enough, but please understand that I am not at all in favor of creating an echo chamber. I don’t dislike these articles because I disagree with them, I dislike them because they’re sloppily written and use falsely interpreted, misleading statistics. I don’t want to pay Walker for writing half-ass articles that make false assertions, so I’m voting with my clicks. If her articles were more rational and grounded in fact, but still had the same anti-car rhetoric, I would be fully supporting their being on the front page so that we could all be more informed.

Brian, The Life of > V6 or Bust 02/19/2016 at 12:53

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Good Oppo.

bob and john > zeontestpilot 02/24/2016 at 23:00

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she doesnt drive

Birddog > bob and john 02/24/2016 at 23:05

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But used to own a Saab.

LongbowMkII > for Michigan 02/24/2016 at 23:11

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If I wanted to read articles like that I'd help a freshman English professor grade mid term exams.

Chariotoflove > V6 or Bust 02/24/2016 at 23:14

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I am joining you, my friend, for the reasons you listed. I corresponded a bit with Ms. Walker the other day on her Oppo thread and read her responses. She seemed reasonable and capable of rational conversation on the topic of cars and transportation. The dumbed down and inflammatory tone of her articles, by contrast, indicates an effort by her and/or her editors to do as you say and generate controversy to win clicks. Trolling is not a good way to initiate rational debate with this particular adult. Therefore, I will no longer read those posts for the same reason I no longer click on anything from deadspin, Jezebel or gawker.

Chariotoflove > zeontestpilot 02/24/2016 at 23:16

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She no longer drives, but her husband apparently loves driving.

zeontestpilot > Birddog 02/25/2016 at 06:42

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Maybe the car cheated on her.,..

coqui70 > V6 or Bust 02/28/2016 at 21:14

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Who the hell is Lisa Walker?