2012-12-26 wired.com - Wired, Tired, Expired for 2012: From Stellar to Suck

[julz]

Wired, Tired, Expired for 2012: From Stellar to Suck

Michael Calore
2012-12-24

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/12/wired-tired-expired/?pid=4182&viewall=true


...
Longtime readers will be familiar with Wired/Tired/Expired, our snarky cultural scorecard that began appearing in the magazine way back at the dawn of Wired. (Actually, it started as Wired/Tired, and Expired was added in 2002.)

Not content to let a good idea sit on the shelf, we've asked product reviews editor Michael Calore, the office's most opinionated loudmouth, to weigh in on the topics most deserving of this year's honors. Actually, on second thought, maybe we should have let this sleeping dog lie.
...



Payments
WIRED Venmo

It's a simple tool for sending money to your friends. Venmo is mobile-centric, so it's built to work over SMS. There are also simple apps for iOS, Android, and the web. Best of all, if you tie it to your regular debit card, there are no fees involved. Once you establish a tit-for-tat friend relationship with somebody, you can send them money just by typing a quick text. Venmo is simple, elegant and awesome. This year, I used it to pay a $5 bar tab, split a $32 charge for a pizza delivery, and buy a $1,000 bass guitar from a friend. And did I mention there are no fees?

TIRED PayPal

PayPal is getting long in the tooth, and it needs to innovate. Better systems for mobile micro-payments between consenting adults have emerged. Also, NFC-based credit systems like Google Wallet and POS systems like Square are planting flags in PayPal's potential growth areas. It's still popular on Craigslist, eBay (duh) and other near-anonymous person-to-person markets, but PayPal needs to unlock the social component of swapping cash if it's going to avoid getting passed.

EXPIRED Bitcoin

At the height of its popularity, Bitcoin was trumpeted as a viable alternative currency for the internet age, a monetary system engineered to prevent theft, gaming, and criminalization. Then came the malware, the black market, the legal ambiguities and The Man. Today, you can't even use it to buy Facebook stock.
...

Note that iTunes also got an 'Expired' - so there's no point complaining to the author that Bitcoin still exists and is running fine. He knows - but just doesn't care.

[darkmule]

Wired still exists?  Who knew?

[Stephen Gornick]

Today, you can't even use it to buy Facebook stock.

Funny they should mention that.  At the beginning of the year until today, bitcoin went from $4.72 to $13.40 (current level).  

Most everyone that bought Facebook is down.

Also, these types of metrics don't indicate "Expired":
 - http://blockchain.info/charts/my-wallet-n-users?timespan=180days

[iCEBREAKER]

Unlike Mr. Calore, I don't write for a Condé Nast sellout dinosaur media printed magazine, so I needn't troll for pageviews.

Instead, here is a more accurate and honest memetic lifecycle survey.

   Wired: Vice.  They stole the few marketable bits of Wired and added gobs of Gawker style snark.  That's why they're still growing and selling ad space.  

   Tired: Newsweek.  They've living been on borrowed time (and oligarch money) since 1998, when Drudge scooped their embargoed Lewinsky bombshell.

   Expired: Wired.  Long past irrelevant, their 1996 highwater mark was Bruce Sterling reporting on mud-covered hippies and fun-loving Maker types at Burning Man.

I almost feel sorry for Wired.  It must be hard to keep selling buggy whips when all the kids on your lawn have TOR-enabled Android phones to browse SilkRoad.

[Roger_Murdock]

Today, you can't even use it to buy Facebook stock.

Funny they should mention that.  At the beginning of the year until today, bitcoin went from $4.72 to $13.40 (current level).  

Most everyone that bought Facebook is down.

Also, these types of metrics don't indicate "Expired":
 - http://blockchain.info/charts/my-wallet-n-users?timespan=180days

Seriously. The "expired" charge would have been equally wrong if it had been made this time last year, but back then it would have at least been understandable.  But to make that claim now? That seems pretty clueless. Bitcoin has had a pretty amazing 2012 by pretty much any metric.

[prezbo]

This is just absolutely absurd...

[hazek]

This is just absolutely absurd...

Don't respond by giving him your clicks! Personally I refuse to read that article or any other article written by anyone about anything that I know in advance is crap.

[ArticMine]

What countries can I use Venmo in?

Venmo can only be used in the U.S.

from: https://venmo.com/info/fees

Now why did WordPress choose to accept Bitcoin again? Enough said.

[odolvlobo]

I'm surprised that Wired hasn't changed its name to Wireless. That's how tired it is.

[kiba]

To be honest, it's just one writer, but it does reflect badly on the magazine.

Even so, I think the magazine is occasionally great. I love to read them when they have the good story. However, today isn't it.

[alexanderanon]

Wait, so "streaming music" is wired? How bout I just download it off of piratebay like everyone else anymore, or perhaps use an even more cutting edge decentralized file sharing system like tribler?

And I thought wired was at least somewhat radical.

[bbit]

To be honest, it's just one writer, but it does reflect badly on the magazine.

Even so, I think the magazine is occasionally great. I love to read them when they have the good story. However, today isn't it.

speaking of things that have expired you might want to update your sig....

[kiba]

speaking of things that have expired you might want to update your sig....

DNS trouble, apparently. I am struggling to find a solution to my mess.

[bbit]

speaking of things that have expired you might want to update your sig....

DNS trouble, apparently. I am struggling to find a solution to my mess.

  that sucks.

[n8rwJeTt8TrrLKPa55eU]

Michael Calore, meet Dick Rowe.  You two have something in common: an uncanny insight into current trends.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Rowe
He is historically presented in popular musical history as the man who did not sign The Beatles, even after their manager Brian Epstein paid Decca to provide a one hour audition. George Harrison says he told their manager, "Guitar groups are on their way out, Mr. Epstein".

[justusranvier]

[Gabi]

[Bit_Happy]

Awesome, when does the bubble expire?
BTC needs more time to develop and less bubble-heads.

[DataPlumber]

Awesome, when does the bubble expire?
BTC needs more time to develop and less bubble-heads.

Wait till next week, when Cypriots get a hold of their funds and start looking for places to store money where the banks and gov't can't come knocking.