Links for 2009-05-04
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Reacting to Mine That Bird's Derby win: "This was one of the biggest upsets in the history of American racing. In my four decades of covering the sport, it ranks as one of the two most mystifying results in a major stakes race, along with Canonero II's victory in the 1971 Derby."
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A trip through the New Yorker's archive of racing articles.
Links for 2009-04-28
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From Sports Business Journal: "NBC and Churchill Downs are repositioning the Kentucky Derby as a 'lifestyle' brand in hopes of drawing higher television ratings for this Saturday’s 135th Run for the Roses…. 'If we can get people to watch the spectacle and stay for the race, it’ll be a success,' said CD CMO Dave Tompkins." [Since many connections seem to consider the Derby a peak "lifestyle" experience, why not viewers at home? Related: Andrew Beyer on CDI. What effect does this big event/lifestyle marketing have on the industry overall?] (Via o_crunk)
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Three weeks into the 2009 baseball season, subscription sales are up 45%, iPhone At Bat app sales total $1.3 million gross. [Subtract 30% Apple share, that's $910,000 net for a mobile app that delivers mostly repurposed content and data. Nice revenue stream if you can build it.]
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Because if you don't, your business/web site/service is invisible. [I would add that it's not enough to have a Twitter feed or a Facebook page; your social media presence is only as engaging, compelling, and responsive as the person(s) behind it.]
Links for 2009-04-25
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Dick Powell's straightforward assessment of likely Kentucky Derby starters. No flash, just solid background.
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April 25, 9-6, Annenberg Building at Temple University, 170+ journalism/blogging/web geeks. Where I'll be Saturday.
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"Every minute of a journalist’s time will need to go to adding unique value to the news ecosystem: reporting, curating, organizing. This efficiency is necessitated by the reduction of resources. But it is also a product of the link and search economy: The only way to stand out is to add unique value and quality." Really applies to any content creators …
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"But perhaps the most important factor that has made Twitter such a rich category for client software is that there is so little friction to switch between apps. There’s nothing to import or export, and zero commitment." Sense there's something here that could apply to a racing app/service.
Links for 2009-04-22
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From DRF's Mike Welsch. Posted daily, now with video (of Welsch, not the contenders). Work of the Day for 4/21/09: Pioneerof the Nile. "Just a long, beautiful stride," says Welsch of the colt's on-track action. "No doubt in my mind he will handle conventional dirt as well as he handles synthetics."
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Aesthetics matter; appearance affects usability. What web designers have long believed has now been proven.
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"… know that there will come a time when basic coding will become an integral part of a journalist's duties." Writer conflates coding with programming, but essential point is sound. Any creative or media professional should have a grasp of simple HTML and CSS.
Links for 2009-04-21
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Kennedy's Corridor Derby stats posts archive. Very thorough (speed, number of starts, prep races, etc.).
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"The big question at this point is, who will be the pace factors?" Steve Haskin spins out the possibilities.
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"Running a little company is frickin' frightening." Perspective for the entrepreneur in need of bucking up.
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"Maybe, rather than paying for news, per se, people will be willing to pay for smart packages of it." I don't doubt it.
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Jessica Chapel is a writer, editor, and web producer living in Cambridge, MA. Railbird is a thoroughbred horse racing blog published continuously since June 2004. More ›
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