Shack goes to USA Today/GolfWeek

[JC Jones]

I didn't call you stupid.  I said your comment was stupid.  And, I didn't say anything about politics.

Got any other nonsense?  You're batting about 1.000 right now.

Whatever - there are two guys in this thread you should be aiming your bullshit at, not me.  Have a good one.

You got your post deleted for using profanity.  You come right back and use more profanity.  You certainly are handling this thread with the maturity and emotional control of someone who reads Breitbart.

[Eric Smith]

BREAKING NEWS

[Mike Wagner]

I didn't call you stupid.  I said your comment was stupid.  And, I didn't say anything about politics.

Got any other nonsense?  You're batting about 1.000 right now.

Whatever - there are two guys in this thread you should be aiming your bullshit at, not me.  Have a good one.

You got your post deleted for using profanity.  You come right back and use more profanity.  You certainly are handling this thread with the maturity and emotional control of someone who reads Breitbart.

1 = 3 (if you can figure that one out, I'll be impressed - you are a shining example).  Have a good one.

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

I know I am going to regret jumping into this ... but ...


"Fake  news", is literally fake news.  It is sites with names that sound like real news sites, created by people that post completely fictitious articles/stories.  These sites only exist to draw visitors, and thus make money from the advertisers on these sites.


THIS is the "fake news" that the social media companies are trying to weed out.  It REALLY is fake news.  It has nothing to do with slanted opinions, biased reporting, etc.  It is news and stories made up.  It just so happened that more of the fake news sites happened to have stories that drew conservative leaning eyeballs this past year.  But depending on the news of the times, the primary news figures, those creating the sites, and the types of advertising, it can just as easily be drawing more liberal leaning eyeballs in another election cycle.


Sure it should be quickly obvious what are fake news sites.  But, they can still undermine the users experience for those who want use social media sites, and thus is a real problem for the owners of social media sites.


(And I am an extremely limited user of social media.  But if I did have a financial stake in any sort of social media, this would be one of the items of concern to me.  And none of this is intended as any sort of pro or con of social media.  Just like prior new forms of communications, it has its good and bad.  So be it.)


BUT it is not about CNN, Fox, WSJ, NYT, Slate, Drudge, etc.


The FAKE NEWS problem on social media is about news that is purely fake!


Imagine if 5 or 10% of the postings on golfclubatlas were truly and purposely fake.  And not just incorrect rumors, or mixed up facts, but pure fake.  Courses being built, where nothing is happening and no one has ANY Course development plans.  Laws that impact golf course maintenance that do no exist, and have never been proposed.  Books being written that no one has proposed, and not even any research is occurring.


That is what FAKE NEWS is.

Great point Bill. I once fell for a story that said Eric Estrada was Bruno Mars' dad. That's fake news.

[Brad Treadwell]

"Shack" is the golf blogger equivalent of one of these "fake news" sites we are all hearing so much about. He doesn't really contribute any writing or real journalism, it's just funneled news articles with random snippy comments included.

Pat -


I'm assuming these comments above are about Geoff's blog and not the 8 books he currently has for sale on Amazon (most of which I own, have thoroughly enjoyed, and have learned a ton more from than I have on this discussion board lately)?


Just looking for clarification (and not trying to pick a fight like too many others on this board seem to be doing lately). 


Cheers,


Brad