Well, crap
Sep. 4th, 2007 07:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jaunthieSometimes a passion done well, expressed well, brings you along for the ride even though you might not share the same degree of appreciation yourself. You find yourself enjoying things you might never have discovered or considered otherwise. For example, I'm not a huge DVD collector or big-time film fan. But I do have movies that I love, and I do enjoy being able to read up on a release and find out if it's really worthwhile. And I really enjoy a few sites that DO share their love for film and DVDs without drowning in the worst aspects of media whoredom or online excess. Such sites are rare, and just got rarer.
For many years now, I've taken a great deal of pleasure in reading the reviews and news at The DVD Journal. Updated regularly every Monday and Tuesday, it featured reviews, news of upcoming releases, a fabulous DVD MIA list, and a easy-to-read, laid-back design. It had no annoying pop-ups, scary auto-generated "go to this random web site here!" links, or other obvious and obnoxious ads (just a few Amazon click-through links). It also featured some of the more entertaining and literate reviewers/writers on the Web (only Alexandra DuPont has a click-through collection, but you'll find great bits from Dawn Taylor, Clarence Beaks...heck, just about every reviewer in every review is fun and informative, even when you don't agree with his or her opinion) and a refreshing lack of netspeak or Web-based snarkery (well, mostly). Even without reading the "About Us", the Journal was clearly home-based in the Pacific Northwest, with a very distinctive local flavor. The logo would change to reflect the Northwest seasons and interests. The staff (clearly volunteers) would take breaks at various holiday times of the year. Coffee was praised. It was very highly civilized.
It was very clearly a labor of love.
Unfortunately, times change, people move on, interests shift...and all good things, it seems, must come to an end. I clicked on the link today to get my weekly dose of DVD news and goodness...and found a lengthly, thoughtful editorial on the state of the DVD market and business, a brief explanation of the history of the site and its contributors, and a gentle farewell.
The Web just became a little less interesting, a little less classy, for the DVD Journal will publish no more. The site and the reviews remain for now, as a repository, but no longer a living, breathing work of dedication and devotion. Mondays just got a little suckier without a new batch of reviews to glance over.
To everyone who contributed to the site: thank you for all your hard work. Thank you for sharing your passion for the format, and for steering me to a few discs I might never have considered. Thank you for making me laugh. Thank you for never dumbing yourself down or lowering your standards. Thank you for never inflicting popups, not once. I'll miss you.
In other news, so far the consensus is pretty near universal: readers of my previous blog entry believe that I scored out as Susan Ivanova. I'll refrain from revealing whether this is correct for another day or so, to give a few more folks a chance to chime in if they so choose. Feel free to jump in, and don't worry about guessing right or wrong; all choices are equally good. :-)
For many years now, I've taken a great deal of pleasure in reading the reviews and news at The DVD Journal. Updated regularly every Monday and Tuesday, it featured reviews, news of upcoming releases, a fabulous DVD MIA list, and a easy-to-read, laid-back design. It had no annoying pop-ups, scary auto-generated "go to this random web site here!" links, or other obvious and obnoxious ads (just a few Amazon click-through links). It also featured some of the more entertaining and literate reviewers/writers on the Web (only Alexandra DuPont has a click-through collection, but you'll find great bits from Dawn Taylor, Clarence Beaks...heck, just about every reviewer in every review is fun and informative, even when you don't agree with his or her opinion) and a refreshing lack of netspeak or Web-based snarkery (well, mostly). Even without reading the "About Us", the Journal was clearly home-based in the Pacific Northwest, with a very distinctive local flavor. The logo would change to reflect the Northwest seasons and interests. The staff (clearly volunteers) would take breaks at various holiday times of the year. Coffee was praised. It was very highly civilized.
It was very clearly a labor of love.
Unfortunately, times change, people move on, interests shift...and all good things, it seems, must come to an end. I clicked on the link today to get my weekly dose of DVD news and goodness...and found a lengthly, thoughtful editorial on the state of the DVD market and business, a brief explanation of the history of the site and its contributors, and a gentle farewell.
The Web just became a little less interesting, a little less classy, for the DVD Journal will publish no more. The site and the reviews remain for now, as a repository, but no longer a living, breathing work of dedication and devotion. Mondays just got a little suckier without a new batch of reviews to glance over.
To everyone who contributed to the site: thank you for all your hard work. Thank you for sharing your passion for the format, and for steering me to a few discs I might never have considered. Thank you for making me laugh. Thank you for never dumbing yourself down or lowering your standards. Thank you for never inflicting popups, not once. I'll miss you.
In other news, so far the consensus is pretty near universal: readers of my previous blog entry believe that I scored out as Susan Ivanova. I'll refrain from revealing whether this is correct for another day or so, to give a few more folks a chance to chime in if they so choose. Feel free to jump in, and don't worry about guessing right or wrong; all choices are equally good. :-)
