Customer Reviews

Boing Boing

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

As Boing Boing tends to be rather link heavy, it really doesn't work all too well on the Kindle.

Sure, they write their own stories from time to time, but for the majority of their items, you're going to be clicking links to other sites to get the "full" story.

Works well on your PC...not so much on the Kindle.

I am echoing another reviewer, but if you are looking for a blog for your Kindle, this is not for you. It is full of links, graphics, and other things that just don't work on an e-reader. I am surprised that they even offer it--it is so poor that I have no desire to see the blog in another format.

Before sending Boing Boing your money, you might be interested to understand their position on censorship.

Although they talk a big game about freedom of speech, defeating censorship and the like, try going to their website and doing a search for "th".

In their own comments section, if you say something that they don't approve of or agree with, they will vandalize your comment by removing the vowels, or they will simply delete the comment. You can find a lot of examples of this vandalization by searching for "th" -- a "the" with the "e" removed.

For example, one of the editors (Cory) posted a blog entry about his own story -- search for "0wnz0red in Swedish". If you look at the comments for that story, anyone who said anything remotely not in favor of "0wnz0red" had his comment vandalized, which only the editors or people with the editor's permission can do. You can also see someone at comment number 23 replying to a post from "Tamara R" that has apparently been deleted. I don't know what she said, but I can guess.

You can also find the Boing Boing post about the sale of their (at the time) $120 hoodie. When people began complaining about the price, they put a "moratorium" on further complaints about the price. Imagine if Amazon did that: advertised an item for sale and then limited the number of negative comments that could be made. (We'll advertise it and you'll like it! Or else!)

Bottom line:
Evidence suggests that if the Boing Boing editors had control over Amazon, this review right here would vanish and/or be vandalized by them, not because there's anything foul or incorrect in it, but simply because it's an opinion that they don't like (especially when it's a negative opinion leveled at a product that they like).

Yes, you can argue that they have the right to do this -- it's their blog after all -- but for them to trumpet free speech and blast all forms of censorship on one hand and then ENGAGE in the very acts they publicly decry smacks of hypocrisy to me. They have the right to silence opposition on their blog and we have the right to not send them any money on account of not following their own moral standards.

I'd think about that before subscribing.

The owner of this blog is a hypocrite -- meaning that it is his private rant blog, which would be OK except that he allows comments that he defaces and deletes if he disagrees with them. Even Bill O'Reilly doesn't go that far. I recommend improving your karma by staying away from this blog.

There was a time in BoingBoing's history, before their editors had "made it", that it was an entertaining and thought-provoking platform discussing online censorship and privacy rights. Some time around 2005-2006 their thinking shifted and it became a platform to promote science fiction novels and the careers of their editors. People noticed and began commenting about this on their site. They declared these people trolls and began censoring them. People noticed this and commented more, and it turned into such a vicious cycle that they eventually removed comments from their site altogether. After a year or two without comments they eventually put them back, but it's obvious they have a full-time comment moderator on staff to disemvowel anyone who speaks critically of them.

Ultimately I think their behavior harms the movements that they originally helped foster online, as evidenced by organizations that they used to be tightly affiliated with. You don't hear much from the EFF or ACLU about BoingBoing anymore.

I appriciate the time you've saved me (and apparently kept me from flushing that saved time down the commode by reading this trash)! Just browsing the blogs looking for one or two that might be something worth paying to read (yep, I know I can get it for free on my PC, just looking for something NEW that I can read while AWAY from my PC). Thanks again!

The regular contributors to this blog spend a lot of time/bandwidth on self promotion. Also, the contributors sometimes link to sites that require a sign-up - Xeni in particular. Several years ago it was a more interesting blog. Now, not so much.

useless blog
did not make it for even 5 out of the 14 day free trial

this blog has great informative articles, as well as entertaining storys. articles are a little on the short side, but do their job and hook the reader. recommended

The Kindle is an AWESOME device! However, BLOGS ARE FREE! How dare Amazon charge a monthly subscriber fee for blog content! What a FARCE! Charge for books, newspapers, and magazines, but NOT blogs!