Salon turns 10

By: Elinor Mills
Topics: Media

Salon.com, which has come perilously close to shutting down on numerous occasions, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this week.

"Of all the dot-coms that saw their obituary written when the bubble burst, perhaps none had so many, written so gleefully, as Salon," writes Dan Fost in a San Francisco Chronicle article on Thursday.

"'It felt like it was a gleeful death watch,' said David Talbot, Salon's founder and chairman. 'I understand why the media did that story. It was schadenfreude.'"

Although the stock is down to 23 cents a share from more than $15 in the high-flying dot-com days, venture capitalist Bill Hambrecht, of W.R.Hambrecht, remains convinced his funding of the online magazine has been a wise investment.

"Media properties take a long time to succeed," he said. "USA Today took nine or 10 years to turn a profit. But once you get there, they can be valuable properties."

Salon initially was a hit among the digital literati for its witty and irreverent coverage of technology and culture. The left-leaning Web site made history in 1998 with a story that Republican Representative Henry Hyde, who was heading up the impeachment hearings of President Clinton at the time, had had an affair 30 years earlier.

Elinor Mills covers Internet security and privacy. She joined CNET News in 2005 after working as a foreign correspondent for Reuters in Portugal and writing for The Industry Standard, the IDG News Service, and the Associated Press.
Follow on Twitter »

40 Comments Have Your Say
Email Story Send to a Friend
Share This Tell Your Friends
Tweet This Tweet This
More Share It

Add a Comment

See all 40 Comments


by sunday42 December 16, 2009 10:41 AM EST: BHO did you fart? BHO, No it was George Bush!; Reply to this comment


by nycsense December 15, 2009 2:39 PM EST: "You know, I personally know people(liberals, of course) who got laid off and didnt slow down their spending a bit.
All they do is run up their credit cards. One I know has 9 cards, each with a $15K limit. All she does is put everything on the cards, max them out, and go to the next one. Of course, she just borrows from her Mom to pay the minimum payments, or doesnt pay at all.

There is a word for fiscal laziness like this: LOSER."

by BryanW217i December 15, 2009 10:52 AM EST

BryanW217i,

There are also people out there that speak and fecal matter actually flows from their mouths. You happen to be one of them. But fortunatly for you, there's lots more in your cranium.; Reply to this comment


by jeannettelj December 15, 2009 11:38 AM EST: I thought that this type of article would have been a no brainer. Did you think that folks who lost their jobs would be jumping for joy and smiling? I am sure that it is actually worse than we know. Of course half of you still think that Obama has made this mess. Sorry to say, this mess started long before Omaba was elected but he will still get the blame. The problem is when we have a new president, the entire country thinks that he can turn things around overnight. That is just not going to happen.; Reply to this comment


by SevenAngryFreds December 15, 2009 10:48 AM EST: I have most of these symptoms. Trouble sleeping, sad, scared. And I still have my job. Not behind on any bills. But I could be in trouble real fast. And I'm tired of seeing regular houses being compartmentalized into little apartments for people struggling.; Reply to this comment

by citizenusa-2009 December 15, 2009 10:21 AM EST

Seriously you dingbats, this economy, the greed and the unemployment are a direct result of the criminal activities of one G.W. Bush and one D.i.c.k Cheney. If you cannot see that, you are blind, deaf and dumb.

Obama has 8 years of puke to clean up. He's making a dent, but economic health won't come overnight.

Reply to this comment


by chevyhotrod December 15, 2009 11:07 AM EST: citizenusa,
Want reality, follow the link below and you will see who saw this coming and who didn't. You will also see who tried to stop it and who didn't.

Blind, deaf and dumb is you, if you cannot see the truth. The truth will set you free.

This is video from C-SPAN in 2004-05 hearing on Freddy & Fanny. This is where it all started and crashed our housing market, which in turn crashed the banks and PMI's (Private Morgage Insurance, AIG) and it was all down hill from there.

The fox is now running the hen house and you don't even know it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4A0RuXhnQA

by mrjustice1 December 15, 2009 9:30 AM EST

ajvw

You have overlooked the now-wealthy ones who intentionally cheated and brought ruin to so many. These criminals are currently immune from prosecution and punishment, because the system has licensed their unconscionable financial 'activities'.

'Achievers' by fraud = success and highly-valued ingenuity ?
What a wonderful example to set for our progeny!

Reply to this comment


by ajvw December 15, 2009 9:40 AM EST: I'll grant you that there are a few of those however; don't lump everyone into that category. Exercising your god given talent and working hard will get you everywhere. Something the left doesn't want you to know / believe.


by citizenusa-2009 December 15, 2009 8:23 AM EST: I've heard of Wedgie Jackson....perhaps this is a baseball reference? I should really google this...I'll be right back.; Reply to this comment


by hartmanlord December 15, 2009 7:41 AM EST: Let's see, we have 90% employed and 10% unemployed. Let's vote on who likes the system? The selfish greedy who run the system of course.
The wealthy conservatives think they have it great and think it's going to last forever. But wait another year, when the depression sets in and they lose their job and the stock market crashes and crime escalates and they lose their power and much more.
Then they will change their tone and we will give them sympathy -right!

61 and unemployed for the first time in my life- you know a freeloader socialists.; Reply to this comment


by michaelm07 December 15, 2009 4:38 AM EST: Wow what a story, it must have been a slow news day. I never connected unemployment with hardship and stress before. Is it really true?; Reply to this comment

by mrjustice1 December 15, 2009 3:52 AM EST

DRAG THE SUPER-RICH, THE REAL ESTATE AGENTS, THE BANKERS,
THE WALL STREET 'FINANCIERS', THEIR LAWYERS AND ACCOUNTANTS,
THEIR POLITICIANS, AND OTHER PARASITES OUT FROM THEIR HOMES...

...confiscate their moneys, their assets, and their hidden and secret bank accounts etc, and put them to hard labor...

...for the many years, and decades they were granted 'licenses to steal.'

It's time they contributed back to the people, to the country, and to the community, that they have misled, abused, and otherwise ripped off.

Send these selfish, greedy parasites and their children to fight and die in wars from which they profit, and raise their share of taxation to just and meaningful levels.

These economy-wreckers must be brought to justice!

Reply to this comment


by michaelm07 December 15, 2009 4:35 AM EST: Mrjustice,
You are a good little marxist. Sadly you see people like Obama as your savior when in fact you are a tool and a stupid one, at that. Never mind the deals he makes behind closed doors that will keep you ignorant and always begging the government for help. Get off your kness for God's sake and learn to take care of yourself. I suggest your anger is a little misplaced and you might try looking in the mirror. Robert Mugabe is a man after your own heart, he did exactly what you suggest in Zimbabwe and they are doing, so well.


by mrjustice1 December 15, 2009 8:56 AM EST: michaelm07

Do you know how many people's lives these parasites have destroyed by their criminal acts?
Have you any idea of the financial ruin, and to so many that these selfish, greedy, non-contributing parasites brought with their often clever, sophisticated, misleading, deceiving, well-planned schemes?
Or don't you care?
Legislation to execute some of these parasites would be considered far more just and fair, than to reward them (as Obama is wrongfully doing).