In the past year, it's become one of the Internet's truisms that content is not king on the Web. Building a quality site doesn't mean you'll build an audience. The Web, after all, is at least as much a utilitarian tool as it is a publishing medium. At the same time, as a journalist, I'll confess that it's unsettling to see the commercial aspects of your site move from the background to the forefront, even though we knew that was the plan all along. Arts and entertainment becomes a supplement to electronic commerce.
Content becomes secondary to the main event of transactions.
In short, we're seeing marketing in ascendance, journalism as almost an afterthought. Perhaps that's the way it will be on the Web. C'mon, everyone, let's make lots of money. To a journalist, there's got to be more.