We know that this whole blog thing is confusing. We’re pretty comfortable with it, but we certainly understand and sympathize with those who aren’t. So when we receive press requests that assume we’re obligated to run everything we’re sent, we respond gently. When prospective writers stop emailing upon hearing that they won’t get paid, we understand. But we receive enough of the following requests — surprisingly many, in fact — that we thought some clarification of our place in the universe might be in order:
Thought one of the sharp minds at DCist could help me with an article I’m writing.
An editor here at [ glossy local lifestyle magazine ] wants a piece on the newest music gadgets; home, car, portable or otherwise.
The criteria for said gadgets is that they will be available by June
and that it’s not just a mauve-colored Nano but something new and
different. Personal experience with these gadgets (tired of that word
already) is a huge plus.Thanks for your help and keep up the good work.
We certainly appreciate the kind words, but a free, RSS-enabled, no-attribution-needed research service, we’re not. And honestly, for this sort of lifestyle fluff — the stuff we think we’re good at — we’re inclined to keep our insights for, you know, ourselves. But as our readers surely know, we often link to and expand upon work by other quality area publications. So we have a deal for the emailer.
We’re going to outsource this further to you, our readers, whose tips are generally much better than ours, anyway. In the comments, please let us know what nifty new music gadgets you’re playing with or looking forward to (Apple has to be debuting three or four new iPods before June, right?). Our anonymous friend will presumably compile the best ideas, then sell them back to you in June along with the preceding month’s important developments in cheap restaurant-ology. All we ask from magazinonymous is a hat tip.
What do you say, readers? Safer ear buds? A music playing Segway? A gyroscopically balanced two-wheeled MP3 player? Let us know.
Picture used is from www.apple.com.
