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Reader's Paradise

OT--Another Ownership Change

20 years ago

iVillage is being purchased by NBC Universal, the US-based media conglomerate. So, for those who might be confused: Reader's Paradise is owned by iVillage which will be owned by NBC Universal which is mostly owned by General Electric.

Russ

Here is a link that might be useful: news story

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Comments (15)

janalyn
20 years ago
Here we go again, but the question is where?

I suggest an escape hatch in case NBC doesn't value readers.

Any suggestions?
dynomutt
20 years ago
Ahhhhh ........ yes. Once again, we are mere pawns (or is tokens a better word?) in the great game that is business. ;-)
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Basically, recipes cannot be copyrighted. If they were, you'd be breaking the law everytime you used one to make dinner. That being said, however, the form MAY be copyrighted (the words, the format, etc). When sharing a recipe you got somewhere else, it's important to credit the source, if you've copied it exactly. If you've adapted it, it's vital that you put the directions in your own words. Now, after all that--there are situations where one needs to make sure a recipe is original and unique. In the case of contests that list originality as one of the criteria, it's important that the contributor NOT copy a recipe exactly from someplace else, as well as that they do a web search to determine--as far as possible--that the recipe hasn't been published before. Unfortunately, I've had a number of my original recipes 'stolen' over the years. Don't get me wrong--I'm always glad to share anything I make for someone else's personal use. But when you see something that is completely original and unusual, that's been published in an international source then being used by others to win contests--it's offensive. I've seen one of my recipes published in a very prominent cook's magazine, that was copied word for word--they didn't even change the way I worded the directions (and I have a very distinct style. Another of my recipes has actually won a half dozen contests for others who plagiarized it--again, copying the instructions word for word. And there's not a thing I can do about it, other than sit here gritting my teeth when I see someone else -- who has no morals -- has won another contest with it. Oddly, that same recipe appears on a number of restaurant menus and is used by many of those places where you go in and prepare your dinners to take home--and it doesn't bother me. Not sure why that is. Well, anyway, point is--I try not to use a recipe in a way that will take money out of the creator's pocket. If someone here asks for a recipe that I am familiar with, if it isn't one of mine, I'll usually reference the book and auther, rather than put the recipe on a website. I think that's really the fairest way to go.
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I look at my mortgage as just another investment opportunity. My mortgage rate is currently 4.5% before taxes (about 3% after taxes). It makes more sense to me to put the extra money into other financial assets that I expect to return more than 3% after taxes. My house is still my house and I'll continue living there as long as I like. All the money that would have gone to pay my mortgage will still be there in those alternate investments, so if I ever find paying down my mortgage to be more advantageous, I'll do so. Even if I paid off my mortgage, I still wouldn't have that sense of perfect peace knowing that no one could take my house away. I pay about $1,000 a month just in property taxes and home owners fees. If I became destitute, I'd have to move anyway. My house is currently mortgaged with a 5/1 ARM. If, after four more years, the rate goes up more than I'd like, then I'll pay off my mortgage. If that happens and rates go down substantially below what I think I can earn elsewhere, I'll trun right around and put another mortgage on my house and invest the money. Contrary to the Rich Dad Poor Dad stuff, I do see my house as an income producing asset. It produces an implied return equal to what I would pay to rent it. If it ever got substantially cheaper to rent a home compared with what I thought it would cost to own one (include expected appreciation or depreciation), I'd sell my home and rent one. This logic either doesn't seem to hold with most Californians or they seem to think that homes will continue to appreciate dramatically in the coming years. My quick appraisal during my last visit showed houses selling for about 2 times what would be justified based on rental rates. I suspect that a lot of Californians are in for a nasty shock as home prices flatten or decline in the next several years.
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It disables the "right-click save" when the photos are posted on a site or forum (like here). At least I thought it did. I have tried right clicking on some photos posted in messages here and sure enough I could (if I had wanted to - or if I got permission from the OP)save their photo into my files. Then I would be able to post it anywhere I wanted to until the OP deletes it from her Photobucket album. OP must still share from Photobucket to post on other sites or save the photo to her files and share via however she chooses.
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@ lana_roma There is a lot of yellow journalism out there. You can do your own research and there have been several peer reviewed publications on yellow journalism. We do know that the number of stories that predict economic decline increase in frequency as the time between economic declines increases. In other words, if we don't have a significant housing decline this year we can guarantee that there will be more stories next year about the impending housing decline. The phenomenon has to do with the psychology of what sells and doesn't, and very little to do with what is right and what isn't. If you find a journalist or blogger who doesn't write articles that predict some calamity, give him some money because he isn't getting paid to write. As to the above - This [real estate] market continues to be driven by the FHA issuing and guaranteeing risky mortgages written by thinly capitalized non-banks There is very little reason to attack the FHA for making risky loans. If anything the opposite is true and FHA loans are predatory. FHA loans are profitable because the MIP (interest rate premium of about .85%) far exceeds the low down payment risk. FHA loans are no more exposed than any other loan. In default the Mortgage insurance kicks in and makes up the shortage of down payment, and the cost of doing this is much less than what is charged to consumers. Our current policies create a questionable base for higher home prices when we consider the low end of the market is driven by Fannie, Freddie, and the FHA all insuring 3.5% down payments from borrowers that often have a weak credit history First - Demand creates the base for higher home prices, to think otherwise is naive. Access to cheaper cash does help increase house prices but not linearly. Cheaper money means that for the same payment (monthly cash outflow) you can get a better house. This often leads to more demand which leads to higher prices. But arguing this is bad is just silly, it is like saying - the price of steak is going up because now more people can afford steak and we didn't anticipate this many people being able to afford steak. Which is exactly his point... Second - Many countries have some institutions that encourage home ownership because home ownership is something we should encourage. While we have taken a financial look in this thread there are many non financial benefits to communities from home ownership. The above programs do exactly what they were meant to do, encourage home ownership.
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sheriz6
20 years ago
If the deal doesn't go through until the second quarter, I figure we have maybe until about mid-July before they find our little corner of iVillage, start "improving" the site, and throw everything into disarray again -- Argh!
cindydavid4
20 years ago
Geez, just when I found this place....well, maybe we can all keep a list of alternative forums to pass around in case the worst happens. Tho I think if enough people wrote to the powers that be and express our interest in keeping the book forum, who knows, they might see it our way.
anyanka
20 years ago
One problem with alternative forums is that they are often awkward to use - e.g. the type where every answer to a thread is on a separate link. I find that quite off-putting. When the UK Pond Forum on this GardenWeb became too inhospitable, one of the regulars created a new forum, ad-free, which is a shining example of user-friendliness both in design and atmosphere. - Anybody here fancy hosting something similar for readers?
twobigdogs
20 years ago
I'd rather have a non user-friendly environment than to lose contact with all of you. I personally do not have the know-how to develop an alternative site.

But let's be optimistic... the forum's been sold and re-sold several times and so far, other than a few start-up glitches, we're still together. That being said, as the entities purchasing our little heaven get bigger and bigger, there exists the real possibility of slipping through the cracks.

PAM
sheriz6
20 years ago
A lot of us use Bibliophil, which has a discussion area, so that's always good as an emergency back up, if needed. I'm hoping PAM is right and we just slip through the cracks. I'm quite happy right here!
cindydavid4
20 years ago
I'm happy here too. Don't know Bibliophil but will keep it in mind. I am also on Constant Reader, which is another very interesting, amiable and intelligent group of readers. But like you, I hope we don't need to worry about that.
anyanka
20 years ago
Don't get me wrong, folks - I didn't mean to suggest that we should migrate away from this forum just for a change of scenery! It would just be good to have one single user-friendly place as backup, so that everyone would know where to gather if this one goes down. I have never come across another literature forum as comfortable as this one, which is why I still visit all the time!

The UK pond forum was different because they discouraged chatty postings - everything had to be pond problem specific - which is why Alison created a friendly forum as an add-on.
mwoods
20 years ago
Despite all the initial angst when IVillage bought this place from Spike,we surivived with no real problems and probably will weather this one too.
martin_z
20 years ago
"Shake-shake-shake" notwithstanding.

If anyone else is getting this irritating video ad, could they please do what I've just done and send an email to Kraft Foods (who own Crystal Light drinks) and tell them how ANNOYING it is.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kraft Foods feedback
cindydavid4
20 years ago
Done, thanks (I have learned to turn my sound off when I am on this site because of those darn things)
J C
20 years ago
Let's think positive - maybe the site will improve! Although I don't want it to change - but it would be nice if the threads could be archived; or if the site had more storage - how about 20 or 30 pages instead of 10?
iamkathy
20 years ago
Maybe the new owner will update the search engine used here. It never has really worked right, at least for me.

Kathy
J C
20 years ago
I see now that 18 pages (with 30 threads on each page) are now available - when did that happen? That was a nice surprise!

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