Some Really Good Content Comes Out Here But...

Personally I can't be a regular contributor. The few times I've written something on a serious issue I've come close to not posting, there are many things that I've written and not posted. My anxiety can be crippling. Having a good response to some made me more likely to share but it's still very difficult.

Once in a while I'll feel so strongly about something that I not only write but I post.

I'm just wondering what is blocking other people.


As far as the website I really like the way news shows up in the new feed. Very good way for people's stories to get out on the site.

As I said. I really don't have answers, but I'm wondering if anyone has suggestions.

Budgets and staffing do both play major role here but honestly, the latter more than the former these days. Fact is we have budget (though not a massive amount) that we aren't spending because it's actually very difficult to find people who combine the ability to write, desire to write, actually 'getting it' and having the time to write. It's something we've spent a lot of time looking into this summer, especially after the success of the Revision article Sklar & I put together. To that end, we (the two of us) are working more content in the same vein, with Matt doing the bulk of the legwork (and getting paid to do so) and me editing things, shaping as they go along, writing some bits etc. However he, and almost all our other contributors for that matter, have real world jobs that slow things down.

We also would like to put money in to some more journalists who want to write higher end investigative or in-depth content. If you're out there, hit me up with some ideas (twig@newschoolers.com).

There is also a flipside to this question though and that is: How you define 'good content'? Taking Powder as an example, I love reading it, I think it's a fantastic mag. But magazines sell magazine expensive advertising, resulting in bigger budgets for content etc (in general they also majorly struggling). The majority of the 'good' stuff mags publish online is recycled magazine content. It just isn't cost effective to produce content like that solely for the web all the time, something the many, many magazines out there that have bailed on print and gone online have discovered (and the good content quickly dries up or at least becomes more irregular). Is guess I'd ask: Is content good if it costs 20 times as much to produce as it brings in? The answer is probably that it can be but if that's all you do, you go out of business.

The reality is it's all about finding a balance, quick content to generate traffic, balanced with quality content for the regular user to get their . We're trying to find that and tipping more towards producing better stuff, with varying degrees of success. We're always trying to do new things and figure out that balance. I'm definitely not claiming we have it anywhere close to perfect, but I'd be surprised if the 'quality content producers' do either, as evidenced by how many sizeable action sports titles have disappeared.

In answer to your question, "what could we do to put out more good content regularly?", I guess the first thing would be find more good writers, who aren't flakey, can work to deadlines and have a flair for the work. The other thing would be to actually share and promote the good stuff when it does appear, because if it doesn't do well, despite being subjectively 'quality', then it's still not successful content. There is a whole other issue with content distribution I haven't even touched on but that would help. It would also help to hear what you want to see.

**This post was edited on Oct 19th 2017 at 7:44:15am

My bad for kind of ghosting this thread. I read your response last week but it was late and I was super beat. Been busy getting my shit together. Want to respond in a way that isn't totally retarded. But just saying I didn't forget about this thread.

Good point. I really enjoy the written articles on here, and I have had a few ideas for articles but I just haven't had the time or motivation to write out a really good article that I would consider worth posting.
Also I really appreciate the casual, spontaneous nature of the threads on here. While there is a formidable amount of garbage in that department, some threads are truly epic. Also, I've gleaned a fair amount of info about camera equipment and its value from consistently reading the M&A forums.

NS should start a cryptocurrency that monetizes content generation based on upvotes. Only half kidding here... Not really kidding...

What do you mean by put out good content? Are you implying content that would draw people from all over the internet/skiing as a whole as opposed to just NSers reading it cuz it's on our front page?

I think it's a little hard on the journalism side of things because a lot of NS's strength originally came from the subcultural 'cult' knowledge embedded in the forums. You had to know about the world of freestyle skiing to know that some user just dropped a juicy tidbit of industry gossip, and that's what made it exciting to be on NS. You felt like you were a part of something special and were developing the culture by interacting with some of these threads. It seems that nowadays one of the main ways NS pushes the culture forward is more through offering a video sharing platform (that is very well used and has a decent social aspect to it, imploring people to make sure that they post their videos on NS as well as Vimeo or Youtube or whatever). Lots of casual skiers and even non-skiers follow the NS Instagram page, for example.

In the past, NS may have had this cultural significance instead due to the social trends developed organically on the forums (i.e. Chads gap callout). Additionally, NS may have been more important to 'core' freestyle skiers for that reason. I remember talented skiers getting hyped up by the NS stickers on my helmet back when I could barely 270 out of a rail, and being treated as a part of 'the session' not because I was as good as them, but because I was about the culture. I think that the large scale commodification of freestyle skiing kind of changed that a little bit. 'Sessions' like the one I described became far less inclusive, because it became hard to tell whether or not the kids who just skied up wearing full Saga were really bout it bout it, trying to seriously(/humbly) progress their skills as students of the culture, or if their parents had just bought them the clothing and they knew nothing about the freestyle skiing world. Situations like that dilute some of the passion and weaken the social bonds that freestyle skiers felt/feel, I think.

I don't bring this all up to be bitter or be a dick, but to relate my own experience to NS's development. It used to be a place for the culture to gather around. And it still is! But I wonder if the aim of content generation is somewhat misguided. For whom is this content to be produced? If for us, then why not establish a seasonal print journal with high quality print content focused on feeding the ethos that exists within the core of the subculture? The format of clickbaity internet type articles feels unsuited to the level of passion and depth of relationship that I feel for skiing. If NS did not have forum capabilities then perhaps it could be an online journal entity kind of like Lowcard or Jenkem in skateboarding, but even these sites are primarily magazines or offer some sort of monumental print publication.

I think the digital media stuff is perfect for NS, as it can exist in a sort of dual-state where it appreciated by NS members as well as be commodified out through avenues like Instagram, but a print publication would really help to validate the depth and passion that I feel for skiing.

It could even be funded by the cryptocurrency I mentioned at the top... lol

Also, wasn't there a mag done in 2013?

EDIT: Another thought, if the goal of content generation is aimed at growing NS or keeping NS relevant, I would suggest another route, one based of feeding the core of the subculture, since that is what NS was born out of. At a certain point, I don't think content generation serves the core in the same way that the forums originally did/possibly still do. NS will have to navigate its own complicity in the commodification of our lifestyle and make some decisions about the route it wants to go down.

**This post was edited on May 19th 2018 at 11:48:33am

We need more dirtbags who like hookers, blow, and skiing on no sleep to be able to write elegantly and also get their content in before someone steals their laptop.

That's rare.

i feel lack it's the lack of engagement. theres barely an incentive but to do it for yourself.
but i think ns improved again over the last years

Step 1: get cy to sign a non-compete contract

Step 2: more ns exclusives

Step 3: Idk

Step 4: keep being our own unique thing cause it's cool. We don't want to turn into Unofficial Networks or Outdoor Magazine by trying to hard.

theabortionatorWhat could we do better?

I've read some phenomenal articles over the years on here but it seems like powder, tgr, and others are light years ahead on content. Not that everything they do is a gem, but they seem to consistently drop good content.

Is it budgets? Staffing? Lack of ideas?

I'm just wondering what we could do better. Not necessarily as a means to compete in a "we want to be the best" but just to put out more good content regularly.

I don't necessarily have the answers. But I feel like it's an area we could improve on.


Any ideas? Please be totally candid. No judgement here.

What make NS awesome is anyone can drop a video. So not everyone can make some epic deal. They still have an outlet, and I think that's great!

DingoSeanWe need more dirtbags who like hookers, blow, and skiing on no sleep to be able to write elegantly and also get their content in before someone steals their laptop.

That's rare.

I'm glad i got an alert for this thread to see this comment.

theabortionatorI'm glad i got an alert for this thread to see this comment.

You're welcome!