Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSEsteemed Members of the Newsvine Community,
It is our great pleasure to announce today that Newsvine has been acquired by msnbc.com. There are so many exciting things to share about this partnership and what it means for you that it's hard to know where to start. In the spirit of good journalism, let's start with the five W's: Who, What, Where, When, and Why.
Who
Msnbc.com is a privately run news organization started by Microsoft and NBC in 1996. The site is one of the most decorated, highly trafficked news sites on the web, serving more than 29 million unique visitors per month. Contrary to popular belief, msnbc.com is run independently from both Microsoft and NBC and even the MSNBC news channel. It is its own organization, headquartered in Redmond, and has been growing and profitable for several years now. Msnbc.com employs about 200 people.
What
As desired by both companies from the outset, Newsvine will continue operating independently, just as it has been since launching in March of 2006. Msnbc.com is committed to maintaining and growing the community and features that have made Newsvine what it is today. In other words, Newsvine will be the same Newsvine you've always known, only stronger. Over the next few years, Newsvine technology and content will make its way onto msnbc.com, and vice-versa where it makes sense. Our users' columns and content will remain as they have been, as we work hard with msnbc.com to implement improvements and enhancements.
Where
Seattle! Of course! This entire process, from courtship to marriage, took the entire summer, and although there were several companies who came knocking along the way, we're thrilled that the right partner just happened to be in our backyard. Working together is a hundred times more efficient when you're a 15 minute drive -- and not a plane flight -- apart. It's a big win for us, a big win for msnbc.com, and a big win for the region as well.
When
We officially became part of the msnbc.com family on Friday, October 5th but we've been talking since May. Since Newsvine launched, about a year and a half ago, we've fielded a lot of phone calls and emails from organizations inquiring about working together, but never did it seem quite as right as it did with the msnbc.com team.
Why
Why would a young, efficient independent news startup become part of a large organization? For us, the answer is simple: it's all about growing the community and spreading the idea of participatory news as far and wide as possible. Although going from zero to over a million users a month in less than two years is heartening, msnbc.com operates on another scale entirely. While Newsvine may be well known in early adopter circles, we want every college student, every farmer, every weekend journalist, and every household to have their own branch on the 'Vine. In order to spread this idea further, we could have gone out and raised a lot of money, quadrupled our staff, and gone it alone, but when one of the finest news organizations in the world is headquartered right across Lake Washington, the potential of partnering with such a great team is dramatic. We feel strongly that we can learn from the successes of their experienced team, in a way that will empower Newsvine to become the worldwide mouthpiece of the citizen journalist.
So What Does It All Mean For You?
So many good things! Following is a list of things you can look forward to:
- Increased exposure for Newsvine writers. Remember when Killfile broke the news of the Virginia Tech shooting 22 minutes before the Associated Press? What about when Corey Spring got an exclusive interview with Dave Chappelle? When important moments like these occur on Newsvine, why shouldn't they also be put in front of 29 million people on msnbc.com? What about when a Newsviner builds up an audience for a weekly entertainment column like Steve Watts' Lost in the Vines? Why shouldn't great content like that be put on an even bigger stage? We think it should, and although Newsvine and msnbc.com will remain independent brands, we're going to spend the next several months figuring out ways to get the best content in front of the biggest audiences possible.
- A bigger, more diverse community. Msnbc.com's user base is spread across the world in every age, income, and demographic group. You'd be hard pressed to find a town in the United States which doesn't count some of its residents as readers. It is our hope that eventually, readers of both Newsvine and msnbc.com will be able to jump from site to site and share in the benefits that each destination offers.
- Speed, reliability and uptime. As a cost-conscious startup, Newsvine has made do with an efficient hardware footprint and no full- time operations staff. The upshot of this is keeping expenses down. The downside, however, is that during heavy spikes of activity and off-hour periods, the site can occasionally slow down or seem less reliable. Under this new partnership, Newsvine will move to the geographically redundant, world-class data centers that house msnbc.com. Bigger, faster machines and more of them. 24/7 monitoring. There may not be a news site in the world which scales better than msnbc.com, and we look forward to benefiting from their excellent infrastructure.
- A slightly bigger staff, able to evolve the site and provide features and support to the community without cutting any corners. Thus far, each Newsvine employee has had to wear a great variety of hats, and in some instances we have been strung very thin. The ability to add staff members in needed areas is crucial to our success as a business, as a web site and as a community. We look forward to providing excellent support and service to our users as our community grows dramatically during the forthcoming months and years. The team that set out to create the vision from day one will be freed up to continue developing the features and tools that make the magic of Newsvine possible. We will be armed with the resources and access to bring the best content produced by Newsviners to the world at large - bridging the gap between citizen and journalist.
- More news and images from more sources. Newsvine's mainstream news and images have always come directly from the Associated Press, and in fact, being the quickest wire-to-web news site in the world has always been something we've taken a lot of pride in. However, with the welcoming of msnbc.com into the fold, we now have the potential to bring you more of the best reporting in the world and some of the most stunning news imagery you'll ever see online.
...and so much more.
We're so excited about all that's in store for the both the msnbc.com and Newsvine community in the weeks, months, and years to come, and we hope you'll join us in helping spread the cause of participatory news to every household with a story to tell or a thought to share.
Open Q&A regarding the Future of Newsvine
More coverage:
Leave a Comment:
Wow! Good news for you guys. I was a bit skeptical at seeing the headline, but I think this might propel this community to a new level (which should be good all around). I've been absent for a few months, but plan to start re-contributing soon. This news is good inspiration.
Welcome back, Darrell! See what happens when you leave for a bit?!
Yeah... this was a total surprise. Thanks for the welcome back. I hope I can get back in the swing of things... my summer duties ended up being much more than I had bargained for (but that's a good thing).
Welcome back from me, too, Darrell. It'll be nice to get some variety back into the archaeology seeds...
; )
Hey Darrell! Glad to hear from you again!
You and me both.
I personally think this is awesome news! Congrats newsvine!
Congratulations this is really exciting news!
So is there going to be an updated announcement at some point on how things are going,
when new features will be added, etc when the conversation tracker will stop being about
as accurate as a oujia board, etc?
well....I have move to Townhall.com.....will msnbc follow?
Washington had been reelected unanimously in 1792. His decision not to seek a third term established a tradition that is now embedded in the 22d Amendment of the Constitution. In his Farewell Address of Sept. 17, 1796, he drew on the results of his varied experience, offering a guide for both present and future. He urged his compatriots to cherish the Union, support the public credit, be alert to the "insidious wiles of foreign influence," respect the Constitution and the nation's laws, abide by the results of elections, and eschew political parties of a sectional cast. Asserting that the United States and Europe had different interests, he declared that it "is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world," trusting to temporary alliances for emergencies. He also warned against indulging in either habitual favoritism or habitual hostility toward particular nations, lest such attitudes should provoke or involve the country in needless wars.
----------
and today.......
foreign influence
Ok this is interesting. I am not fan of MSFT family.
How much they paid?
it is believed to be between 5-7 million to 21.4 million $.
but we still don't know.
WTF just happened to the front page? It looks like one big gateway to MSNBC and nothing else.
There goes the neigborhood.
Why has the front page frozen. Is the place closed on the weekend. Do the higher ups think everything's OK.
Congratulations! I think it is great and a step in the right direction. If a merger will make things better, then I say "go for it". I think Newsvine will be bigger and better in the coming year. God Bless Everyone!!
I just got very frustrated as i had type a really good letter and then i found out that i didn't have the adobeflash downloaded and when i did that i lost my letter so i will try again.
First i would like to say congratulations on your tie with MSNBC. I hope that with this happening that some of this information will get to them for their thought. I noticed also that there was a Mr. Tillinghast with MSNBC and i was wondering if had any ties to New York and the reason i ask is i had a teacher with that name. This was quite a few years ago like back in the late 40's and early 50's. I would be interested to know if he did have any ties.
Now i think the best place to start is about the new Administration and I wish them all the best in their endeavors and hope we can all work together to get this upright and floating again like it should be.
Of the Stimulus Package that our new President will be handling it is for $825 Billion Dollars and i would like to give you my thoughts on how this money should be used.
1. The first thing that should be done with this money is to get the families that had their homes Foreclosed on or the ones that are near to that point. My suggestion is this! I would have the Mortgage Companies get the families together again and work on getting a new Mortgage written. First the late charges and other fees should be just forgotten and then the family that was displaced you need to work with them and write a contract for what the Mortgage Company would get from going to Auction with this property. I know it will be a lot less than what the house was Mortgaged for and this i know will be a lot less than the house is trying to be sold for. If this house goes to foreclosure then it will not be worth even half of what was owed on it. I had to Bankrupt a few years back because of my health conditions and no income to speak of. The house we were in had 2 Mortgages on it and they amounted to $175,000 total and the house did not sell at auction and it finally got a buyer and he bought this home for $60,000 which is quite a drop from what was owed and so the Mortgage Companies have to work with the families to get them in a new Mortgage at a reasonable price for the home and the payment must be less than the old Mortgage. It must something that the family will be able to afford. They could work up the new Mortgage Contract however nothing can be signed until the next step which is number 2.
2. We need to get the jobs back for the people that are presently in the unemployment line and get them back to work and then they can have Financial advisor provided by the Government to establish the new Mortgage after the new job is in force. Now this should be enough money for the house payment with taxes and everything and then have enough money to put good food in the home and buy some clothes for everyone as needed and with a little left over for the next step and that being step 3.
3. We need to get a good health care program in place that is affordable for everyone and either have the employer pay for it as one of his job requirements and the employer be able to write off the cost for the health care on the business books each year. The health care that comes out need to be affordable to all not just the big boys. It needs to be affordable to low, middle and Seniors income which in most cases is very little. The second part to the third step is that the government step in and make these drug companies start to lower their prices to make them affordable for all. If you can buy the same medicine in Canada for half the price as it cost here then the drug companies have a problem because they are going to have to learn to work more at selling their products to the Drug Stores and if not then it is time to start making the cost for these Companies to do business in the U.S. and if they can't seem to do that then they need to work up a new plan of action because the drug costs today are outrageous.
If we can get those three things in place then we are on the road to recovery which is exactly where we want to be and get our country back again.
One other thing that i think the Government look into and that is ownership of land in this country should only be available to own by U.S. Citizens any foreign country or citizen that wants to build here they can but they cannot own any land nor br granted any land.
This leads me to the last point and that is Why are loaning money to Bank of America twice already and they are coming for more. That bank is not U.S. owned so why do we have to bail them out???? Let the Japanese Government bail out their own businesses.
Let's get this in motion and get our country back to who it belongs to and that being the American Citizens.
I hope you could get this to the right people in our Government and give them an idea to work on.
i've only been on newsvine a short time, but I must say this is a better site than msnbc so I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happen's. do i need to have microsoft now??? thanks for your help as alway,,I'm one of those snoopers who speeks on to the newstories that I really feel drawn to, or after reading some of the post, have to desire to add my comments
I hope hope my story has many ears to fall on! I'ts hard to believe thats it's true and very unbelieveable! But it is the truth so help me God!!!!
Is this site [Newsvine] replacing the MSNBC message boards?
It's a shame that Newsvine engages in fraud. It promises payment for comments made to articles written or seeded, but does not pay in an undetermined number of cases. How? The money simply is withdrawn from the Newsvine account while Newsvine claims the money was sent to the member's PayPal account. PayPal will verify non-payment but the member has no recourse to the non-payment. In fact, all complaints at Newsvine ABOUT Newsvine are flagged and not allowed to be published with the result that the general public is not allowed access to member grievances.
Personally, I have never had a problem with payments being credited from Newsvine to my PayPal account, pcbynature.
Obviously the pay is low enough that I hope no one's primary purpose for being on Newsvine is the money.
But if your Newsvine earnings are over $25 and the e-mail address for your account is the same as the one on your PayPal account, I think your PayPal account ought to have been credited within a month of your request (perhaps on the 5th or 20th of the month).
pcbynature, I looked at your history of articles and seeds and the number of comments. Not that many with a large number of comments. Have you checked what your earnings are? Have you asked via "report bug" or "contact us" or are you trying to communicate by leaving comments? Administration does not read comments unless they are flagged. If the money is not in your PayPal it would still be on your earnings.
sw
I looked at your history of articles and seeds and the number of comments. Not that many with a large number of comments. Have you checked what your earnings are? Have you asked via "report bug" or "contact us" or are you trying to communicate by leaving comments? Administration does not read comments unless they are flagged. If the money is not in your PayPal it would still be on your earnings.
I have tried all of the above. PayPal has looked everywhere and sees no money. I do not know anyone who runs the vine and from what I have heard, they simply rely on a computer program to be infallible.
My concern now is this: Newsvine does a good job of hushing up all criticism, so we don't know how many people are affected. Suppose someone is emptying out small acct's on a reg basis?
How long has it been since you requested your earnings and how much were they, pcbynature?
144.4
How long has it been since you requested your earnings and how much were they, pcbynature?
1. This past week
2. Started requesting in Dec
3. Earnings show as paid to me, on Nov 3 for $28.21
If you requested the transfer in late December, I guess the actual transfer to your PayPal account will probably take place sometime this week (January 5 or a few days later), pcbynature. Even though the transaction may show up on Newsvine as made the same day you request it, the actual transfer takes longer, as noted in the Newsvine User Agreement which is quoted from and linked to below.
http://www.newsvine.com/_nv/cms/info/userAgreement
If you requested the transfer from Newsvine to PayPal on November 3 as your comment #144.5 seems to indicate, the transfer ought to have already occurred. Is it possible that the e-mail address for your PayPal account is different than the one you gave Newsvine at the time of the transfer and the earnings were inadvertently credited to the wrong person?
My email addresss had been changed after many attempts prior to Nov. 3. I never rec'd from PayPal any e-mail, as is their custom, telling me of a deposit. PayPal is clean on this, IMO. But someone somehow managed to empty my account, then NOT forward it to PayPal.
pcb, you don't have to know anyone at Newsvine. Look at the bottom of this page where it says "Company Stuff" then read across to "contact us' click on that and you can send an email to Newsvine. No one is trying to cheat you. There is an error or time delay. Like jameseg said, you have to check the email address on your PayPal account and your Newsvine account to see that they match. Again, no one is trying to cheat you.
swmm
Been there done that many times...
Well, if being wedded to MNBC offers, asstated, opportunity for prosperity, more prestige, popularity, personal growth, and broader horizon, all I can say is Congratulation.
But bear that I make this inquiry though, Is there no negative sides from this unification?
Once again, Congrats! and Excelsior! I wish Newsvine community all the best.
tbt
145
I don't get what you are saying?
All I'm saying is if it benefits Newsvine to be incorporated to MSNBC, I congrat them. But I also wonder if there is no disadvantage to it.
By the way I see you and SWMissouri M discussing about PayPal and earning, what is this about, because I don't know about it? Are we supposed to get paid for writing and seeding articles and commenting on the vine?
Yes, Truth, we get paid but it is so little. You could make more money picking up coins from the parking lot at WalMart. LOL. I've been here 14 months and have $11 but I don't write much. At the top of the page you'll see a tag says 'earnings' click on that and you have to log in again. Earnings are posted around the 20th of each month and always 2 months behind. If you posted or seeded articles in December your earnings won't show until after Feb 20. Like I say it ain't much.
SW Missouri Mule, you said _
There is a logic behind this token payment, that escapes me for the moment. This payment - approximately $20.00 since I joined - which I have not claimed, at least not yet, most probably has to do with some technicality. This token wage probably puts us in a different legal zone than where we would be had we not received it. I would be curious to learn more about this.
SwMissouri M
Oh, I see. I was wondering why some members were posting so many articles every day as if they have nothing else to do. Does it come to you automatically or do you have to apply for it? I would feel more dignified posting my articles free than liquidating them for peanuts; because they hold precious thoughts and took time to write. They treat us like beggars and cheap writers. It takes away the value of the articles and the time and energy spent to paticipate and promote participation. I must admit some members post some very good articles which they thought out and conceived themselves. This brings me back to my article I wrote and posted sometime three weeks ago about "What happens to our opinions" I will continue to post articles free, because I value the interest my friends and other members find in my posts and the interest I find in theirs. This thing sounds like exploitation. Thanks for informing me.You are a marvelous and precious friend. Peace!
Truth be told-1349420
I doubt this is their intentions. That intention could not have survived all these years without Pandemonium breaking loose years ago.
I expressed my view on that point: "This token wage probably puts us in a different legal zone than where we would be had we not received it. I would be curious to learn more about this."
Truth, the payment has something to do with the advertising. I think it's explained on the earnings page.
Thanks. I shall look it up. I am just curious.
It's okay SwMissouri. Thanks for your effort to clear things out. But payment doesn't really matter to me. I enjoy being here and sharing opinion and making friends. peace.
145.6
It put me in the zone of complaining becasue Newsine, IMO, cannot be trusted to handle even small am'ts of $.
pcbynature, did you do anything we suggested? Or are you going to keep barking about how you've been cheated?
Thanks pcbynature for posting the article linked to below updating us on this. I'm glad the problem was resolved satisfactorily.
http://davidemeadows.newsvine.com/_news/2010/01/07/3724697-tyler-adams-saves-the-day?last=1262863014&threadId=760924&sp=0&pc=25&commentId=11584582#c11584582
Great. No amount of money is small when it's yours. You just have to know how and when to get it.
Sw Missouri, Happy Thursday,
I was thinking, there is no form of monetary compensation that is exempt from tax reporting. Does the NV report these distributions annually on their tax return, and do the recipients (i,e members) have to report their allowances on theitr returns, or it it tax-free? One may think it's irrelelevant since the money is small and was credited on their user name account, but I think to actually use it one has to use their real name and therefore can be traced for failling to pay tax out of that skeleton salary. While it seems a negligible amount per individual, but for NV it's a huge amount when all distributions are added up. I don't wish to ingest any food I can't digest and may have to vomit. Depends on the size of and where your taxable income falls within the tax bracket, $11 may not make a difference, just like $1 can make you pay between 5 to $10 or more based on your filing status. So I was only suggesting that recipients be careful with this NV payment and get informed about how to treat it taxwise. Because, I trust noboby when it comes to that for the IRS can auction your home for a dime you owe them. And furthermore I don't want to avail myself to any organization to use to scam the IRS. Even if It may not come to that with the NV, but still, inquiring and being prudent cost nothing. "Preventing is better than curing", they say. Peace, my friend,
Truth, that is an interesting point. I don't know how it is handled. It would be the responsibility of the writer (us) to declare the amount on our taxes but I think there is a minimum amount you have to earn before you have to report it. I won't worry until I have enough to cash out. Maybe in about ten years. LOL Peace to you.
there is a minimum amount you have to earn before you have to report it.
True. $28 doesn't put me there, lol.
Truth be told-1349420, regarding your comment #146.4:
I am not a lawyer or a tax expert so I am not qualified to provide legal or tax advice.
But I am confident that for anyone who earned enough to pass the $25 minimum required for a Newsvine payout to one's PayPal account, that the earnings do need to be reported on one's tax return. I plan to report my "meager" Newsvine earnings on my tax returns this year.
And for those few who earned a huge amount (perhaps over $500?), Newsvine probably has to get their SS# and file a form with the IRS declaring those earnings. Some other writing websites do require SS#s, etc., for those earning over $500 I think.
Although Newsvine or another website may not have to file IRS paperwork for earnings under $500, the users are still required to report them in my humble opinion.
Others may have more information on this or be able to correct what I wrote.
Thanks for the explanation, my friend, It sounds correct , what you said. Peace
I think it's $1000. When I used to Go to the dog track, I won almost $700 one time and had to fill out a form. If you won more than $600 on a single bet the track had to report it to the IRS with your SS#. All smaller bets were OK.
What will you do with the big paycheck? Don't tell me the truth.
Not the truth?
Hmmm. Donate it to the Dem candidate for my district in 10. The incumbent is a Blue Dog whom I dislike, so I will be voting and contributing in the Primary.
What can I say? I'm too old for sex, booze and I am careful about rock and roll (Dylan is still quite good as a bluesman.)
Why dont they just come out and say how much was paid? I thought all the liberals were about transparency. Guess they dont want to be ridiculed for paying too much or newsvine laughed at for accepting too little.
More news please. A lot less vine.
Daniel A. Berry
I agree, bigdabber, it would be great to see more news (and less sensationalism) on the front page.
Better placement of news articles from various news sources in addition to AP and MSNBC would be great, too.
If we seed, read, vote, and comment on them, maybe it will happen.
But it is a bit understandable for MSNBC to desire to give priority to its own articles.
Congratulations, Newsvine and MSNBC. Good luck and God Bless. Vi Vi ^ ^
The almost three years of ownership of Newsvine by MSNBC since this article was written seem to have been good for both based on my limited knowledge since joining Newsvine in August 2008.
Does she know how old this article is, per chance? LOL
I really appreciate newsvine, but my worst fears are realised-that MSNBC aquired newsvine to SILENCE any critics of Obama
"Odyssey" apparently not bringing "dawn" to Libya:
The ongoing West-led "Odyssey Dawn" military operation against Libya, which was launched on March 19, apparently is adding fuel to the fire of the Libyan crisis instead of bringing the light of "dawn" to the North African country. The operation, dominated by Western powers including France, Britain, the United States and Italy, has caused huge civilian casualties, building and infrastructure damage and hundreds of thousands of refugees. It has escalated the Libyan conflict, which started in mid-February.
It apparently has overstepped the authorization of the UN resolution on Libya adopted on March 17, raised questions and triggered disturbance in the region and around the world at large.
The resolution imposed a no-fly zone over Libya, but the West-led air strikes went far beyond the limit as they vehemently hit the Libyan army's tanks, artillery and rocket projectiles.
Meanwhile, the operation was initiated under the pretext of "humanitarian" assistance and protecting Libyan civilians, but the results, ironically, turned out to be more civilian deaths and a deteriorating humanitarian crisis.
Libyan authorities said over 100 civilians had been killed by the air strikes, and the UN Refugee Agency said over 350,000 Libyan refugees had fled the country up to Wednesday.
On Wednesday, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin flatly questioned the operation: "What do we see today? Strikes are being carried out across the entire territory of the country. How can you, with the aim of protecting the peaceful population, choose means that lead to an increase of deaths among the civilian population?"
The operation may prolong volatility and insurgency in Libya, which might spill over to neighboring countries.
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development in Eastern Africa recently said, "Our fear is that what is happening now in Libya may motivate terrorist groups in Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq to regroup on the African soil."
In Homer's glorious ancient Greek epic poem "The Odyssey," the Greek hero Odysseus, after the fall of the Troy city, finally managed to return home and accomplished his long-cherished dream after a 10-year arduous trek.
However, the West-led Odyssey Dawn operation is complicating and worsening the situation in Libya and bringing about more sufferings to the Libyan people. The real "dawn" for the Libyan people, alleged as the operation's aim, apparently is still far, far away.
ewewe