Topic: Aggregators

The Media Research Center analyzed over 600 stories on Apple News, finding that the platform went 96 consecutive days without featuring a single story from a conservative outlet in its top stories section. The discussion explores how news aggregation apps on mobile devices and browsers like Firefox act as primary "attack vectors" for political propaganda. It is suggested that micro-services architectures, rather than human editors, may be driving this content selection.

The show concludes with the "Tip of the Day," featuring BizToc.com, a business news aggregator and scraping operation backed by Mark Cuban. The hosts sign off with their traditional "Crackpot and Buzzkill" personas, followed by a series of end-of-show music mixes and classic audio clips.

The discussion traces the history of newspaper bias and the eventual failure of the "objective" journalism model. The hosts explain how the loss of local advertising and classifieds destroyed the financial viability of print media. They also note the modern trend of using AI tools like ChatGPT to rewrite and republish existing reporting from major outlets.

Adam Curry details his sophisticated "Freedom Controller" system, an RSS aggregator and information management tool developed with Dave Jones. He describes a rigorous preparation cycle involving 780 feeds, C-SPAN monitoring, and deep dives into Form 990 tax filings for nonprofits. This process culminates in a structured rundown and the generation of detailed XML-based show notes.

The hosts define the No Agenda show as "post-modern performance art" and a "public health service" that helps listeners process media propaganda. They argue that social media often "short-circuits" public discourse, whereas their aggregation of information from global producers provides a healthier alternative.

A custom-built "freedom controller" system is described, which aggregates over 700 RSS feeds into a searchable database, outperforming Google for specific research tasks. The discussion highlights how Google has drifted from its original mission of providing fast, clean search results by adding excessive JavaScript, ads, and Google Plus integration. The host suggests that Google's focus on driverless cars and Google Glass is a distraction from their declining core product.

A proposal is made to create a "Personal Giant Voice System" using Raspberry Pi hardware and Radio Shack PA horns. The device would function as an RSS aggregator to play specific audio messages or "No Agenda" clips to local neighborhoods. The project aims to mimic official government notification systems to observe public reactions to unauthorized broadcasts.

The hosts provide instructions for the No Agenda News Network, a community-driven news aggregator. They urge users to submit unique, independent reporting rather than mainstream feeds or large alternative sites like InfoWars or Natural News. The goal is to maintain a feed of singular and useful information for the "slaves of Gitmo Nation."

A viral video of a father shooting his daughter's laptop after a Facebook post is debated as a potential hoax. Adam Curry explains the technical benefits of using OPML files for the No Agenda News Network aggregator.

A draft proposal from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) suggests a government-led overhaul of the media industry to save struggling news organizations. The plan includes requiring news aggregators like the Drudge Report, Digg, and Reddit to pay for content through copyright licenses. The hosts argue that taxing aggregators will further damage the news industry's failing business model.

The hosts reiterate the mission of the No Agenda show: to deconstruct mainstream media narratives and expose the "matrix" of misinformation. They describe their process as aggregating high-quality reporting and debunking propagandistic entertainment like CSI to provide an alternative to partisan outlets like Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck.

ISPs are expected to begin acquiring content providers to bring data inside their own networks, reducing transit costs. While technology for IPTV exists, a viable business model for high-definition global distribution remains elusive. The challenge lies in creating enough revenue to sustain professional production while managing the high cost of Content Delivery Networks (CDNs).

A host describes a three-week technical process to configure a "mix-minus" signal on a Mac for podcast production. The setup utilizes Mac's aggregate devices feature to stack multiple input and output devices into a single interface for Ableton Live. A specific routing error involving Skype's mono signal caused a feedback loop until it was identified that the software was being treated as a stereo source.