Ars Technica ,
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
for "Art of Technology" is a
technologyTechnology is a broad concept that deals with human as well as other animal species' usage and knowledge of tools and crafts, and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt to its environment...
-related
websiteA website is a collection of related web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that are addressed with a common domain name or IP address in an Internet Protocol-based network...
that caters to
computerA personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator...
enthusiasts, covering technology,
scienceScience is in its broadest sense to any systematic knowledge-base or prescriptive practice that is capable of resulting in a prediction or predictable type of outcome...
, and gaming news along with editorial comment and analysis. Started in 1998 by Ken "Caesar" Fisher, Ars Technica is headquartered in Chicago,
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
. The site was independently owned until it was acquired by
Condé Nast PublicationsCondé Nast Publications, Inc. is a worldwide magazine publishing company. Its main offices are located in London, Madrid, Miami, Milan, New York, Paris and Tokyo. Condé Nast is run by S.I...
in May 2008. The main content is a
blogA blog is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order...
-style presentation of news stories and commentary, interspersed with advertising.
Ars Technica ,
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
for "Art of Technology" is a
technologyTechnology is a broad concept that deals with human as well as other animal species' usage and knowledge of tools and crafts, and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt to its environment...
-related
websiteA website is a collection of related web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that are addressed with a common domain name or IP address in an Internet Protocol-based network...
that caters to
computerA personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no intervening computer operator...
enthusiasts, covering technology,
scienceScience is in its broadest sense to any systematic knowledge-base or prescriptive practice that is capable of resulting in a prediction or predictable type of outcome...
, and gaming news along with editorial comment and analysis. Started in 1998 by Ken "Caesar" Fisher, Ars Technica is headquartered in Chicago,
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
. The site was independently owned until it was acquired by
Condé Nast PublicationsCondé Nast Publications, Inc. is a worldwide magazine publishing company. Its main offices are located in London, Madrid, Miami, Milan, New York, Paris and Tokyo. Condé Nast is run by S.I...
in May 2008. The main content is a
blogA blog is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order...
-style presentation of news stories and commentary, interspersed with advertising. Featured articles are less frequent but go into more depth.
Ars Front Page
The Ars Technica Front Page has two main sections:
From The News Desk and
Features.
The News Desk typically consists of short articles featuring analysis of technology and science-related news, with occasional forays into sci-tech related political commentary.
The News Desk came under scrutiny in March 2006, when IPDemocracy.com blogger Cynthia Brumfield accused Ars Technica of using material from her site without attribution . Similar charges surfaced again in July 2007, and May 2008.
The
Features section is sub-divided into two subsections:
- From the journals contains a selection of recent posts from Journals.Ars.
- Below the journals posts are a selection of recent featured articles such as in-depth features on science and technology issues, regular columns (such as those relating to Linux
Linux is a generic term referring to Unix-like computer operating systems based on the Linux kernel. Their development is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software collaboration; typically all the underlying source code can be used, freely modified, and redistributed,...
and Mac OS XMac OS X is a line of computer operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc., and since 2002 has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
), hardware and software reviews, and the Ars System Guide - a regular feature that advises readers on which components to pick when building their own PCs, whatever their budget.
Links at the top of the front page provide access to deeper areas of the site, including regularly updated pages relating to subjects such as
Technology and Culture,
CPU Theory & Praxis,
Hardware, etc. The content of articles often overlap the various categories, with non-column articles tending to be more technical in nature.
Journals.Ars
Journals.Ars is a section of the site where Ars staff writers post shorter, less formal articles discussing sci-tech news and rumors, often with more light-hearted commentary. The journals are categorized into six distinct topics:
Infinite Loop (Apple-centric),
One Microsoft Way (
MicrosoftMicrosoft Corporation is a multinational computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices...
-centric),
Open Ended (open source software-centric),
Kit (Hardware-centric),
Nobel Intent (science-centric), and
Opposable Thumbs (video game and technology gadget-centric).
Readers are able to add their own comments to
Journals.Ars articles.
Ars OpenForum
Ars Technica also maintains the
OpenForum, an
internet forumAn ', or message board, is an online discussion site. It originated as the modern equivalent of a traditional bulletin board, and a technological evolution of the dialup bulletin board system. From a technological standpoint, forums or boards are web applications managing user-generated content...
dedicated primarily to discussion of technology-related topics. The forum is divided into many sub-forums covering a range of subjects, from specific operating system and networking discussion areas to more general forums dealing with business, socio-political issues and recreational pursuits. In common with the main site, the OpenForum contains many references to
ancient RomeAncient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea, it became one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
, both in the titles of the sub-forums and the ranks assigned to each user.
Forum Members hold a number of "Arsmeets" every year so that members and readers alike can get together and meet one another in person.
OpenForum has over ten million posts and 100,000 registered users.
Revenue
Ars Technica's operating revenue derives from the following sources:
- Affiliate sales commissions (including "Sale" notices posted under the news section)
- Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to influence individuals to purchase products or services or support political candidates or ideas. Frequently it communicates a message that includes the name of the product or service and how that product or service could potentially benefit the consumer...
on Ars Technica (through Federated Media, approx. US$20 CPMCost per mille , also called cost ‰ and cost per thousand , is a commonly used measurement in advertising. Radio, television, newspaper, magazine, out-of-home advertising, and online advertising can be purchased on the basis of what it costs to show the ad to one thousand viewers...
)
- User subscription fees
- Sale of Ars Technica-brand
A brand is a name or trademark connected with a product or producer. Brands have become increasingly important components of culture and the economy, now being described as "cultural accessories and personal philosophies".-Concepts:...
ed merchandise
- On May 19 2008 it was announced that the site had been acquired from Ars Technica, LLC (the holding company formed of its founders) by Condé Nast Publications
Condé Nast Publications, Inc. is a worldwide magazine publishing company. Its main offices are located in London, Madrid, Miami, Milan, New York, Paris and Tokyo. Condé Nast is run by S.I...
.
- On April 2nd 2009, it became public via a Gawker link, that a number of Ars Technica staff were let go as part of the Conde Nast layoffs which also impacted Wired.
External links