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Comment by gjm11 | Hacker News Reader

Blogspam.

Original press release from Drexel University: http://www.drexel.edu/now/news-media/releases/archive/2012/J... Added value in PhysOrg article: zero.

Please, everyone, stop submitting links from PhysOrg and ScienceDaily. I have never ever ever seen anything on those sites that isn't either (1) bullshit or (2) a recycled press release with zero (or often negative) added value. (Sometimes it's both at once.) It only takes ten seconds' googling to find the original source.

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I think you are a little harsh in bashing the sources. Their value is that they serve as a distribution of press releases from many sources. That is exactly how a press release is supposed to be used. And I can go to a press-release redistribution site and see press releases from various organizations in a related field instead of having to check each organization individually.

Yes, please filter the bullshit. But submitting from press-release redistribution sites is ok. If it's of further interest, submit the original paper. In this case, the paper (scientific news) is old- it's the step in the business direction that is being disclosed.

While I agree that the sites are useful, HN guidelines request that you submit the original article. That reduces the number of duplicate submissions.

Reducing duplicate submissions is an excellent point. I took the guideline to be more along the lines of "don't link articles like 'geez guys look at this cool article I found on wavepackets. Works for me!'" But I can certainly see the value of submitting the original PR if the site simply mirrors it.

This site might not add anything, but it's not blogspam. It includes the full text of the press release. Blogspam is like this: http://www.reastech.org/best-android-phones-available-today/ It just gives a piece or a summary of the article (so they can't be accused of copyright infringement) and is only meant to funnel your eyeballs past their ads.

Is there a good aggregator for that sort of stories that does add value?

(I don't visit either site, but an aggregator with that focus might be worth visiting).

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