Two signs of the Times.

(Whoops! Via AoSHQ)

Yes, I should be forgiven for the pun.

The first “sign” is a bit of a stretch for the pun: it’s a reference to “No Snickering: That Road Sign Means Something Else,” which is a pretty good filler article about some of the now-embarrassing place and road names that you can find in England (or, probably, any country that has a past*). I am far too refined to mention any of those names; suffice it to say that a good deal of the article revolves around slightly mortified people saying things like “It’s pronounced ‘PENNIS-tun,’ actually.” Not precisely news, but it’s not like they put it on the front page.

The second “sign” is something that I noticed in the online version: they linked the two books mentioned (Rude Britain and Rude UK) in the article to their Amazon.uk listings – presumably using either the author’s or their their Amazon Associates ID in order to get their cut.  At least, that’s what I’d do; in fact, that’s what I just did.  So obviously I’m not complaining about that.  It’s a courtesy service.

You know what else is a courtesy service?  Linking to websites and blogs that you mention in the online version of your newspapers and magazines.  It’s easier than adding an Amazon listing to your article, and Amazon makes it pretty darn easy to do that these days.

Moe Lane

*As Eddie Izzard put it: I grew up in Europe, where the history comes from.

As he also put it: I am an evil giraffe, and I shall eat more leaves from this tree then perhaps I should, so that other giraffes may die. I forget what context he said that second on in, and frankly I don’t even care.

Crossposted at RedState.