This is a sad day for the Times and for journalism.

[Others lambasted the ROKR:] Talk about an anticlimax, ... The lack of genuinely interesting news about this phone is the real story. This phone and service are late and lame.

Seconds later,

If you create a sufficient level of informed conversation about a very narrow subject, that's a business. You better really love it, though, because you'll get bored.

Fewer citizens participated, they were less interested in collaboration with one another, and the response to our initiatives was underwhelming.

It's as if the TV was sold to you at a loss and they're going to somehow make up the money on the programming. They'll be very anxious to make you watch only the certain kind of programming.