Clean Slate

I'm glad, for a number of reasons, to see Microsoft sell its online magazine Slate to the Washington Post.

For one thing, it's a good fit. Slate is pretty close to the top of the online publishing heap in its unique niche of political-slash-entertainment news, and the Washington Post is as solid a news organization as this country can boast. Plus, the Post people are smart enough to leave the Slate people alone to do what they do, rather than muck up something that's working pretty well without any mucking up.

Secondly, when I heard that Slate was on the auction block, I feared that it might simply go away. I'm confident that the Post bought it to help it be successful, not to gut it. And hopefully, they'll continue to find ways to keep it subscription-free.

Third, it's gratifying to see one more thing Bill Gates doesn't own. Of course, his wife is on the board of directors of the Post, but at least Bill won't own it outright. That's a good thing.