Thanks for nothing, MSNBC.

MSNBC is one of my favorite news sources, but has just annoyed me greatly. MSNBC previously has had available on the site the transcripts for most of its TV shows. Well, apparently, the network is no longer providing those transcripts.

And that pisses me off. Being able to use a printed transcript is far easier than listening to audio and typing out what has been said. That takes a lot of time and energy, and often I don't have that much time and energy. I guess MSNBC thought that little ol' me would somehow be competing with the giant corporate network or that somehow my quoting excerpts from those transcripts would take away from the network's income.

What a bunch of crap. The transcripts would come out about 24 hours after a given broadcast, so it's not like I was using MSNBC to get to a story first. Moreover, by quoting those transcripts and providing links to the MSNBC site, I was helping to promote MSNBC and direct people to the website. Now that transcripts are no longer available, I will be far less likely to rely on MSNBC, meaning I will be less likely to mention the network or direct people to its website.

Way to go, MSNBC! I guess I'll start relying more on CNN, ABC, CBS, and other major networks (except Faux News, of course). You see, they provide printed versions of all their reports.