in a dramatic, 40 percent decrease in MetaFilter's advertising revenue nearly two years ago. Somehow, a site renowned for its dedication to spam-free intelligent conversation got caught up in Google's war against content factories who had figured out how to optimize for its search engine. For one of the Web's oldest and most beloved forums, the round of layoffs was, as blogging pioneer Anil Dash obversed, "another sign of autumn for the indie Web."

Happily, the MetaFilter community is stepping up with donations that may ensure the continued future of MetaFilter. But whether MetaFilter lives or dies is not the story. The real lesson is the vulnerability of every Web publisher to the vagaries of how Google — and increasingly, Facebook — wield their powers. Editorial decisions are atGraphic Novels

"An ambitious line of graphic novel reprints." — The Comics Reporter

Since 1941, Dover has been preserving important works of literature, fine art, the sciences, and much more, in affordable, high-quality paperback reprints. Now, the publishing house turns its expertise to the sequential art medium, rescuing out-of-print graphic novels and comics that reach far beyond the bounds of traditional superhero adventures.

As an added bonus, many of the books are being expanded with exclusive original material, including new covers and commentary by such literary and comic superstars as Max Brooks, Larry Hama, Brandon Graham, and Dave Sim.

Plus, we also publish an outstanding line of wordless graphic novels from the early 20th century, including arresting works by such legendary woodcut artists as Lynd Ward and Frans Masereel.

Find out why the