Gawker and its writers, despite some steps backward, made the web better. In a piece titled ' Gawker is dead: An appreciation,' The Washington Post's Philip Bump wrote, 'There are so many good writers out there who are better, directly or indirectly, thanks to the site's fearlessness, aggressiveness and attitude. The New York Post's Lia Eustachewich, for instance, referred to Gawker on Friday as 'Nick Denton's beloved gossip site' - which is just surreal, because while it was still alive, Gawker made a UFC-worthy spectacle of bashing the Post. ('Desirable though the other properties are,' Gawker Media founder Nick Denton wrote in a note to his staff, 'we have not been able to find a single media company or investor willing also to take on .') Univision's announced acquisition of Gawker Media blogs Deadspin, Lifehacker, Gizmodo, Jalopnik, Jezebel and Kotaku last week - a sale forced by Gawker Media's bankruptcy following a $140 million ruling against it in Hulk Hogan's invasion-of-privacy lawsuit - is making plenty of media observers suddenly nostalgic about the Gawker Media flagship that nobody wanted. How are you supposed to feel about the fact that is shutting down this week? Very sad, apparently, if the recent wave of Gawker praise in the media is any guidance.

Gawker down