Recent Blog Entries
So Many Blogs, So Little Content
Written by Scrivs on August 9, 2005
Gotta love this… Microsoft is creating their own version of the Weblogs, Inc. Network/Gawker Media called MSN Filter—and they are giving Nick and our team credit. That’s very nice of them.
Actually I don’t love this at all. It’s simply more of the same and how can the same be any exciting? Jason thinks it will help propel blogs onto the frontpages of Yahoo, Google, MSN and AOL. Sure it would be cool to see your site on the frontpage of those, but I don’t think it will ever happen.
MSN Filter, which I guess is a copy of every other blog network out there that creates plenty of sites only to report back what a ton of other sites are reporting, consists of five “blogs” so far. I have to begin to use the word “blog” loosely because everyone has their own definition of it.
Slashdot and Fark were never called blogs before but what makes them any different than say Engadget, which is considered a blog?
Back on track. The sites on MSN Filter use secret bloggers who throw a paragraph on the screen with a link to another site. Haven’t seen this done before…
I’m not saying that this isn’t a good business model, but I don’t think it’s a good social model. What I like about the sites in our network is that they are all individual sites with individual personalities. If you have ever commented on one of them before and entered into a discussion with other readers you are joining a mini-community that many of these blog networks seem to lack.
But how can you make money off of sites where the writer only writes a couple times a month and may only have one set of ads on their site, if any? Unless you are John Gruber you will probably make very few dollars following that model, so why even bother?
When we started this network we wanted to showcase old school blogs. You know, back when blogs were actually blogs. Having sites in our network that when their feed is updated you actually take the time to read what they have to say. Sure we have sites like HDBlog and PS3Blog that update more often than others in typical fast-paced blog style, but those sites are run by one individual who offers his unqiue voice and opinion to the content.
At the Blog Business Summit I am teamed up with Shawn Gold of Weblogs, Inc. and Stowe Boyd of Corante to discuss Building a Blog Network. To be honest I am scared shitless because we went a separate path with our network. I don’t know of too many businessheads who wish to hear about how to start a network of sites that earns less in a month than WIN earns in a single day. We don’t hire professional writers (at least not yet), we just like to bring on board cool and unique sites. I guess we are fighting for the little person on the web.
Do I think 9rules will ever become financially successful? Of course I do and once we launch our latest projects more money will come in. Do I think the 9rules Network will ever become a million dollar fixture? In the long term I think we have more potential because we offer the reader what they want.
To finish this off, here is what Richard MacManus thinks about MSN Filter:
Microsoft’s Filter network is a pretty bland, nameless lot of bloggers. Weblogs inc and Gawker are kind of inbetween Microsoft and where I want Yahoo and AOL to be. The personality of Jason’s and Nick’s bloggers shine through, but they do their thing under the weblogs inc and gawker umbrellas – instead of being their own unique Brands. Which is what I’m trying to be here at Read/Write Web
Not that I’m saying there’s anything wrong with Jason’s or any of these approaches – just that I’m hoping one of the big players decides to truly open up their network to small unique brands.
You are more than welcome to bring your unique brand over to 9rules anytime Richard. Especially since you took the words right out of my mouth.
August 9th, 2005 at 8:26 am
It’s been interesting to see what’s been corporatization happening with the blogosphere the past few years. I think what you guys are doing with 9Rules is great, I sort’ve parallel it to the music industry. I see 9Rules as the independant music label focusing on putting out great bands while still trying to make some money in an ethical way.
August 9th, 2005 at 8:40 am
Now all we need is Steve Jobs to come out with iBlogs Content Store and we can be on equal footing with the big kids
August 9th, 2005 at 10:52 am
I love the approach you’re taking with 9Rules. In fact, letting people have their own personal blogs and representing them in a network was something we considered at the start of Weblogs, Inc.
However, at the time (18 months ago–has it been that long?!) there were not enough sites with enough traffic to make that work. Without critical mass there was no way to even approach an advertiser.
I think your approach could work, but clearly it wil take some time to develop the personalities to the point at which they are brands. When you do make the bloggers into the brands you’ll of course have to deal with the Martha Stewart issue: your business will rise and fall with the personalities. Someone leaves the business leaves, someone gets sick the business suffers, etc.
Now, if you can get to 100 or 200 personalities maybe you can hedge against these issues.
So, I’m watching and learning… I think if anyone can make this work it’s you!
August 9th, 2005 at 12:03 pm
I just noted to Alvey in a chat that Weblogs Inc was begining to improve regarding content and design. I think that’s a direct result of 9rules bringing design to networks. However, on 9rules, what makes it different than a webring from the 90s? That’s a question I think Blog Business Summit attendees will want to know.
Another topic is content syndication, reblogging, we’re seeing our content spread far and wide, sometimes with attribution and sometimes not. You also see bloggers post in several different places, thereby dilluting what one site could offer. Is there a model for premium content that isn’ syndicated elsewhere? And will WIN and 9rules need to offer webmail and a chat application to drive traffic to the levels of Yahoo and MSN?
August 9th, 2005 at 1:51 pm
When we started this Network the idea of a webring was always at the top of our minds, but we needed a way to improve upon that concept.
In a webring anybody could join as long as they had the webring link on their site. Therefore just because you loved on knitting blog didn’t mean when you clicked on the webring link you would be taken to another quality one.
There are plenty of other differences, but yeah the webring concept was strong in our minds when planning out the Network.
As for Weblogs, Inc. improving on design I talked with Calacanis last year about how they needed to improve the design of their sites if they wanted each one to have its own brand. They are slowly getting better, which I am glad to see.
August 9th, 2005 at 5:35 pm
I think the 9rules model will succeed and have staying power. The internet is information – but it’s the personalities who write and create interesting point of views and awesome sites – it’s those that make the internet spin faster.
I try to post mostly original content and not so much posting of other links that I saw at other sites.
It’s the original content and problem solvers and creative writers and, eventually the ‘source’ of a good network is all of this.
So while Jason is right about the rise and fall of personalities, that is the exciting unwavering nature of the internet – new things grow while old things fade. If someone stops writing, creating, then they are slowly pulled off people’s bookmarks, slowly removed from the newsreaders, and eventually they are back where they started, and someone else who is creating more interesting and better content now will take the place.
August 10th, 2005 at 1:37 am
Profile – MSN Filter
Company: MSN Filter
Launched: August 2, 2005
Overview:
MSN Filter is the latest MSN product release from Microsoft. Filter is a blogging network similar to Weblogs, Inc. (profile) and Gawker – meaning they have hired bloggers to blog about specific …
August 18th, 2005 at 9:32 pm
You guys have a good thing going. The only thing you are missing is a really good personal finance blog! One like, oh say, AllThingsFinancial. BTW – I finally got a mention in today’s Wall Street Journal. I’m pretty excited about that.
January 22nd, 2006 at 12:39 am
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