Blog Network Watch

Mike Rundle Gets Around… another interview

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Mike Rundle, the CDO of 9rules, recently completed an interview with David Newberger.. some excerpts:

There is a growing number of blog networks out there what mistakes do you think some are making and why?

I think the biggest mistake that weblog networks are making right now is that they are all following the same path and business model as Weblogs, Inc., hoping for the $20MM+ buyout that our friend Jason Calacanis was able to pull off with America Online. Jason was pretty wealthy before starting WIN, therefore he had lots of money to self-fund his company with. Engadget and Autoblog are successful because they’re updated 20 or more times per day, so if you’re trying to follow in the WIN footsteps and you’re blogs aren’t staffed with 10 writers working all day long, you’re probably not going to get there. It takes a lot of money to pay a staff of writers to update a weblog all day long, and if you’re hoping to emluate the WIN model of a weblog network without that kind of staffing from the get-go, it’s going to be an uphill battle.

The reason that 9rules works differently than WIN or other traditional weblog networks is because we just couldn’t get excited about starting a new company that did the same thing as everybody else. The 9rules team is made up of pretty young guys (20-somethings) so we all left our day jobs in order to build something completely revolutionary, not just evolutionary.

In this same vein of differentiation, it’s disheartening to see so many weblog networks not care about their brand image or the look and feel of their weblogs. We spent a lot of time working on the branding for 9rules as well as our website look, and apart from Gawker Media, I don’t think any other weblog network cares much about how people perceive their company in a visual way. A great design and logo goes a long way in making your weblog network stand out amongst the dozens of others just like yours.

Actually, that’s my favorite question/answer out of the whole set – though overall it’s a very good interview that says much about 9rules without saying it…

Not everyone can be Weblogs, Inc. I think anyone trying to follow their same business model is bound for failure – or at least they’re not going to see success on the same scale that WIN did…. There are other paths.

Just ask Gawker Media….

Originally posted on December 16, 2005 @ 11:33 pm

Cowboy Leaves Blogebrity

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Liberal Cowboy has left Blogebrity.. already...

I know this is an unprofessional manner to resign but the pay really sucked, and well my readership base is bigger over here anyhow. The topics are similar enough it almost seemed like a conflict of interest. It confused me and my readers to be blogging for the competion. Plus Scrivs made me quit. I promise. It’s all his fault. We are building this blog dynasty and he wants to make sure he has his pitbull along for the ride.

Originally posted on December 19, 2005 @ 11:21 am

Metroblogging Launches Metroblogging Paris

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Metroblogging has launched their 38th blog – Metroblogging Paris:

We sure have been busy over here recently. We launched a batch of cities last month and have a new batch headed your way very shortly starting off with the 38th Metroblogging city – Paris. We’re excited to add another site to our European family, especially our first from France. Check it out, and stay tuned for more.

Originally posted on December 19, 2005 @ 11:29 am

b5media launches Emerging Earth

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b5media has launched Emerging Earth:

Where do you go to get information these days? Most of hit the “Big Three”: Microsoft, Google and Yahoo! and Aaron Brazell is no exception. Aaron is the newest member of the Technology Channel on b5 and has just launched Emerging Earth! You may remember Aaron from such famous blogs as Technosailor (said in my best Troy McClure voice) where he’s been blogging about life in general before coming onboard with b5. The Big Three are constantly loading up their arsenal and Aaron’s going to help us keep on top of what’s coming out next. Check out Emerging Earth.

Originally posted on December 16, 2005 @ 6:20 pm

9rules adds 5 new sites

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Pearsonified.com:

By creating pearsonified.com, I basically challenged myself to channel my creative energies in ways that had been pushed aside thanks to a few misguided decisions in my personal life in recent years. It turns out that this has been extremely helpful because it has provided a comfortable stability as well as a defined path to my goals. If nothing else, I hope that my new readers will really be able to get an idea of who I am and what I’m all about, and moreover, I hope they truly enjoy checking out what I have to say! And let’s not sugarcoat here – I REALLY just want my readers to think I’m funny, ok?

The Apple Blog:

The Apple Blog, published by and for the day-to-day Apple user, is a prominent source for news, reviews, walkthroughs, and real life application of all Apple products. The site offers the hands on expertise of a wide range of accomplished users, from IT professionals to college enthusiasts. It is the experience of these users who both realize the capabilities of Apple products and are committed to passing that realization on that make The Apple Blog a resource for both Mac community veterans and newcomers.

Crap Filter:

Crap Filter covers all manners of pop culture and entertainment, ranging from movies and music to sports and books, and everything in between. A staff of talented writers with backgrounds in journalism, communications and entertainment aims to provide readers with insightful reviews, thoughtful commentary, and a daily dose of the best and worst the Web has to offer. Lively discussion between readers and authors gives visitors a reason to keep coming back for more. Crap Filter separates the good stuff from the crap and then
gives it all to you anyway.

Robot Johnny:

RobotJohnny.com is the online presence of designer and illustrator John Martz, aka Robot Johnny. The site is one part blog, one part sketchbook, and features several original freeware typefaces for download. Visit regularly for a look into the mind of a real life robot and his thoughts on comics, technology, design, and pop culture — all infused with a sense of humour and character. John is also the editor of the popular illustration blog Drawn!

Ordered List:

Ordered List is about organized professional web development. Topics range from web standards to business development, with the sporadic pet peeve. While most posts come from a web developer viewpoint, I try to keep a practical, business-like attitude towards all parts of the web. Now and again some definitive statements will be made, but on the whole it’s a more casual, discussion based site. I also release the occasional plugin for tools that I find useful, such as WordPress and Mint.

Originally posted on December 16, 2005 @ 11:19 pm