June 13th,2006

Benefits of Blog Networks

By Jeremy Wright

The 9rules gang has been out in full force these last few weeks, effectively lambasting everything that doesn’t shake their booty the same way they do. This has manifested itself at numerous blogs, with the central line being: “Why would a professional blogger want to own the house and not the land?”

Obviously this is overly simplifying things in favor of 9rules specific model. Which is fine, that’s their right (to paint the world through their glasses). We generally stepped back and let them have their fun.

But, it’s probably time to tackle this in a straightforward way. The problem with the 9rules question is that it ignores the central bit of “what is a professional blogger trying to accomplish?” Because without a set of criteria, and then figuring out what the best way to increase the value of each criteria, a metaphorical question might as well be metaphysical.

So, let me posit on what some of they key things a professional blogger is looking for are (having been a professional blogger, one of the first even):

1. Income
2. Profile
3. Community
4. Traffic
5. Freedom

I’m not going to attack 9rules in this piece, because I want to look at each of these 5 areas irrespective of the networks.

Income

This is easy. If the network increases income, great. Income can be from ads sold, income can be from increased traffic (resulting in better ad performance) and income can be in money paid out directly or indirectly thanks to being part of the network. We think we do pretty well at that. Since we started, we’ve paid out nearly 75K to our bloggers all told, increased their earnings through about 20K in contracts with b5 and referred them to more than 150K in various work (that we’re aware of) - with 80% of all of that being in the last 6 months.

I’m sure 9rules does this as well. Effectively, the model (blog ring vs blog network) doesn’t define the income - it just defines what the primary sources of income are most likely to be.

Profile

This is huge for professional bloggers. A greater amount of visibility means they can get other gigs like writing in magazines, interviews, features in major mainstream media outlets, etc. We know that our writers have landed dozens of writing jobs thanks to writing for b5 and probably close to 50 interviews, and about 100 features thanks to their involvement in b5. I’d imagine a similar level for 9rules, but really I have no idea.

Once again, the model won’t define the success of the network in creating profile for its bloggers. The network, community and company will.

Community

This is something both 9rules and b5 are very, very good at. The community is central to both companies, and bloggers from both say that the thing they love more than anything is the open, helpful, playful air of both companies. Which effectively means that the model doesn’t define the community. Which is good.

Traffic

b5 pushes a lot of traffic around. I have no idea what 9rules numbers are, and we won’t share specifically what we’re doing these days except to note that we’ve passed the 1M uniques per month level, the 20M pages per month level and the 1TB of bandwidth per month level. I wouldn’t be surprised to see 9rules doing similar numbers, given that they are 3 times our size now.

Again, the model doesn’t determine the traffic that the network can push at the individual blogger.

Freedom

To me, this is the biggest thing. If a blogger has to work a full time job and write 3-4 hours a day, their blogging isn’t affording them much freedom. Likewise, if they have to work 12 hours a day in blogging they aren’t gaining much freedom. Where professional blogging becomes fun is where you get to do just what you love *and* earn a salary at it.

In terms of which model best supports that, again we won’t know.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, none of this has to do with “ownership”. Owning vs renting is too simplistic of a metaphor. If the network builds value for the blogger, then it is worth it for the blogger to pursue. End of story. If it doesn’t, the blogger should move on. It’s a blogger’s personal choice based on what they feel is the best match for them in their journy to becoming a professional blogger.

Owning doesn’t mean a greater profile. Owning doesn’t mean more income. Owning doesn’t mean more traffic. Owning doesn’t mean more community. Owning doesn’t mean more freedom.

It does mean you can’t call someone else in when the pipes break. It does mean you have to pay property taxes. It does mean that you and you alone are responsible for attracting buyers to your house.

The question will always be: what does each individual blogger need right now, and which model helps them succeed more completely, more quickly and with more value built at the end of the day?

For background on this:

9rules on why ownership is the only way to build value
9rules on why bloggers shouldn’t blog for more than one network
9rules on why blog networks don’t get it (see comments)
9rules on complaining about nobody listening

End of the day, writers will decide what’s best, and readers will go where the best writers are. As network owners it’s rather silly to debate what writers want. Writers are incredibly smart and will do what’s best for them, and I’m not going to be the one to criticize that decision.

The Conversation

Hsien-Hsien Lei, PhD on June 13th, 2006 at 12:57

This is the typical blog network navel-gazing that gets in the way of doing real, productive work. Work that helps to make the world a better and happier place. Seriously.

I think everyone’s lost the plot. What’s the purpose of blogging? It’s certainly not to make money although that’s a nice side effect. It’s not to boost our ego although that also happens to a significant degree. And, it’s not to one-up each other on everything from the color of your underwear template to the number of blogs.

Blogging is a way for everyone to share information and knowledge - from the person with the smallest voice to the person with the loudest. Being with a network means that I can spend my time talking/blogging about topics that mean a lot to me instead of fidding with the mic and amp, setting up the stage, and all that tech business.

Being with b5 allows me to write, write, and write with SIGNIFICANT tech support. And the more I write, the more people read. Yes, numbers are going up, up, and up. For all those dying to see our stats, just look at Technorati and Alexa to get an idea however incomplete. And don’t compare apples and oranges. Take each blog and compare it with another in the same niche. You’ll see that we’re doing far better than you’re afraid to believe.

Now let’s get back down to the real business of providing meaningful content (your definition may vary). Perhaps, you’d like to visit Genetics and Health, Play Library, or any one of the over 100 blogs we have in the blogroll to your right. Then let’s talk.

Aaron Brazell on June 13th, 2006 at 13:05

Oh, Hsien. You sound so taken advantage of and held down. Certainly, what’s being missed by Scrivs point is that bloggers like you are victimized by networks who exploit your labor. How come you don’t sound like a victim?

Darren McLaughlin on June 13th, 2006 at 13:21

I’m amazed that you’ve only paid out $75K. With the large number of blogs in your network I would have thought it was much higher.

This dialogue between 9rules and you has been interesting to me. If the network doesn’t own the content, I think the ultimate value of the web properties is much lower, and any synergistic effects of network traffic could be lost.

So basically a network that owns all the content would look for an exit strategy (sell the network), pay off all the bloggers the equity they earned in the websites at the completion of the sale and everyone would walk away happy.

It’s unrealistic to not have a clean exit plan in today’s day and age and selling the network out is the most logical one, IMHO. I think owning the content is the primary asset for both the network and the blogger, in a way, so I think there’s an inherent struggle between the two that is represented by 9rules and b5media.

Ingrid Diaz on June 13th, 2006 at 13:29

Hm. Perhaps we should start a blog about being victimized by blog networks. We can call it blictim.com…

Aaron Brazell on June 13th, 2006 at 13:40

Darren: I was thinking about this on the way home from work a few minutes ago. Not to target 9rules except that they are the largest “network” of their model, but I tend to agree with you. What does 9rules offer its bloggers that someplace like, say, SitePoint doesn’t? In both cases, the “network” doesn’t own the bloggers or members. In both cases, there is community. In neither case does either one provide a means to monetize sites outside of advice from other members and maybe some of the execs. In both cases, the member is empowered to leverage the network name to monetize, gain traffic, etc.

So what does 9rules offer that can’t be gotten from another website, even one not particularly connected to blogging? Nothing, really.

With b5media, and other networks like KMM, the network leverages its own pull to not only push traffic (which 9rules does), but push ad revenue. In our case, the content is the business - that’s why we control it. 9rules doesn’t do that.

In fact, what exactly does 9rules have in terms of a business plan? Do they have an exit strategy? If AOL or Yahoo wanted to buy them, what assets are they buying?

Bottom line, different strokes for different folks. This world is big enough for 9rules and b5media both. It’s big enough for Colbert Low to blog wherever he wants to. It’s big enough for Milo Riano to blog at Soccerati and blog at another soccer blog at the same time.

And we don’t answer to Scrivs.

Of course, I’m not in the ownership team, so I’m speaking from my own position on this roost over here. I’ll let Jeremy and the guys speak officially for b5 but the whole thing has pretty much pissed me off.

Jeremy Wright on June 13th, 2006 at 13:47

I have no desire to bash on 9rules, since I think their model works. They focus on community and building value through a healthy community, which is great.

Darren, my perspective on your question is twofold. First on the payment side, we started out at 500$ in payments our first month. Obviously we’ve growth quite substantially in the last 7 months. Feel free to plot the growth using a standard growth pattern to see roughly where we’re at now.

On the ownership side, our bloggers actually own their content and we get a license to it. I think that’s the best compromise possible.

End of the day, this isn’t about models. It’s about execution, it’s about individual bloggers’ needs and it’s about the ability for a network to meet those needs.

I’d like to think that if we weren’t, our bloggers would leave. They’re all really smart, much smarter than any of the founders.

Easton Ellsworth on June 13th, 2006 at 13:58

Great response. Just for reference, let me add that some of the recent debate around this question can be found at my blog.

That last paragraph sums it up very nicely for me - especially “readers will go where the best writers are.”

Mike Rundle on June 13th, 2006 at 14:05

“So what does 9rules offer that can’t be gotten from another website, even one not particularly connected to blogging? Nothing, really.”

Aaron, I’m a bit confused by all this negativity towards us. Back in February we exchanged multiple emails about your desire for Technosailor to join the 9rules Network, so what’s changed your mind so drastically?

Scrivs on June 13th, 2006 at 14:07

Two things:

1) We never bashed anyone. We started a discussion and offered our opinions. Nobody else took it personal except for now and in my opinion some great discussion has stemmed from them.

2) In all the arguments here numbers seem to be thrown around so you have to understand why people want to see proof. Here it’s $100k and at Tyme’s site it’s $75k. Two months ago I saw the 20M pageview number and today I see the same number.

For all those dying to see our stats, just look at Technorati and Alexa to get an idea however incomplete. And don’t compare apples and oranges. Take each blog and compare it with another in the same niche. You’ll see that we’re doing far better than you’re afraid to believe.

That’s a bold thing to say and what help is Technorati to me when it seems most of the links come from sites within the network? 9rules isn’t a traffic powerhouse and those stats don’t really mean much except to the advertisers. Can you measure the influence we have? Not really but if we could maybe we would be throwing our own numbers around.

Different models for different types is exactly the point and that’s why nobody should be taking this personally.

And I don’t know when our business plan and exit strategy entered the conversation but I’m sure our members will be happy to know that we are focused on helping their sites grow and 9rules grow. Not how to cash out.

Kim on June 13th, 2006 at 14:10

Regardless of the different positions…this is a very healthy discussion…we can only learn and grow from it.

Tyme on June 13th, 2006 at 14:16

Let’s get some things clear. I wasn’t bashing b5. Jeremy and I go through these rounds every once and while and if he has time, once I get the new 9rules members settled, we can do that podcast we talked about doing. I’m 99.9% sure Jeremy knows I wasn’t bashing b5 simply because he’s seen me bash. In royal form.

My entries (there were two) were explaining why 9rules (from my perspective) has the stance it does. We “can” say one network and it works for us. Blog networks are a business and they need to be run like a business. Most of the blogs in our network make their money outside of advertising revenue. They found other ways to monetize and don’t need network backing for financial gain.

My point was bloggers should make the right decision for them. On my site readers are complaining about their bloated RSS readers trying to follow bloggers in multiple networks. How they feel the strain of multiple network blogging shows in content. Those comments aren’t for 9rulers – they are for traditional networks. Ironic they are on my site but there you have it. Listen to them because blogs need readers, right?

Aaron Brazell on June 13th, 2006 at 14:17

Mike: Nothing personal, bud. I’m just not at ALL in agreement with exclusivity unless you’re paying members for exclusivity. AFAIK, 9rules doesn’t pay bloggers to only blog with 9rules and AFAIK, there’s really not much more than a pat on the head and some traffic flow that 9rules offers.

Your exclusivity is what prevented me, for the most part, from blogging for applying to 9rules.

To get back on target about buying or renting (weak analogy as it is)

- I’ve made more money as a blogger since starting on network bloggin thahn I ever did on my own.
- My profile has been boosted since joining network blogging.
- My traffic, even to non-b5 blogs such as Technosailor , has increased way more in 6 months in network blogging than it did in the year and a half prior.

So… why do bloggers go the route of a network, even when they don’t own the content?

Profile, traffic, money. b5media does this for me as a blogger. I’m sure others do as well. I would guess 9rules does this too.

Just don’t care for the pissing match that your CEO started. Doesn’t speak highly of him.

Darren McLaughlin on June 13th, 2006 at 14:26

Scrivs,

I brought the business model and exit strategy into it. If you’ve been in business for any amount of time, you know that a lot can happen to people in a short period. They get divorced..some of them will find Buddha or an equivalent. Heck, sometimes people’s priorities just change.

You have to consider how everyone cashes out. If a blogger isn’t making a ton of money in income, and doesn’t have a plan for a big cashout at the end, they’re counting on mere persistence and longetivity of service to carry them to the end. An exit plan is not a dirty word. I’ve started businesses with and without them and I fared much better when I decided what I wanted out of the business when I left, up front.

Tyme on June 13th, 2006 at 14:27

Aaron, I’m going to assume that since you were posting at the same time I was, you didn’t see my comment. Jeremy, Scrivs, Mike and I are discussing. A good healthy discussion.

In the quest for accuracy, I started this discussion June 7th on a third party site. Jeremy and I discussed it there. Scrivs picked up on my original entry. So I guess you really don’t like the pissing match I started.

In which case you might not want to listen to Jeremy and my podcast because I guarantee you won’t like that either.

I find it amusing when I start something (not intending to) that Scrivs is blamed for it.

Aaron Brazell on June 13th, 2006 at 14:30

Okay, point taken, Tyme.

So tell me… why start the pissing match at all? What works for 9rules works for 9rules. Great. What works for b5 works for b5. Excellent. What works for KMM works for KMM. Groovy.

Mind your business and we’ll mind ours. I guess if the one agreeable point we can take from all this is “whatever works” then why start a pissing match over it? To quote a Canadian, “Eh?”

Jeremy Wright on June 13th, 2006 at 14:30

I’m all for a podcast at some point. I keep saying that ;-) Hell, I’m open tonight :p

Scrivs on June 13th, 2006 at 14:33

Darren: I understand the value of a exit strategy, but I don’t see the value of it in this pissing match. That was my point.

Hsien-Hsien Lei, PhD on June 13th, 2006 at 14:33

On my site readers are complaining about their bloated RSS readers trying to follow bloggers in multiple networks. How they feel the strain of multiple network blogging shows in content.

I don’t understand the bloated part. Does bloat differ whether it’s the same # of blogs written by all different bloggers or a few?

There are a lot of factors that go into whether a person can effectively blog for different networks.

1. Do the blogs overlap too much?
2. Do the blogs have staying power to begin with?
3. Is the writer a one trick pony?
4. Have things changed to affect the amount of bloggable material?
5. Has the writer begun to burn out?

Burnout happens whether or not a person writes for multiple networks or has multiple blogs.

Scrivs on June 13th, 2006 at 14:35

Pissing match? If you read Easton’s site you can see he handled it the right way by continuing the discussion. He didn’t take it as a pissing match. You guys took it to another level here which is a shame.

And what exactly doesn’t speak highly of me? Asking questions? Starting discussions? My entry questioned why you would allow your writers to write in more than one place which to me is a business question. I can ask why Google keeps on releasing free stuff and would that be considered a pissing match?

Jeremy talks numbers and I ask to see them. What’s wrong with that? More pissing I guess.

Our entries did exactly what Hsien-Hsien was touting.

Blogging is a way for everyone to share information and knowledge - from the person with the smallest voice to the person with the loudest.

Telling Tyme to mind her own business? That speaks highly of you.

Tyme on June 13th, 2006 at 14:39

Well Jeremy I would do a quick podcast tonight to explain we aren’t at war since some people don’t seem to get that, but I’ve just been told to mind my own business so…

Aaron Brazell on June 13th, 2006 at 14:40

You’re right, Scrivs, and I’ll apologize here. I’m actually backing out of this conversation (already determined) because I’m taking it too personally and as I’m reading on the other blogs further comments since the last time I read, I realize I’m taking this wrong. My apologies.

Jeremy Wright on June 13th, 2006 at 14:50

Let’s be clear on what was said in this “open and honest” discussion…

Tyme: “Your exposure is lackluster” (bloggers who blog for networks)
Rundle: “other weblog networks are just trying to rack up as many blogs as they can”
Rundle: “100 blogs with 100 pageviews”
Rundle: “paying a writer 80% of the $0 advertising revenue it pulls in”
Rundle: “the writers figure out that they’re better off leaving”
Rundle: “writers start their own blog and make more money than they ever did writing for someone else”
Scrivs: “Most of these networks could care less about the quality of the content” (after linking to a b5 post)
Tyme: “bloggers will wise up and realize they can do more to gain better exposure”
Scrivs: “we are focused on helping their sites grow and 9rules grow. Not how to cash out.”

If you want an open and honest discussion, let’s stop with the hyperbole.

For the record, I don’t really think this is bashing. But it’s not open and honest either.

Mike Rundle on June 13th, 2006 at 14:59

Jeremy, I’m not sure how you felt all those comments directly referred to b5, for none of mine did at all. I don’t feel as though criticizing a certain model means that I’m directly criticizing your company, unless b5media has a monopoly on the WIN-style weblog network model which I don’t think you’d agree is true.

If I talk about how I dislike the VoIP industry over at BusinessLogs.com, I don’t expect the CEO of Vonage to get up in arms and feel personally attacked, so I’m a bit taken back since that seems to be what’s happening here.

Jeremy Wright on June 13th, 2006 at 15:05

Feel free to be taken aback. Again, I’m more than happy for us to have an open and honest conversation. So long as both models are represented … Yep, openly and honestly.

A better metaphor would be if you wrote about VoIP on BusinessLogs where you said that all conversations could be listened to by anyone on the net, there was no call quality, people always swore and sometimes when you called someone you got the wrong person.

In that case, yeah, the CEO of Vonage might slap you around nice and gentle. Mischaracterizing an industry/model will have that effect on people.

Again, more than happy to have a discussion around the key points you guys are raising (ie: bloggers blogging for multiple networks, how bloggers earn money with networks, whether bloggers should blog on the same topic, webring vs network, etc). But when the hyperbole’s so thick I need windshield wipers it’s not a discussion at all.

If you want a discussion, more than happy to have one :)

Again, for future reference, the best way to start a discussion isn’t to run around saying “the other model sucks!”. Or, if you’re going to, let’s both post opinions on key issues in a “10 reasons x rocks” type of fashion (that I know we’re both used to).

Hell, that might be fun actually. We could probably get it covered in a fairly major magazine if we did it right.

End of the day, though, discussions need to be based on open and honest, and so far the week and a half of 9rules-based discussions haven’t been. Hence, I reframed the discussion to what it was originally about: the bloggers :)

Tyme on June 13th, 2006 at 15:06

Jeremy I used WIN and b5 as an example. People couldn’t name a blogger on Engadget, a popular blog. My point was: that being the case, bloggers might want to optimize their options. That’s bluntly honest. Do something to optimize the exposure. Link to their own blog, something they own.

1) I never said a blogger shouldn’t be part of a network.

2) Multiple networks doesn’t make sense (to me) because they dilute their traffic and most times the content suffers. That’s my honest opinion.

3) I never said b5 was bad in any way. Matter of fact I said that I don’t think any network means harm to their bloggers.

My entries were “I don’t understand why bloggers do it” not “I think content networks suck”. Don’t know how I can be more honest about it.

Jeremy Wright on June 13th, 2006 at 15:11

Fair enough Tyme. I’d never acll you a liar, so yeah I believe you :)

Mike Rundle on June 13th, 2006 at 15:15

Jeremy, I don’t see how writing my opinions in a blog entry or comment makes a discussion unfair at all, in fact all blog entries are just voiced opinions anyway. It’s unfortunate that you didn’t participate in Paul’s entry regarding multiple networks at the 9rules Featured Blog because your insight would have been helpful. Again, just because I voice my opinion doesn’t mean you can’t hop into the comments and voice yours, that’s the point of a weblog.

If I spin things too hard then feel free to chime in, many other weblog network owners have been a part of the discussion since the beginning, so if that means the discussion has been one-sided and closed then maybe you haven’t been reading the discussion at all.

Jeremy Wright on June 13th, 2006 at 15:26

There’s a reason we’ve stayed out. Now we’re in, but we still refuse to get into the pissing match.

If y’all want a debate, let’s do one. If you want to have an open and honest discussion let’s do that. If you want to just shoot the breeze that’s totally cool too.

We just have no desire to argue about what is, effectively, a blogger’s decision :)

duncan on June 13th, 2006 at 16:41

Sorry Scrivs, I’ve bitten by tounge so far but I won’t stand quitely and listen to your BS.

“We never bashed anyone” is crap, you personally singled out one of our bloggers in an attack peice and then had the hide to finish your post with “it’s not personal”. BS. You single someone out and have a go at what they are doing, it’s an attack, plain and simple.

At the end of the day we are focused on the best outcomes for our bloggers, and that may mean for them opportunities elsewhere, but we are big enough to allow our bloggers to blog for other firms, companies, whoever and whatever they want to do, something I can’t say for you.

Grow up son, and if you continue to attack people and other companies, expect some debate back in return, precious.

HART (1-800-HART) on June 13th, 2006 at 16:43

My favorite comments so far..

3) Darren
>> had fun surfing this afternoon over there.

4)Indrid
>> Blictim.com .. haha - it’s available

7) Easton
>> good discussion on your blog too!

8) Mike - posted 2:05
9) Scrivs - posted 2:07
11) Tyme - posted 2:16
>> HUH? Did Tyme have to go to the bathroom? Usually the Larry, Curly and Moe are more co-ordinated in their attacks or rather, discussions throughout the blogosphere

2) 5) 12) 15) 21) Aaron ..
>> thanks for keeping it real

And finally ..
*clap,clap* .. That’s why Jeremy makes the big bucks!

I am one the biggest hypocrits out there .. I have been biting my tongue on comments like this past week and refraining from putting in my discounted CDN 2cents. Honestly, as a reader .. ever since Scriv’s mental breakdown .. the wrong people are publicly ruining (i.m.h.o.) the public perception of what 9rules.com is and can be.

Sure - I question the morality of having a free-for-all blog and “R” rated blog away from the “G” rated network, then cross link promote and have trackbacks back and forth - but what do I care? Really .. why should I care? I don’t. I think my John Evans from Syntagma said it best on Easton’s blog …

“Scrivs is off-beam on this one”. // Good post Jeremy.

~~~
Who in the Hell is HART (1-800-HART)?

This comment is by no means a rip on Scrivs or Tyme or Mike since I don’t even know these people or read their sites (oh wait - I do). They just happened to be one of the many multiple network authors that I came across in my Bloglines. Further this comment isn’t meant as a rip on 9rules but more me trying to understand their reasoning behind some of their decisions because I think many are shooting themselves in the foot…and that’s no fun.

.. or something like that ..

Jeremy Wright on June 13th, 2006 at 16:56

Dunc, Tyme and I are talking now, I think we’re in the same book now at least :)

Christina Jones on June 13th, 2006 at 17:01

Damn, you all are too confusing. I thought Administrator WAS Dunc. That is why I stay out of this stuff - confusing for us blondes. But, I have to say, Hart - excellent post. ;)

Christina Jones on June 13th, 2006 at 17:04

*whew* Thank you. ;) Much better.

Tyme on June 13th, 2006 at 17:19

Jeremy and I just finished talking. I’ll be posting the podcast tomorrow. We decided to do more.

Hart - um, hmm…not exactly sure what to say. Oh yeah, I know. I’m Beyonce. Not Moe. Beyonce. Get it straight.

HART (1-800-HART) on June 13th, 2006 at 17:35

I prefer Moe - to mean “MOETIVATION” (or of the “classic” reference) // I don’t subscribe to that c-HART-reuse reference, even though it came from someone with HART in its name!

But, I like listening to podcasts. I really do.

Darren McLaughlin on June 13th, 2006 at 18:34

There’s one question that every blogger should ask a blog network: what’s in it for me?

duncan on June 13th, 2006 at 22:26

So what’s the deal Tyme, fire first, discuss reasonably later? I see your quite the apple of Scrivs eye…just unfortunate that Mike joined the lynching, Mike, I always thought better of you mate, a shame I was wrong.

Anyone for a porn blog network? :-)

duncan on June 13th, 2006 at 22:30

Just on Hart’s comments,
thanks Hart, great comments, this isn’t a fight we picked, and I’m sure others will have something to say on Jeremy responding, but it certainly shows the insecurities of a person when they have nothing better to do than attack others rather than blow their own trumpet…or blog ring as the case may be :-)

HART (1-800-HART) on June 13th, 2006 at 22:44

Thanks Duncan :) all in good fun, although all in great seriousness. It’s my own 2cents though, probably less because it’s Canadian Dollars, but not as valueless as it was a few years ago when the exchange was much different.

At one point, I was going to comment on the pingsix blog but then remembered why I stopped commenting over there (even though I still read her blogs).. Why would I want to comment on a blog has anonymous comments (URLs stripped), the comments will probably be deleted in a few months anyway, and the comments can be shut off at any time for no visible reason?

Everybody seems to have kissed and made up, so I myself will be standing in line to listen to the upcoming podcast from two great online entities.

Melissa Petri on June 14th, 2006 at 02:47

I used to say that I travel blog for KMM, Creative-Weblogging, b5media and 9rules. Sadly, I had to give up 9rules due to the exclusivity issue. Despite that, I still believe in the community of 9rules and the guys over there have my respect. Same goes for the other networks which I blog for.

Sooo… I do not understand why there is a need for some to start dissing others just because they run things differently. Why there is a need for “this is how it should be… blah blah” Just because you think that way does not mean that everyone else should.

IMHO, we should NOT expect all networks to be run the same way. Nor should we expect to have ALL bloggers seek the same kind of “reward” since not all of us blog for the same reasons. Everyone (again, imho) should keep that in mind.

But then again, that is just my opinion.

Melissa Petri on June 14th, 2006 at 02:51

*the dissing part that I was talking about are those which came from some and not from Jeremy nor Scrivs.

Bloggers Buzz » Blog Archive » Benefits of Blog Networks on June 14th, 2006 at 03:53

[…] Jeremy’s goal is not to blast 9 rules but rather provide his opinion on the subject and the full post is available from the b5media blog […]

colbert on June 14th, 2006 at 07:52

Goodness..there’s some buzz in Blogosphere now due to what Paul has written. I just hope the traffic is helping b5media on a positive side.

Bloggers For Hire » Blog Archive » Professional Network Bloggers: Do they owe their networks a fiduciary duty? on June 15th, 2006 at 09:08

[…] Jeremy Wright […]

the musings of a gonzo wannabe » Blog Archive » Won’t get into all of this, but I will… on June 15th, 2006 at 17:42

[…] If you really, really want to (note: it’s all in the comments!)… - how it started - how it spread - one network responds (without name calling) - another network replies Posted by Martin Filed in GonzoTalk […]

Cotton-Pickin’ Days » Blog Archive » It’s OK to Make Enemies on July 17th, 2006 at 12:08

[…] This week, I’ve witnessed and participated in a few public and not-so-public disagreements. Whereas before, I would have been afraid to make enemies and either spoken obsequiously or stayed silent, I’m now speaking out against arrogance, fabrication, and deceit. And I don’t care if they don’t like it. […]

Flemming on July 18th, 2006 at 09:47

Surely the benefits of a blog network must be those who own the central blog.

They build the influence and search engine ranking that they can use to promote “free cell phones”, miraculous slimming products and what have you.

Most blog networks are just the natural progression upwards from RSS/AdSense driven spam-blog farms: You brand your spam-blog farm as a “network” to gain credibility, touch it up with some graphic and a mission statement and replace the content from others RSS feed with people who are hoping for a pot of gold and/or a bit of self respect.

But at the end of the day it’s still just a blog-spam farm – or am I overlooking something?

Jeremy Wright on July 18th, 2006 at 09:56

Flemming,

If you define “spam” as “all content written for profit”, then sure you can lump all blog networks in as simply spam blogs. But then, really, magazines are just junk mail with fresh content and pretty design too.

However the flipside is that this is fresh content, fresh design, niches that aren’t necessarily mainstream at all, a real community, real partnerships, etc… Things that no spammer has.

Effectively you could say that we have one thing in common with spammers (ie: making money) but dozens of things *not* in common with them. So when you get right down to it we’re more different than we are the same. And we have more in common with mainstream media outlets like magazines than we do with spammers.

I guess perceptually it’s up to the reader to decide.

Cary on July 18th, 2006 at 13:00

Cool – now publishing = spam…

Somebody call the Moron Police, they’ve lost one of their charges ;)

John on July 18th, 2006 at 18:27

Wow. Please come up with a valid definition of the term “spam blog” and show me which b5 site fits the definition.

Better yet, send it to me via email so I can BREAK THE STORY!

Mattbob — Blog Archive » Arguments on September 9th, 2006 at 12:16

[…] Blog network owners like to argue. Why? Because they all have their own ideas of how a blog network should be run. They’re also very protective of the network they’ve built and why shouldn’t they be? I’m very proud of Random Shapes and every other blog network owner out there should be proud of his/her own network. […]

WritingThoughts » Blog Archive » Benefits to Being Part of a Blog Network on June 25th, 2007 at 14:57

[…] Benefits of Blog Networks […]

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