Book writing Boom and Bust in the Blogosphere
Been busy writing a book over the last three weeks over the boom and in some cases the major flame out s that happen in the blogosphere. The good examples, scobleizer, B5 media, boingboing, Gawker, Techcrunch, Read Write Web, Mashible, and a host of others that have made it from the general people blog to a blog that is much more than just a blog, it is a source of news, things that are new, and writing that changes people’s ideas, lives, and in some ways, the fortunes of their companies that they work for.
Flame outs like the most extreme example over at blognation, simple failures of the business model like MyKinda and Know More Media, and then the darker side of the internet with bloggers being run off like the Kathy Sierra death threat debacle (although in the end some good did come of it, you do not hear about horrific behavior on the blogosphere as much as you used to before the draft bloggers code of conduct).
The influence of people like Tim O’Reilly, Robert Scoble, Louis Gray, Michael Arrington, and others, and in many cases how they have worked out a way to extend past the blog, and start their own side lines like Chris Pirillo’s Gnomedex, or Tech Crunch sponsored events, or Mashible sponsored events that I have attended in the past.
The only real question that I have is after combing the internet to get both sides of the story, and there is a lot of information out there on people, blogs, and point/counterpoint for the flame outs, this turns into an interesting history exercise on where did they start, and where have they ended up. I would love to talk to the people I am writing about, but it is also not necessary, there is enough in the blogosphere and in the news papers to come up with a semi informed game plan.
Although still toying with the idea, send them their chapter in the book, and see what their take on it is. For some this might end up being a surprise, for others it might not be. The influence of great blogs on people is fairly obvious once you get down to it, and while they might not like the idea that they have the influence that they have, it is also important for them to recognize the influence. I don’t know how many times I have heard companies here in the Seattle area talking about being blogged on Techcrunch, and how much that drove people to at least take a look; in some cases we are talking 1000% over their daily server load. Or how “Scoble Said” leads to a sharp rise in sales for some new device, or more interest in a company. Then while not a blog, how the techmeme leader board influences another group of technical bloggers and people to go take a look at something new and shiny, where some collection systems did not make it like Technorati’s downfall in relationship to influence, or alexa, or even other collection systems that started strong, then died a slow death.
Interesting to see what people think about the whole thing, probably going to send them the chapter that they are in, along with all the foot notes and supporting documentation, just to say, look, it is not bad, but here is what I am writing, here is why I am writing it, and just want you to know I am writing it. Maybe post a sample chapter or two, see what happens.
Tags: book, boom and bust in the blogosphere, blogging, influence, Robert Scoble, Louis Gray, Mashible, Techcrunch, techmeme, not blogging like I should be, idea
Discussion Area - Leave a Comment