b5media
February 17th, 2006
b5media - the blog network started on the heels of the sale of Weblogs, Inc. b5 provides pretty good reading, and I see some BOTW alumni are currently writing there. I admire Darren Rowse, and read his stuff occasionally. With channels covering Tech, Lifestyle, Entertainment, Science, Hobbies, and Video Games, they have the breadth to write for both the eyeballs, and the money topics. However, I think unless they get some focus, they may meet an untimely end.
I know how difficult it can be to manage a network of blogs. Our foray into the blog network model turned out to be too time consuming for us to manage, and we decided to go the aggregator route with the domains instead. With so much happening in the blogosphere, it is tempting to dip your foot into multiple projects, and see which ones have legs. While we enjoyed the creativity that the blogging project provided, we decided that we would stick to what we know best - the blog directory.
But what’s the gameplan with b5? What’s the revenue model like? How many blogs do they plan on rolling out? How do they plan on scaling up? Where is their purple cow? Most importantly, what’s the exit strategy?
Though they recently announced the launch of two new sports blogs, you have to ask - who cares? Do we need two sports blogs from authors that nobody knows? While I wish them the best of luck, without shaking things up a bit I see them as also-run, at best.
February 17th, 2006 at 1:11 pm
Too many questions! If you honestly want answers, I’m happy to have a conversation, but I sense most of this is rhetorical
February 17th, 2006 at 1:17 pm
i had hoped that somebody from b5 would stop by - in a nutshell, how do you guys plan on differentiating yourselves from the noise? what is going to propel you guys to the next level?
February 17th, 2006 at 1:28 pm
I’m amazed that you wanted to lure b5media over here to put out fires when contacting b5media is one of the easiest things in the world to do. If you wanted to ask these questions, why didn’t you just send an email. It’s not like the network is unapproachable and flaming doesn’t generally win alot of friends.
I speak on my own not on behalf of the network. I just have to shake my head. If you wanted your moment of zen, you got it. Now what?
February 17th, 2006 at 1:36 pm
February 17th, 2006 at 1:37 pm
this was not meant to flame - i have admiration for what you guys are doing.
just looking through your blogs this morning, raised some questions. why bother sending an email, when we could have an open exchange?
February 17th, 2006 at 1:42 pm
Well you didn’t invite us to an exchange. We just happened to notice you posted about us. If you wanted an exchange, we have a blog as well and we all have email that could have said, “Hey, I’m going to post some comments and I’d like to hear your take”.
To me this smacks of getting noticed. Who can fault anyone for that. But at least be honest about it.
February 17th, 2006 at 1:43 pm
Well, for one, because you don’t have comment notification on, so you’ll only get a response when I decide to check the thread!
February 17th, 2006 at 2:48 pm
once again, i’ll reiterate - i enjoy reading your stuff, and i admire what you are doing.
i appreciate your replies here, but i still have no idea what makes your network different than the other blog networks. i will however, continue to keep reading
February 17th, 2006 at 2:54 pm
>>email that could have said, “Hey, I’m going to post some comments and I’d like to hear your take”.
that is a good point, and a protocol i will follow in the future.
February 17th, 2006 at 6:52 pm
Greg, if the article and podcast and all the things we’ve posted about b5 don’t help explain why we’re “different” (insomuch as any media company can ACTUALLY be ‘different’) then either we’re not different or I’m not explaining it well enough.
Feel free to let me know which!