I think the fundamental reason why bloggers form and then join some sort of larger group or organization of blogs is because there is some sort of value proposition involved: the larger group gains in value with each added member, and presumably the blogger gets something in return.

Matt, you’ve got it exactly right.

We might use the term “blog network” in our About text just because (right now at least) it’s the easiest way to explain what 9rules is, but that doesn’t mean we own blogs and pay authors like other blog networks do. We work on a very different model, and although we have many blogs that are members of 9rules (just like other networks have many authors that are members/part of their respective networks), the method by which we provide value is very different.

To break it down to basic terms, our job as a network is to provide a ton of centralized value and interactivity on our own website, so more readers come in and check out our members, which drives traffic outwards to their sites. The more centralized value we provide, the more traffic/recognition goes out to our members, which in-turn makes them happier with their 9rules affiliation. This flow means that 9rules.com has to be “the place to be” in order to get more recognition for our members, so that’s what we concentrate on. It’s a bit different than the typical blog network model (where each individual site is supposed to reroute traffic to the other sites) but this works for us.

I do think that advertising networks like Federated Media aren’t blog networks – they’re advertising networks. And thus we’ll be removing them from Blog Network List at some point.

There are also large communities – like livejournal and others that aren’t blog networks – though some of the owners of those communities have wanted to be a part of Blog Network List – we’ve resisted those movements.

The reality is that 9rules is fundamentally a community – but it’s also a blog network – the semantics don’t really matter to me. They’ll stay in BNL until someone convinces me that they dont’ belong – and I don’t see that happening :)

Matt

Let’s not beat about the bush. We’re talking “real” estate here.

Last I hear 9rules were calling themselves a blog network….. and from memory there was quite a bit of energetic ‘discussion’ about it.

Their about page says – ‘The 9rules Network is a community of the best weblogs in the world on a variety of topics.’

Seems they do see themselves as a network in most of their pages….

Or have they changed the way they describe themselves.

To be honest – it doesn’t bother me either way what they’re called. They are one of many ways that the blogosphere is currently organising itself (something that happens in any movement throughout history).

Sorry guys, the term “Network” isn’t exclusive to commerce. Any group of like-minded, connected people – be they bloggers, artists, patient advocates or anyone else – can be a “Network.”

Perhaps it’s time to come up with an entirely different term for networks of bloggers who are trying to make money – the world of blogging is much bigger than commerce, and Blog Networks are much bigger than all the Gawkers, b5s and WIN/AOLs combined.

Ok, coming down off my soapbox now ;)