Podcast 2006.11: What’s a blog network anyways, Syntagma Media, and the News.

August 27, 2006 | By Matt Craven | Filed Under Blog Networks, News, Podcasts

Podcast 2006.11: What’s a blog network anyways?

Today, we examine the question of what is a blog network. We also talk a bit about Syntagma Media and their attempts to calls themselves a web network magazine. We also talk about today’s news in the blogosphere.

You can subscribe directly to our podcast feed in order to receive our show each day that it is released. For iTunes users, you can subscribe directly via iTunes.

And now, on with the show. Notes after the jump….


About the author: Matt Craven is the former editor & publisher of The Blog Herald. Currently, Matt is the co-founder of Bryghtpath LLC, a boutique web 2.0 firm located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He blogs at Telegraphik & The Blog Herald. You can follow him on Twitter.

© Copyright 2006 The Blog Herald | Submit post to Blogosphere News | More articles by Matt Craven


Comments

24 Responses to “Podcast 2006.11: What’s a blog network anyways, Syntagma Media, and the News.”

  1. vanesica on August 27th, 2006 7:11 pm

    Sometimes I listen to or read a post and would like to comment or ad to what has already been said or written to let the author know you like it even if it just means saying great post. Your podcast Matt said it all and very clearly I might ad. I learned a lot about networks and agree with you about Syntagma Media needing a less rainbow tie die site. It hurts my eyes too.

    Great podcast : )

  2. Matt Craven on August 27th, 2006 8:00 pm

    Thanks ;-)

    I’m all for great content, but I also like great design. Even the default themes would be better than some of the stuff I see on Syntagma Media.

    Matt

  3. vanesica on August 27th, 2006 8:25 pm

    Your Welcome.

    It is funny with Syntagma media wanting to call themselves a magazine rather than a blog network. I look at myself calling myself an emotion creator rather than an artist.

    Maybe Syntagma Media could continue to call themselves a Blog Network but calling themselves a magazine is, in a way a smart name change to attract those people who shun blogs. However doing so eliminates blog lovers. Hmmm maybe they could coin a new term such as blogazine or magablogazine. It could make them more neutral in the long run to atracting those who trust magazine and also those who trust blogs for information.

    By marrying the two together it allows for both worlds to exist for an X amount of time.

    When I think of a magazine though i think of glossy paper not digital. Ezine is digital.

  4. Matt Craven on August 27th, 2006 8:34 pm

    The funny thing to me is that he’s asked to be removed from Blog Network List - and one of his arguments is that he’s no longer a blog network.

    Matt

  5. Jessica Doyle on August 27th, 2006 10:40 pm

    That is surprising that he has asked that. He is really eliminating a whole audience through that request. How odd. I hope he reconsiders his request to you.

  6. John Evans (SYNTAGMA) on August 28th, 2006 5:37 am

    Thanks for your comments - I’ll certainly take them on board. The problem lies not with the blogosphere itself (it’s amazing) but that once you get into the commercial side of it, you find that “blogging” is not associated in the wider public’s mind with “shopping” or even “finding accurate, in-depth information”.

    We’re aiming for this wider audience. Bloggers rarely click - that’s a truism. People serching on products and services do. It’s as simple as that. We’re now a business, not a blog; a media operation, not individuals shouting to get a word in edgeways.

    Why I want Syntagma to leave BNL is that it totally unstates us due to the geek-oriented stats from Alexa and Technorati, which doesn’t even index us. As such it damagaes our credibility as a business. I’ve been offered four times what BNL says we’re worth and turned it down.

    As I posted under “Are there three blogospheres?” there are areas where the blogosphere shades into mainstream media. It happens at the fringes of the tertiary and commercial blogospheres. Syntagma is positioning itself there to draw in a wider audience. We are a business, and we will continue pushing the envelope as we go. The “blogosphere” can become your jailer if you allow it to mask all other opportunities.

  7. Matt Craven on August 28th, 2006 5:40 am

    I’ve been offered four times what BNL says we’re worth and turned it down.

    No one should be taking that value number seriously. In fact, I think it’s highly inflated.

    See the FAQ on the value issue:

    Where does this value number come from anyways?

    The current blog “value” amount is based on work done earlier by the Business Opportunities Weblog and Tristian Louis. The numbers are based on a valuation of the Weblogs, Inc. acquisition by AOL. We don’t put much weight in it, but it’s fun to play with.

  8. John Evans (SYNTAGMA) on August 28th, 2006 7:31 am

    Well, Matt, if it’s just a “fun” thing, why not remove it from your presumably serious list?

  9. Matt Craven on August 28th, 2006 7:47 am

    It’s not used in our ranking formula..

    Matt

  10. Darren on August 28th, 2006 7:55 am

    I’ve never come across anyone who saw it as serious…. (I’ve come across some who WISHED it was…. like me).

  11. » SYNTAGMA - 40-Site Web Network Magazine on August 28th, 2006 8:22 am

    [...] The Blog Herald is chatting about Syntagma Media in its weekly podcast. I haven’t had the chance to listen to it yet, so I hope I’m not driving you into the flames. [...]

  12. Duncan on August 28th, 2006 8:22 am

    Naturally it cant be a serious figure, it values 9rules at $72 million and yet who is seriously going to pay that sort of money for a link farm?

  13. Jeremy Wright on August 28th, 2006 8:42 am

    [listened to the podcast]

    I’m more than happy to give John the benefit of the doubt on the Magazine bit. Sure, right now it doesn’t look like it now, but it takes time to make a vision into a reality.

    I say give him 3-6 months and let’s see how things look then. If nothing’s *really* changed, then you can call BS on the “not a blog network” argument. Until then, he’s probably working his ass of making his vision a reality :)

  14. David Krug on August 28th, 2006 6:13 pm

    hahaha. :)

  15. Matt Craven on August 28th, 2006 6:55 pm

    I say give him 3-6 months and let’s see how things look then. If nothing’s *really* changed, then you can call BS on the “not a blog network� argument. Until then, he’s probably working his ass of making his vision a reality :)

    No argument here, but trying to say that you’re not a blog network when you’re a network made up of blogs is highly entertaining.

    I wish Syntagma well, I really do… but please.

    Matt

  16. Matt Craven on August 28th, 2006 7:02 pm

    your presumably serious list?

    The stats are serious.

    Alexa stats come from Alexa.

    Technorati from Technorati.

    Google from Google.

    Yahoo from Yahoo.

    MSN from MSN Search.

    I’d be happy to add other metrics that have an open API.

    I’m not saying that there aren’t issues with these numbers. Alexa is primarily used my webmasters and technophiles. Technorati doesn’t index some blogs (including some of mine), and so on.

    Who wouldn’t argue that WIN and Gawker are the two blog networks with the most traffic and links overall? WIN has a broader reach and gets penalized for this with many smaller blogs in the rankings. TechCrunch comes in at #2, Gothamist is in the top 5..

    I’m open to other ranking concepts and have made changes to this overtime - but all in all I’m pretty happy with where things are

    Matt

  17. Matt Craven on August 28th, 2006 7:04 pm

    The problem lies not with the blogosphere itself (it’s amazing) but that once you get into the commercial side of it, you find that “blogging� is not associated in the wider public’s mind with “shopping� or even “finding accurate, in-depth information�.

    I disagree. I”ve had no problems with selling ad space or discussing commerical tie-ins with mainstream media, bricks and mortar businesses, or other non-blogging/non-web 2.0 industries.

    Matt

  18. Andy Merrett on August 29th, 2006 5:37 am

    Wow you mentioned us! (that sounds so desperate)

    I thought we were still under the radar :) We’re nearly out of diapers (nappies) too.

  19. Matt Craven on August 29th, 2006 5:40 am

    We’re nearly out of diapers (nappies) too.

    That’s good, didn’t want to have to wipe your butt anymore :)
    Matt

  20. Andy Merrett on August 29th, 2006 5:49 am

    Hey we were never messy babies :)

  21. » SYNTAGMA - 40-Site Web Network Magazine on August 29th, 2006 9:12 am

    [...] This is my answer to Matt Craven’s Blog Herald podcast in which he touches on Syntagma’s rebadging as a Web Network Magazine. [...]

  22. John Evans (SYNTAGMA) on August 29th, 2006 9:43 am

    Thanks, Jeremy.

    People are missing the bigger picture here. The “magazine” bit is not only in the design (on the way), but in the content, and ultimately in the melding of that content into a useful object for readers.

    I’ve put up a new post on Syntagma which attempts to cap the whole discussion.

  23. Can Live » Blog Archive » Blog Plagiarism Accusations: Scoble vs Elliott on January 13th, 2008 7:11 pm

    [...] Craven has also discussed this episode in The Blog Herald Podcast - a recently launched technology podcast on news from around the blogosphere. It’s one of my [...]

  24. Blog Plagiarism Accusations: Scoble vs Elliott | Etixet on February 9th, 2008 5:12 pm

    [...] Craven has also discussed this episode in The Blog Herald Podcast - a recently launched technology podcast on news from around the blogosphere. It’s one of my [...]

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