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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 :)

Matt

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.

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.

Matt

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.

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

Great podcast : )