Popular Websites You Didn’t Know Started as Blogs

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Despite being one of the biggest industries to follow the birth of the internet, the word “blog” still has somewhat humble connotations. Perhaps it’s because it’s so ubiquitous with the “do-it-yourself” mentality of the web—who doesn’t know somebody who’s started their own? But what average internet users don’t realize is that some of the most popular (and profitable) sites on the web are actually highly successful blogs.

From pop news sites like Mashable to advice sites like LifeHacker, many of today’s most popular online destinations began life as simple blogs; the vision of one person transformed into businesses that rival well-established print and web magazines. Each one is a story of success, and a testament to the power of dedication, hard work, and the ample opportunities the internet provides aspiring entrepreneurs. [Read more…]

Rumor: AOL To Acquire Another Blog Empire? (TechCrunch)

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After acquiring Weblogs, Inc. in 2005, AOL is rumored to be seeking to purchase the TechCrunch empire founded by Michael Arrington.

AOL, the New York-based online media company, is on the verge of acquiring TechCrunch, the online blogging network started by former attorney, Michael Arrington. The deal is at a sensitive stage and might fall apart yet, but I don’t think so. Sources familiar with both entities says that the announcement is likely to come onstage at Disrupt, TechCrunch’s flagship conference currently underway in San Francisco. (via GigaOm)

According to Om Malik, Tim Armstrong (AOL’s CEO) is suppose to make an announcement at the end of TechCrunch Disrupt, which unveils innovative startups that (as the name implies) can disrupt the industry as a whole.

There is still no word on what price AOL is offering Arrington for ownership of the TechCrunch empire, but we will update this post as soon if we hear of anything new.

If Om’s sources are correct and TechCrunch is assimilated by the AOL giant, we will probably see TechCrunch powered by BlogSmith instead of WordPress (the former which AOL thus far delcined to release to the public).

With AOL snapping up some of the largest blog networks around, the only question that remains is, “Who’s next?”

This Time the Joke’s on TechCrunch

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Facebook has been having some fun with the folks over at TechCrunch, rolling out a Fax This Photo feature for the tech blog’s writers only. Jason Kincaid wrote a post about this brand new feature, which doesn’t exist outside of the TC office, and then spoke to the Facebook PR rep.

Hey Jason,

We’ve been testing this product since 1992, and we are thinking that we will be launching this “innovative” feature at TechCrunch 50.

What do you think???

Hilarious, and obviously TechCrunch has to detail it all in a blog post.

You won this round, Facebook. Enjoy your victory.

Gotta love some good humored pranks. Question is, how will this affect the next Facebook post on TechCrunch?

The Guardian Sacks Paul Carr

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Paul Carr used to write the Not Safe For Work column for The Guardian, but no more. The reason is a slashing of the freelance budget, says Carr on Twitter, and then goes on and tells us that he thought about doing the column for free but decided against it. That last part was on his blog though, which is a good thing because the reasoning would take up quite a few tweets… In the same blog post he writes a bit about leaving.

Having said all that, I will miss the outlet the Guardian gave me every week; to boast and swear and talk about things that were on my mind. I’m not sure there’s another UK paper that would give me such freedom – and for that reason I’ll be eternally grateful to my former paymasters. And I’ll miss them, like a sometimes-mental, socialist former girlfriend.

Michael Arrington over at TechCrunch isn’t sad about this. “Their loss our gain” he says, as he announces that Carr will be writing a weekly column for TechCrunch to run each Saturday morning. Good call, Carr’s Not Safe For Work Column over at The Guardian was a treat, and I’m thinking it was a huge mistake to cut it loose. But that’s the media industry for you right now. I’m just surprised Nick Denton didn’t snatch him up already.

Bloggers: Punch Harder!

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Ryan Tate has the best post intro so far this year in the latest edition of Gawker-playing-Valleywag:

Remember when blogs were going to be fiercely independent firebrands who, purified of old media insidery stench, would pull no punches against traditional power structures? So much for that. Today’s laptop media is shaping up to be nothing but lapdogs.

The post is really about TechCrunch releasing those Twitter documents, and the rings on the water. I don’t care about that, old news, and really a lot of noise for typical journalistic behavior.

Yes, that’s right. Michael Arrington did what thousands have done before him, but on a blog rather than in a newspaper. So who cares? [Read more…]