Jeremy Zawodny wonders When will blogging peak? I don’t think it will, anytime soon or maybe even at all. Why? Because, like I wrote last month, it ain’t even mainstream yet. Plus, it’s too compelling. It will likely evolve, but it isn’t even close to peaking, if it ever will.
Dave Winer mostly agrees with this assessment, but then writes this:
Blogs with ads, like their print counterparts, strive to be as broad as possible, to reach as many people, and in doing so, lose their value as an ad for the author.
No, I don’t think that’s true at all. Blogs with ads don’t automatically lose their value. I do think blogs that try to be as broad as possible and make money with ads largely won’t work; it’s the niche blogging that works. Blogs that do this the right way are making money. Otherwise Jason Calacanis‘ Weblogs, Inc. wouldn’t have just made over $2,000 in a single day with AdSense.
You’ll note that I have AdSense on both of my blogs (this and The Brew Site). This blog is broad in scope, and has wildly varying ads; if I was relying on it to make money (rather than just running the ads as a nice extra), well, I’d have to keep my day job. The Brew Site, being much more focused/niched, doesn’t make as much as this site but does have a higher quality of ads and click rates. If I were to get the kind of traffic there that I get here, I’d see some nice figures, I think.
Finally, in other blog news, Scoble today tries to downplay being a A-list blogger. Get this: “Forget the A-listers. They don’t matter anymore. Well, they don’t matter as much.” Yeah, right. Sorry, but being an A-list blogger is better than ever, period. Doubt it? In the same post, Scoble mentions that he “was talking to Chris Pirillo [another A-list blogger] the other day about the ‘long tail’ metaphor and while we were flying over mountains in the Boeing plane….” This refers to the fact that himself and several other prominent (A-list) bloggers were invited on an exclusive test flight featuring Boeing’s new in-flight WiFi service… they all got flown to Walla Walla for wine. And buzzed some mountains.
Man, don’t try to tell me that the A-listers don’t matter anymore. Jeez.
Hmm. Anyone else notice the irony of this post? I’m pointing to the A-listers. Must be sour grapes or something.
Okay. The name is familar. You even have an entry about Renolds Pond for crying out loud. I spent a HUGE amount of my mispent youth at renyolds pond with some guys name Danny, Gary, Kenny, and eareir than that with some gals named Lynn, Justine and Colleen. Doing all sorts of things that would shock the eyebrows off my 15-year-old son. So who are you??
Er, Jon. 🙂
Lessee, names of the kids I hung out with/were my age-ish in Alfalfa were Eddie, Mike, Jason, Amy, Eva… sound like we were a few years apart.
Did you go to Alfalfa School? Or are you from Bend?
Amy sounds familar… I lived in Alfalfa. Nope, I moved there fourth grade and my parents shipped me to Redmond so I could finish out there and then everyone moved up. The bus ride was great wasn’t it?
Did you know Patty? She was the younger sister of my best friend. I actually lived on Walker Road within walking distance to the store. Though of course, I mostly road my horse there:)
My best friend was a Matheny if that rings a bell and my name was Foreman. I am actually heading to Bend in about an hour. My son wants to go to the Louis Palau festival there. In that new place…
teri
Well, I knew 2 Amy’s– one my age, and one a couple of grades ahead of me. The older one had a younger brother (2 grades behind me) named Jeremy. I don’t recognize any of the others names… so you were either a few years ahead of me or behind me. I suppose if you have a 15-year-old, you’re ahead (no offense).
Yeah, that bus ride was something else. Had to catch the damn thing at 6:30 in the morning for years…
I graduated in 83. I’m old. I just wish I knew why the name Abernathy sounds so familar. Bend was great by the way. I like a lot of what they have done to the area though I heard a lot of sniveling from some old friends I looked up:) Amy Gregg was the one I was thinking of though I didn’t really know her know her. How long did your parents live there? This is really going to make me nuts!
Teri
You’re not that old, you only have 8 years on me; I graduated in ’91. We moved there in ’76. All of us old-timers snivel and carry on a little bit :-), though by and large I like the changes.
Amy Gregg was the older Amy, didn’t really know her too well.
Where do you live these days?
HA! I was going to say… just having a fifteen year old doesn’t necessarily make me older… it was Alfalfa after all, I might have had a baby at fourteen! Snort.
I live in the Portland area now. I am actually started writing a book called Surviving Alfalfa. I stopped cause I don’t want to get sued and magazines pay better anyway:) May pick it up again one day… it was a weird and wonderful place to grow up. Mostly weird though:) I bet I met your family… Heck, one of my friends might have babysat for you or your siblings.
Teri
Are blogs mainstream? Are blogs peaking?
Chaggnutt talks about whether blogs are mainstream, and whether they will peak or not. He also mentions a blogging primer written and posted by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, which in itself is one of the more informative pie…