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Bleacher Report - What do you make of this?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by IllMil, Dec 16, 2009.

  1. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    Do you think Bill Simmons would have hit it big if his blog was one of hundreds on some mega site where he had to pump out 10 stories a day, or do you think he was better off with his own blog & publishing schedule?

    Same with Matt Drudge.

    Does that sound like a big number to you?

    More people are reading you here, most likely.
     
  2. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

    My blog has an audience of hundreds, maybe, and a distressing proportion of those may be Korean Internet fraud artists. But I wouldn't trade the independence to be bundled with an organization unless it was for regular job money.
    I'm not a very good executive, so my blog isn't hard-charging its way to Internet success (also, I have a job, and life, and they must come first). But it's good to be the boss of me from a creative standpoint. Only writing when you think you have something to say is an indescribable luxury.
     
  3. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    I think that's key.

    When you post too much crap, anything good you wright gets buried.

    People used to get frustrated that Simmons didn't post enough. They'd have to check back to see if he had anything new.

    Isn't that a better situation to be in -- leaving your audience wanting more -- than posting 10 articles a day.

    In a related field, I remember reading that when U2 was starting out, they didn't play multiple gigs a week in bars like a lot of small bands did.

    They only played a few shows, so that demand built up, and they could play -- and fill -- big halls when they played.
     
  4. Hoo

    Hoo Active Member

    I agree with the consensus prescription for our young friend here, but I'd caution anyone against comparing his situation to the media & internet landscape that spawned Simmons and Drudge more than a dozen years ago. In a lot of ways, both good and bad, 2010 ain't 1995-97.
     
  5. BYH

    BYH Active Member

    Another really well-reasoned post. The assholes who run these sites will promise you an audience and synergy and all that modern day crap, but they will make absolutely no effort to assist you once you sell your soul and sign on the dotted line. It's just about the quantity and the ability to say "we have 72,000 sites under our umbrella!" You could be The Sports Guy Who Goes Into The Locker Room and absolutely nobody will know about it via these sites. Better to build your own site and your own blog and build word of mouth as an independent.
     
  6. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    Along those lines, is Cubestat a reliable value indicator? What other sites are good?
     
  7. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    Just wanted to save this one, since you're usually getting on me for being a right wing Neanderthal. :)
     
  8. BYH

    BYH Active Member

    Hey! I know you've got the right-wing rep, but I can't honestly ever remember getting into any sort of serious argument with you. I think we once had a very tame discussion over the so-called liberal media. I usually save the name-calling for YGBFKM. :D :D :D
     
  9. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    Eh, no back and forth name calling, but yeah, you've given me s**t about "liberal media".

    Either way, I'll take the props for my earlier post.
     
  10. YankeeFan

    YankeeFan Well-Known Member

    You're right, but I still believe that you have a better chance at creating buzz and driving people to your blog if you stand alone.

    You're one of many at Bleacher Report or blogspot or someplace like that. But your blog, your name, and your web address become your brand if you do it right/get lucky.
     
  11. Hoo

    Hoo Active Member

    Right. Yes, I agree on the larger point.
     
  12. buckweaver

    buckweaver Active Member

    It'd be a much better post if Bill Simmons had not gained his initial fame as the "Boston Sports Guy" on his blog at Digital City Boston -- which was (and is) owned by AOL. Some may call that a "mega site," especially in the late 1990s when Simmons was there and every post office in the country had stacks of free CDs of AOL on the counter.

    But yes, he was on his own publishing schedule, as far as I know. It wasn't quite as demanding (or notoriously shitty) as Bleacher Report is considered in many circles.
     
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