I was just looking at the TechMeme Top 100 List and noticed that it has very few bloggers on it — I can only see about 12 real blogs on that list. Blogging being defined as “single voice of a person.” Most of the things on the list are now done by teams of journalists — that isn’t blogging anymore in my book. TechCrunch just hired a professional journalist which is sort of funny cause when I started blogging I never expected blogging to become a business, just a way to share what was going on in my life.
But there’s a bigger trend I’m seeing: people who used to enjoy blogging their lives are now moving to Twitter. Andrew Parker punctuates that trend with a post “Twitter is ruining my blogging.” I find that to be the case too and when I talked about this on Twitter a raft of people chimed in and agreed that they are blogging a lot less now that Twitter is here.
Personally the list business is just lame anyway. When I consult with companies I tell them to forget about the “A list” and go for people who are passionate about their products. Word gets around when you’re talking with your customers in a new way anyway. It’s one reason why I am watching 5,900 Twitterers. That’s MY “A list.” Why don’t you join? I automatically follow anyone following me now.
UPDATED: Gabe Rivera just released the TechMeme Top 100 list and explains it.
Still don’t get Twitter – and definitely don’t see it as an alternative for blogging if you’re looking for any kind of insight or perspective. To be clear, Twitter is not blogging or micro-blogging. It’s just instant-messaging with a twist.
Still don’t get Twitter – and definitely don’t see it as an alternative for blogging if you’re looking for any kind of insight or perspective. To be clear, Twitter is not blogging or micro-blogging. It’s just instant-messaging with a twist.
[...] I’m writing, and if I am contributing to the greater whole. Of course even folks like Scoble (who is on both lists) notes that he’s following what’s going on in his Twitter s…: Personally the list business is just lame anyway. When I consult with companies I tell them to [...]
[...] has only a few blogs on it [disclosure: I’m a columnist on the #60 blog on the list]. Most, as Scoble points out, are community or professional efforts and the left-coast Scoble wonders if it spells the death of [...]
As a newbie to the internet, I find blogs like this useful to learn about the differnet technologies out there. Keep up the good work. Now I need to find out what a Twitter is.
As a newbie to the internet, I find blogs like this useful to learn about the differnet technologies out there. Keep up the good work. Now I need to find out what a Twitter is.
[...] has been interesting. Some are suggesting that it’s not a representative list, others (well Scoble) is suggesting that it is the death of [...]
hi Robert…no, *everybody* isn’t moving to Twitter. Only a select few are taking on Twitter–probably the same select few who obsessively monitor Techmeme. There’s huge swaths of the blogosphere that don’t really care about either (check Roni Bennett’s blog for some commentary on that.) What *has* changed are the ‘sphere’s within the ‘sphere–the multiplicity of blogs and blog communities. And the multiplicity of blogs out there tell us how we can make money from our blogs. Both of those aspects are new. I’d say Techmeme’s Leaderboard is just one community’s way of showing who the movers and shakers are. And who’s talking about them. No death just yet.
hi Robert…no, *everybody* isn’t moving to Twitter. Only a select few are taking on Twitter–probably the same select few who obsessively monitor Techmeme. There’s huge swaths of the blogosphere that don’t really care about either (check Roni Bennett’s blog for some commentary on that.) What *has* changed are the ‘sphere’s within the ‘sphere–the multiplicity of blogs and blog communities. And the multiplicity of blogs out there tell us how we can make money from our blogs. Both of those aspects are new. I’d say Techmeme’s Leaderboard is just one community’s way of showing who the movers and shakers are. And who’s talking about them. No death just yet.
I wish someone would do a demographic analysis on Twitter.
I wish someone would do a demographic analysis on Twitter.
I’m with Yuvi on this. Techmeme top 100 is just a list of news sites. Telling me that Forbes is a good place for news is fine and dandy, but it’s not a list of the top 100 blogs.
Beyond that, I don’t read blogs for my news. I read blogs for the insight and perspective of others on a recent topic.
The Twitter evangelism is getting a bit old. The value of your twitter posts are 1/10th of the value of your blog posts a year or even 6 months ago. Everytime I visited your blog, I found something worth investigating further. I don’t think I’ve seen that yet on Twitter.
I’m with Yuvi on this. Techmeme top 100 is just a list of news sites. Telling me that Forbes is a good place for news is fine and dandy, but it’s not a list of the top 100 blogs.
Beyond that, I don’t read blogs for my news. I read blogs for the insight and perspective of others on a recent topic.
The Twitter evangelism is getting a bit old. The value of your twitter posts are 1/10th of the value of your blog posts a year or even 6 months ago. Everytime I visited your blog, I found something worth investigating further. I don’t think I’ve seen that yet on Twitter.
[...] IT allows for comments by readers and features the personal, unmediated, raw voice of the author. Scoble agrees: Blogging being defined as “single voice of a person.” Most of the things on the list are now [...]
[...] TechMeme list heralds death of blogging? « Scobleizer [...]
You misunderstand the TechMeme/Memeorandum algorithm. It uses link-rich blogs to qualify and quality rate media articles higher in the food chain. Most often that’s link-sparse mainstream media articles. Less often, it’s a blog article that captures the content better.
You misunderstand the TechMeme/Memeorandum algorithm. It uses link-rich blogs to qualify and quality rate media articles higher in the food chain. Most often that’s link-sparse mainstream media articles. Less often, it’s a blog article that captures the content better.
[...] Techmeme has begun to rank its “contributors.” Scoble thinks that it’s the end of blogging. Frankly, not appearing on a list is not the same as [...]
[...] up for Twitter some three months ago. Unlike some of Twitter’s more rapturous fans (like Scoble), my feelings are more mixed. On the one hand, I “get” Twitter. I like the idea, I [...]
It’s interesting [to me] how much more readily bloggers seem to jump into Twitter. Maybe it’s because they’ve already gotten past the question: “why would anyone care what I’m doing?”
FTR, Twitter’s hit me too. I’m amazed that a single app could have such an impact on attention.
It’s interesting [to me] how much more readily bloggers seem to jump into Twitter. Maybe it’s because they’ve already gotten past the question: “why would anyone care what I’m doing?”
FTR, Twitter’s hit me too. I’m amazed that a single app could have such an impact on attention.
My use of Twitter has caused me to think much harder about what to put in my blog. But Twitter is not so good a conversational tool, unless you follow all parts of the conversation. (I actually blogged about that issue here: http://www.ddmcd.com/turing.html.)
My use of Twitter has caused me to think much harder about what to put in my blog. But Twitter is not so good a conversational tool, unless you follow all parts of the conversation. (I actually blogged about that issue here: http://www.ddmcd.com/turing.html.)
is it really the death of blogging, when others claim it as the new revolution of voice out?
is it really the death of blogging, when others claim it as the new revolution of voice out?
It all depends on your definition of blogging. Number 8 on the Techmeme list is the BBC. Not, by your definition a blog, but essentially using blogging type software. Indeed, all the news sites on Techmeme’s list will use some kind of blogging software – because blogging is really content management. Defining blogging as the single voice is restrictive – even simple old Blogger allows more than one person to contribute to a blog.
For years newspapers and magazines have had their columnists – essentially print versions of individual bloggers. It’s not what we call the system we use that matters – it’s the content that’s important. Most people have given up blogging and gone to Twitter because they don’t have much to say – or unlike news organisations – have no system in place to generate content.
The reason the Techmeme list has so many news sites in its top 100 is because they provide fresh, updated content, constantly. That’s the secret to online success – fresh content. Whether you do that using what you call “content management”, “blogging” or just “web design” doesn’t matter. It’s not the system that’s important – it’s the content; that’s what readers are looking for, they don’t care how you produced it or how we define it.
It all depends on your definition of blogging. Number 8 on the Techmeme list is the BBC. Not, by your definition a blog, but essentially using blogging type software. Indeed, all the news sites on Techmeme’s list will use some kind of blogging software – because blogging is really content management. Defining blogging as the single voice is restrictive – even simple old Blogger allows more than one person to contribute to a blog.
For years newspapers and magazines have had their columnists – essentially print versions of individual bloggers. It’s not what we call the system we use that matters – it’s the content that’s important. Most people have given up blogging and gone to Twitter because they don’t have much to say – or unlike news organisations – have no system in place to generate content.
The reason the Techmeme list has so many news sites in its top 100 is because they provide fresh, updated content, constantly. That’s the secret to online success – fresh content. Whether you do that using what you call “content management”, “blogging” or just “web design” doesn’t matter. It’s not the system that’s important – it’s the content; that’s what readers are looking for, they don’t care how you produced it or how we define it.
Hmm, I checked Andrew Parker’s posting rhythm on his blog, and it seems pretty healthy. Alternatively, he posts like once a day on Twitter, as far as I can tell, pretty healthy too. So what is the point exactly?
As I commented on in Andrew’s post when it came out, I think it’s pretty impossible for Twitter to kill blogging. We will always need people like you, Scoble. But what we are seeing is the death of bloggers without business-models, which has been going on for several years. Scoops + blogging takes money, as sad as that may be.
Hmm, I checked Andrew Parker’s posting rhythm on his blog, and it seems pretty healthy. Alternatively, he posts like once a day on Twitter, as far as I can tell, pretty healthy too. So what is the point exactly?
As I commented on in Andrew’s post when it came out, I think it’s pretty impossible for Twitter to kill blogging. We will always need people like you, Scoble. But what we are seeing is the death of bloggers without business-models, which has been going on for several years. Scoops + blogging takes money, as sad as that may be.
And considering there’s about a million blogs out there, covering a range of topics, I think it’s difficult to draw conclusions about the state of blogging from a list that only shows a 100, who are focussed on tech mainly.
And considering there’s about a million blogs out there, covering a range of topics, I think it’s difficult to draw conclusions about the state of blogging from a list that only shows a 100, who are focussed on tech mainly.
[...] a lengthier blog post that has a lot more time behind it. And there seems to be a growing list of bloggers whose blogging time and mind share has been cannibalized by Twitter. There are signs that [...]
[...] Engadget, as well as mainstream media: New York Times, CNET, and the BBC, for example. This has led to a few to suggest that it signals the death of traditional, non-professional single author [...]
[...] all cool and I like it. However, that list is NOT as important as some people in the tech-osphere are making it out to [...]
The blogging is going to develop in to some thing invalueable.The material with permanent value would be discovered without any body making effort and there would be identifiers of such material for the spread of wisdom covered in such blogs.Give it time and let no body interfere not even the govt.. Through such open books no body can have a damaging effect on society and the sobreity would be seen in blogging . You do not find people ridiculously dressed on road although there usually is no prescribed dress code.
The blogging is going to develop in to some thing invalueable.The material with permanent value would be discovered without any body making effort and there would be identifiers of such material for the spread of wisdom covered in such blogs.Give it time and let no body interfere not even the govt.. Through such open books no body can have a damaging effect on society and the sobreity would be seen in blogging . You do not find people ridiculously dressed on road although there usually is no prescribed dress code.
Bah! I still feel both Twitter and my WP blog have a purpose. Twitter is for brain farts and short statements. Blog is for real posts or longer comments.
Not everyone likes writing run-on 10-tweets messages, Robert
Bah! I still feel both Twitter and my WP blog have a purpose. Twitter is for brain farts and short statements. Blog is for real posts or longer comments.
Not everyone likes writing run-on 10-tweets messages, Robert
And in addition to my comment above, I wouldn’t have believed it either a few years ago if you’d told me my blog would lead to getting a job in mobile blogging!
Thankfully, it all happened, and I’m loving it!
And in addition to my comment above, I wouldn’t have believed it either a few years ago if you’d told me my blog would lead to getting a job in mobile blogging!
Thankfully, it all happened, and I’m loving it!
I totally agree. I just think the list is pointless and is just as relevant as the “top 50 bloggers of alltime list”, etc.
I totally agree. I just think the list is pointless and is just as relevant as the “top 50 bloggers of alltime list”, etc.
[...] last several months as well. That seems to be the case for others as well including A-list blogger Robert Scoble. And I send much of my email via Facebook. I find that people are responding quicker to my messages [...]
The TechMeme list says nothing about the death of blogging and everything about the way large percentages of people continue to get their news. 60% of the top 10 on that list are old media companies. Even TechCrunch is growing into a larger news outlet. Like most businesses, the business of blogging is pooling more talent in fewer places because it’s easier to get your voice heard if you are part of one of the trusted sources (something you surely understand as an aggregator of original tech video). That doesn’t mean people aren’t still blogging as individuals, just that the places people read most are multiperson efforts.
The TechMeme list says nothing about the death of blogging and everything about the way large percentages of people continue to get their news. 60% of the top 10 on that list are old media companies. Even TechCrunch is growing into a larger news outlet. Like most businesses, the business of blogging is pooling more talent in fewer places because it’s easier to get your voice heard if you are part of one of the trusted sources (something you surely understand as an aggregator of original tech video). That doesn’t mean people aren’t still blogging as individuals, just that the places people read most are multiperson efforts.
[...] range from “Attacking Technorati’s Stronghold” to the new bandwagon of “Techmeme list heralds the death of blogging“. Duncan claims that taken in context, this means that “ … New verticals (are) on [...]
[...] range from “Attacking Technorati’s Stronghold” to the new bandwagon of “Techmeme list heralds the death of blogging“. Duncan claims that taken in context, this means that “ … New verticals (are) [...]
That’s an interesting observation. I was also wondering about top blogs being works of journalists because when you review the lists of top blogs under different blogging platforms, many belong to journalists/big media outlets.
That’s an interesting observation. I was also wondering about top blogs being works of journalists because when you review the lists of top blogs under different blogging platforms, many belong to journalists/big media outlets.
[...] Responding to this: [...]