The Future of Blogging

April 22, 2009

blog.jpg

There’s an interesting post by Carolyn Elefant on Legal Blog Watch today. Assessing a recent survey which claims that 452,000 people claim that blogging is their primary source of revenue, Ms Elefant ponders the future of blogging. Citing the Wall Street Journal’s take on the phenomenon – “Not since eBay opened its doors have so many been able to sit at their computer screens and make some money, or even make a whole living” – she asks whether the number of blogs and bloggers will continue to grow in coming years.

Ms Elefant’s answer is no, for instead she sees “a move toward consolidation of quality blogs, with smaller, less-original blogs (the “me too” blogs or reference-type blogs that merely echo content from other bloggers) falling out of favor or displaced by Twitter. Though there will always be a place for small niche blogs with unique audiences, I think that opportunities to blog for profit will decline.”

Allowing for the UK’s customay lag behind the US in all things technological, the process of consolidation is already underway on our shores. Newspapers and magazines jumped on the blogging bandwagon indiscriminately some four years ago, but now only the strongest voices survive. In the personal sphere, anecdotal evidence suggests that many people initially relished the freedom of expression granted by the blogosphere, only to lose interest rapidly, whether because of hostile comments, poor readership figures or the realisation that blogging is like all writing: it takes effort, commitment and talent, and without this holy trinity it’s fairly futile.

Blogs are the 21st century version of that staple of newspaper and magazine publishing – the column. They facilitate greater interaction with the columnist, and enable up to the minute commentary (a sometimes dubious luxury), but ultimately, like columns, those written by the best in the business will prosper.  Ms Elefant is right – watch this space for consolidation, not proliferation.

 

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Not so right said Fred

February 2, 2012
fred hat

So Farewell, then, Sir Fred Goodwin.

Now you are just Fred.

Not Right Said Fred, but plain Fred.

The Forfeiture Committee did for you.

No one had heard of it before,

But Dave said it had to act, and it did.

Trouble is that no one knows what to think.

Is it ‘Alas, poor Fred‘,

Or ‘Hurray! Sir Fred is dead!’?

We don’t know.

Do you?

By A. Mob, aged 1,378 and a half.

London Goes AWOL

January 31, 2012
CNN

STOP PRESS:

Fed up with being stuck on the Thames in south-east England, London yesterday decided to move. In a dramatic gesture which augurs ill for the Olympics, the city upped sticks and relocated to East Anglia.

Lawyers were not consulted about the move, and the city’s precise motivation remains unclear. However, financiers fear that London’s decision is a sign that it wishes to downsize. Moreover, a source from London said: “We no longer want to be Britain’s seat of power. If the Scots can deregulate, why can’t we? East Anglia is a nice place where nothing happens. It’s time for a quiet life. Please respect our right to privacy.”

Elsewhere, Birmingham did not do anything, but Manchester was seen to be packing its bags. “There’s an opportunity for us,” said Manchester. “We can become London.”

East Anglia said: “We don’t mind. It’ll be refreshing to be associated with something other than fens and flatness.”

A cartologist at CNN, which broke the extraordinary news, was later fired.

An excellent ad if ever there was one

January 25, 2012
legovader

We seem to be visually led this week but sometimes words proliferate far too much and letting an image do the talking is no bad thing. That’s another way of saying that ACCESS Agency’s work with Lego is absolutely top drawer.