Tuesday, August 12, 2008

The state of the blogosphere

Things are much different around here in the summer. We're often taking mini-vacations, going on camping trips and aren't at a computer eight hours a day. We're disconnected to say the least.

Our posts are often less timely and our reading list is shrunk down to just about nothing. Many other people are like this, too, as traffic numbers across the blog world are down this time of the year.

But it seems, from our perspective, that things in the blogosphere have gone stale.

The big sites are still big, but haven't had anything to really boast about in a while. The smaller sites have sort of stayed put, with no true growth. The mid-tier sites have also sorta maintained a status quo.

Do things need to change? Has making jokes about news that the mainstream media breaks become old? Have certain features/segments grown tired? Are fictional dialogues and fake news just not really relevant anymore?

We feel that blogs are at the point where something needs to happen. A new way of reporting news or a new way of analyzing it.

Are we on our own here or is it time to start shaking things up?

Thoughts?

5 comments:

rstiles said...

Honestly, I think a site like The Big Lead could do better...I work 40+ hours a week at my real job and I am doing the best that I can with the time I have to blog...I may be wrong, but I believe this is TBL's full-time job!!!...so I expect more from him...

Everyday it is the same thing, he links the same bloggers...he doesn't promote the small-time blogger who is working 40+ hours, raising a family, taking his kid to practice, and trying to blog when he has time...

Some of the "bigtime" bloggers have become bigheaded, such as Will Leitch...he is supposedly anti-Main Stream Media, but to me, he has become one of them...

Who the fuck is Will Leitch?...seriously!!...I think Deadspin has gotten better since Leitch left...

The "bigtime" bloggers have become stale because they have developed an ego and don't promote the small-time bloggers...there are A LOT of good blogs out there who aren't given the time of day from TBL and others...

Suddenly, they have turned into the people who they have been bashing for years...

T Dizzle said...

I think that rstiles has a point. I work 40+ hours a week and I have a family too. The problem I run into is coming up with stuff to blog about. I will say I e-mailed BDD from KSK and he responded to me rather quickly with advice which I appreciated. I think it would be great if we could somehow help promote each other

Bokolis said...

Oh, shit! We're discussing the issues. I agree with rstiles and would like to add:

While we may get enjoyment out of the blogosphere, writing about shit that happened instead of making shit happen- as anyone who has made shit happen would know- is about as geeky as it gets. Unless you're one hell of an observer, if you're not making shit happen, you eventually run out of shit to say...which is the same thing that makes people uncool in real life.

I don't read any of the "big" blogs, so I can't speak to their staleness. However, I strongly suspect that, with regard to their status in the blogosphere, they are in full prevent defense / cockblock mode...again, not much different than real life.

GMoney said...

Zach, I'm not trying to bust balls considering I comment here everyday, but it feels as though you've been mailing it in recently. You're right, the summer is tougher on the 'sphere though.

The big problem isn't with the size of the sites, it's just that with all the blogs out there, it's hard to be cutting edge anymore because chances are good that the idea you came up with has already been done.

Anonymous said...

To be honest Zach, I really don't like where the sports blogosphere is heading. I've found that most of the big sites are simply massive link lists these days, with very little fresh, interesting content. Take Deadspin for example: Gawker Media pays the guys for the hits they get on each post. That's why you see 25+ posts/day with zero-to-minimal new content. It makes me sick that these are the guys that are popular. I remember when Will Leitch and D'Aleurio used to actually write content and thats what made them popular in the first place. The Big Lead is a little better, but I think they are trying too hard to imitate Deadspin.

I love Erin Andrews as much as the next guy. But I'm sick of every single blog commenting on her wearing short skirts into a lockerroom. Just like you said, too many guys are just commenting on news the mainstream media breaks. Fake news and interviews are alright if they are funny. Too many guys post this stuff and the only people laughing are themselves.

I think the sports blogosphere should concentrate more on the smaller stories, making predictions and telling the stories behind the stories. Whether that will actually happen or not, who knows.