What's with the Bloggers Making Money meme (Starting I think with a Making Money session at Bloggercon. Also JoHo, Battelle)? I am reminded of gapingvoids Sex & Cash Theory. Almost all the bloggers have dayjobs (the cash). So blogging for them is supposed to be the fun extra curricular stuff (the sex). What's with the sudden interest in getting paid for sex?
There are exceptions to the rule (Denton, Calacanis), but the discussion seems forced to me. It's not media types discussing a new publishing model so much as it is people introduced to publishing via blogging who are thinking "Whoa - I've got eyeballs. Quickly, I have to monetize them". It's a bubble instinct, and it's wrong. Not every personal activity needs a businessplan.
Agreed. I'm always a little off-put when I run across personal blogs with text ads. Contrary to what Gordon Gecko said, greed is not good.
On the other hand, if you know that you can start a niche blog that'll attract a readership, where's the harm?
Posted by: Bren on October 27, 2004 10:02 AMTrue, that's the "blogging as micropublishing" angle. That's fine. That's why i wrote the note about the discussion being forced. It seems to me that the "making money" story is not ABOUT micro-publishing. I think I detect this backwards motivation that making money is something people are tempted about for their personal stuff.
I'm a bit over personal bloggers raving about the 4 cents they earn each week from blogging - but having said that there are a growing number of bloggers who are making some serious cash - its not for everyone - but I think its a bit bigger than just nick denton and his cronies.
Posted by: Darren Rowse on October 30, 2004 5:23 PM