Does the pageview have a future? Or will the online world look to unique visitors, time-spent or attention (what’s that?) to determine the success of a Web site. The Globe & Mail’s Mathew Ingram wades into the conversation with a column looking at the pageview’s future. Personally, the exercise of measuring a Web site’s traffic is like looking at a big bowl of fruit. There’s lot of choices but people will pick the one that appeals to them the most. In the online world, this usually means picking the measurement tool that’s the most flattering. Whether that resonates with advertisers is another question entirely.
Has the Blogosphere Stalled?
According to Valleywag, (based on a post by BusinessWeek’s Blogspotting) the number of active blogs within the blogosphere has plateaued at 15 million, which is a far cry from the 70 million tracked by Technorati (the difference, apparently, lies in the number of active and inactive blogs). Not sure if this is a trend or a break in the action but it does put the spotlight on the reality that while setting up a blog is easy, writing one is difficult after the initial enthusiasm dies off. Even someone like me, who spent 15 years writing every day for newspapers, finds it a challenge at times to pump out posts every day. To blog well, you need commitment, energy, passion and, ideally, a solid hour or two a day to write. That’s a lot to ask of anyone.
Then, there’s the money. A lot of people thought they could make some decent coin writing a blog but if you’re depending on AdSense to pay your mortgage, you’re dreaming because Google has got the game tilted wildly in their favour where they make a lot from every click, while you’re lucky to make a few pennies. Another factor could be the explosive growth of MySpace and Facebook, which provide people with the ability to write and share their thoughts without setting up a traditional blog.
If the 15 million blog figure is, indeed, accurate, I’m torn. On one hand, it’s disappointing to see the medium lose some of its momentum. On the other hand, the disappearance of blogging wannabes, personal diaries, etc. may be a healthy development if it raises the profile of blogs generating solid content on a regular basis. Update: By “wannabes”, I mean people who think blogging is so cool, only to abandon a blog soon after they start because it’s too much work.
Update: Fred Wilson (aka A VC) doesn’t think blogging has stalled at all and dismissed CNet’s assertion blogging is a bubble. “I don’t think it’s a bubble. I think its a revolution. We are taking over the media, slowly but surely. And this revolution isn’t going to burst.” Amen, brother!
Here’s a chart from Blogspotting:
“A” is for Apple, “B” is for Booming Sales
A, B, C as easy as higher sales and profits, as well as booming sales of Macs and iPods. The numbers tell the story: a 36% year-over-year jump in Mac sales to 1.51 million units while iPod sales soared 24% to 10.5 million units. “The Mac is clearly gaining market share, with sales growing 36 percent — more than three times the industry growth rate,” said Apple major domo Steve Jobs.
Here’s my prediction: Apple will have Microsoft back on its heels for years to come. With a cool design, a far better operating system (combined with Vista’s less than stellar debut), the power of duo-core Intel processors and a sweet set of standard applications (the only external software you really need is Firefox and perhaps Microsoft Office), the Mac is the superior machine. Combine that with the aura of the iPod, and you’ve got a powerful way to drive sales. Maybe I’m become such a Mac-ite, I need to get an Apple tatoo but the Mac and iPod is hot, baby!
For more insight, check out IPDemocracy. as well as my favorite Apple blog, The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs. Update: Apple shares cracked through $100, which GigaOm asserts has taken the spotlight off company’s vexing stock option problem and, in the process, saved Jobs’ job. Meanwhile, the New York Times has a story looking at ex-Apple CFO Fred Anderson, who has been sued by the SEC.
Judge Nails RIAA
According to TechDirt, the Record Industry Association of America’s legal jihad is running into a few hurdles: lawsuits incorrectly targeted, as well as attempts to weasel out of paying its legal fees. Yesterday, a judge ruled the RIAA has to pay its legal costs. The re-affirmed decision can be found here.
While the RIAA is focused making sure consumers actually pay for music rather than using P2P services or cheap, quasi-legit services such as AllofMP3.com, another issue that continues to boil and brew is how much consumers actually want to pay for music period. According to a recent eMarketer study, the magic number – drum-roll, please – is 99 cents, which is otherwise known as the price that Steve Jobs also believes music should cost as opposed to the $1.29 a track suggested by EMI recently.
“Consumers favor keeping prices at the dollar-per-track level that Apple established when it rolled out its iTunes Music Store four years ago,” eMarketer analyst Paul Verna said. ” When Ipsos Public Affairs asked what consumers thought of the price, more than 70% of respondents rated it as either “fair” or a “bargain.” Only 19% felt that 99 cents was “too expensive.” Here’s a chart that shows how consumers feels about 99 cents.
A Blogging Magazine?
Now, this is interesting. A paper-based magazine called Blogger and Podcaster about the blogging market. Here’s why they intend to charge a subscription fee amid a world everything else Web 2.0-related seems to be free. I wonder how long it will take before they call b5media to advertise?
No E-Mail Interviews for You!
Jason Calacanis is pissed because a Wired writer took a pass after Calacanis asked if he be could be interviewed via e-mail. Jason, you’re absolutely right – and my perspective comes from more than 15 years as a daily newspaper reporter. One thing reporters take for granted is people are obligated to talk to them just because you’re deemed to be an interesting/necessary source. Truth be told, if you don’t want to talk to a reporter, you can ignore them/not return their phone calls/e-mails. Of course, many people find it difficult, if not impossible to resist the siren’s call of the media for some strange reason that I’ve never been able to figure out. Maybe it’s because talking to a reporter is seen as a ego-stroking exercise.
In terms of Calacanis; if it wants to conduct an interview by e-mail, that’s his prerogative, and if the reporter doesn’t like it, tough. In many ways, e-mail is a better tool than a phone call because you can take your time to answer questions and you have a record of what exactly you said. If your quotes are misinterpreted or misconstrued, you have a way to go right back at the journalist. It is interesting that more people such as Calacanis and Mark Cuban prefer to do e-mail interviews. As far as I can tell, Cuban rarely does voice interviews, although he’s extremely accessible if you ping him via e-mail.
Update: Dan Gillmor, another ex-journalist, makes some excellent points, including the fact journalists often make mistakes – albeit little ones. Meanwhile, Mathew Ingram – a working journalist until we lure him to the dark, entrepreneurial side – says he loves e-mail interviews.
Technorati Tags: Jason Calcanis
