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The Aggregation Crowd’s High Standards
By Mark Evans | February 20, 2008
I’m not sure what the ideal news aggregation services looks like but if you launch something that isn’t it, watch out.
The response to Newspond is downright critical. TechCrunch is down on how the how the service works and its grandiose marketing claims, while Tony Hung is equally unimpressed, and slaps Newspond on the wrist for describing itself as “revolutionary”.
As a news aggregator junkie, I’ve tried a bunch of them, including Newspond, which struck me as fairly interesting but not hey-this-is-amazing.
Daylife was all the rage last year when it debuted and later raised $8-million in venture capital. Blogrunner got everyone excited after its new owner, New York Times, relaunched it, while DailyMe enjoyed its day in the sun. Meanwhile, the industry heavyweights - Techmeme, Digg, Reddit and Megite continue to roll along.
The bottom line is the new aggregation market is a tough gig with a highly-demanding audience that wants it all: elegant, user-friendly design where the advertising isn’t obtrusive; a powerful aggregation engine that ranks stories quickly and properly while being inclusive of a variety of sources but recognizing that some sources are better than others; and a variety of topics covered.
Do that, and you’ll rule the world. Fail to meet those standards, and be prepared to face the wrath of the aggregation junkies.
Of all the aggregation services, Digg continues to rule the roost, although it seems vulnerable these days as it dabbles with the user-experience. Techmeme is terrific, has a world of potential and rabid following but would be wise to think seriously about expanding into even more topics to hammer down strategically, while Blogrunner is interesting, partly because of its ties to the NYT.
Technorati Tags: Newspond, Techmeme
Topics: Media |
