On everyone’s reading list should be a substantial article online in New York Magazine’s Metro section titled “Blogs to Riches – The Have and Have-Nots” (Link). It’s penned by Clive Thompson – a name that is becoming increasingly familiar to many of us, I’m sure. Consequently I don’t want to get into the article as it speaks for itself. Rather I’d suggest people read it and give some thought to the word “meritocracy“; it pops up a couple times and I suspect we’ll be hearing that word more and more this coming year. So much so that it may end up on some linquist club’s “Word of the Year” list (if it hasn’t already).
reBang
Good article, though I wish more attention would be made on trust networks.
I look at my OPML file and other than Wired and Slashdot, it’s all comes about from low volume blogs that have posted worthwhile content that I usually find from reading other blogs.
Is the information relevant? Do they link to other worthwhile blogs that I can perhaps add to my list? Is it low volume?
Interestingly, low volume is key for me. If I get a lot of posts that I ignore I will rapidly delete them from my list. The point of blogs is to filter for me, not that I have to start filtering my blogs.
Agree. Although I’m not sure how easy it would be to get a snapshot of trust networks atm. Seems like a fast-moving topic.
To be honest though, what really piqued my interest is how blogs relate to content in general (hence my comment on “meritocracy”). I tend to extrapolate… a lot. So I’m thinking in terms of what this means, specifically, to a product designer.
About a year or so ago I posted some entries on the Core77 forum about what I perceive is a coming split within the industrial design community. Basically, one group will stick with corporations cranking out product (like cell phones) that are attached to services which is where the money is; and the other group will go solo much like artists, novelists, independent musicians, filmmakers, aso. That can happen with improvements in fabrication technologies. Consequently, in the future – even for industrial designers – issues of Reputation (and Trust) become significant. The same issues a blogger faces.