Need Cash? Get a 24.com Blog
My very, very, very first intro to blogging was an M-Web blog account (I struggle to remember what it was called), which lasted one whole post before I discovered Blogger.com.
Since then I’ve had very little to do with the MSM (mainstream media) multi-user platforms. I’ve long felt that MG’s Blogmark, M-Web’s Blogspace and 24.com Blogs are more like a forum/blog/chat room hybrid than anything else. They are very tight communities, very seldom venturing out in to the Web and in turn the ‘non-multi-user’ blogosphere rarely refers back to them. It’s sad that some of these really talented writer don’t get sufficient credit from the more tech-orientated ‘external’ or ‘independent’ blogosphere. (Non-multi-user, independent, external – battling for a descriptor here).
Now 24.com is looking to bolster, um, I presume number of blogging members by offering to pay a cash prize of R3000 per week to the top blogger in their network by peer vote.
From their site:
Why do people blog? Is it to keep in touch with your friends, show off your favourite photos and videos, a place where you can speak your mind and remain anonymous, or simply let everyone know your opinion? Well, it’s all of that, but now we give you one more reason to keep a blog on 24.com. Great big wodges of cash.That’s right, starting today we’re giving away R3000 a week to the top bloggers on 24.com, as voted by the 24.com blogging community. So go visit your favourite blogs, nominate them for the competition by clicking on the button on the right-hand-side of the page, and watch the votes roll in! (Make sure your friends nominate you too, so you’re also in the running)
That’s a lot of money, any way you look at it. I’m trying to fathom the logic, and struggling. Blogging is growing in SA, but not at that rate? Can’t just be an attempt to boost Adsense revenues? There are plenty of comments on the announcement post, but spread across 15 or so users who are engaged in a bit of an argument. So that’s not mind-blowing.
So I’m interested in your take: do you, as an ‘independent’ blogger, read MSMMU (Mainstream Media Multi-User!) blogs? If so, why? And if not, why not?
And if you’re a MSMMU blogger, do you engage ‘other’ blogs? Do any of you have both kinds of blogs?
Lastly, any suggestions as to why 24.com might be spending serious cash on their MU networks? I’m stumped (for a change…)
Chris, Brian? Would be cool to hear from you guys…
Popularity: 4% [?]
Mike, keep a look out for stormhoek, we are in talks with them at the moment and will have a http://www.stormhoek.co.za site up and running in conjuction with them soon. will chat to Dave when its going live and spread the wine loving ! All the best, Chris
by Chris Rawlinson
on 01. Feb, 2007
This is the Naspers way Mike. Build something (thats good but not necessarily great) and then spend a lot of money securing/attracting/developing audience – hoping that the returns come later (remembering that R24k or so a month is not a lot of money for them, it is substantial in the blogging world).
We’ve seen it over the years with M-Web, Kalahari.net, and a number of the Multichoice/MNet initiatives. Big media is comfortable with this approach, and 24.com has big media blood in its veins.
by Angus Robinson
on 02. Feb, 2007
Hey – I would think that the blogging community would embrace this kind of initiative. I am someone who is currently sitting on the sidelines, not really sure if I want to invest the time in a blog, but enjoying reading others blogs (including yours, Dave’s Max’s, Stiaan’s). Who knows, this just might tempt me to jump in the water and grab this carrot offered by 24.com. From what I have read from you before, you enjoy promoting the blogging community. You should encourage companies to do these things, no matter what their motives are? What say you?
by Lloyd
on 02. Feb, 2007
I think these MSMMU blogs is good in a sence and I do enjoy reading them, although much less than I would read normal blogs. (As long as I can RSS it, I’d keep an eye on them
)If you look at MSMMU Blogs like keo.co.za then it must be mentioned that it is more or less focussed on a certain topic (rugby & cricket). The issue is on the anything goes MSMMU’s that you get a lot of clutter and kak. For me to filter through the clutter is sometimes just too much effort…
Do yourselves the favor and go look at http://www.jobfishing.co.za and tell Lloyd that that thing is SHOUTING to be a blog!!
by Stii
on 02. Feb, 2007
Mike, when did you get so cynical? Not all of our efforts are driven by direct returns. An incredibly small number of South Africans even *know* what a blog is. 24.com’s Blog Off will encourage a wider part of our audience to start blogging, and interacting with our content and services in new and exciting ways.
MSSMU (ugh! can’t we just call them beginners?) blogs got you blogging, and – I imagine – got you into the whole Web 2.0 phenomenon. We’re excited about our audience growing through the platforms we provide, and unlike our competitors, incentivising our users to create content is far more exciting when you don’t try to own or control their product.
I enjoyed reading Stii’s post where he referred to “clutter and kak” and said that filtering through the clutter is too much effort… Well, let’s see whether the blog off competition does it for him.
by Bryan Porter
on 02. Feb, 2007
Eish, china’s, don’t get me wrong. I think this is great! My tone was certainly not intended as cynical. All I’m saying is that I’ve noticed a big divide between those who engage in what I’m referring to as MSMMU blogs, and ‘custom-installed’ or ‘hosted’ blogs. There’s not much crossover between the two, and I think that’s a great pity. Hence my comment – “It’s sad that some of these really talented writer don’t get sufficient credit from the more tech-orientated ‘external’ or ‘independent’ blogosphere”.
I think this is a good move Bryan, I’m just not used to people (especially big media) handing out fairly respectable amounts of money for blogging – it seems a little counter-intuitive to the motives for writing a blog, although will no doubt get more people on board. So kudo’s to you guys.
Stii – Keo.co.za is not an MSMMU – it’s a hosted Typepad blog. Just so you know how I’m differentiating…
by Mike
on 02. Feb, 2007
The purpose of mainstream or community blogging is to reach the ordinary, non-tech savvy people. Yes, blogs are growing in SA, but the net is still a relatively unfamiliar and daunting creature to majority of its citizens. So the “MSMMU” Blogs of which you speak is giving the laymen the chance to get in with the techies. Most people are there because of the community aspect of the product. Sure if you are planning to blog on a specific topic, then go independent. But if your purpose is for entertainment or just checking it out, then go the community route. To each his own. Do you not consider Blogger.com mainstream? I’m confused. But at least you credit mainstream for the introduction to blogs
by Lin
on 02. Feb, 2007
Right! Bryan, I’ll take you up on the challenge… I’ll review it in a week or two’s time. (see how viral this can be, Lloyd?)
Mike, must be the start of the super 14 that made me think of keo as an example! (CHEEEETAHS!!!)
Oh and b4 I go, Bryan, what would make these blogs 1000% “better” would be if they had human readable URL’s. Lets say I do actually like the Cindy’s World blog, I would like to simply go http://cindysworld.blogs24.com instead of searching for her on the blogs24.com site. Currently her URL is http://blogs.24.com/ViewBlog.aspx?blogid=f2a95dc5-9004-40a5-9114-80e6dbfdbc51
which I’ll never remember!
That way, I think, it would be much less “divided” from the blogosphere.
by Stii
on 02. Feb, 2007
Stii, I agree – we’re working on it – currently in the profile view you can get the short URLs – for instance Cindy’s is http://blogs.24.com/cindy
by Bryan Porter
on 02. Feb, 2007
you can access her blog via blogs.24.com/cindy. Is that 1000% better for you?
by ghost
on 02. Feb, 2007
1000%, thanx for informing!
by Stii
on 02. Feb, 2007
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