Jim Capo posted a short conversation with Rhino publisher Willy Hammer, and Willy sez...
"Bloggers...they're like Ham Radio operators. They're talking in their small little groups thinking the rest of the world is interested and of course almost no one is paying attention... The money in this business is still all in print. That's what the vast majority of people read. Anything that's easy to do does not have much value "
Before local bloggers or blog readers react by threatening to boycott the Rhino's advertisers and avoid walking by their world headquarters on Market Street, may I suggest that Willy is more right than he is wrong... in part... at this point in time.
Sure we are all puffed up about the N&R's plans to possibly include "citizen media" in how they might operate in the future. Sure we all get a thrill when some weblog further up the readership ladder links to something we have to say. Sure we have camaraderie and some central places where folks can figure out what's going on in the local blogosphere. What we lack, however, is more active involvement from those not in the choir of local bloggers. Don't believe me? Just notice from whom your (and my) comments come - for the most part.
At the last local blogger confab, a group discussion was taking place on how to get more local weblogs started. I was sitting next to The Shu when he turned to me and said "What we need are more readers." "Yes", I wispered back, "higher circulation." The old term was 'eyeballs', we need to attract more of them. We are a choir in need of a larger congregation. It will come, I am sure of it, but until readers of weblogs far outweigh writer/readers of the medium, weblogs will be considered by many as the fringes of media.
But I do take Willy to task when he opines that, "Anything that's easy to do does not have much value." The very promise of the power that weblogs hold both locally and nationally is found in their simplicity and the low barriers to entry into the blogosphere. In addition, my definition of a weblog's 'value' is way different than Willy's 'it's all about the money' take on what he considers valuable.
That you are reading what I write is of great value to me and hopefully some of my writing is of value to you. As a money making endeavor however, Willy is right, this weblog is of no real value - but he completely misses the point.
10:25:43 AM 
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