Category Archives: Communications, Connection, Internet, Web, Media

comScore report on blogs will shake up – and wake up – many

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50 Million Americans visited 400 blog domains in the first quarter of 2005 – In a report that is sure to get noticed by media execs, national advertisers, and blog entrepreneurs, comScore Networks released a study of blog visitors and their behavior:

comScore Networks today released a report detailing the scale, composition and activities of audiences of Weblogs, commonly known as “blogs.” The report, which was sponsored in part by Six Apart and Gawker Media, found that nearly 50 million Americans, or about 30 percent of the total U.S. Internet population, visited blogs in Q1 2005. This represents an increase of 45 percent compared to Q1 2004.

Other key findings of the Behaviors of the Blogosphere report include:

  • Five hosting services for blogs each had more than 5 million unique visitors in Q1 2005, and four individual blogs had more than 1 million visitors each
  • Of 400 of the largest blogs observed, segmented by eight (non-exclusive) categories, political blogs were the most popular, followed by “hipster” lifestyle blogs, tech blogs and blogs authored by women
  • Compared to the average Internet user, blog readers are significantly more likely to live in wealthier households, be younger and connect to the Web on high-speed connections
  • Blog readers also visit nearly twice as many web pages as the Internet average, and they are much more likely to shop online

“The fact that we found 30 percent of the online population to have visited blogs clearly underscores the commercial importance of consumer generated and driven media,” said Dan Hess, senior vice president of comScore Networks. “It’s noteworthy that while the blog audience is already quite large and growing, its demographic composition relative to the total population will appeal to many marketers.”

Here is a link to the report.

Reactions and commentary:
* Fred Wilson: even more interesting is the difference in the way the “youth” blogging platforms like Xanga and Live Journal and the “mature” blogging platforms like Blogspot and typepad are used…Clearly the “youth” blogging platforms are “stickier”.

* John Battelle: As someone who is starting a business in the blog space, I’m pleased. But I hope we remember as we generalize about “the blogging audience” that at the end of the day, it’s not about generalizing, it’s about endemic, passionate communities

* Nick Denton: There’s only one measurement that matters, however, to media buyers at the ad agencies. comScore found that, while 37% of internet users had annual household income in excess of $75,000, 41% of blog readers were in that top band.

* Jeff Jarvis: comScore says that blogs are now big media.

A shocker for many is just how different the top 25 blogs are – as ranked by visitors – as compared to the links analysis that traditional blog related tools provide. In fact – this list will freak some out entirely.

Another shocker will probably be the domination of visitors coming to blogs for for politics and news. 43 percent of all visitors. This should raise the eyebrows of many who look down on blog driven sites for sources of them.

A major problem with this report – as a way to judge the ‘top 25 blogs’ – is that is that blogs that are hosted on by blogging services are entirely lost in the data since this report sums entire hosting domains – that is if I understand it correctly. So no ranking for Atrios for example. Which is flawed to say the very, very least. Possibly they will release this data so that folks can drill down. I hope SixApart will convince them to do so if they don’t plan to. Otherwise – well this is just one more reason for folks to not use these hosted services and to get their own domains.

One unfounded conclusion, however, could be that folks on average – reading and visiting blogs – DO NOT SHARE the linking behavior that many have come to expect, and rely on, as a way to judge the size, growth, and influence bloggers and blogging.

Peter Jennings Rest In Peace

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One of TV journalism’s giants passes. May God bless Peter Jennings and his family. He left his mark on me, as I am sure he did for everyone I know.

…”There are a lot of people who think our job is to reassure the public every night that their home, their community and their nation is safe,” he told author Jeff Alan. “I don’t subscribe to that at all. I subscribe to leaving people with essentially — sorry it’s a cliche — a rough draft of history. Some days it’s reassuring, some days it’s absolutely destructive.”

– Peter Jennings

It exists, and its influence matters

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In response to Om Malik’s post on the dark side of tagging, Shelley Powers writes a powerful piece on technology and human behavior arguing that no matter how our tools may change – its our practices that matter – take note of who is getting linked to over the BlogHer conference and why:

…If women are not as visible in weblogging (or technology or politics and so on) because of some
escoteric to do with technology, then our problems could be easily solved. I would personally devote my life to finding the Woman Algorithm — the algorithm to give equality to women. But, as we’ve seen with the recent linking to BlogHer reports, the issue isn’t that simple. Even considering the fact that BlogHer was about women in
weblogging, the single most linked individual post on the conference,was Jay Rosen’s–one of the few men to attend the conference.

Why was Jay’s the most linked? Well, some of it was because he provided a viewpoint that led to debate. He used a ‘confrontational’ term that was guaranteed to trigger furious discussion. I linked to him for that specific reason, as did other people. However, Halley Suitt also wrote a post that generated much debate, and though it was also well linked, not as much as Jay’s. Does this, then, mean that Jay’s was a better post? No,not necessarily.

If you look at those who linked to Jay, you’ll see two patterns: people who linked to Jay because of what he said, and others who linked to Jay because of who he is. What is the common characteristic of those who linked to Jay without specifically referencing the ongoing discussion? They were all men. Is this relevant? Well, considering the purpose behind Blogher, I would say the results aren’t irrelevant.

In a related post, Seth Finkelstein notes that that BlogHer “backlash” is self-proving A-list’ery:

…There were a few hundred people who attended the BlogHer conference. Which leads to a few hundred direct opinions from attendees about how it went. Add indirect opinions from interested readers too. Now, of this melange of viewpoints and conversations, which ones were amplified overall and then retailed to thousands of people not involved. Simple:

THE OPINIONS OF THE A-LISTERS!

So, if you believe all that matters is socializing, you can dismiss everything else, since it doesn’t affect whatever socializing happened. If you believe being heard and having an influence matters, well, that fact that a handful of rich/connected ranty A-listers (some who weren’t even there) are basically defining the issues to everyone else, should be a sterling disproof of meritocracy.

Of course, that also implies this post doesn’t matter, but it has an individual purpose in noting I’d been quoted :-).

In a related thought, it has finally occured to me why Dave Rogers and Shelley Powers have had issues with Technorati claming its lists measure the “authority” of certain blogs – because they can’t. It’s a misuse of the word. These lists measure influence. Attention-influence. An important distinction that gets lost in these discussions. In his latest post on all this Dave notes:

For my criticism to have some effect, I would have to be perceived as at least authoritative as Technorati. I would have to be near their rank in the hierarchy (not explicitly the Top 100). So the critical or negative nature of my attention-directing is largely discounted, and the effect is really just to call more attention to Technorati, which it desires and which I think is undesirable.

I would say he would need to as influential as Technorati. Lots of folks and institutions are influential who aren’t “authorities”. But the gist I agree with – those with high page ranks/quality inbound links have more influence over the direction conversations take then almost anyone wants to admit.

Digg’s top links lists

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One of the things I find so great about Digg is that it lets you see the top links shared for today, this week, this month, last month, and this year. In addition to my personal aggregator, I visit the Digg lists everyday.

These lists are far more valuable to me then the Technorati Top 100 blogs list – not because they inform me as to what’s popular as an aggregate of all time – but because they give me choice of seeing that, or what’s being talked about right now.

Of course these lists are different then the A-list in another respect – they cover conversations and not publishers/personalities. It still would be helpful to have similar lists to see who are the up and comers – this week, this month, this year, and today – or see the most influential within a certain topic space.

I feel the Top 100 “A-List” causes so much concern and controversy because it has a slow change rate. By its nature it won’t track with the growth rate of blogging. It’s an “all time” list. It is self-reinforcing. Newer blogs have little chance to show up. Even if they are becoming as influential as those already in this list.

That’s one of Jason Calacanis criticisms of the Top 100. As a response, he is providing a $10,000 cash bounty to someone who will develop a new list he feels would be more useful. Check out his post and responses. David Sifri was among the first. NZ, of Truth Laid Bear, an implementor of one of the earliest forms of this list, hops in as well with ideas for ecosystem specific sublists.

Speaking of lists – I’ve been maintaining my own blogroll for ages. Most bloggers do. In addition I help maintain Philly Future’s list of best Philly blogs. And now, added to those lists, is the list of blogs in our Philly Ad Network.

Speaking of lists, Daypop’s Top 40 has been in fine form these past few weeks.

This discussion can depress me at times. But I admit I can’t help but be fascinated by it as well.

… Neon lights, A Nobel Price
The mirror speaks, the reflection lies
You don’t have to follow me
Only you can set me free
I sell the things you need to be
I’m the smiling face on your T.V.
I’m the Cult of Personality
I exploit you still you love me
I tell you one and one makes three
I’m the Cult of Personality

Living Colour’s “The Cult of Personality“

“heard by whom Karl?”

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Yesterday Jeff wrote a piece claming that: There is no A list. There is only your list.”. It was a thought provoking piece that I had to respond to. You just can’t deny its existance really. It’s there. A group of blogs who have considerably more influence then the rest of us. Given that influence by inbound links. And using that influence to spread what it feels is attention worthy. In my response I made clear I don’t think of this as some kind of clique or club like other bloggers do – just an expression of human nature taking form. It’s a natural occurance. Not a problem that needs to be solved. But something to deal with – even route around – if you need attention for something – feel that it is worthy – and the current group of attention influencers doesn’t care for it or see it yet.

In responding to me saying that: “Some would argue that the A-list, even if it exists, doesn’t matter. That thousands of D-list links can exceed the value in attention-driving a single A-list link can deliver. Indeed, I think this is true. However, the time it takes to be heard among so many can take much, much longer then what one related A-list link can do in a few hours. The difference can be astronomical and can’t be underestimated.”

Jeff posted this reply:

…heard by whom, Karl? If you want to be heard by an audience the size of TV Guide, then we’re all Z list. But then, TV Guide isn’t A list itself anymore either, is it? That’s the way the world is going: The mass is dead! Long live the niches!

We need to stop thinking in the old terms of mass market, big circulation, big ratings, blockbusters. That world is dying. We need to stop thinking that when we are in a niche, we’re in something lesser. No, it means we’re in a community. We’re in a good conversation, not a loud crowd.

I used to write for an alleged audience of 25 million at TV Guide and People. Now I write for an audience of a few thousand. Call that whatever damned list you like. I like it much better.

In his comments I replied:

…I’d answer – to be heard by folks who don’t already hear you – who you want or need to hear you.

We are definitely Z-list (all of us) in comparison to the TV-Guide’s audience. Good point. We are definitely in a niche. In many niches actually. You can sub categorize me till the cows come home (whenever that is) – but it makes no difference – there is still – for folks seeking and needing attention to for what they are doing – a struggle. And there is a way to judge ‘attention influence’? – even in this small niche we all work within here on the web. The most influential have been tagged with the term ‘A-list’?. Maybe it’s a derogatory term. I have no idea. I think term sucks. Makes it sound like a clique when I think it really isn’t. Not actively at least. DailyKos and Powerline are NOT part of the same club. They don’t chat everyday. But the existence of their influence – or yours – can’t be doubted. It can be measured. Itts there. Denying it doesntt make it go away. I’m not saying this is a problem – but a reality to deal with.

And yeah no matter what list or category you wish to put me in – I’m happy to be here right along with ya. The web is participatory – the major differentiator from what’s come before. It’s read *and* write. It’s two way. That makes all the difference.

Speaking of his comments, we’re having a great discussion there I think.

Happenings at Philly Future

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The Missing Person’s Network idea is taking shape and resources are being found at Philly Future. Blogs as this generation’s milk cartoons. It can work.

Our Philadelphia regional ad network is up and running! If you are a blogger in the Philadelphia area looking to take part see the page for instructions. If you are an advertiser – especially a local advertiser – I can think of no better way than to get visibility among opinion makers and influencers in the Delaware Valley.

Every week or so we pick a blog in our region to feature – interview and post headlines prominently. This week it’s the fantastic Beerleaguer. Read Howard’s interview with Jason of Beerleaguer.

Wired mentions our efforts, but not our name, in helping to find Latoyia Figueroa and raise visibility of her among regional blogs.