The nunu thing

A surprising number of friends emailed that they’d heard me in Robert Smith’s NPR radio piece about “the new blog networks” on Thursday.

Smith focused on Pajamas Media, but gave Blogads a short mention. As a former journalist, I chuckled listening as Smith, who has to boil things down for a mass audience, couldn’t dig into the unique stuff — PJ’s mauling by the very blogosphere it seeks to tame (see Dennis, Ann, HogonIce, and this guy) — and settled for the “news” that someone hired 70 bloggers and hopes to sell ads to Volvo. (Selling blogads since August ’02, Blogads collaborates with 900-odd blogs; Gawker owns two dozen; WeblogsInc employs 70 31; and brands like Audi, Sony, Turner, Volvo, Chrysler, Citrix, Nokia, WSJ, Road Runner, Random House, Budget Renta Car, Apple, Levis have been advertising on blogs for nearly two years.)

As for Smith’s framing metaphor, that “blog networks” resemble early TV and radio networks, I’m wagering the outcome is lots more social, fluid AND effective. Anyway, such is mass-market journalism.

As he dons his padjamas, Glenn Reynolds posted some kind words about Blogads, “a great boon to bloggers.” With competitors like this, who needs friends? Ahum. We do! So thank you especially to bloggers who are hewing to our weird and sometimes wonderful experiment in commercial collaboration. Lots more weirdness to come in ’06.

Speaking of which, we had a small party in our new office last night and should be moving in next week. Once settled in January, we’ll be hiring another one or two ad shepherds, with a new programmer on the way too. Maybe some pictures here next week.