During the last nine months or so, many networks have popped up and gone strong. B5media, Instablogs, KMN, Syntagma Media, Blog Media have been successful in craving a niche for themselves. Although some have died too, including FineFools, which was launched with a lot of hype.
However, the fact remains, most of the networks were able to get good traffic and were able to monetize the blogs associated with the network. Any blogger wishing to join a network looks primarily how the network can help him/her to monetize his blog further, get more traffic, or provide him greater visibility.
Most of the time amateur bloggers and newbie gets to learn the essence of blogging quiet fast by using Blog Network resources which otherwise would have taken him quiet a long time. Chartreuse is one exception out there.
Anyways back to the post, Blog Networks no doubt have been successful in empowering the blogger, even making his readily available to the audience. But the evolution of blog networks in social networks is not yet taken place. Jason Calacanis has launched Netscape beta, another Digg clone backed by in house reporters and editors. It is a great improvement after the problems we saw at Digg.
However, I would have rather like to see an integration of the Weblogs Inc with it, hence putting its audience in a more powerful state and contributing more effectively with the writers of the network.
A better audience experience - that is the next phase in the growth of Blog Networks.
Evolution of blog networks into social networks is not yet happening







Comments
I don`t agree ... Blog networks are collection of blogs. if they have to succeed, they have to give more power to bloggers. See what 9rules are doing, people loev to be associated with them rather than b5media or Instablogs.
Blog Network, Digg and Newsvine are different products for different people.
I do agree with you Mike on couple of points, that 9rules is more of a Community or Social Network rather than a Blog Network which is a very good thing.
We at instablogs are also going to evolve into a social network than a simple blog network, where audience will be particpating equally with the bloggers themselves.
I agree joining 9rules is like joining a club. But how much beneficiary is it to those who are looking to take blogging as a living as compare to other networks. I think this is still an open debate.
I have been watching instablogs from its launch, you people have done a greta job of pulling it from the shatters at the launch.
I will be watching with great pleasure to see you evolving into a social community. Blog Networks are getting boring, lets see how different you could be.
Cheers!
Mark