Comments on: Arianna Huffington Cancels Her Appearance at BlogWorld

By: Rob Mark

Rob Mark — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:05:31 +0000

Good points both Jim and Ed. I was laways under the impression that blogs were focused on the social interaction as well. I went back and looked at them again and realized your points.

So is a blog not successful then if it doesn’t seem to have much in the way of commentary?

Or is the fact that - like the HuffPo - we hear about it so much the definition of success?

Or are the people who seem to have unsuccessful blogs the only ones who even run through these silly concepts of trying to define success?

By: Jim Durbin

Jim Durbin — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 20:03:39 +0000

The Huffington Post fits into a hybrid space between online newspapers and blogs.

National Review’s Corner, the Drudge Report, and pretty much every newspaper blog in existence fit that category.

I see the difference as one of intent and community. The Huffington Post started out as a columnist site that has actually evolved more towards blogs (as bloggers were the only ones interested in writing). Drudge has always been just a list of links, and the Corner went from a group forum to one of a series of chatty authors sharing their thoughts.

Blogging, if it means anything more than online writing or having using blog software to publish, should include the social networking actions like e-mails, commenting on other blogs, and participating in a community (rather than standing outside of it pontificating).

I teach my clients that the difference is one of engagement. if they just want content - hire writers. If they want to be part of something, start a blog.

As for how she did it…HuffPo is successful because it fits the narrow-minded media view of what blogs should be. Gossip rags and the occasional opinion piece.

That’s a danger to the rest of us. I’ve seen a lot of anecdotal evidence is happening to suggest that newspapers are using blogs to publish stories where they don’t have three sources. So they use blogs to publish stories they know are true but can’t prove. Journalism-lite, as it were.

I’m much rather hear from Arrington, or Owyang or Armstrong or Hewitt anyday.

By: Ed Sutherland

Ed Sutherland — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 19:55:19 +0000

The general definition of a blog is a site revolving around a give-and-take among readers and writers. To that end, the HuffPo is more of a blog than other sites (such as the NYTimes.com) which have adopted the comments of blogging, but haven’t achieved the social-interaction indicative of blogs.

By: Rob Mark

Rob Mark — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:49:19 +0000

Depsite whoever cancelled her out for whatever reason, I actually think she is a loss. I would like to have heard a little more about how she reached the point she’s at.

But then too, the Huffington Post really isn’t a blog anyway now that I think about it.

Certainly it’s a news site, but not a blog.

Maybe we’ll be talking about this next week, but has anyone actually dfined the various categories of the things we call blogs and how a site like the Huffington ethier fits or doesn’t?

By: Brad Crooks

Brad Crooks — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:23:36 +0000

Arianna Huffington … no loss!!

By: Des Walsh

Des Walsh — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 03:02:52 +0000

Interesting that she is also scheduled to be part of a keynote panel at ad:tech New York, on November 7. Presumably her people had in mind originally for her to fly to LV after that, in time to appear on Nov 8 - or 9. Or did they? I hope if I ever have “people” willing to square off for me I’ll remember to do my own apologies personally. On second thoughts, I don’t think I’d like to have “people” even willing to work for me in that role.

By: Rob Mark

Rob Mark — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:44:54 +0000

Arianna Huffington … Huffington Post … does the Bill Mahr show every so often … hates George Bush.

By: Ed Sutherland

Ed Sutherland — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:45:11 +0000

Rob is right; The decision was a slap at bloggers. I can understand why Huffington wanted to avoid the audience - she is being berated in the media for building a business on the backs of bloggers who are paid little or nothing in exchange for a platform. If I were in her situation, I’d rather schmooze with the monnied, too.

By: Dawn

Dawn — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:11:15 +0000

Who is Arianna Huffington?

By: Rob Mark

Rob Mark — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:56:53 +0000

The unfortunate part of this Jim is that blogging is very much about publicity. At least in my entire one year of experience it seems to be that way.

I would like to have heard how she managed to create the brand she did.

But I also agree with you that her attitude is absolutely about everything bloggers hate.