What could be more dysfunctional than our existing mainstream media?

I have no understanding of this new attempt, but I wish them luck!

OK, I'm stupid. How exactly are these guys different from Blog-ads.

I understand the 'lock in your numbers' part of the deal. I also get the impression that they'll do that they'll take some of the legwork in running down ads out of daily life for you (does blog ads not already do this for you?). But is there something else?

Sure, this whole 'become reporters thing,' well, I just don't see that happening. But so what? Isn't the blog ads-esque portion the important part?

Maybe their model will encourage people to 'slack off' but is there any other reason to think their aggregation-selling ads portion won't work?

I guess I'm trying to understand all the hostility and the hubbub. Is OSM going to have some sort of editorial/censorial say-so over their bloggers that blog-ads doesn't have? Is it all just that this is a big (though inside baseball) thing to bloggers and, bloggers being bloggers, they're just going into hyper-criticizing mode cause it's what they do? What's up here?

My prediction - their traffic will drop significantly.

Well, if this thing is meant to be a big site that aggregates a lot of bloggers in one place, like a Huffington Post with a higher sanity-to-madness ratio, I could see a lot of people checking it out regularly. But maybe I misunderstand the model.

On censorship:

Luke Ford, a porn-blogger, was dropped out of OSM because advertisers or investors didn't feel comfortable with him on the list.

This worries me greatly, as, let's face it, I'm kinda on the line as regards content.

I don't write anything that wouldn't be acceptable for National Lampoon but I do worry that I'll be the next to be disinvited.

ace, any discussion of demographic measurements? advertising obviously is big business, but you gotta show em you're reaching the people they want to reach.

it's confusing to me, which ain't necessarily the kiss of death but it will probably confuse potential investors too.

Don't get the big deal about ads at all. Well, that's a lie. I get it, Traffic/clicks = Money = Good.

However, since I use adblock for firefox, I don't see (or even download) any ads from any of you. (Which means I don't really care who is hosting them). I also don't appear on your sitemeter/clickcounter/etc. for the same reason.

I do feel kinda bad about not supporting my favorite blogs in such a minor way as being counted as a reader, but it's just so darn nice not to have to wait for ads or sitemeter to load.

In the long run, I'd be surprised if ad filters don't become more common.

Ace needs to get in on the real crazy blog-money: inline advertising. In the future, maybe his posts will look like this:

Cutting to the chase: there are only two possible "exit strategies" in Iraq. Victory or defeat. Oh, and by the way, I could really go for a nice refreshing Guinness.

If I could combine Real Clear Politics, Powerline, Ace of Spades, Ann Coulter, Fox News Channel, and the National Review Online, I would be a very happy and content chap.

I neither need nor have the time for anyhting else. (Except for Blame Bush and Town Hall Conservatives.)

That's where I think we are heading: the consolidation of the blogosphere and the bloggers to be absorbed into the folds of online mainstream organizations. "Packages"like the one above will be offered consisting of a broad consortium.

Big conglomerate sites will receive a lot of more traffic as a whole than the individual site would receive. Thus the advertising dollars will follow.

I haven't read Luke Ford for a while. I know he wrote about the porn business but I thought he stopped that when he went all jew crazy (he converted and has the fanaticism of a convert). He does write some very good in depth interviews.

Good choices, Bart. That's close to my set. And I combine them myself, by opening each one in a tab every morning and refreshing from time to time. It's not all that onerous. I tried an RSS dingus, but didn't see any advantage.

But I'm willing to take a wait-and-see on OSM.

Kinda like the underpants-theiving gnomes on South Park. They knew what they had and they knew where they wanted to go, but that crucial "Step Two" was always left blank, the details to be provided at a later date.

Exactly.

porn-blogger

Have I been missing out on something? I didn't even know there was such a thing.

I live such a sheltered life...

My $.02,

I think OSM is forgetting what's attractive to people who read blogs; the ability to interact. I know that some of the highest traffic blogs don't allow comments, but I would be willing to bet if you added up the traffic of blogs who do allow comments vs. the aggregate of those who don't, you'd find some interesting results. I do not read any blog, with the exception of Iowahawk, that does not allow comments. I'm pretty sure that no major advertiser is going to drop money on blog ads that run on sites where nobody has control of the content.

Luke was raised in an ultra conservative 7th Day Adventist family. His dad was kicked out and formed his own church. Then there was that porn gig and now he is an orthodox jew. Weird, but very likeable and a good writer.

Been reading Ford, myself, for a long time.

To the anon commenter above about his stopping with the porn blogging - yeah, he did stop. Sold his old domain, but couldn't resist and started anew at http://www.lukeisback.com/

Reo: Hmm. I'm not quite sure how that works with the orthodox Judaism. Do you?

No. And neither does Ford. Therein lies his medicated charm.

Well, I wasn't going to bring that up. lol! Nevertheless, I hope he finds what he is looking for.

Actually I do do original reporting on the drug war.

What I have learned is that people take drugs for the same reason doctors prescribe them. To solve medical problems. Like PTSD and others.

Roger Simon is well acquainted with my work and my politics is not far from his.

Never got invitied and when I e-mailed the normally polite R. Simon did not reply.

I do not believe that original investigations are of any interest. At least if my interaction with Silk Pajamas is any indication.

I'm getting crazy blog cash now. Crazy!

And all it cost me was my soul and any chance I ever had to get in Althouse's bloomers.

A look at OSM's front page only adds to my confusion.

Right now they are featuring an article on a House spending bill. Under the "Dig Deeper" section, which links bloggers writing on related subjects, they list four blogs.

One cut and pasted McCain's remarks taken from the New York Post via Powerline, under the headline:

McCain for President 08'!
Get use to it!!

Another cut and pasted an article from The Hill.

What is this supposed to be? You #1 source for excerpts of articles from major publications (with Hat Tips to other blogs)?

But then... Instapundit and other big bloggers already tend to highlight original blog-reportage, even when it involves fairly local issues.

Um, not always. You have to contact them, and it has to be a hot-button issue.

Whatever it is, it may just turn out to be a chance to consolidate power. We'll see, but I'm skeptical so far.