09
October
2005
|
20:02 PM
America/Los_Angeles

Selling the BlogoSphere Part 2: Why are the Geek new media/blogging pioneers selling out to the big corporates?

. . .do they know something we don't?

By Tom Foremski for SiliconValleyWatcher


Why are the leading lights of this new mediablogging movement selling off key companies to large corporate entities that are considered clueless by the blogosphere?


Did those corporations get a copy of "Cluetrain Manifesto" for their birthday?


Within the last two weeks three deals have taken place. AOL acquiring Jason Calacanis' Weblogs Inc., VeriSign acquiring Dave Winers' Weblogs.com ping server; and VeriSign acquiring Nick Denton's Moreover Technologies.


Did these prominent leaders of the blogosphere take the money and run?


The valuations on those deals seem weak which suggests the owners couldn't see much upside ahead. Put some lipstick on the pig, I think was the expression sometimes used in investment banking circles. Well, if they were pigs, congratulations gentlemen, you got one over the suits.


And of course, the new owners might be more able to scale those assets across their broad infrastructure and customer base. Or they will have no idea what to do and will keep buying dated books on internet marketing :-)