Just catching up on some 2 weeks worth of reading, strangely enough some of it about myself. A couple of people have asked “what next”, the simple answer is I don’t know at this stage. I’ve spoken to a couple of people about different things, and I’ve got as many emails to follow up on as well. Given it’s less than one month to Christmas (that’s Christmas, not the holidays ppl!…that was really annoying in the States) I’m not going to rush anything, although I might start exploring a few different ideas and things, some with others, some by myself. Not surprisingly, I won’t be doing a blog network again, not only because I’ve probably got a dose of once bitten, twice shy, but because legally I can’t…which isn’t a bad thing I think given I honestly think the boat has probably sailed there now anyway. Either way, once I do start doing some new things, I will share.
And a final word, I’ve read some of the speculation in relation to my departure from b5media, a couple of people wanting to know more, and one person even going so far as to imply I’m a hypocrite (in as many words) given how big I am on disclosure and being upfront about things. What I will say is that there is a legal reason to my silence, and as much as I wish I could come clean and speak the truth but I can’t go into the details.
So, no blog networks in future? That can’t preclude you from being involved in network magazines, though, I would have thought. 🙂
“Not surprisingly, I won?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t be doing a blog network again, not only because I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ve probably got a dose of once bitten, twice shy, but because legally I can?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢t”
WTF? That and you being stifled by whoever (probably those with the money and the b5 puppet strings) has put a big black mark on b5 in my book. Despite our differences, Duncan (yeah you remember, sure you do 😉 – I actually like what you write and this totally sucks, though I could actually imagine it annoying all of ‘us’ more than it does you – there’s a lot beyond blog networks though I can’t believe someone somewhere is so up themselves that they have got some legal way of stopping you being involved in a blog network – guess you could do a ‘John Evans’ and call it something else, if you wanted to do one.
Anyway I’m rambling – it’s a shame as I like a few people in b5 but I’m afraid they’re on the blacklist now (no great problem, I seem to be on theirs) 🙂
Good luck in all, Duncan, you’re firmly on my RSS feed etc.
LOL just read JE’s comment properly 🙂
Andy, network magazines are not just blog networks renamed. They have a metacontent layer which organizes the material through the active intervention of a human editor. This is on top of the usual feeds. It’s a totally different animal from a bog-standard blog network, or, for that matter, a print magazine. 😉
Yeah I know John but the idiots doing NDAs and legal stuff probably don’t know that 🙂 and not everyone does something different just because they call it something different…
No offence meant to your business.
Evans, I am sick and tired hearing about the network magazine thing. I love magazines and unless your content looks like there is a human editor intervention, hone your craft first before saying you’re a network magazine. I find the concept cool but your quality doesn’t fit the bill.
Askmen.com is by far more of an online magazine. You wouldn’t think it doesn’t have an editor from the way content is organized.
Duncan, you’re still cool man. Nobody is indispensable and just keep on going. Whether there’s a legal clause to your silence or not, it doesn’t matter; its better if things are left unsaid.
Askmen is not a magazine. It sells articles to other periodicals and websites. It’s a sausage machine.
I can see the benefits of working with other people, but unless there is a strong relationship first, people will only put themselves first and what they can get out of it. I have tried to start projects with other people, but I always felt like I was doing all of the work.
Good luck with whatever you work on next.
Lol, after reading Duncan’s entry, before I opened up the comments I was mentally preparing the same response you did John. Too funny.
An f-bomb would be appropriate somewhere around here. Duncan, blog networks are NOT here to stay. They are nothing more than a website ring with some form of content aggregation involved. And what happened to those web rings? Exactly. And being that so-called blog networks define themselves slightly differently, there is little legal basis for an NDA. Unless the mechanics of b5’s plan was laid out in excruciating detail. In that case you would have an exact roadmap for circumventing their plan and avoiding encroachment on their intellectual property.
Anyways, I don’t expect this short note will influence your next move. You probably recognize that the blog network model is broken in a couple of ways, even if you can’t put your finger on it. So can forgive me for expressing my outrage over how seriously some companies who shall go unnamed take themeselves.
But but… if you don’t give us fodder we can’t elevate these rather mundane events into some craze ennobling narrative that ends in a buzzword ending in -sphere.
🙂
Great luck to all parties involved regardless of What Really Happened behind the B5 grassy knoll.
Duncan,
Since I’ve worked on personal injury cases that were sealed and cases with non-disclosure agreements, I can understand your reluctance to comment, for legal reasons, on what transpired during your meeting with b5 Media in Toronto last month. Nevertheless, it doesn’t assauge my curiosity.
Secondly, your experience has made me reluctant to accept offers to join-up with a blog network. I’ve had two so far. However, it doesn’t mean I won’t do it.
Finally, I look forward to your next project. Also, keep Duncan Riley.com feisty. I find it an enoyable read.