When is a Blog Not a Blog?
Interesting question isn’t it? Ask ten people the question and your likely to get nearly as many answers.
The most common one is an online journal/blog that doesn’t allow comments (although I don’t agree) but there are many other reasons a valid argument can be presented for.
Generally speaking a weblog is a website that displays in chronological order postings by one or more individuals and usually has links to comments on specific postings. Some blogs require registration as method to counter the spam bots that reek havoc on blogs.
In that light I’m calling out two NASCAR related blogs that may or may not meet the above criteria, I’ve made my assessment, you make yours.
A couple weeks ago I came across two blogs, one by David Newton the other by Terry Blount, both written under the ESPN banner.
When first noted they had the look, feel and all the needed accoutrements to be classified as blogs. A funny thing happened in the last few days.
Now they both require you to register to read beyond the short excerpt provided and if so inclined comment on each entry.
The catch is the registration isn’t the normal everyday type used by many to combat the spam bots. Oh no, can’t have that! Their masters at ESPN have decided you must be a subscriber to ESPN The Magazine to not only comment but read the entire blog entry.
To be fair (but just barely) they offer you the option to sign-up for a 10 day free subscription to the magazine. Gee thanks! They don’t mention if you don’t extend the free offer by parting with cold hard cash your email and snailmail boxes will be inundated with 50 requests per month to renew until the cows come home. (or Brian France gets a clue, which ever comes first)
It’s one thing to read a blog and click on an ad to provide the author a bit of renumeration for his/her efforts, it’s another thing entirely to only provide a tease and require you to pay for a monthly magazine to get a hold of the complete piece. (Bet they got the idea from “America’s Fish Wrap,” the NYT, and their Times Select scam)
Cheap assed, disingenuous $*!!($*@$*’s!!
And BTW, since this registration scam was started Marty Smith has been added as an ESPN “blogger.”
As a result of the above I hereby stricken all three from my list of legitimate bloggers/blogs. My verdict is rendered, yours may approximate mine or disagree totally. It’s your choice.
Somebody remind me again how ESPN was going to improve the coverage of NASCAR via their new TV contract. If this is an example of new “features” to expect the future it may not be such a bright one for ESPN’s NASCAR broadcasts. (Hmmm… pay per view Winners Circle ceremony anyone?)
ESPN, ESPN the Magazine, NASCAR, NEXTEL Cup, Sports, Blogs, Blogging, Auto Racing, Motorsports, Full Throttle
If you want to get “technical”, then I guess these electronic birdcage liners would fit it. But barely, and only by a strict definition.
They certainly fail in the spirit of blogging category. No doubt.
If it were simply registering to comment, I “guess” I can understand that with spam being what it is, although there are numerous ways to prevent it.
However, requiring a f**king magazine subscription just to read the full deal. FTFF. Who need em?
I very much enjoy Marty Smith’s writing. Newt can go get stuck, so that doesn’t matter. Never cared for his tripe anyway.
The first thing i thought of was how bad the readership of their mag must suck in terms of paid readers.
Do they really need to use a subtle bribe on a “blog” to build subscription numbers? Don’t know, don’t care really.
Just another example of how the traditional media knobs just don’t understand New Media. Eventually, the smart will survive and the old school will go the way of the dodo.
There is a local paper here in Toronto that forces readers to register on their whole network to comment on their automotive blog. I have chosen not to comment on several posts that I likely would have otherwise.
Fortunately, neither Newton nor Blount have anything to say worth the price of subscribing to ESPN The Magazine just so you can read them taking turns kissing up to NASCAR.
Damn right Dude.
Add Steve Waid to the list too, although at the moment their blogs are still free.