I discovered yours just now … not sure I will be back much yet … as one of the “little people” … I get really tired of media giants deciding the slant presented in the news so I don’t watch much of it … I look at the news a little here & there online but again .. it appears much too slanted for my taste.

I do enjoy checking out interesting sounding articles, blog posts etc, I like being able to make comments on other people’s blogs with my opinions / thoughts too and I do enjoy having my own “rant space” for my opinion about what I read or find out … it too is slanted … by me to what I think or believe … it has given me new appreciation for the fact that blogging is one of the very best things to come along on the Net since being able to show pictures in my opinion. I like other people being able to make comments about my opinions too (as long as they are respectful).

I am fairly rare according to one blog review of how people read blogs – I like to read a variety of real people with real opinions … conflicting and agreeing points of views in relation to my views … I feel it gives me better balance of what might be a kernel of truth instead of slanted one-sided truths. It also helps me grow as a person and think for myself.

But … no matter how famous a blog might be or how much it might be sold for … writing style and personality are going to have an impact … changing who the blogger is on one may be a good thing if the people reading it enjoy and like the style of the new blogger …. others may go away because it just is not the same and it “loses” something for them even though it may be excellent writing.

Case in point … I was a faithful reader of the Ann Landers column for years …. her twin sister wrote a column for years too … both were equally talented and gifted writers … I liked the voice & style of the Ann Landers column … I didn’t of her sister’s … now I just don’t read any of the others online or offline except maybe once every 3 or 4 months and never have … why?

Voice … writing style … none I’ve read so far have drawn me into the excitement of finding out what they say tomorrow. Doesn’t matter … it mattered to me to miss one of the Ann Landers columns. I’ve found several “personal” art blogs that I really enjoy and want to know what they have to say in their next post … so I read them regularly. I look at a few news blogs here & there … do I read any faithfully? No. Why? No one writing there so far has caught my “it matters to me” focus. I think that could be a great equalizer in writer changes, just like it has been on some TV shows that changed writers during a TV show run – some have gained enormously while others have lost big.

Boils down to … you do not know what will happen until it happens when you make the changes – it is always a risk – it could cost a lot or it could pay off big.

Darren nails this topic as well as I’ve seen anywhere with the quote “So which is best for building a profitable blog? – I guess the answer to this question probably depends a little upon what your goals for the blog are.”

The gist of my original post was to firstly suggest that blog/blog network consolidation and potential exit is a long term perspective. Secondly, without a proper business plan how can you determine your goals properly, which should probably include if you are commercially minded some sort of cursory look at exit strategy.

There is the possibility that you may start off as an amateur blogger centric and end up growing into a branded network of content centric blogs. If that is a possibility/aspiration which it maybe for many, then might it be prudent to give it some thought on paper?

I have further explored this in another extensive post this afternoon. My apologies in advance if it’s a little long winded and sends you to sleep, but there was a lot I wanted to consider.

It’s certainly a very interesting debate although my head is also hurting a bit. :-)

Even though a network like Gawker Media has interesting writers, the blog brand supercedes that. So even though you’ll miss the writer, you’ll still go back to the original blog.