Pro Blogging News

Problognews and Dozens of Other Domains For Sale

Ed Sutherland — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:56:20 +0000

I’m selling about two dozen domains and fully-built web sites I can no longer manage or haven’t found the right niche. Below is a full list. Contact me for details.

problognews.com (PR4)
blog-journal.com
protwitternews.com
associatedblogging.com

blogmediagroup.com

wiredwallstreet.com
wiredconsumers.com
wiredecology.com

nbunion.org
wpmatrix.com
wpmalls.com
blogprlink.com

anewpress.com
revolutionarywriters.com

applenewscenter.com
mewtube.org
newsmatrixgroup.com

Twitter Seeks $250M

Ed Sutherland — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:59:26 +0000

Twitter, the micro-blogging platform, is seeking $250 million in new venture funding, reports said Monday. The third-round of private funding came amid what one report called “more than one ‘no.’”

Tech Crunch first reported the venture funding pursuit, citing “a source with knowledge of the deal.” The report was later confirmed by the Wall Street Journal’s MediaMemo.

This latest dip into private venture funding follows $15 million raised in June of 2008 from Spark Capital and Bezos Expeditions, according to Tech Crunch.

Twitter returns to the venture funding well after a reported $500 million cash buyout offer from social-networking site Facebook and hiring Kevin Thau to head business development.

Update: Twitter is seeking $20 million in funding on a $250 million valuation, points out Silicon Alley Insider. The funding goal would value each of Twitter’s 6 million users at $40, or $0.20 per Tweet.

Blogger Asks: What Does Matt Have To Do With WordPress

Ed Sutherland — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 04:13:47 +0000

Mullenweg self-portait overlooking Dubai.

(PBN) — Have recent posts written by WordPress creator Matt Mullenweg and highlighted by his WordPress software lost touch with the WordPress community? A blogger Sunday asked if Mullenweg’s posts featured on the dashboard of millions of WordPress-powered sites are relevant to the popular blogging platform.

“Recently his blog entries feature mostly galleries of jealousy-inducing photographs taken on jaunts around the globe on some high-end camera equipment. Few, if any, have anything to do with the WordPress blogging software,” Elliot Back wrote in a post entitled “Matt is not WordPress.”

Of the more than a dozen “Other WordPress News” posts pinned to the WordPress dashboard, nearly half relate to Mullenweg’s travels around the world. Mullenweg posted a gallery of photos of himself in Old Dubai, Jan. 3; poolside photos at the Dubai Buddha Bar. Jan. 2; photos at the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, Jan. 1; photos of the Mall of Emirates, Dec. 31; and photos of the Atlantis hotel in Dubai, Dec. 29.

To be fair, Mullenweg was in the Arab city as part of a “meetup” of WordPress users. However, most key WordPress news, such as the launch of WordPress TV and progress toward WordPress 2.8, were part of the WordPress Development Blog.

But has Mullenweg gone overboard, placing himself at the center of posts highlighted in every WordPress installation? Back believes Mullenweg may have gone too far.

“Since half of the items in my dashboard are currently irrelevant to me as a WordPress user, hopefully the time is approaching when Matt’s personal feed will be replaced or removed,” said the blogger.

Are You A Blog Newsmaker?

Ed Sutherland — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:09:19 +0000

Does your blog break news or is a first source for news? We’re looking for blogs that make news, not simply comments or offers opinion on news. The goal is to widen our base of news sources used by PBN to compile our wire service.

Don’t know whether you qualify? Ask yourself how many times you’ve written ‘…has learned,’ or ‘…was told.’ PBN wants news partners that rely on first-sources, not commenting on another blog that was commenting on another blog that wrote about an AP piece.

This doesn’t necessarily disqualify blogs that specialize in opinion; just make it your opinion.

If you think your blog qualifies, contact us (ed(at)problognews.com) and your writing could become part of the largest news wire devoted exclusively to blogging.

We’ve Updated Our Appearance

Ed Sutherland — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 19:51:38 +0000

To reflect our move to a new blogging wire service model, we’ve undergone a bit of a facelift, starting with a new logo and Revolution’s “Chrome 2″ WordPress theme. You’ll likely notice other changes as we further settle into out new digs.

For those that haven’t heard, Pro Blogging News has become an online wire service, providing blog owners the latest news of the blogging industry from primary sources (the NYT, WashPo, TechCrunch, etc.) Feature news on blogging is being handled by our sister blog, Blog Journal.

Yammer Rakes In $5M To Promote Business Twitter

Ed Sutherland — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:21:47 +0000

(PBN) — Amid all the talk over when and how micro-blogging service Twitter will go after the corporate crowd, Yammer won $5 million in first-round financing.

The money comes from the Charles River Ventures and the Founders Fund. Founders Fund, a $220 million private equity firm, is led by Yammer founder and past PayPal operations chief David Sacks. Along with Sacks, a number of former PayPal workers populate the fund.

Yammer is focused on bringing micro-blogging or enterprise messaging to companies, allowing their employees to stay in contact.

As Twitter figures out its next move to attract businesses, Yammer is joined by Presentl.ly and WizeHive, among other companies, according to Tech Crunch’s Erick Schonfeld.

Twitter: Follow Us on BlogJournal

Ed Sutherland — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:57:16 +0000

Twitter users need to follow us at twitter.com/blogjournal to receive news updates. Thanks!

‘Twishing’ Attacks Hijack 33 Celeb Twitter Account

Ed Sutherland — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:54:42 +0000

Despite more than two dozen celebrity Twitter accounts being hijacked, the microblogging service says the takeovers were not connected to a rash of weekend phishing ploys.

“These accounts were compromised by an individual who hacked into some of the tools our support team uses to help people do things like edit the email address associated with their Twitter account when they can’t remember or get stuck,” Twitter explained on its blog.

Twitter said before it took the support tools offline, 33 people fell victim to attacks. The accounts of CNN Rick Sanchez, Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly and singer Britney Spears were among the more notable victims.

A Twitter account once used by President-elect Barack Obama was also attacked, although Obama hasn’t been Twittering since the November election, Twitter said.

Over the weekend, a number of phishers attempted to extract Twitter usernames and passwords. The ploy sent direct messages to Twitter accounts, asking them to visit what actually was a fake Twitter home page.

While the value of collecting Twitter passwords doesn’t seem immediately obvious, security experts said many people use the same password to login to Twitter as they do to check online finances.

Twitter said later this month it will begin testing OAuth, an open authentication protocol that third-party companies can build into applications. OAth will allow people to use Twitter features without disclosing private details.

This isn’t the first security-related issue to confront Twitter users.

Last month, a Website, DMFail, reprinted private messages sent by Twitter users who incorrectly tried to transmit “direct” messages. Instead of typing “d,” some Twitter users would type “dm.”

“On average, a couple of messages per hour over all of Twitter end up hitting DMFail,” blogger Michael Arrington wrote.

This story came from the Blog Journal, our new publication. If you haven’t yet, add the Blog Journal to your RSS reader now.

Is Live-Blogging Dying?

Ed Sutherland — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:34:27 +0000

No doubt, many will live blog their New Year’s Eve celebrations in the United States. Live blogging, started to make unreachable events more accessible, has become over-done and risks becoming like analog TV in 2009: off-the-air.

We’ve all read live-blogs of tech announcement open to just the press or natural tragedies happening a world away, but providing blow-by-blow accounts of readily accessible goings-on “is almost entirely pointless,” according to Canada’s National Post

“Those who can’t fathom watching something on television without another person’s witty commentary should just invite a friend over,” writes Rebecca Tucker.

Live-blogging fit in nicely with the seeming need to post first and post often, two practices seen as answers to competing with larger blogs with multiple writers and advertising revenue dictated by the number of pageviews.

That frenzy of activity may thankfully be slowing giving way to ’slow blogging’ that prizes quality commentary or though-out discourse over brief snarkish notes written in the heat of emotions. If 2008 was the year of snarky blogs, hopefully 2009 puts a premium on quality.

(This story orginally published in The Blog Journal.)

Survey: More Bloggers Earned Less in 2008

Ed Sutherland — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:58:55 +0000

Seven out of 10 bloggers earn less than $500 per month, belieying the acquisitions surrounding this newest media property. Although unscientific, a survey found 29 percent of participants reported making less than $10 per month, up from 26 percent in 2007.

The survey, by Australian blogger Darren Rowse, in October asked readers of the ProBlogger.net to indicate how much money they made from the activity.

“I’m certain that there are inaccuracies in it,” Rowse wrote Wednesday. Although some participants “for fun” likely said they were making large amounts of money from blogging, this year’s results were similar to past surveys.

Rowse removed 37 percent of the responses that indicated they made no money from blogging, a move he said was to “concentrate just on those who make at least some money from their blog.” Rowse writes about how bloggers can make money from blogging and is often referred to as the ’seven-figure blogger’ for his income from the pursuit.

Among the more interesting results from the survey:

29% (or 1,162 participants) said they made less than $10 per month. That is 3% more than in 2007.

9 percent (or 373 participants) made $20,000 or more per month.

4 percent (or 150 participants) made $1,000 to $1,499 per month.

Rowse said the number of people claiming to make $20,000 or more per month may have been “skewed.” Although the percentage is the same as was found in 2007, this year’s upper figure ($20,000+) is higher than in 2007. ($15,000+).

This is the third year Rowse has asked readers about their blogging income. The results appear to run counter to the flurry of blog closures and warnings about drastically lower online advertising budgets in 2009.

(This story originally appeared in The Blog Journal.)