For good or bad, the Fresno Bee buys fresnofamous.com - By N.L. Belardes
Currently I don't have an opinion on the fact that the best social networking/artist/citizen journalist website in Fresno, fresnofamous.com was purchased by the Fresno Bee.
You might.
Should all the Central Valley alt news sites be owned by the Main Stream Media? There's a reason there's no bakersfieldfamous.com. Bakotopia and Paperback Writer exist.
I guess I'm flying solo though in the Central Valley (in not being owned by the MSM)
... zzzzzzzoooom!
Opinion?
Read on...
*Thanks to J.S. for the tip.
You might.
Should all the Central Valley alt news sites be owned by the Main Stream Media? There's a reason there's no bakersfieldfamous.com. Bakotopia and Paperback Writer exist.
I guess I'm flying solo though in the Central Valley (in not being owned by the MSM)
... zzzzzzzoooom!
Opinion?
Read on...
*Thanks to J.S. for the tip.
This entry was posted by N.L. Belardes, on
Friday, December 15, 2006.
You can leave your response.
I hope you'll always "fly solo" N.L.
Personally, I get a little confused on the bond with Bakotopia. I love Matt, I love checking that site out. It's unique to itself and it is very self promoting on it's own too. I get constant e-mails on stuff from them. But when I come here, I just want N.L., what N.L. throws out there, what N.L.'s take on the music is. Advertisements here? Sorry, and I know, I'm the big trouble guy.
If I want Random Times I'll go read that paper, Bakotopia, Mas,(maybe Blackboard soon?) same thing. And they're all good, different, exciting...
You have a wonderful original style that I love. You write great stuff, extremely intelligent, well schooled and well traveled. Family man as well. That's what I dig about ya! Oh yeah, and how could I forget...GREAT sense of humor! You've taken the good and bad crap I've written here and gave me nothing but honesty back.
I'm no expert by far,but I've been in music in this town since the mid 70's. Your reviews of the arts, are by far, the best I've ever witnessed! Maybe because you're not in a band, you're not competing or trying to always promote "your" band or personal tastes rather than venture out and hear all the beautiful bands and shows happening.
And that's just music reviews. You constantly hip me to new stuff,writers, thought thinkers, life livers. And now, the best friggin food reviews too!
When I go to the other writers/blogs/papers I tune in to their style and enjoy it as well. Differences are good my friend.
Enough of that crud, what I'm trying to say is, I appreciate you, stay true to yourself and keep kickin' our ass!
love ya man!Dave
Thanks Bandito wolfman. Your last XMAS poem rocked!
Aaahh Man, I wanted to be the one that tipped you off.
I want to know what you think man! Fresno wants NL's opinion.
Well Mikie,
I'm guessing Fresnans will be split. Some might call Jarah Euston and company sellouts. Others might think she created Fresno Famous just so she could sell it. I mean, it wasn't around that long. And it seems like it was growing just fine on its own. It only recently went through its platform change.
Political pressure?
A nice money gesture from the Bee, pocketed?
Perhaps the Fresno Bee thought that Fresno Famous was alive and their own Bee Hive was dead in comparison. Instead of compete, take it over.
Money talks.
I suppose that depends on what Jarah's goals really were. Was she really all about the alternative community network market and helping fight the Central Valley brain drain? Now maybe she herself could be scared away to another city.
Maybe the brain drain drained her... Jarah did say according to the article in the Bee, "We kind of hit a wall with what the Famous team could do on our own."
Maybe that means she and others gave up: brain drained. Excuses? Can't walls be conquered, overcome, torn down?
Is the Bee's money power base what Fresno Famous needed to get it over some hump?
You tell me, Mikie... you're close to Jarah. Spill the beans on your opinion.
Thank for that NL.
My opinion is pepered throughout Famous and my blog but here is a simple version.
Remember when Sammy Haggar joined Van Halen? VH was still great but it wasn't as good or the same as it was with Dave.
The Bee is Sammy
FresnoFamous.com could not have hoped for a better MSM buyer (well, maybe one!). McClatchy is a great newspaper company with a lot of very, very smart people on the online side.
My former boss from my Ventura days was involved in this acquisition.
That said, I have no insider knowledge that makes me say this (just general knowledge about McClatchy): But I wouldn't be surprised if there was a BakersfieldFamous at some point. Neither Bakotopia nor Paperback Writer (sorry, Nick) is a barrier to entry. McClatchy has the resources and brains to quickly become a market leader in the space, if that were their choice. And it would make a lot of sense. I kind of like the idea, myself. I think I'll suggest it. :-)
You're right. Bakotopia and Paperback Writer aren't barriers by any means. Just takes the right people setting up multi-user blogs...
I think it was just easier for Modest and Fresno to have the "famous" models. Bakersfield already had something going on. Merxus and Localispace.com are vying for the same traffic as well. Who will come out on top?
Maybe the people who work together for the sake of community vision.
Hey Nick,
Nice piece. As you know, this topic is endearing to me. Here are my little thoughts.
First of all, congrats to the FresnoFamous people. It's good to see all the hard work helped their bank accounts, hopefully in time for Christmas.
Some may think this sell-out is just another in a series of moves by Newspapers across the country to attempt to control content on the Local Internet scene. We all know better. Make no mistake; the Fresno Bee could care less about controlling content, or for that matter giving people a free voice in the community. This sell-out is all about, you know the story, MONEY, controlling advertising revenue. For the Bee, this is a good bottom-line business move, because even through the strategy will only prove to help them temporarily, and we know it is temporary, the Newspaper will temporarily stop the Viewership/Revenue drain, probably for enough time to pay for the deal. What is certain is you will never be able to advertise on the FresnoFamous.com in ANY way that competes with the Fresno BEE, just as the relationship is between Bakotopia and The Bakersfield Californian. It's all about control, and the fact is, when control is your primary objective on the Internet, whatever you are doing IS temporary.
By the way, these types of sell outs are occurring all across the country as I discovered in my recent visit to Chicago. Greater Chicago consists of roughly 38 Burroughs, most with a Local Internet Scene. The Chicago Tribune waits for these guys to develop enough visitors, then viola! the Tribune money guys come a'nocking. Not only that, but agreements are made to keep the founders (the thinkers, the fire starters) from starting up the same thing again for several years into the future.
Ultimately the Bee, and all Newspapers dependant on Adversting for survival greatest problems are just ahead. VERY soon, the new, unreleased, just on the horizon, internet advertising technologies will be available, when most, if not all, adverstising will actually become desirable and add value to ours lives. By the way, I'm not talking old school stuff like about Pay-Per-Click or "Ad Sense"...
I wish the folks at the FresnoFamous and The Bee all the best.
they had something real good going...too bad it's over
Maybe the people who work together for the sake of community vision.
I'm thinking that's the key here. And why certain projects are only growing and some have eaten shit so quickly.
I agree with D.W. in that your site is unique. You write about whatever you want! Books, music, politics, or Starfucks and we're just here for the ride. (I still love Starbucks... Eggnog Latte.. yummmm)
You tell it like it is and if people don't like it, I love it when you remind them that you are a self professed controversial asshole blogger and they can just deal with it, or go read another site. You make no apologies about who you are.
Yes, I don't always agree with you yet I can't stop reading. So you must be doing something right! Stay true to you, dude. But stay YOU.
Por vida, y que! (oops, sorry that was the McFarland girl talking there)
Having said all that, I don't think fresnofamous.com is a sellout. I think it's a great business decision. Good for them! (but if the time ever comes... don't YOU dare sell, though dammit!)
Norma: you crazy contradicting kid. Regardless of whether you think Fresno Famous are sellouts, I think my punk shui couch would sell far faster than my blog. Who'd want to purchase a weird blue blog with a cartoon that never changes?
Which reminds me. I need to do something about that.
It's officially on the 'to do' list.
haha. I guess I could have just said I give a rats ass about what fresnofamous.com does as long as it doesn't affect my blue screen crack.
It would have saved me a lot of typing. hahah
... about your punk shui couch.. I told you what you can do with it.
Yeah, I'm taking it to your house with a big red bow. My art gift to you.
As long as you attach a $50.00 bill to that bow to pay for the fee at the city dump. :)
"Yawwwwwwnnnn!!!!"
When are you gonna audition for a local play?
What a familiar story...
"Blogger took off, in a small way, and eventually a bigger way, over a couple years. We raised a little money (but stayed small). And then the bust happened, and we ran out of money, and our fun little journey got less fun. We narrowly survived, not all in one piece, but kept the service going the whole time (most days) and started building it back up.
Things were going well again in 2002. We had hundreds of thousands of users, though still just a few people. And then something no one expected happened: Google wanted to buy us. Yes, that Google."
Taken from:
About Us - Blogger.com
The rest is blogistory.
Thank You Blogger, for making sure we don't have to pay for ads..
(wipes tears...)
\m/
WWW.BAKOTOPIA.COM
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