Blog of the week III
If it looks like a blog (discrete chunks of information) and acts like a blog (posts arranged in reverse-chronological order), even though, unlike most blogs, it has a vast readership. On those grounds, then, it deserves to be included in our weekly blog critique. So, ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, Rainy Day presents that wonder of the information age — Slashdot. In the past five years, the site has published 50,000 articles, served 500 million pages and attracted an audience estimated at two million people. "News for nerds. Stuff that matters" is the slogan and if you're involved with open source code (and who isn't nowadays?) this has to be the first port of call each day.
It's a geeky place, Slashdot, and there's a whiff of the fanatical about it all but that's what has helped make it successful. And another thing, as New Economy glossy after glossy bites the dirt (Upside and Forbes ASAP being the latest), Slashdot is actually turning a profit. If you're looking for an Internet publishing model, check this site out. The secret appears to be: keep costs low, have cred and employ editors with wit and sharp eyes.
Finally, if you're looking for a blogging tool and you'd like to host on your own sever, Slash, the code that powers Slashdot. It's open source software, which means that you can download, install and use it for free. It's released under the GNU General Public License.
