Journalists are lazy. OK, maybe not all journalists, the journalists you probably read online with the big tech and MSM sites aren’t, but they make up only a small number of all journalists, and as someone who once dealt with journalists daily as part of my then job, most of them are. But come to think of it, you do naturally expect better from the “big name” journalists, particularly those writing for well regarded sites such as MarketWatch. Unfortunately Frank Barnako doesn’t reach the standard, with this piece on Australian company/ portal Sitepoint.
Screen shot attached, just in case he reads this and takes it down, or corrects most of it.
Let’s start from the top, shall we:
You won’t find blogs for sale on eBay, but there is a marketplace for Web blogs. Hundreds are being sold monthly through a little-known two-year-old auction service based in Vancouver, Canada.
Um, you see blogs for sale on eBay regularly…but apparently there’s a marketplace for Web blogs (Web blogs…WTF??). Hundreds are being sold…really, I watch Sitepoint every single day, yes, blogs come up for sale, but not 100s….a little-known two year old auction service based in Vancouver Canada…WTF? Sitepoint is a registered Australian company/ portal as is clearly indicated on their about page (they’re based in Melbourne BTW), and little known? The site was launched with its current name in 1999, oh, and it ranks at 263 on Alexa. Marketwatch ranks at 615.
Matt Mickiewicz, co-founder of SitePoint Pty. Ltd. said his recent offering of BlogCatalog.com drew a winning bid of $40,000 in less than 24 hours. “There were seven backup offers and two higher than that, trying to break the deal,” he said in an interview. Other sales have included the Blog Watch Network, Biziki and College-Startup.com.
Sitepoint used BlogCatalog as a proud example in their press release, so it’s not entirely Frank’s fault, but BlogCatalog isn’t a blog. It’s a directory. Blog Watch Network? ROFL, I think he means Blog Network Watch.
Each month, about 400 blogs are offered for sale through SitePoint Marketplace at a flat fee of $20 per listing. “Most sell in a couple of weeks,” Mickiewicz said. Custom designed software handles the sale process providing for private messages and forums for questions and answers.
I’ve got no idea where the 400 figure comes from, but that equates to nearly 100 per week. Maybe I’m visiting the wrong Sitepoint? Custom software, aren’t these guys using a hacked version of Vbulletin? Most sell in weeks: most auctions I’ve been watching lately at Sitepoint don’t even get a bid.
I could go on, I won’t, but I will finish with this. I don’t want to slag Sitepoint off, because they do a very good job, generally speaking, but when it comes to a fluid marketplace, Sitepoint isn’t it. What they have done, in part due to their listing fees, is cornered the top end of the market, not only in blogs but all websites. Top quality sites sell on Sitepoint, sites $5-10k and up. At the bottom end of the market, Sitepoint literally killed it and drove everyone to Digital Point. You’re not going to sell a site cheaply when there’s a $20 listing fee, sure it’s not much, but if you’re only looking for $50-$100 for your site, $20 takes a big chunk. Cheap blogs and sites are nearly always the domain now of Digital Point, where personally I’ve picked up a couple of bargains lately. But I digress. Sloppy journalism Frank Barnako. A little fact checking wouldn’t have gone astray.
Originally posted on February 6, 2007 @ 11:54 pm
A little “gettin down in the ‘hood” with some lingo checking wouldn’t hurt either…
Matt Mickiewicz, co-founder of SitePoint Pty. Ltd. said his recent offering of BlogCatalog.com drew a winning bid of $40,000 in less than 24 hours.
The way I’m interperting it, the reporter is saying that Matt M. offered BlogCatalog.com for sale. Jacob Gower of BloggyNetwork sold that one on Sitepoint, not Matt…
I thought you were having a go at me there Paul for a minute, and I was about to plead “be nice, I just spent 3 hours mowing, edging the whippersnippering the garden”…you’re right though, it sounds like Mickiewicz is taking the credit.
I’m not having a go at you, Duncan. It’s 3am here and I have been up since 8am yesterday, having a rough day, my windows are frozen shut so I have no fresh air… ;-)
Not to mention that even if he meant Blog Network watch – we didn’t sell that site on Sitepoint. WTF?
Matt
It’s the rule changes on Sitepoint that have made the prices go up, not just the fees. I posted about this on JOAB and Matt Mickiewicz was kind enough to leave some comments in a humble enough way, asking for suggestions. I used to love Sitepoint, but it really generates a black market for blogs these days, where nobody can accurately say who paid what for what. The other thing that I think worth mentioning in terms of Sitepoint vs. eBay is the feedback system- which, for myself, is key to judging whether I’d like to trade with someone or not. I have to say, I’ve made some GREAT contacts on eBay, whereas Sitepoint tends to be hop in, hop out- asap.
While I paid public bids on College-Startup, and possibly a few others. I think more high profile blogs have sold off sitepoint than on.
But when do I get my interview?
Frank has posted what amounts to a summary of the story on his blog, Duncan — including an audio interview with the guy from SitePoint (at http://blogs.marketwatch.com/barnako/2007/02/hundreds_of_blo.html). You should post a comment, or at least a pointer to your response.
FYI: Marketwatch has never been respectable or good. I know that from reading it, and because I know several people who left because their writing was hacked to pieces by illiterate “editors.” So, while you are right in your criticisms of the piece itself, your initial assumption is off. Marketwatch is neither good nor accurate on a regular basis.
Mark,
just on your comments, I fully agree with the lack of a feedback section at Sitepoint, I sold a site there last week, the buyer just didn’t respond, the second bidder can’t pay by Paypal (it was a pay by Paypal only auction). It’s where DigitalPoint has a lot more strength to my liking ,they’ve got a full feedback section ala eBay, and it makes a world of difference when you know you’re dealing with legit people.
I purchased blogcatalog.com and still figuing what it is. Clearly it isn’t a blog.
SitePoint’s journalism is sloppy however their marketplace for website sales is terrific. I purchased BlogCatalog as well as a number of other websites utilizing SitePoint. Like any online transaction risks are involved. When it comes to large amounts of money trading hands its necessary to utilize services such as escrow.com as well as a Sales Agreement. We used both in the purchase of BlogCatalog.com