Is this promotion? Or relegation?
If you read comments on blogs then you'll know that The DCenters has been approached about opening up shop over at The Most Valuable Network. It's an interesting offer, and one I've been thinking about. Via communication with MVN over email, I told them I'd like the opinion of my readership on this issue.
There are pros and cons to the issue, so let me break them out as I see them:
Pros:
- A chance to waive the MLS and DCU banners on a sports blogging portal where no soccer presence currently exists.
- MVN does receive more traffic than I get right now, so the audience could potentially be larger.
- Ad revenue that could reach the low two figures, allowing me to buy more food for my cats.
- I've always been a proponent of MLS Team based blogs, and this would help set up an environment for more of the same. Would it be hypocritical of me to decline?
I would list bullet points, but another individual whose identity will be withheld neatly summarized it, fairly or unfairly, this way:
I’d avoid MVN ... Bad graphic design, intrusive advertising and you’ll be paired up with a bunch of mouth-breathers (other blog authors) on the site.
So I ask you, my readership, what do you think? Should I make the move, or stay at home? Your comments will be important to me as I make this decision...
posted by D @ 11:37 AM
14 Comments:
Unless there is an opportunity for your blog to appear simultaneously on the MVN website and your own independent website, I would keep as is. Your graphics and blog look are far more classy than MVN. It also allows it to have a distinctive DC United look.
I'd say stay where you are. MVN looks like a 3rd tier site. You have a lot of control on your current site, both design, editorial, and if you want to put ads on here you can do it without another party having their hand in the cookie jar.
Also, I've been playing with building a simple aggregator for soccer blogs to help drive traffic to more of them. You can see a beta working version at www.soccerblogs.net. I've had you on my list of sites to crawl and feature. I'd love to hear feedback from a weblog author about it.
Well, since I have only recently started reading your site, in addition to knowing very little about MVN, my opinion may not mean much. But I like your current format. Be wary of the fine print if you do sign on with MVN.
I've got to be honest, when I spoke with you regarding possibly DC coverage on MVN, I did not expect this. I see a lot of slander of the MVN name on here. But with no real harm, no real foul. Thing is, if you don't write for MVN, someone else will. Granted, you have a great site and are very talented, someone will come along. I mean no disrespect, but the negative talk surrounding MVN, from those who nothing about it, is laughable. MVN is not a third party company, regardless of what you think. Because you share an opinion, does not make it so. We're a widely known company, who work closely with many MLB and NFL officials. This winter we were represented at the MLB winter meetings. Has anyone on blogspot been represented on a soccer game? As for the design.. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but we'll have our new design up in the near future. Not that it matters to any of you, but just recently Sports Talk Cleveland said "MVN is going to be the SI of the 21st century."
If you wish to pass on this, it's completely understandable. But MVN will continue to grow and prosper either way. The company is still new, only about 2 years old and already has 11 million hits across it's network. Each month we're adding about another 1 million hits on MVN.com alone.
You think about it.
I still would love to have you aboard, but I ask your readers to please do some research before they slander.
First of all, slander is spoken, libel is written (if such a distinction is made in your jurisdiction). Who defamed your site? All I read was a couple of opinions about how the site looked and what not.
Excuse me, you are correct in that liberal is written. I am by no means trying to start a war.
The negative talk I spoke on, was the "bad graphic" design. Compared to the "classy" blogspot. But everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and 11 million people per month enjoy our design and our site.
Also, the comment about MVN being a "third tier" site. I just don't believe it's fair to MVN (which is not my site by the way) is brought down to this gentlemen, without you readers knowing more about it. We offered D something a good, a way to expose his writing. We don't do it because we have to, we ask writers to join us because we feel they are good enough and deserve to be exposed. This man, is a very good writer who obviously feels stronly for DC. I offered him a position simply doing what he does now, on our community, so that he can be exposed. There is no "hand in the cookie" jar. We're not taking anything from him, we're only adding to his traffic and his name. He'd be the first writer for a soccer team on MVN, which would be huge for him, due to the traffic we get.
Finally, fyi, Yahoo, USA Today, MLB.com, and various staticions visit our site on a regular basis. With D joining our site, we hope tio spread soccer a bit, since it remains such an overlooked sport in america.
That's all.
Excuse me, libel*
It's funny how some of you are talking about poor graphical design, and site design. The site was made to feature writing, not flashy design. The site was created to be the home for writers from all sports, and all teams, not to look cool. I think it would be a big mistake to pass on MVN just because of the site layout.
Good design doesn't have to be flashy. I've been working with web designers for over 5 year now (i claim no uber-desgining skills of my own) so I think I know a bit about what goes into a good design. Nonetheless, that's not what this discussion is for.
All I meant to point out is that nowadays, thanks to blogs and electronic publishing, an individual can retain a lot of control over what they write and present. The author of the blog can decide if its in his benefit to move to MVN or not, I would just recommend that he think about all the implications thoroughly.
Umm, as someone who follows DC and just found your blog about a month ago I have no idea. My question blog or are they going to get the other good soccer blogs and put up a whole soccer section? And is it going to be on the horizontal bar or just under AUS/NZ sports? These are important questions if your goal is to get more recognition for soccer.
P.S. As someone who has no design background but spends most of his day on the internet, the site design is poop. Mostly just the main page, it gets better with the actual blogs but the redesign couldn't come soon enough.
Sweet, aparently my writing is poop as well.
I meant to write, is your blog going to be the only soccer writings or will they be inviting other good soccer bloggers?
Viva la independencia.
Would soccer become one of MVN's "other sports?"
I respect what they're trying to do over there, because I like sports and I like blogs. But I think I'd wait and see what they have in mind, and also wait on whatever Maradawga is talking about. Could be cooler.
Just my $0.02, but you do have cats to feed.
Those are great questions by all of you actually. I should be specific. He would not be listed under "other sports" Possibly at first he would until we found more writers. But we are aiming to gather writers for all MLS teams and create a "soccer" main tab. Soccer is to popular a sport to list as "other sports". So yes, it would get it's own tab, no he wouldn't be the only writer and under NO circumstances to we control ANYTHING he writes.
D,
Simplify. Come up with a monthly dollar figure that equals the value of your writing and content. Ask MVN to pay you that up front each month as a condition of switching. Because, I'm pretty sure the real SI, in both the 20th and 21st centuries, pays for the writing it publishes.
Good luck,
DM
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