I was really going to refrain from the ongoing 'dialog' regarding the latest profile aggregator Friendfeed.Regular readers know how I feel about 'the buzz', and how it can make or break start-ups. In this environment, you've got to have people talking about you (and/or attend every single trade show?).
When the buzz continues for four days, good or bad, while there are other huge news stories breaking that can effect everyone, you just have to admit that Friendfeed just hit a PR home run.
If you haven't been follow the 'drama', you can read numerous views and recaps in our Google shared feed at right and / or subscribe (for free). There's no sense in recapping it here as numerous blogs and websites already have.
The past couple of weeks have seen a few weekend 'spats' hitting Techmeme between a variety of authors, reporters, journalists and bloggers.
Start-ups now have a new vehicle for press. Ask someone to start a weekend online argument?
I'm NOT implying that Friendfeed in any way has done that, but that's what happened.
Most of these new services are still in their infancy. They're interesting and that's it? Period.
LinkRiver, RSSMeme, Friendfeed, and evidently a re-invigorated Readburner (now owned by Adam Ostrow of Mashable and company).
I consider both Louis Gray and Duncan Riley informative and interesting bloggers. I've engaged both of them briefly in the past few months.
I don't think the A-list thing will play much in coming years. There are D-listers are becoming A-listers overnight in this new website/blog/social networking hyper-blogging environment.
The future is very simply in cutting deals, face to face, or via Video over IP, not who you are or who you know.
It may sound naive now, but keep of copy of this. It's going to happen, and those that have been dismissed by others will emerge from the woodwork, at times in a matter of days, while others will retire or lose THEIR buzz. There are simply way to many people taking to this platform, and many are very informative, others simply brilliant.
The challenge to the mainstream media is to quickly capture some of this talent, before someone else does.
Should Friendfeed truly break out of the gate early (which it appears it already has), they have these guys to thank, and everyone that wrote about it after, regardless of how you feel about any of the posts.
To stop reading any of these guys (or gals) because of a reaction to one post is carrying baggage that's counter-productive to YOUR future.
I suppose I just added to it. Why not. When you sit back and look at it objectively, it's fascinating, a sign of time times, and very possibly of things to come, whether we like it or not.