The804.com–Richmond VA Real Estate Blog

If there was a Richmond-only Digg, today’s “most popular” would be Tripp Fenderson’s Richmond Blogger Summit (followup post, see Blog Summit Update).  Fenderson is prophetic with this observation:

There’s greater interaction with one another. Posts on one site often reference posts on others. People are beginning to regularly comment on one another’s posts. A loose network is forming and it’s growing, thanks in no small part to Ross Catrow and his site, RVABlogs.

The reaction to this article came quickly: J’s Notes: Richmond Blogging | More On An RVA Blogger Summit | Even More On A Potential RVA Blogger Summit , Slantblog: Richmond blog summit? | Richmond bloggers to meet Mar. 10 , River City Rapids: Reaching For The Summit, Buttermilk and Molasses: Late to the Blogger Party, geistweg: Proposed blogger summit, and this post which, of course, further references the references.  

A couple reactions:

• I would agree that RVABlogs is a major traffic driver.  For this site, it is the #4 referrer next to the big 3 search engines.  8300 2500 visitors/day means a lot of Richmonders are using this site to get alternative news and commentary.
  • Totally off topic, but while we’re talking about the area’s best aggregator, here are some blogs that I’d selfishly like to see added to RVABlogs:
    • TV Jerry
    • Messy Cuisine
    • RVA Magazine
    • Yes, even the “lame ass” DiscoverRichmond.com community blogs. I want one stop shopping, dammit!!  I’m sure there’s more, but these came from the top of my head. 
• Last November, Work Magazine sponsored a conference entitled Art of the Noise.  I didn’t go/wanted to, but they had a section called “Reformatting the Formats: Creating Innovative Content for New Media” that featured blogger Jim Bacon.  Personally, I’d love to attend a panel discussion featuring the area’s elite bloggers (Bacon, River City, SaveRichmond, etc).  Maybe next year’s Work conference? or I wonder if Fenderson could convince the powers that be at his employment to make the topic of blogging a TD Public Square.
• As for the issue of mainstream media and bloggers, here’s my take: it’s a totally symbiotic relationship.  Why do smart giants like NYT and WP even care about puny bloggers or Diggers?  The answer is plain and simple: more traffic/viral buzz (ie, blogs linking to article and blogs that link to blogs linking to article, etc) to website = more ad revenue.  As for the bloggers and, I can only speak for myself, my blog could not exist without the mainstream media.  I don’t have the time or desire to research and write original articles.  I’d rather cull the press (or other blogs) for articles that are relevant to my readers. I may add some pithy commentary here and there, but that’s it.  God bless the journalists.  I am a remora to their shark.