In January 2007 we made some blogging predictions. I found prediction #8 interesting.
Want to know the state of the blogos in 2007? We have no idea but this is what a Times Square fortune teller told us:
1. Every website will have a blog. After hearing this, we demanded our money back. The reply came swiftly, “It’s just a starting point.”
2. Every currently active blog will have advertising of one form or another. The most popular reason will be to cover the cost of hosting. Some bloggers will only give their blessings to Amazon, until 2008, when they too will cave, upon pressure from their spouses.
3. As a result of 2 (and some meaningful dough), some blog contributors will demand compensation, which will include a cut of the ad revenue for their part in building the owner’s blog brand and traffic. At least one contributor will threaten to leave, taking all their posts with them, to which the blog owner will respond, “Sorry, all the blog content, and ad money, belong to me because it’s my blog”. Insults and blogsuits will follow. Hey, no one said the future would be a bed of roses.
4. As a result of 3, Blog Contributor contracts will be de rigueur. A percentage of ad money will become standard and the top contributors will negotiate the best rates. Blog owners will demand contributor exclusivity and not get it.
5. As a result of 4, Professional Blog Post Contributor will be a viable job description. Personal RSS feeds of their work on various blogs will be available.
6. Every blogger will join MyBlogLog, which will become the MySpace of blogging.
7. Larry Cragun’s Darling Dozen prediction will come true.
8. “Blibel” will become a meme after someone wins a libel lawsuit against a blogger.
9. There will be a reality show based on blogging.
10. When you ask the question “Do you read any blogs?”, the answer you are most likely to hear will be “I’ve heard of blogs but I’m not really sure what they do”.
Bonus Prediction: Because of pressure from poor typists, the blogosphere will become the blogos.
