Get Published

I was asked recently by a new web-based publication, The Standard, to start writing for them. 

Why?  Why not some other online publication?  Why not just continue blogging?

While I hesitated, at first, I think The Standard actually has a shot at becoming a pre-eminent technology-centric publication.  The name carries some baggage, but I think IDG, the new owner of the brand, has a serious shot and of  making this a big brand comeback. 

It's a new online magazine that John Patrick would describe as having Net Attitude--which if you haven't read the book by the same name, is a classic must read, even if you think you are a real webizen, netizen, web native, or whatever you call yourself these days.  (My point here is not to insult, but that it's always good to know why you know something, why you "get it", and why it's different that what came before.)  While it was written in 2001, I think it still resonates.  I digress. 

As I was saying...

The Standard is an IDG publication that is trying to break out of the old magazine mode: 
- it's interactive
- it's attempting new modes of reaching users, including social networking, RSS feeds, etc.
- it doesn't hold to the old publish every month paradigm
- it leverages new voices and augments them with professional journalists

In other words, in my view, this pure online publication is trying to engage with the new Internet paradigms, blogosphere, new media, or whatever cool word of the day it is these days that connotes the changes in traditional media and the Internet.  And while the barbarians are at the gates, with social networking site like FaceBook and MySpace and many others racking up traffic, the traditional guys are learning as well, and some will survive and thrive in the new mediascape.

Beyond that I believe The Standard has legs, I think this is going to help me with this blog and my writing generally.  For me it makes a lot of sense.  I certainly have my own circle of friends and friends of friends who read this blog on occasion, but the chief complaint for many is I don't blog enough.  Fair enough, but I have a day job (yes, VCs have day jobs and bosses, even!) so I can't really do that at the quality and quantity level I'd like to have.  And while you might love my wandering style, it can be over bearing and prone to rants, cute divergences and other nonsense.   The Standard and it's editors will certainly help me in that regard as well.

But I will continue blogging here as I doubt everything I want to write about will meet The Standard's appetite; and I'll let you know if anything gets through The Standards filters.  Like today, I wrote about complexity and the dangers of that in pitching VCs in a post called "Keep It Simple Because VCs are Stupid".  Hope you like it.  And let me know what you think about The Standard.  I think it's a bold move by IDG, and I think other media might follow if successful.  Stay tuned.