Jtm-pnw-session-local-blog

Below are links to my scribbles, along with full audio of the break-out session. Due to heavy background noise, the latter part of the audio is probably easiest to hear, but this is the first time using my LiveScribe pen in a venue like this...

[1] [2] [3]

Additionally, my 'scribbles' are transcribed below ;-) - Kris Bates

Blog Sustainability Led by Scott Schaefer, B-TownBlog.Com

- B-town Blog is Ad Based 4 "in the Black" (Word Press) - KOMO is trying to be "hyper-local" from their main office... - Scott tells about "finding news" on his drive home... (local murder), demoing his site - Susan Adler asks about comments on B-Town Blog; yes they're there... - Jim Bellinger asks about strike-through content. Scott uses it for 'transparent revisioning'. - Scott believes in transparency of stats (rarity)

               - Site Meter
               - Quant cast} stats Tools
               - Compete

- Andrew Humphrey asks about making his first dollar

       - Casey Haakenson asks about CPMS (cost per 1000)
       - Many questions about Ad Revenue
       - Get an office! (Scott)

- Competition: High line Times-Community Paper - Share Suzuki asks about most popular topics - SEO WP Plogiins - Nicole asks about size of staff-10 or so paid & volunteer - Dennis Newman asks about other sources of revenue - Premium content?

       - Andrew pays for Premium content
       - Kathleen pays for Kindle content

- Doug asks about donations-not much - Dennis mentions citizen journalism supported (by donation) - TheUptake.Org- also has half-hr radio show - Andrew relates story of Jay Leno, which he first saw on a Premium Content site - Question about limits of bias due to advertisers-Scott stays neutral - Andrew asks about "partially premium" content - Kris Bates mentions Macsurfer.Com (same format since 1998 - Dennis asks about Google Ads - Kathleen asks about costs/overhead for Ad Sales

       - Scott started with high sales commission
       - He's reducing that 'in his favor' this year
       - $50 per story is what he pays
       - Kathleen suggests NPO model
              - Grant support (Knight, etc.)

- Andrew asks about common themes in content

       - Scandals, Crime, Politics

- Andrew usggests "Crime stats' - Kathleen suggests Data Inquiries"

       - A-La TSSN.ORG

- Dennis mentions CrimeReports.Com

Rich Riski mentions Chicago Crime Map
       -Bought by MSNBC
       -Data Mining

- Jim Bellinger suggests google crime map - Casey Haakenson asks about Merchandising

       - slow margins or high overhead

- Casey (long-time Web guy) is not convinced

       - Amazon can "Kindle-ize" blogs
       - iphone App suggested
       - scott has Amazon kindle blog... made no revenue on it so far, but admits he doesn't promote it much...

- Casey relates experience with paid/unpaid content via iPhone/Droid Platform

       - Casey's company's Apps focus on RSS-based Aggregation of localized blogs

- Kris asks about cost/labor for app dev.

       - 6-8 months development, 1 or so hour of templatized implementation
       - Free apps make more than paid for Casey
       - 'iSlate' could be a game changer
       - iTunes might have to change its name...

- Kathleen talks about the new "Location" - Scott talks about Social Networking - Andrew suggests cross-pollination of advertising

       - Hyper-local small communities
       - Kathleen: "'low hanging fruit"
       - Scott: need a business person to help organize writers bloggers, etc.

- Casey: Hyper-Local Blog Aggregators/Networks?

       -Cites Instivate (Capital Hill...) as example

- Smaller Conversations Ensue... (break-outs from the break-out...) See Livescribe/Audio for details...

Misc Notes From Conversations (See Livescribe/Audio -Links @ the top - for details...)

- Holovaty - Data Mining - MSNBC

- Gabriel Dance-Deep Web

- Nate Silver-FiveThirtyEight.Com-Political Data-mining

- IRE.org (B-2-B)

- Freakonomios

- politifact

- Computer assisted reporting (Minn. or WI)

- CAR.Org