Here is an interesting test of the ideas I just wrote about from Dan Bricklin's When the Long Tail Wags the Dog: the best products are those that are infinitely customizable by users. I just finished reading up on Edgeio, the new startup from Michael Arrington of TechCrunch. Edgeio allows bloggers to post classified ads on their own blogs, tag them, then modify them for display within Edgeio (huh? sounds complicated. Jeff Jarvis and Craig Newmark think so, too). But it's Michael Arrington. So I'm paying attention. Here is his pitch for the product:
Edgeio is all about edge publishing. It is our belief that services that try to restrict how users create and consume information cannot ultimately be successful. Users own their data, and services exist not to silo that data, but rather to add value to it. That is what Edgeio is setting out to do.
We will be focusing on classified listings of any type to start.
The words "to start" are not insignificant here. And the ethos is certainly in order. But I'm curious--why start with classifieds? Or more pointedly, why start with something blogs are currently not much used for?
I see one issue, which isn't the usual one (spam, spam, spam, spam, eggs and spam). My issue is this: I'm just not a big believer in aggregation. For example, I love Arrington's TechCrunch precisely because I trust his voice, my eyes are greeted by the familiar look and feel of his blog.... I read his reviews because they're his. I don't want anything like an Edgeio-style random aggregation of tech company reviews from across the blogosphere.
Nor (I think) do I want it for classifieds. I'd have to be highly motivated to use any kind of content aggregator to shop classifieds. I might, for example, look for a job by using Edgeio to search industry blogs. (And this could be a great application for business-to-business classifieds in industries where blogs are prevalent.) But would I look for a couch or a used car that way? Nope, I would go straight to craigslist. I just don't think bloggers, numerous as they are, constitute a broad enough marketplace to make it likely that I'll get the best deal or find the broadest range of choice. If I lived in Portland, Oregon, why would I absurdly limit my used car search to cars formerly owned by bloggers?
As Jeff Jarvis suggests, maybe something like this would work for restaurant reviews. Or movie reviews--spaces currently occupied by bloggers. But I still think quality will trump comprehensiveness in this category; if I live in Portland Oregon, I'm going to go straight to An Exploration of Portland Food & Drink, which--just like TechCrunch--I know to be such a superbly effective and thorough site that leaves little to add to its subject, and thus leaves me disinclined to look elsewhere.
I don't see the space for this idea--eBay and craigslist are too good at being general stores, and the only thing that really succeeds in a true niche is expertise and authority. Of course, I may just not be seeing the bigger picture, and I'll certainly give it a try in public beta. After all, I do have an old George Foreman grill I never use anymore...
Tags: techcrunch, edgeio
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