Kottke's New Internet

Jason Kottke reports on Web life now that the money's back.

Now that the money is back, the focus will necessarily shift even though, as Janice notes, we'll be a little wiser about it this time around. There will be less innovation and activity from individuals because they'll be snapped up by companies to work on their projects for their customers.

I don't think the money's back yet, and I'm more sanguine than Jason about the effects of corporate development. He points out, for example, that working for Six Apart has had a bad effect on lots of weblogs as people have become busier -- and busy with things they can't talk about.

But it's important that the blogosphere change. Change is inevitable -- people get old -- but change is good, too. We don't want a static A-List where ten pioneer bloggers become the next Rupert Murdoch and everyone else is perpetually consigned to LiveJournal; we want variety and novelty and excitement and, yes, we want a blogosphere where you can grow to be Kottke if that's what you want.

I've been pondering exactly what we can do to make sure the tail remains a good place to be, and to make sure that there isn't a sign at the big end of the tail that reads "Sorry: we're full." Lots of equations today, and some mathematics I haven't seen since Swarthmore.