Romanesko Memos: WP turns on blog comments

I know many of you read Romanesko, but for those who haven't seen it today, here's a follow-up to an issue I blogged previously.

Philadelphia Daily News: How to save the newspaper biz

Thanks to Len for bringing this one to our attention.

Yesterday, your fearless leaders at Campbell Hall had an off-site meeting to discuss what we're doing on the Internet and where we're going as an organization. John Wilcox started the day by reminding all of the participants to focus on our customers, who are hiring us daily to do a job. That job can be many things, especially on the Web.

Paying attention to readers like Mark Alan Hughes -- and more importantly, readers less prominent than Hughes -- is a good way to get a glimpse at our job descriptions.

Let the Good Times Roll--by Guy Kawasaki: How to Kick Butt On a Panel

I've accepted an invitation to be on a panel at the E&P conference in May, and in a bit of kismet today also ran across
this blog post that I had saved last month for future reference.

"How to Kick Butt on a Panel" is interesting enough, but what just caught my eye was the blog's tagline:

Blogger. n. Someone with nothing to say writing for someone with nothing to do.

I'd argue with the premise, but I respect the notion.

City turns off Muzak for a taste of Seattle

Did I hear recently that one of our sites was in the midst of launching a local music effort (it's entirely possible I dreamed it...)? And Santa Cruz has an annual battle of the bands, yes?

Here's an idea on putting that music to another use (and a Web page to accompany it). What better way to reflect that we are a community newspaper than by entertaining those in the phone queue with local music?

Then again, perhaps the sheer torture of some lower-quality local music would push more people online to use our new self-service classifieds....

Either way, it's a win.

Blogs @ Cincinnati.Com: Olympics

Some vlogging (video blogging) going on here. I personally enjoyed the text items more than the video, but that's primarily because Dustin Dow doesn't have the steadiest hand when driving his camera. I got dizzy. The interviews with Chad Hedrick are decent content, though.

- First spotted at CyberJournalis.net

Blogs to Riches - The Haves and Have-Nots of the Blogging Boom -- New York Magazine

Ken Hall recommended this article to me today, and I agree it is a fascinating read on blogging business models. It's not analagous to our business model, per se, because any blog we do would be a part of our existing business, but an interesting look at the competition, nonetheless.

The Boston Globe Olympics Blog - Boston.com

Another Olympics Blog, this one from Boston.com. What I like about this one (in addition to the hyperfocused coverage of Bode Miller today) is the module on the right that provides links to other writers covering the Olympics for the Globe.

Marketwatch: Covering baseball in a new world of blogs

Speaking of sports and blogs....

Tales From Turin: An Olympic Journal

Gawker today points to this Olympic blogging effort by The Washington Post. I'm sure there are numerous others. I haven't yet had much of a chance to cruise the 'Net for them. Lend us a hand. Share your favorite in the comments section.

Western Union discontinues Telegrams

Yesterday's (well, really, last Friday's) Sign of the Apocalypse.

Probably old news to some, but I hadn't seen anything on Western Union canning Telegrams. I discovered it in a very roundabout way. My NewsGator Online RSS reader has a module on the left side that tracks "The Latest Buzz." Yesterday morning it showed the Wester Union item as having 91 incoming links, just ahead of the OSCAR.com's nominee list.

Here's the full top 5:

• Internet Explorer 7: Beta 2 Preview (236 incoming links)
  
• IE 7.0b2 available to the public (207 incoming links)
  
• IE7 Beta 2 worth the download (134 incoming links)
  
• Western Union has stopped sending telegrams after 145 years of offering the service (91 incoming links)
  
• OSCAR.com - 78th Annual Academy Awards - Nominee List (90 incoming links)
  

"What has this got to do with being an Online Editor?" you ask. Well, for one, buzz lists can be effective sources for story ideas.

Also, it shows how RSS readers and content distribution can be an aid audience acquisition. I never would have looked at LiveScience otherwise, and am intrigued enough by their content that I'm likely to revisit.