Filmstalking has never been this GOOD!

We will be here for the long haul Rich! ;D

In other fields, like general information or news coverage, the importance of personal blogs has been widely recognized.

Concerning cinema and movies, the advantages of a blog are undeniable, and very well proven here: it´s a fast media, with great feedback, very flexible and with space to individual and different opinions.

Cinema blogs find their advantages in their own modesty. They can be incredible sources of information and exchange of views around the cinema experience.

And this site is quite a good example of that.

I think the rush to post news first and gain quick traffic, get links, get dugg etc. has become all consuming and is not a plus but a negative for film blogs. There are fewer and fewer article style posts which are actually far more interesting than a lot of the re-cycled news that you can read on thousands of blogs, traditional sites or from the feeds of the few true original new sources. It’s something I am guilty of myself with my own site, looking for pointless news instead of writing something sensible, because you get caught up in the fact everyone is doing it and if you don't you will miss out.

Richard and I have had a good go round in private on the nature of movie blogging. FilmRot is, first and foremost, here to entertain as I believe movie news should be just as entertaining as the movies themselves. That's my own philosophy and certainly not the mold ever movie blog should use. That being said, traffic is important because it helps each of us pay our bills. We all want to kick back, blog full-time, and get paid the big monies to do so. The idea of going the aggregate route and being like a AICN talkbacker (FIRST!) is the wrong way, IMO. Blogs allow people to explore and find their voice. Once you've found it, say something! This is my biggest problem with My Space. Everyone wants a forum to be heard, but no one has anything to say. Be assured that as long as I am around, the only aggregate "cut/paste" stuff you'll see on FilmRot is in the feeds.

I ran a similar rant about this awhile ago.

This isn't a blog vs everyone issue. No offense to you Richard and Dave, you know I love and respect you guys. But sometimes bloggers seem to think its you against the world, and it's just not true.

Blogs are the IT kids now. The media loves you. They lather attention on you with a soapy effervesence. You can't turn on the TV without hearing about Blogs. Traditional sites are even turning themselves IN to blogs just to cash in on the craze. Blogs are the flavor of the month. What you run a website? EW! Why don't you have a blog? I promise you if I changed the name of my site to Cinema Blog tomorrow, in a month I could double my readership, even if I changed nothing else about it.

In the end though, blogs are websites just like anything else. They're just websites made with a generic template and less fuss. That's the only real difference.

This problem here is instead a big successful site versus smaller up and comer issue.

Cinema Blend has exactly the same problem... CONSTANTLY.

Big sites like to pretend smaller sites don't exist. They won't link to us, they won't credit us, and they sure as hell aren't going to talk to us.

If CB breaks a story, rather than crediting us, they'll call their high placed sources and friends (which Filmstalker and CB dont' have access to) and have them tell them the same story, thus avoiding crediting us.

They're too busy sitting on their piles of money. And if you don't think the owners of sites like AICN and CHUD are filthy stinking rich, then you're kidding yourself.

They're all about holding on to what they have. I'm not sure I blame them. If you're the big kid on the block is probably not a good business practice to help the new guy take away some of your market share by driving traffic to him. On the other hand, they lose no readers by linking to Variety, since you have to pay to read them.

We're just going to have to fight our way through. :)

Yeah, I hear you guys.

There's also an issue of what you want out of this experience. I have a clear goal of where I want to be and where I want to go, and ultimately it's not going to be an AICN, Coming Soon or just another news site (I hope it's not viewed as that at the moment - guys, you would say if you classed Filmstalker in with those bunch of "feeders"?).

So yes it does really annoy me that these practices go on, and I think we could all help change that, but it depends if your ultimate goal is to get up there with them.

Sometimes I worry that the market is too saturated and that perhaps there's not even a place for us smaller sites, particularly Filmstalker, but then I remember why I'm doing this...and if you build it (and have your voice)...they will come.

Okay...I'm rambling...it's been a long day of training sessions.

"...and if you build it (and have your voice)...they will come."

*goosebumps*

Indeed they will!

its difficuly, cos most information doesnt have a clear definitive origin and its not to be owned anyway, but yes youre right that some more major sites (that dont necessarily have more trafic, theyre just connected to large publications) often either simply take stories and dont give credit for where they found out about it (like I say, grey area) or are far too obviously just nobbling stuff left right and centre... hey, the important things that info is spreading, but it would be nice to at least get the occasional mention which shows there are other sources of information (and what they are) considering the effort people often forget goes into sites like this one.

Now everyone is shouting about Deschanel signed up for Joplin...ermmm...hello? Is anyone out there?

See this is why you Filmstalker regulars whould use the bookmark drop down - let other people know the stories are here. Plus that'll stop a lot of the thieves from not crediting, because people will already know where the stories came from\through.