What is this?

It's 2004 and you're reading new writing on this website. Something must be terribly wrong. What year is it? Did you hit your head? Did I?

Don't worry. We writers may suffer delusions of personal grandeur, but this modest weblog is not the first step in some eventual resurrection of The Industry Standard. It's not 1999 anymore. But there still is an Internet economy, as Google's forthcoming IPO will remind everyone. Why not look at that economy with the Standard's logo smiling at the top of the page? Server logs reveal that many people still visit this site; let's give you something fresh to read.

What else is different? Back then my work was vetted by Amy Bernstein, Eric Savitz, Pat Sullivan, and Jonathan Weber, four of the sharpest editors I'll ever have the pleasure to write for; here we're merely blogging, and a spellcheck applet is the only thing between us and you. Readers of The Standard will now be forced to learn how my copy reads without an outstanding editor protecting you.

I'll be in this slot for a week, to be relieved next Monday by another blogger who was associated with The Standard during its heyday. For all of us, this is a chance to remain associated with a brand that still means a great deal to us, in whatever form. None of us are getting paid for this (at least I'm not getting paid; compadres, let me know if I'm getting a raw deal). It's a hobby. Hey, it's either this or clean the kitchen.

Now that we've gotten the self-referential stuff out of the way, let's move on to quick looks at some of the most interesting Internet economy coverage out there. I'd first point you to this story on Wired.com, which neatly summarizes the state of spam, one element of the Internet economy that has certainly grown larger since the demise of the Standard. And the New York Times has a look at RedEnvelope, a web retailer "too popular for its own good."

I'll be back later today with more picks.

Posted by jimmyguterman, January 19, 2004 12:16 PM |