Science and Technology blogs

Blog name: Slashdot

What is it?

A blog on emerging Science and Technology reviewed by enthusiasts with a slight satirical and informal edge to the writings. Not originally specifically intended to be a blog but has evolved and due to its popularity and regular updates has taken on blog-status.

Who set it up/maintains it?

The blog is owned by open source champions "sourceforge". It is managed by a small team of experts who take care of the various aspects of the blog. It was founded and is principally operated by Rob "CmdrTaco" Malda (prolific geek, columnist and technological critic)- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Malda

Who visits?

The content could be deemed suitable for the casual fan of science and technology, however the blog is sometimes sighted as having a 2-tiered reader base. Both "techno-elite" and "noobs" coexist on the page however due to the authors it is not unusual to see writing style and opinions slanting towards the more knowledgeable webusers with very little sympathy for any techno-dinosaurs. Not necessarily a bad thing but dont expect lots of simplified diagrams or any hint of a glossary if you get lost.

Why is it there?

Primarily as outlet for the authors who have vested interests in the technological fields. Not really run as a business with no obvious profit being made apart from a few adverts and an optional subscription (not necessary for most). There is heavy user contribution and commenting so it can be assumed the authors can gleam a substantial amount of feedback for their own use should they want to.

Stats?

Not being a profit-driven operation stats for slashdot are reasonably easy to obtain. Here is what I managed to find:

320,709 visits per day (according to http://www.statbrain.com/www.slashdot.com/)
Number of posts: 13988544
Number of members: 880049
Post per member ratio: 11 (according to http://www.big-boards.com/board/628/)

These stats put it roughly level with rival http://www.theregister.com/ which provides similar information in a similar format.

Verdict?

This site is a personal favourite. It has a nice mix of topics on there for someone of my techie background and they remain unpretentious and amusing whilst still getting the facts across. There is the danger of getting bogged down in excessive detail of beta releases and security vulnerabilities etc but they do not overpower the reader too much. The site is especially good when used in a newsreader program as the titles and tag-lines catch the attention where most other blog posts wouldnt. Another nice touch is the sparing, but novel use of images. Blog posts usually consist of an article summary and an external link to the full story, this means that only a small image is required. Those used serve to summarise the article in visual format. For example a story about a spat between Google and Microsoft over search engines would consist of: google logo, msn logo, and a spyglass. Sounds simple but comes off well and helps if you are in a rush.

Rating?

4/5 A really decent site if you are a self-proffessed geek. Some innacuracies and excess detail detract from what is a very worthwhile addition to your newsreader.

Rivals and alternatives?

As mentioned this page follows a very similar model and is widely considered to have blog-like qualities. It is a Britsh-based technology page that gives reviews and news with an satirical edge. Because of this is attracts a certain (potentially slightly pessimistic) reader, however they often make some good points about the world of technology and business. With a tagline of "biting the hand that feeds IT" you can guess that it rarely minces its words when it comes to reviews or reporting. Not a bad site if you get on with the writing style and authors agenda, otherwise might be best avoided.

3/5 Not right for everyone, but definately a quality blog. Give it a try..

digg.com is a much more diverse blog-type page. It features news from across the board however still provides a decent selection of well written technology posts (easier to find if you use the customizable filters). This blog has become so popular that it has coined the legendary "digg it" feature on many other pages by different authors. This mechanism allows users to quickly and easily mark what they "approve of". This means that rating articles by popularity is extremely easy. This provides a nice dimension of user interaction and along with the superb layout this is very nicely rounded little blog.

5/5 Technically difficult to fault. Perhaps not as specialised as the alternatives but a clean writing style and diverse reporting base mean I feel it is probably your best bet unless you are an avid fan of the unique character of slashdot or the register.