Numbers Don't Dominate the Blogosphere, Communication Does

Without a doubt Yahoo and Microsoft are giants and they shake things up when they step. BUT I'm unconvinced that their dominance will result in the demise of services like a Six Apart.

 

I believe they (the big guns) can and will grow huge numbers of users that may dwarf the number of users that Six Apart or BlogHarbor and any other hosted service may be able to accumulate by comparison. But that doesn't mean blogosphere dominance is determined by sheer number and volume of users. A key question I have is can IM brand loyalty be effectively translated into blog hosting service brand loyalty long term? Maybe but I still don't think the means blogosphere domination. MSN Spaces is backed by the biggest software company on the planet and what has the impact of MSN Spaces been on the dominate veteran fee-based blog hosting services?

 

The blogosphere will be dominated by the best content and top quality bloggers that build a connection with a loyal audience no matter what platform is being used. However the platforms that offer the most flexibility and power will get used by serious bloggers more often, with brand loyalty sprinkled in there a bit also while the services like Yahoo 360 and MSN Spaces appear to cater to the youth oriented journalers of the blogosphere. Their limited flexibility and feature sets will make them attractive to the more serious bloggers.

Like any activity there are hobbyists and professionals.  Their choice of tools differ greatly.  A hobbyist will usually start off with less expensive tools with fewer features, maybe lower quality as well.  But as hobbyists become more serious about their pursuit and start on the path of becoming professionals, they start upgrading.  Blogs are really no different.  People might start out with MSN Spaces, Yahoo360, or Blogger, but wind up with Blogware, Bryght, or Typepad when they are ready for the power, flexibility--like your own domain--, and features.  T.L. also describes it correctly that the intro services will be great for people who are journaling--is that really blogging, I don't know--and in my opinion if that gets kids to write more, I'm all for it.