Over the past weeks we’ve slowly been launching blogs across bbc.co.uk’s various “properties’ (we call them “divisions”, which is as ironic as much as it is accurate it it’s literal sense. Hey don’t even get me started – we had to create a “blog steering group” to unite the divisions…)
I’ve been involved with the project from it’s beginning – the ‘blog summit’ last year, no less – as the unofficial blogosphere and technical platform advisor.
The blogs themselves are great – but rather than a round of momentous back-slapping, the initial launch was commemorated more with a sigh of relief that we can finally be seen to be ‘getting it’. I think it was worth the wait, just.
So now you know that we have blogs – seeing as you probably didn’t know we did until now – I can now announce the fabo-tastic BBC Blog Network Portal which aggregates all of them together.
If I’ve had any involvement in this project, it’s to ensure that the blogs became a cohesive ‘Network’. I like to describe it as:
“a structured content horizontal that spans our diverse content verticals”
(see, I can speak executive too!).
The ‘glue’ that creates this cohesion is the Blog Portal itself – an immediate + up-to-date snapshot of the conversations happening within the fabric of our divisions verticals.
Ok, if you consume blogs strictly by RSS then yes, this approach is not going to be for you. But don’t forget this is a mainstream content offering as much as it is a niche blogosphere offering and we need to keep the licence fee payers as happy as we aim to keep the bloggers happy too.
So please check out the BBC Blog Network, which so far consists of:
- Paul Mason, Newsnight
- Nick Robinson, Political Editor
- World Have Your Say
- World Update with Dan Damon
- North East Wales Blog
- + Many more to come…
… and please check out the BBC Blog Network Portal at http://blogs.bbc.co.uk.
Do let me know what you think – either by commenting on this post or by sending your feedback to the BBC directly.
It’s a great start but I would love to make a suggestion in terms of getting more ‘behind the scenes’ blogs on existing shows or forthcoming productions…
As an aside I gave you guys a post here: http://www.psfk.com/2006/04/bbc_blogs.html
DK
Nice work.
How difficult is it for BBC workers to get an official blog now then? Coz if it’s still a bit of an ordeal we’ll continue to see many staff setting up external ones…
Frankie
Thanks for the link and the suggestion, DK.
Frankie – the idea is that all “official” BBC blogs written by BBC presenters, programme teams, etc will live in the blog platform we’ve built. That’s why we had typepad accounts springing up for a while – because we didn’t have the infrastructure to do it in house — we now do.
If BBC staff want unofficial personal blogs then obviously it’s up to them to find a place to put that off-site.
Hmmm ….
[…] a research project, to get the BBC into the blogosphere. We got our framework together in 2005, started the trial in 2006 and have just come to the end of an 18 month trial – you can see written about here and here. […]
[…] Metcalfe of the BBC comments on the launch on his blog: If I’ve had any involvement in this project, it’s to ensure that the blogs became a cohesive […]
Have you ever thought about creating an ebook or guest authoring on other websites? I have a blog based upon on the same ideas you discuss and would really like to have you share some stories/information. I know my subscribers would appreciate your work. If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to shoot me an email.