You Take the Fame, I'll Take the Cash

Let's face it: blogging and podcasting can be fun - they can also be a lot of work - but at least some bloggers and podcasters are building up an audience and a reputation, at least in the online world. What very few of them are building up, however, is cash.

Tim Bourquin, the principal mover behind the annual New Media Expo, doesn't think much of the tradeoff. In a blog post called "Internet Famous, Dirt Poor," he argues that we really do need to find a way to monetize both blogging and podcasting.

There's a pretty lively discussion going on in reaction to that posting. But may I point out the work in this area of an organization I've mentioned before, the Association for Downloadable Media. They will be releasing some proposed advertising standards and measurement guidelines within the next two weeks at the big ad:tech conference in San Francisco. All of this is by way of participating in a debate and conversation that needs to happen if blogging and podcasting are to move beyond being an enjoyable and interesting hobby - as I think they will.