This is so hard not to write about this. Every internet news-junkie, especially for they who seems to be very close with things related to technology must know what website (or species) like CNet is?

Personally, I have considered CNet as one of the internet founding father on news and technology review after no one (if any, please tell me). Back to 1999, TechCrunch said that CNet was a $12 billion company at that time. But now, just eight years later, one of the largest radio and television networks in the United States, CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) only need to pay about $1,8 billion for all CNet’s properties around the web. These including famous-classical web sites like ZDNet.com, Download.com, News.com, TV.com, mySimon.com, and Webware.com.

Michael Arrington had analyzed that the down of CNet is possibly because two reasons. First, because they had make a miserable mistake after buying the failed Webshots for $70 million. Second, because they failed to realize the importance of blogs until 2007. (In this Arrington’s second opinion, I could only presume that this one is happened because he has a successful web 2.0 most popular blog, TechCrunch)

Though I understand that both of Arrington’s reasons are seems to be logical, I my self opined that there is one more important (probably philosophical) thing left here; that because CNet is just a media company. I want to assume that most of (if not all) media company will be “fall” like CNet someday. Note that the word “fall” doesn’t do the same thing like “death“.

Let’s start counting one-by-one here; The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Yahoo! News and someday … it could be TechCrunch (even 3GWeek) too. Then you ask me? “Why would they?” I just replied, “Why wouldn’t?”

1. They try to give their readers everything

……. which lead themself (and their readers) tend to be nothing.

TechCrunch case (todays this is not such a failure, somedays this could be one of the reason why):
TechCrunch, CrunchGear, CrunchBoard, MobileCrunch, ….Crunch, Crunch…..

CNet case:
CNet, ZDNet, Webshots, mySimon, Download, MP3, … (guys, just tell me exactly what are you doing?)

2. Readers’ taste in trend

Today people choose TechCrunch over Wired, but someday there is a chance that people choose X over TechCrunch. Well, perhaps not because X is better than TechCrunch in any-of-whatsoever that make TechCrunch is good todays (actually what makes TC is better than Wired anyway?), but just because readers think that TC is just outdated. This could be just because your medium, not others factors. TC is a “Blog“, Wired is “Web site” . It means that TC is brand new while Wired is the old one. As a reader I prefer to the new one; trend! Enough ….

3. Media is just a media, not a tech company

I think this is what makes Google outstep Yahoo! (in term of search not yet others). As a tech company, Google (Intel, Microsoft, Sun, Oracle, etc) have a “right” (or obligation) to be better, faster, cheaper, higher, securer, more reliable, and so on. But for a media company, the story isn’t flowing like this. Well, of course “faster” is the word all media company want to win here. But nowadays, faster means “about a seconds faster” or “just minute after”. That’s all! We’re on the world with Google News which always keep us to realize how far had the news left us. Is it two minutes ago, an hour ago, or even like this “Nokia Paints a Rosy Picture. Motley Fool - Dec 5, 2000″. Besides “faster”, others seems to be insignificant. Reading a news from NYT entitle “CBS in Deal to Buy CNet to Increase Online Ads” or Mr. Gadget’s “CBS to Acquire CNet for US$1,8 billion - Mr. Gadget very open to similar offers” I think is just the same, specially for “the matter”. (3GWeek actually want it too. lol.)

Conclusion

Just trying to send something to our lovely 3GWeek readers here that someday most of (if not all) media company will “fall”. Especially in term of “net-value”.

Source: TechCrunch, NYT, Mr Gadgets, and Read Write Web

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 Print Posted by Wim Permana on May 16th, 2008