It looks like Valleywag.com will be transforming from a legitimate web-based magazine to being subsumed as a mere column (maybe a link) as part of Gawker.com. I actually enjoyed Valleywag a lot and went there to read their articles daily and I will miss it as a genuine independent voice on the web.
It’s still mysterious why Nick Denton (the owner) has chosen to fold Valleywag into Gawker. Valleywag has a fan-base of more than 1 million unique users and is a brand unto its own. Asking or “expecting?” that the fans will willingly “re-direct” themselves to Gawker is a risk that not many sites would venture. Building a brand takes time, money and effort. Some startups I know can only dream to have traffic Valleywag gets.
See Nick’s explanation on his personal blog (here)
Around the web
- Valleywag to Fold Into Gawker.com - New York Times (here)
- Tech gossip site Valleywag sails into Gawker.com - VentureBeat (here)
- What Went Wrong At Valleywag? Denton Confesses - AlleyInsider.com (here)
- Gawker Cuts Staff Pay Rate For Second Consecutive Quarter - RadarOnline.com (here)
- The (evil?) genius of Nick Denton - Calacanis.com (here)
- Valleywag Shutting Down? - LAist.com (here)
