No one would have thought that blogs and bloggers would be as big and influencial as they have become

Lots of potential to reach non-english, non-North American audiences. TechCrunch (France) is the biggest blog in France right now.

In many cases, the core and most interesting content is not the actual article but rather the life that topic will take on in the lifecycle of the comments

The impulse to be first is just about being first since you don;t need to be intelligent, whitty, or even every smart. But, once you are second or third you need to have insight. Seconds really do matter.

Traditional media is struggling with the speed of publishing and the life the content takes on once it is out there on the internet. Publishing the story is only the very first step on the internet.

Google is not accepting revenue on their news site and are really just another gateway to the source. The internet is not killing traditional media, it is actually making it more accessible.

Blogs and non traditional journalists need to make sure their information is just as correct and accurate else they lose their credibility. These are the same challenges as traditional media.

Traditional media should let their journalists go out and do their own thing, building their own brand, and leveraging the free technology. If they are not web savvy they are missing the evolutionary curve.

“The valley needs another turn down right about now.” With no money or mega funding you get rid of all the excess and strip it down to the core again. The best times to innovate are in the downturn. With less focus on the actual innovators, they are free to innovate without distraction.

Traditional newspapers should stop printing papers right now. Content should be free and available on the internet, especially the archives. All the content should be fully available to search engines front and center. Cut costs by using technology and allow the business to focus on THE CONTENT.

Facebook and MySpace are the mainstay right now and Facebook is probably here to stay, but things like Second Life are really the next big step.

Being too fast and posting information at “internet speed” is a fine line but that line needs to be pushed since blogs and the internet are about allowing people to consume the information and making their own decisions. We are only at the begining of this and the rules of engagement are still being defined.

Right now there are a lot of “features” out there that are not exactly businesses. You need to take the network effect into account. You may have something simple, but if you have the power of a network of people behind it and promoting it you have a strong chance at being successful. Do you have technology or do you have a network effect?

The current challenge for StartUps is getting press right now. If you cannot get the press you really can’t get ahead. This is self perpetuating right now since we are in a boom again. At it’s core, you need something good and unique, especially in this current window of “me too” copycat businesses.

Check out the Official Mesh Blog for more…