Niche Reddit-style sites with Slinkset? Thoughts?
16 comments
[From slinkset help] "Right now everything is free and you can insert your own ads in the sidebar. Down the road we'll be charging for stuff, but we're still working out exactly what and how. For existing sites, it's very unlikely that we'll insert ads or start charging w/o warning."
I find this problematic. Charging for such service is fine, but I need to know the price before I'll devote my time and energy into building a new site under it. I think it would be better to work that out first and then give an exact offer. Other than that, it looks interesting.
I find this problematic. Charging for such service is fine, but I need to know the price before I'll devote my time and energy into building a new site under it. I think it would be better to work that out first and then give an exact offer. Other than that, it looks interesting.
I can see the issue you're raising but to be honest providing slinkset don't upset their users there won't be a problem. If the worst comes to the worst, we'd migrate to hosting our own implementation, but chances are we'd pay for slinkset to host it providing it wasn't too expensive or we had sufficient return from the site.
My thoughts:
Slinkset is good when your boss says, "I heard about this web 2.0 voting news site thingy and I want us to have one that looks like the rest of our website because then I can say buzzwords." It allows you to make it look in-house enough, but it still looks slinkset-y. It's good when you're an implementer of technologies rather than a programmer of them.
Beyond that, these types of sites only work when you have enough members. Have a community of 25 and it's not going to work well. But often your boss/customer might demand it anyway because it's the cool new thing.
Beyond that, it's a hosted service that hasn't defined a revenue model. Most likely that means that at some point in the future, it's going to get worse for you (cost you money, have ads, etc.). So, I wouldn't want to put my site on there without thinking that through. Maybe that doesn't matter to you because your IT department has the money to pay what I'm sure will be reasonable fees. If this is your personal site that you want to be a new community HuffPost, I'd rethink it since you're beholden to someone who has basically said, "we'll make you pay later. In the meantime, just enjoy." While I'm sure the Slinkset people aren't like being in debt to the mob, it's not a position you want to be in with a site that you want to make big.
Slinkset is good when your boss says, "I heard about this web 2.0 voting news site thingy and I want us to have one that looks like the rest of our website because then I can say buzzwords." It allows you to make it look in-house enough, but it still looks slinkset-y. It's good when you're an implementer of technologies rather than a programmer of them.
Beyond that, these types of sites only work when you have enough members. Have a community of 25 and it's not going to work well. But often your boss/customer might demand it anyway because it's the cool new thing.
Beyond that, it's a hosted service that hasn't defined a revenue model. Most likely that means that at some point in the future, it's going to get worse for you (cost you money, have ads, etc.). So, I wouldn't want to put my site on there without thinking that through. Maybe that doesn't matter to you because your IT department has the money to pay what I'm sure will be reasonable fees. If this is your personal site that you want to be a new community HuffPost, I'd rethink it since you're beholden to someone who has basically said, "we'll make you pay later. In the meantime, just enjoy." While I'm sure the Slinkset people aren't like being in debt to the mob, it's not a position you want to be in with a site that you want to make big.
I really like slinkset. Good execution on their part. I created a niche news site with them and when I'm ready to populate it and promote it I will.
Here is a question [sorta on topic in this thread]... awhile ago I wrote a marketing tool that recommends social news sites based on content you provide it. The idea was to help people market stuff better by finding communities that want it. I ran into a problem coming up with a critical mass of sites though. I have about 70 before I got tired of looking.
What would you think of something like this applied to slinkset sites? Anytime a Slinkset site is created this directory could update itself and serve as a way for new people to find these niche communities.
My original prototype is at http://kindling.dashnine.org (I posted it to HN awhile ago)
What would you think of something like this applied to slinkset sites? Anytime a Slinkset site is created this directory could update itself and serve as a way for new people to find these niche communities.
My original prototype is at http://kindling.dashnine.org (I posted it to HN awhile ago)
It might be worth getting in touch with the guys at Slinkset and see what they have to say, I reckon they should be able to sort something out.
Nice site by the way!
Nice site by the way!
How is this different than Reddit or Mixx's community, self-service offerings?
This is actually very different to those. Slinkset lets you set up a site with your own style, as well as pointing your domain at it. In effect the site isn't a subsection of reddit, it looks like it's your own site.
For something that hasn't cost us anything other than time, the support from the slinkset guys has been amazing btw.
For something that hasn't cost us anything other than time, the support from the slinkset guys has been amazing btw.
Though, Reddit is open source now, right? So theoretically, if you had the chops you could go the DIY route.
They don't allow for styling, best I know.
Ah, nice catch. Thanks!
what about using open-source'd reddit?
that slinkset.com looks sleek indeed!
Not sure. Traditionally I would say no but after seeing what you did with your site I can see how I could use something like this if I needed a FAQ site or support site as well as just something to promote the main site.
How's the Infosec Update launch working out? Any info you'd care to share? Do you plan to put adverts on there?
With it being that easy to set up, what are your thoughts on reddit/digg style targetted niche sites? If you have a niche product, would you use slinkset to promote it?