Hey Ben-

As referenced in other entries around the web today, this new policy was put into effect because we feel that we cannot be associated (either directly or indirectly) with companies or brands that may negatively affect how people perceive 9rules. We have received email complaints from various readers, asking why we have sites in our Network that are part of other networks who don’t represent the same ideals we do, and this is our answer.

This doesn’t have to do with the fact that you are simply designing sites for them, but that you are listed as a staff member of their company, as their Senior Designer and principal blogger of the not-yet-launched problogging.com. Doing client/consulting work is one thing, being hired as their Senior Designer is quite another as I’m sure you’ll agree.

Like Paul said, this is not a personal decision at all — it’s just something that needs to be done in order to grow the 9rules brand and image in a positive manner.

Very best,
Mike

Mike,
So did Bryan from Avalonstar also receive this email? He is one of the founders of Yopos is he not? What about Om Malik? He’s a member of Federated Media is he not? Give me a break I don’t want to see anyone else get hurt.

David, those two affiliations do not tarnish our brand like an affiliation with Blog Media or Erati Media does, and has. Like mentioned in the previous email, we have received complaints from readers who were upset 9rules Network members were associated with those two networks, therefore action has been taken.

Interesting, bad business decision Mike. I would disagree. Federated Media is essentially an advertising network very similar to what you are already planning.

So this is looking more and more like a personal vendetta against Erati Media even though none of these people are in Erati media, but merely do work for BlogMedia.

I personally think your comments about how Blogmedia is tarnishing your brand are about as unfair as could be. The only comments about BlogMedia came from within your little private forum. And you folks stoked the fire on this one.

There are others in 9rules that have worked with me on various projects and im sad to say a lot of folks are guilty of blogmedia involvement. More than you know.

Im not about to “out” those people. That would clearly be on the level of the leafy little cult.

The sad and sorry interesting twist is that Im not sure Ben has made money yet. Oh no he made some money. Wowzers. This is all just a horrible evil. Ben I applaud you for being a big man through all of this. Remember that which is not destroyed but grows and learns remains stronger and becomes the better person. You have been a pleasure to work for and a good pal.

It doesn’t matter what network you’re in. It’s the content you put out.

I’ll definitely be hanging around your site no matter what network or no network you decide to go with.

Keep up the good work!

[…] http://www.college-startup.com/2006/02/65/ […]

Hey, you’re on my list of interesting sites to read. And it does look like David and 9rules are HIDING SOMETHING and don’t want to have anything interesting on their network. But the truth comes out eventually…..

But, this should inspire you, get you more juiced to do far more, do more, kick more ass; so that in a year they will be regretting this move, kind of like people regretting not investing in Microsoft in 1985.

Keep it up.

Jon

I have been fortunate enough to work with Ben on a project (currently under construction) and he has been professional and great to work with throughout.

As for the decision of 9Rules to no longer keep College-Startup in their staple of evergrowing sites. It is their business and they can run it however they like. However my comment would be that if they trusted Ben enough to bring him into the fold in the first place, it seems to be a poor business and PR move to boot him from the network without first contacting him or giving him a chance to make a decision as to whether he wanted to stay with 9Rules under the new policy.

Continued good luck with the blog Ben, and I look forward to continuing our project together.

I just want to make a quick note here about the ‘fair warning’ issue. Ben I’m not sure how much involvement you have in our announcements forum, or if you get the mass emails that go out to our members prior to us making a decision like this, but we’ve said that we were going to make this move some time ago.

If this came to you as out of the blue, it was probably because you missed the announcements in the forum I think.

I’m still subscribed btw. Keep up the great work here.

[…] Ben Beilkamp of BlogMedia Goes. […]

it does look like David and 9rules are HIDING SOMETHING and don’t want to have anything interesting on their network

That could be one of the most ignorant statements I’ve ever read. Specifically the part about 9rules not wanting to have anything interesting on their network.

[…] There is a storm brewing in the blog world, with controversy revolving around 9rules decision to prune there network, resulting in elimination of a few blogs from the network. Looks like, some of the eliminations have been because of explicit content and others due to conflict of interest. It’s blog drama at its best, and makes for good blogging! […]

You still have my readership. I found your site from a Blogroll, not 9rules.

[…] The Blog Herald hace un seguimiento de la caza de brujas que inició 9rules, una de las redes de blogs más populares, contra muchos de sus blogs. 9rules optó por poner más restricciones como por ejemplo la pertenencia exclusiva a su red, por lo que todos los blos asociados a otras redes fueron expulsados. Otra razón para expulsión es no estar a la altura de calidad y frecuencia en los posts de cada uno de los blogs. College Startup fue uno de los blogs que recibió la expulsión de 9rules, bajo el alegato de que su blog también pertence a BlogMedia, aunque Ben aclara que sólo es diseñador en BlogMedia y su blog no tiene nada que ver. Es muy interesante la razón que esgrimen los responsables de 9rules en los comentarios de su post, diciendo que no quieren estar ni remotamente asociados con ninguna otra red. Personalmente, me veía venir algo asi. 9rules seguramente se creó para ser vendido a algún multimedia a la manera de Weblogs Inc. pero evidentemente están cambiando su estrategia ya que no resulta. […]

‘We have received email complaints from various readers’

Too many good things are destoryed because of a few complainers. Various tells me it wasn’t that many that complained. Sorry to hear you got booted - it won’t affect my being subscribed to you (and I don’t think that’s how I got to your site anyways).

“Ben, you did not receive notice before today because we just made the policy public today.”

Reminds me of a TV sketch where the traffic warden paints in the no parking signs after around a car that is already parked.

How was the webmaster able to know about the policy change?

I would never claim to make a decision based on “complaints”, I would investigate the issue because of the complaints but then make my own decision and stand by it, not hide behind undisclosed emails.

This is not a way to protect a brand, you play fair and have full disclosure when dealing with bloggers in your network.

This is a cool blog and if I had a blog network (am I the only blogger who doesn’t) then you would be welcome to be in mine no matter who you partnered with. In fact, that is your business and who would I be to say what you do outside of the blog that is in the network.

As I write this I am getting more angry, this is really out of order. These 9 rules dudes sound like a bunch of control freaks, you can’t argue that it’s the policy when you change the policy and take action without a chance to be even aware of the policy let alone act on it.

I doesn’t seem like this is just business as how does the network benefit by not having a great blog like this in it?

[…] All the best to BlogMedia Inc again, yes people have been harsh on them but Matt Craven has impressed me and I can’t wait to see more! […]

You Blog is informative and useful, thx a lot

Hmm.. this post is relly making me think about my blog network that just launched. I plan to take into account all of these comments to make my network — mindpetals.com — the best out there. Thanks for commenting on this thread and helping me avoid some of the mistakes made by others. Best of luck to all bloggers!

Politics… another day, another network. Life goes on