E-Blogs is closing! Thank you for everything
Translated by Sophie Balaguer. See the original article in French
Article also translated in:
After only 11 months, we leave the European blogosphere. We will stop translating on December 31. Before leaving, for dessert, here is our “best of” 2010, posts that made the deepest impression on us. Witnesses of what remains for us a beautiful adventure, the joy of shared discoveries of one country to another and the pride of having made this unique project.Thank you for all the exchanges and all the moments of life together
From left to right: Claire Ulrich, Laurent Delpit, Cathy Nivez, Karolin Mulhaupt, Louis Baudry, Frédéric Dauphin
Why did we create E-Blogs?
The starting point of E-Blogs: showing the “best” of the European blogosphere. Selecting quality posts in 5 countries and in 5 languages: Italian, German, Spanish, English, French, translating them into these same 5 languages. The idea was to offer a new and everyday perspective of the Europeans. A Courrier International of blogs, a review or rather a “view” of European blogs. E-Blogs was not a site about Europe – in the sense of the institutions themselves -, but on Europeans. Their rants, their dreams, their desires. We were rewarded by what we found. Thank you to the bloggers who participated in this great adventure …
Why do we stop E-blogs?
In Wikio's headquarters, Paris, France
Selecting texts, adapting them to each country, having them translated by paid translators, and finally publishing them in 5 languages and 5 countries … All this costs money. Lots of money. In launching the project at the beginning of the year (February 2010), we expected to find a strong and natural audience among bloggers and on the Internet in general.Unfortunately, we did not strike a chord, met the audience that we expected. E-Blogs was a test, a bet. We lost. Lack of visitors and therefore of potential advertising to pay this work, we stop the adventure. We’re in a market economy, we belong to a private company: Wikio. It is the law of the market. Many are called but few are chosen.
Our pride:
Among the challenges that we have succeeded: there is that of translation. We raised the language barrier, and drew lines from one country to another, backed by a valuable team of 40 professional translators in 5 languages: Italian, German, Spanish, English, French. Thank you to them for having played the game, for agreeing to walk with us at unbeatable rates, web’s rates ;-) Our pride is also the editorial work we did on the content of European blogs. A searching and selecting job, adapting and proofreading translations, then publishing. And that was done by the 6 editors of E-Blogs.
Thank you to:
Laurent Delpit, English/French translator, great community manager of the team. Laurent was editor for E-Blogs in the UK.
Louis Baudry, ‘magic Louis’, of Spanish mother tongue, former translator and editor of E-Blogs Spain. Among his many skills, Louis created a back office tailored to our needs for translations into 5 languages. Congratulations Louis!
Claire Ulrich, editor of E-Blogs Italy. Journalist and web-addict ;- ) Claire is in charge of Global Voices in French. She gave us her experience of translating and of international contents.
Karolin Mulhaupt, the most discreet of us all, was editing E-Blogs Germany. She showed us the scientific and libertarian spirit of German bloggers.
Cathy Nivez, E-Blogs Project Manager at WIKIO
And finally, Frédéric Dauphin, the latest addition to the team, copy-editor at heart, a blogger at times, and an awesome proofreader ;-) who was in charge of E-Blogs France.
Finally, thank you to the 38 translators, and the 500 bloggers who agreed to have their posts translated… They made us dream.
I believe in “paths crossing” and “bonds creating” as in the European blogosphere. No doubt we shall meet again, one day.
Catherine Nivez
E-Blogs Project Manager at WIKIO
| Wikio |
 "Vallis Blog")
 "Bruxelles2")
 "JCFrog")
 "Asif R Naqvi - Living Design")
 "[Mini]marketing")
 "Bad Conscience - Paul Sagar")
 "RGAlmazán")
 "Mon écran radar - Jean-Christophe Féraud")
 "C'est moi qui l'ai fait !")
 "Mazzetta")
 "La bibliothèque de Arash Derambarsh")
 "Baruda (Gunpowder)")
 "Quaerentia")
 "Dean Blog, a space for ideas")
 "Captain Ranty")
 "Tau Zero - Gianni Silei")
E-Blogs Spain
E-Blogs UK
Too bad E-blogs is closing only after 11 months of activity… May be the business model was not the most appropriate to the type of editorial project? It’s sad, because this is the kind of initiatives that bring a fresh blow of air to journalism!
Good luck for all of you in the future!
Alexandre
cafebabel.com, the European magazine.
I’m so sad to hear your project didn’t reach your expectations. Perhaps you all were ahead of the time?
It’s been a delight reading such a varied section of the blogosphere.
Thanks you all so much for your efforts. A Merry Christmas and a Guid 2010 to all of you.
NB Ah Laurent, there you are. :) x
Thank you Alexandre, Subrosa. Yes, we did feel that fresh blow ourselves. And that was an exciting adventure. Too bad it doesn’t last. But who knows what’s next… Thank you again for your support & trust & enthusiasm !!!
Perhaps not good-bye.
Let me say, then, “Till we meet again”, “auf Wiedersehen”, “au revoir”, “arrivederci” y “hasta la vista”.
ΠΞ