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WeblogWire is a clever service if it takes off…it basically connects press releases to bloggers.

Why would product developers use WeblogWire to announce press releases over other PR sites?

Since bloggers jump on new products in an instant and it is considered free publicity, why not get bloggers to subscribe to a channel that will have the absolute latest information (no second hand blogging here, you can be the first to break stories).

Now if WeblogWire can get bloggers to track the latest from their website, then companies are going to choose this PR service over others as they are assured that the movers and shakers in the blogosphere will read their press release, and get it out there pronto (all bloggers like to break a story first, this is a great by product for companies trying to get out a message).

WeblogWire in the end will be achieving something kind of similar to TechCrunch, only they will let others (the companies themselves) break news through their channel…the main difference is it is not a review/opinion site like a blog, but a press release from the company itself.

Gee TechCrunch might as well set up a system like this, they already have the bloggers on board (readership), and I’m sure they get inundated with new products to review…they could have a press release channel, and a blog review channel.

I guess not all products have press releases…WeblogWire will only be hosting news that is a press release format. In this respect I’d be crazy to give up e-hub, mashable and TechCrunch (the 3 essentials). These guys break stuff via emails they receive from the companies themselves, or information and rumours they receive by following venture capital blogs…this is going to reach people before the company releases a press release (if they do have one).

I guess I shouldn’t be comparing press releases to actual blog reviewing…I’m just looking at the breaking news factor…by following WeblogWire will I see something before the TechCrunch team, if not, then I might as well just wait till TechCrunch tell me about it (and I sure don’t want to follow the TechCrunch Reading List - I’ve got enough to read - I’d rather wait and hear it from them).

Anyway, when you sign up as a blogger you can get email alerts or RSS feeds for topics…that’s it, all you are doing is signing up to subscribe to feeds.

I guess you have to sign up so WeblogWire can guarantee companies that it’s worth their while because so many bloggers are subscribed to the WeblogWire ready to consume and publish a story…but can’t WeblogWire just use Feedburner to track readership numbers without requiring bloggers to subscribe to feeds via a registration process.

Well, you don’t have to register anyway, you can just look at their homepage every day, it’s not private information, but if you want the feeds you have to register. If you really want the feeds without registering I’m sure you’ll come across them in shared OPML’s or RSS Reader directories.

If they were really cunning they would make it worth your while to register, the more you post stories (positive or negative) on press releases you read via by the WeblogWire the more they give you exclusive stories…get bloggers fighting over exclusives.
But how would they know you published a post based on reading the press release at WeblogWire, you may have heard it at TechCrunch first.

Anyway it’s early days yet, I’m sure they will develop more product features, as it is a great concept…keep posted to their blog.

Other press release sites that have feeds:
PR Web
PR Newswire (click RSS tab)
BusinessWire
market WIRE
Prime Zone

These above sites offer feeds that bloggers can track and they don’t even have to register, so how is WeblogWire doing something different, other than explicitly promoting their service to the blogosphere.

Related:
PayPerPost : blog posting for money

The experimental Alpha version 0.11 of Grazr is released and hopes to be official in a week or so.

Grazr now has a choice of view: slider or outline…this makes it the most versatile OPML grazer so far (graze not only OPML URL’s but also feed URL’s)…don’t forget you can also pop it open in a new window.

They have also changed the icon for OPML include from a red arrow to a blue target, as suggested by Chris Pirillo as the new OPML standard…soon you will be able to choose from a gallery of icons.

Right-click > Copy Shortcut OPML includes or feeds…for feed article titles just right click the “#” permalink to the native story or click on it to open it in a new window…or simply click on the story title to read the story right there in Grazr (from here you still have the choice to click on the title to see the native post).

I’m providing some feedback for Grazr Labs and there is lots more to come.