A web 2.0 resurrection for the industry standard

With its new online-only venture -- still in beta -- IDG is hoping the new Industry Standard will fare good than its predecessor by staying lean and adding gambling, of a sort, to its mix of tech news and blogs. Readers are being asked to bet on the chances that certain IT business-related events will occur, such as the acquisition of Yahoo by Microsoft.

The criterion describes this characteristic as a "anticipation market, intersected with a reputation-based social web" that will serve as "a virtual proving land" for content on the site and elsewhere.

In a launch-related message posted on the site, Derek meatman, the magazine's general director, said The criterion will rely on sponsorships for ad gross. Intel is the launch sponsor, as made clear by the "sponsored by Intel" label on every page.

In his message, Butcher said the master Industry criterion "helped define an era" a decennary ago, something he hopes the new version will do as well.

"The 'Net economic system is alive and well, having survived the boom and subsequent bust," wrote meatman. "Still, there are obvious echoes of a time when often anything seemed possible and sometimes nothing seemed logical. The new Industry Standard will surely treat the growth volatility of our economic system as an important part of its insurance coverage, and enterprise to become a trusted source for reliable information and penetration."

Prior to going belly-up, the master Industry criterion employed about 400 people. Should this latest incarnation suffer a similar fate, there is probably to be far less human agony involved. Meatman noted the publishing house, with the new criterion, has "abandoned the traditional media model based on a large editorial staff in favor of a new paradigm that values the commentary from thought leaders and the perspectives of our community."

Butcher, who could not be reached for comment, most recently worked as vice president and chief technology officer of InfoWorld Media Group. Prior to that he was senior engineering manager at Disney Internet Group.