Okay, it's a bit early, but I've got family everywhere, a turkey in the oven, lamb waiting to go, and here's a moment free in front of the computer.

My thoughts on the site: (1) It's too sterile and corporate-looking; (2) The logo -- which I guess will be obsolete -- is similarly sterile and corporate-looking -- Pamela of Atlas Shrugged said it looked like the logo for a women's health clinic; (3) I like the newsfeeds, but I agree with Jeralyn Merritt that they're not optimized for the kind of things that bloggers want.

The page, overall, has too much mainstream news content. And it's too short -- keep scrolling with a blog, and you see new stuff. Keep scrolling with this, and it stops!

I think that overall the Pajamas / OSM operation has relied too much on the services of consultants and experts. They know stuff, but the results tend to be, well, corporate and sterile. And don't even start me on the "branding" experts. I hope the check hasn't cleared yet. . . . .

Chime in, folks!

Glen, I certainly agree with all your comments. I would only suggest as well that before deciding how the page should look we discuss in a bit more detail what we want to page to do -- what value it should add, why a reader should want to utilize it, rather than just visiting Instapundit or RogerLSimon.com or Little Green Footballs or another blog.

Once we understand and agree on that, I think it will be easier and more productive to move to a discussion of how to visual/design elements to communicate that purpose.

When I first spoke to Roger L. Simon about this adventure, one of the things I warned him about was the tendency to routinize a revolution. I noted while organizing is a good thing, as a part of the feminist establishment I saw the decay of an important movement when it became too controlled. I think the whole name issue reflects the potential problem (and seduction) of going corporate, but then we got back to what makes the blogosphere so incredible—it was noticed, and then changed. The environment itself invites this sort of dynamic, and I’m personally thrilled we’re back in our pajamas.

I think this blogjam will be much like our first advisory board meeting--all excellent suggestions. One thing I've noticed, though, it seems like Pajamas (as OSM) was trying to reinvent the wheel. All of the blogs associated with Pajamas have a grassroots, broadbased feel to them. The variety is wonderful. Getting back to Pajamas means getting back to our roots. That would include the feel and structure of a homepage--smart but revolutionary, rebellious.

My perspective on the launch is probably much the same as yours. My reaction to the name change from Pajamas Media to OSM was one of deep dismay. What happened to the fun irreverent spirit of the blogosphere that this thing is supposed to embody? OSM sounded suspiciously neutral and vaguely sinister, like the name of a Pentagon subcontractor. I also really disliked the website—from the corporate-looking logo to the top-down visual layout. The whole idea of a “top story” struck me as very Old Media, as opposed to the more decentralized, kaleidoscopic look of the typical blogger’s computer screen. Even the type is too small—something I still hope they will fix.

On the other hand, the fact that so many people harshly criticized these decisions tells me three very encouraging things: it tells me that a lot of people are paying attention, that they are already invested enough to want to see a change that reflects their Platonic Ideal of a blogger-based enterprise, and that Roger and Charles have precisely the right attitude, which they demonstrated by responding quickly and positively. To me this says that PJM is going to be what it was meant be: a blogger driven undertaking shaped to the greatest possible extent by the interests and preferences of bloggers themselves.

A lot of work remains to be done, particularly in devising means to engage bloggers in the design of the site. But we are off to a promising start.

I definitely agree with Glenn about there being too much mainstream news content. I want to see the site reflect an alternative to what the MSM defines as news.

Let me take a stab at answering the question I asked -- hoping others may find it interesting as well.

I think one of the main ideas we want to convey is that there is more wisdom in crowds (the blogosphere) than in the experts (the MSM's desingated authorities).

This idea is counter-intuitive. The name, Pajamas Media, conveys it well by taking pride in what our critics wrongly consider our weakness.

Beyond the name, however, how do we convey the concept of a counter-media, a counter-intelligentsia and counter-experts?

Our biggest challenge, as it is with anything successful, is to balance to fruits of success with the heart of what made the thing great in the first place. Pajamas is in a unique position--perhaps the old cliche of 'herding cats' applies here. The blogs are powerful because the proprietors are fiercly independent. And yet, organizing that power, that passion, must be done if the individual involved is to realize their full powerful potential. The Left has done it, but at the expense of what they claim to be their foundation--the power of the individual. Conformity is required there, and dissent is deadly. I argue that organization is possible, along with freedom--and I think it is the Pajamas framework which can make it happen.

Yes, I think we should be a portal to the blogosphere, not another MSM entity. And I think that the content should be much bloggier, with the emphasis on sending traffic out to blogs of all sorts.

Cliff, I think we provide the template for a 'counter-media' by being ourselves. I think it's fair to say that in great part, blog success is based in an unfettered passion for the topics at hand. An honesty and commitment by the blogger to the issues (whatever their specialty may be) simply because it's the right thing to do. I've found too much navel-gazing can be hazardous. Is what Pajamas needs to do any different from what bloggers already do? And while our site needs to be perhaps a bit more complex, why not incorporate elements already held as favorites by the bloggers? It should be familiar, and flexible.

Tammy raises a good point--how do we make the site reflect the multiplicity of the blogosphere when editorial imperatives ineluctably tend to impose an artificial uniformity? another way of putting this: how do we make it serve the interests of bloggers as opposed to the interests of commerce?

Cliff -- Making the site the virtual crossroads of the blogosphere should serve the interests of both bloggers and viewers. how to do that is the question. I think the answer is to turn the thing over to bloggers and let them figure it out for themselves. Perhaps I've been in Big Publishing too long, but I'm having a real anarchist impulse here.

By the way, In the true spirit of bloggy multitasking, I've got the laptop on the deck, where I'm searing my legs of lamb on the grill as we do this! The smell is already good enough to be distracting,.

I like the image of a herd of cats. What would that look like on a flat screen?

I wonder whether this doesn't take us back to the idea of developing a mechanism to allow the PJM blogs lead the way by keeping tabs on what interests them.

In other words, if Tammy, Glen, Charles and Roger are all writing about the same issue (even if they are saying very different things) than that will convince me they are on to an important issue, one I should be reading about and thinking about.

If they are all focusing on different issues, that's interesting, too.

Maybe a signal should be "sounded" when the PJM herd is stampading in one direction, with a different look when the cats are dispersed?

I think -- and we saw this at our first editorial advisory board meeting last week -- there's a strong agreement that the tone has been all wrong, and that the content needs to be a lot looser, sometimes lighter, and always written in the voices of bloggers, not some sort of faux MSM voice, which I think we've seen too much of so far.

Some kind of continuous monitoring and polling operation is required--a very time andc labor intensive proposition to be sure. but that is the only was PJM will be able to function as an interface and guide to what is happening on the internet each day, hour by hour, letting bloggers define the "stories" of the day. do we have the resources to do that?

Yes, Adam, I think we would be making a mistake by thinking that commercial interest is separate from blogger interest. After all, we're here because of the natural success of the blogs which translated into traffic, which translates into advertising, money, hence more freedom, more success. As long as one (in our instance Pajamas) does not make the mistake of believing that getting bigger means changing. It does not have to be so. I've also heard concern about advertising money/income being a corrupting influence. It does not have to be so. Money is the thing that sets individuals free--it can be so with the blogosphere as long as we stay conscious of the decisions that are made when it comes to issues of conformity (which should be a banished concept) and control (we need to have some but with severe limitations).

Pardon me, but if you refresh your page (may need to do it twice) and then glance at the top of the page, you may notice a change...

And Glenn, having my new Powerbook on my thighs this whole time makes me understand more what it's like to be in a tanning booth, but without getting the tan.

Wow, the new logo! It's the jammies on coffee! My type of jammie, btw.

Well, I tried to post this before, but it had links in it, so I'm trying again without them.

James Lileks says the web is a conversation, and I'd like to see more of that, too. When I was at the launch last week, I got to have breakfast with Austin Bay and Jim Dunnigan of StrategyPage.com, and I just sat back, listened, and learned.

I'd like to see us presenting that sort of thing more -- maybe in a video format like Mickey Kaus and Robert Wright are doing on bloggingheads.tv. And I agree with Mickey that the Pontiac Solstice is beautiful!

However, this will be the first ime in ages where I'll be wearing anything that resembles a dress. I cannot speak for the rest of the blogjammers...Gentlemen?

Broadcasting from a bathrobe! I like it! It's certainly better than the OSM logo.

I love the Kaus/Wright dialogues, painfully revealing as they are sometimes. there's a weird fascination with watching two tiny heads have a live conversation in cyberspace. we should definitely make this a regular feature.

I'm at parents house in Florida (where else?) wearing shorts and a T-shirt that says in English and Arabic: "Who's Your Baghdaddy?"

At least, I think that's what it says in Arabic. For all I know it could say: "I'm an infidel, kick me." How would I know?

You should be able to post links, Glenn. For example, here's one: Bacteria Can Take Pictures of Themselves.

I'm wearing an Eddie Bauer nanotex shirt that's supposed to be practically stain proof thanks to (sort of) nanotechnology. So far, I've had several spills (I'm a messy cook), and they all wiped right off. Hooray for science.

I'd like to help send traffic to a lot of blogs, via a rotating link system. We want to encourage the serendipity that's part of the blogosphere's charm. I'm not sure how well automated systems do that, though. I've used RSS, but I rely much more on email from readers and links that I find on other blogs.

Guess I'm the only one who didn't have the sense to go someplace warm. I'm in New Jersey with my in-laws wearing three layers of clothing and drinking hot coffee.

Another question (putting aside my many questions on nanontechnology): What should be the balance between creating new content and highlighting existing content -- content already up on PJM blogs?

LOL Cliff! One thing I've noticed out the changes Pajamas has already gone through, and this is another caution from experience on the Left--is for Pajamas to not get too caught up in the perpetual cycle of self-criticism. One thing Leftist leadership has going for it, is that it doesn't give a damn what others think, and it certainly doesn't sit around wringing their hands abut whether or not people on the right respect or appreciate them. That gives them power to operate with a focus that gets things done. Bad things, mind you, but things none the less. I would encourage everyone at Pajamas, both conservative and liberal (whatever those labels mean these days) to stay focused on passion without feeling as though we need to adjust to make people (whoever) like us. Bloggers don'tt worry about that, and that's part of their power. Let's make sure we embody that as well.

Glenn, that's what makes the "carnival" format so useful. They're like the tall signpost on MASH (if you remember that) with arrows pointing off in all directions.

Cliff: Re original content:

What's excited me all along about this project was the plan to recruit blog-reporters around the world, especially in remote or third-world places that are usually ignored. We saw how powerful that sort of thing could be during the Indian Ocean tsunami, but we shouldn't wait for disasters to report from the Third World. That's what the Big Media folks do. And as someone with relatives in Nigeria, I can tell you that there's lots more than makes the news.

I want to get moving on that part as soon as possible.

Glenn, I think one of the best things (if not our duty) is to have Pajamas expand the awareness of readers to other blogs. People tend to get into ruts when it comes to the sites they visit. Pajamas can and should be the portal to all sorts of blogs. I can tell you when InstaPundit links to something I've posted (a humble thank you :), the traffic generation is extraordinary and I know some people will like what they see that they'll be regular visitors. It's invaluable and I believe is a main duty of PJ.

Hi, everyone.

Tammy, speaking of self-criticism and the Left, I linked this blogjam over at my site as "Mao is back at Pajamas Media."

Charles, I hope you gave me a nice monkey.

Tammy has several times invoked the passion of bloggers as the guiding spirit of the enterprise. I agree with this wholeheartedly. Santayana makes an arresting distinction between culture and life--culture is like the hardened crust that forms after lava has flowed. The blogosphere is thus the opposite of culture, so defined. It is the lava flow that never hardens.

Tammy:

Yes. One thing I liked about the Carnival of Pre-War Intelligence was that it brought together blogs from left and right, and exposed people to a lot of blogs they'd never seen, regardless of where they fit on the political spectrum, or whatever you call it these days.

And building audiences for blogs, both PJM and non-PJM, should be a major part of what Pajamas does.

Adam, the Santayana reminder is excellent. I'm going to send you a pocket-protector right away. :) Very smart, and the perfect analogy. Couldn't agree more. Lava flow is certainly a bit more dangerous, but it's also exciting and the only place where new opportunities exist. Go Pajamas!

Glenn -- Does that perhaps require an editor asking questions of bloggers around the world?

Many years ago I worked for Newsweek International as a writer. An important part of the job was to send out cables early in the week asking reporters around the world questions that I'd then weave into a story late in the week.

A similar but simpler model would be the blog editor's Qs followed by the As from far-flung bloggers.

The "editor" could also call for expertise, e.g. "Who knows what a Smith Corona typeface looked like in 1973?"

Glenn's emphasis on having this be a truly alternative source of news is right on. I think that will happen by itself once the news part gets going. in fact, pretty quickly I think the PJM "management" is going to find itself running to catch up with its constituency.

Cliff: Yes, that's a very good idea. Though I also want to allow stuff to bubble up on its own.

And speaking of criticism/self-criticism, one of the mistakes (some of it being from time pressure) that we made in putting up our site was not allowing for sufficient possibility for rapid dynamic change. This results in a lot of phone calls from me to Charles like "When're you going to get up the new logo already?" Or when're we going to have more simultaneous real time content (that Adam is correctly asking for)? But these things take time and in the blogosphere minutes seem like hours, as the old song goes.

Cliff's idea is a good one. I do think the questions asked should be obscure and unusual (like the example he gives). Otherwise you'll be overwhelmed with rather similar responses.

Thanks Tammy, I do need a new pocket protector.

Roger is a sensitive guy. I hope his critics will keep that in mind.

We should look at the 'practice' of PJM like the 'practice' of medicine. Every situation is different, every event requires rapid response and creativity. This brings up a discussion at the board meeting--staff. The good thing is we don't need people in one place at one time. We should be able to take advantage of who we are and bring people in within a grassroots framework to handle queries, changes, complaints, love letters, etc. That, too, poses some problems, but more humans, er monkeys, are needed.

Well, not THAT sensitive, Adam. I used to work for Jeffrey Katzenberg.

I hope you all take note that my monkey is wearing ... wait for it ... pajamas.

Ian Schmidt emails me on the design: "Why not hire Sekimori to figure it out? I think she'd do a better job than whatever faceless consultants did the current version."

Good idea!

What we're talking about here is a kind of dance between top-down editorial control and bottom-up self-generating spontaneity. This has never been achieved as far as I know, but that's what we are doing here I think. Roger and Charles must feel like they are wrestling with a wave.

And he's quite sleepy.

Yes, Sekimori designed my site and Stacy is wonderful. Easy, but professional and while I gave her a little bit of a sense of what I'd like I think she took a look at my general style and worked accordingly. Her touch is throughout the blogosphere for a reason. I think that's an excellent idea.

Yes Tammy, I agree...more hands on deck as soon as possible.

Lots of readers want an easier channel for providing feedback on the site, too. I think they're right.

Adam, you're right. It has never been done before but if it's possible (and I think it is) Pajamas as conceived by Roger and Charles will make it happen.

"Roger and Charles must feel like they are wrestling with a wave."

Yup, Adam, that's about right. But maybe I can learn from my son Jesse who is a surfer and a surf artist. His show just sold out at the Patricia Faure Gallery.

My laptop batteries are about to die, and I have to stay on the deck, so I'm checking out. Enjoyed it!

And happy Thanksgiving to all!

Keep the tasks simple and young, underpaid interns can do them just fine.

For example, taking a quick survey to see what issues a few dozen key blogs are right now focusing on (or, better yet, obsessing about).

Found the problem with your linkage, Glenn, and it should work now.

This has indeed been wonderful. An excellent start to what is a beautiful day here in Los Angeles. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

When a new technology emerges, old formats are always applied to it at frst (remember the electronic typewriter?). Salon and Slate--enjoyable as they can be--represent old media formats applied to the digital medium. PJM is a step beyond that, though for a while we will continue to apply old media formulas to it (ie a reader response page etc). Some of these will work, others will be superceded by spontaneous invention. It's a great collective experiment.

Glenn, regarding feedback and comments, we've been discussing that internally. We obviously want to avoid spam and junk comments, if that's possible. One proposal is have everyone register for a nominal fee (say three bucks) with a credit card payment to one of several charities (not to Pajamas). That way people have identified themselves as real human beings... and given some money to something worthwhile. Our thought is they would be less likely to spew hate from whatever angle. What do you think?

I guess I'm alone here so I'll just say goodbye to msyelf and wish myself a Happy Thanksgiving.
Ciao!

You're never alone,Adam. Have a good one!

It's windy in Florida today but I'm sitting outside looking at a tall live oak (is that meant to distinguish it from a "dead oak"?, its leaves and moss swaying in the distance.

Why I am descending into bad haiku writing?

Happy Thanksgiving to all and to all a good night!