Science Blogging Starting to Look Like Football

Here's an interesting development. Top science bloggers have become a commodity hot enough that a situation like that in European football is emerging. Players are getting snatched from team to team through hostile buyout (Carl Zimmer of The Loom), and the number of really good non-pro players is dwindling (Phil Plait the Bad Astronomer just went pro).

I'm not sure if Carl got offered better pay than at Sb. Both bloggers did get steady writing gigs as columnists for Discover Magazine, which translates to some money (though most likely not much). In an attention-based economy, the market is driven both by money and by access to readers.

My warmest congratulations, Carl and Phil!

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Time to institute a draft system?

By NoAstronomer (not verified) on 02 Jul 2008 #permalink

The talent better arrange for collective bargaining. How'd you like to have your rights assigned to bayblab? lolz.

By Piled Higher, Deeper (not verified) on 02 Jul 2008 #permalink