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This article is about the technology news network. For other uses, see Verge.
The Verge
File:The-Verge-Logo.png
Screenshot
File:The-Verge-Screenshot-2011-08-21.png
Type of site
Technology news
Available inEnglish
Created byJoshua Topolsky
Marty Moe[1]
URLtheverge.com
CommercialYes
RegistrationOptional
LaunchedNovember 1, 2011
Current statusOnline
Listen to this article
(2 parts, 14 minutes)
  2. [[File:October 28, 2011 (2011-10-28)|180px|Part 2]]
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The Verge (trademarked in capitals as THE VERGE[3]) is an American technology news and media network operated by Vox Media with offices in Manhattan, New York.[4] The network's team publishes news items, long form feature stories, product reviews, podcasts, and an entertainment show. Its goal is not only to report on current technology news, but also to report on how technology affects society and popular culture.[5][6].

Built on Vox Media's content delivery platform, The Verge harnesses a social community element and uses video extensively.[7] Access to the network's online content is financed through advertising and sponsorship. The network is managed by its editor in chief Joshua Topolsky and Vox Media's chief content officer Marty Moe.[8]

The publication competes with similar technology news websites such as Engadget, Gizmodo, Mashable, CNET, Wired, SlashGear, and TechCrunch.

History

Background

On April 3, 2011, The New York Times posted an article on their website announcing that "eight of the more prominent editorial and technology staff members at Engadget have left or are leaving AOL and are about to build a new gadget site".[9] The group included former Engadget editor in chief Joshua Topolsky, managing editor Nilay Patel, editors Paul Miller, Joanna Stern, Chris Ziegler, and Ross Miller, product manager Justin Glow, and developer Dan Chilton.[9][10][11]

Many believed that the mass exodus from Engadget was primarily caused by an internal memo distributed by AOL which detailed "The AOL Way". The 58-page document outlined a series of plans to turn AOL into a media empire. Courtney Boyd Myers of The Next Web suggested that AOL was destroying journalism for page views and that it would be difficult for the organisation to apply a "one size fits all" business model to an organisation consisting of a collection of semi-autonomus acquisitions.[12]

In discussing the matter on his blog, Paul Miller wrote, "It doesn’t take a veteran of the publishing world to realize that AOL has its heart in the wrong place with content. As detailed in the “AOL Way,” and borne out in personal experience, AOL sees content as a commodity it can sell ads against. That might make good business sense (though I doubt it), but it doesn’t promote good journalism or even good entertainment, and it doesn’t allow an ambitious team like the one I know and love at Engadget to thrive".[13] Not all members of the group were so forthcoming about their discontent with AOL. Stern simply tweeted "I wrote a long personal blog post about the fact that yesterday was my last day at Engadget, but I decided to just tweet this instead".[14] All Things Digital suggested that Topolsky and Patel's departures were largely due to "the challenges of working within a large corporate entity".[15] Topolsky's departure is now thought to relate more to operational constraints than editorial issues: “We have been working on blogging technology that was developed in 2003, we haven’t made a hire since I started running the site, and I thought we could be more successful elsewhere”.[16]

Jim Bankoff, chairman and CEO of Vox Media has spoken publicly of the benefits of developing a consumer technology media brand and expanding Vox Media's reach. In an interview with Beet.tv he said, "All along, the SB Nation model as you know has been about sports and that continues to be our big push with great growth but when we thought to ourselves from an audience overlap perspective, from an advertiser overlap perspective what other categories could work well for us obviously consumer tech was another one".[17] Bankoff also talked about his desire to attract other Journalists and Bloggers outside of the sports medium to Vox Media, merging Vox Media's advanced technology with "outstanding" talent in order to aid growth and create a premier media company.

One of the key factors in Bankoff attracting the former AOL team to Vox Media was their content management system (CMS) which has been described as being one of the most advanced systems on the Internet. Michael Bean, founder of Vox Media's SB Nation sports blog Behind the Steel Curtain said of the platform, "the tools SB Nation gives us bloggers are incredible. The network's proprietary content management system [...] and the collaborative publishing aspects of the site (fanposts/fanshots) really make for a unique, social experience".[18] SB Nation's proprietary "StoryStream" generates individual permalinks for each update made to a particular story. These updates then populate a "stream" which are gathered on a single page.[19] "They’re building for the web as it is now. From the perspective of a journalist who also happens to be a huge nerd, that’s a match made in heaven. SBN isn’t just another media company pushing news out — it’s a testbed and lab for some of the newest and most interesting publishing tools I’ve ever seen," said Topolsky of the system. Development of the platform is led by Trei Brundrett, Vice President of Product and Technology at Vox Media. The CMS serves nearly 17 million users and has allowed the company to expand from 100 blogs to over 300.[20][21]

This Is My Next

This Is My Next
Main article: This Is My Next

On April 4, 2011, Topolsky, Patel, and Miller established thisismynextpodcast.com as a platform to continue the weekly technology podcast they had made popular at Engadget.[22] Thisismynextpodcast.com also included a small amount of editorial and news though much of this was channeled through the team's personal websites and blogs. On April 14, 2011, after only ten days, thisismynextpodcast.com became thisismynext.com (This Is My Next). Announcing the change Topolsky wrote, "Originally, our plan was to keep covering news — the really notable and interesting bits at least — on our personal blogs. But it quickly became obvious to the team that that didn’t make a whole lot of sense, since it meant that people had to hunt around for content when we could give them a single, easily accessible place to find it.".[23] On June 16, 2011, Patel announced on This Is My Next that the team was moving into new offices at 126 5th Avenue in Manhattan, New York.[24][25] The building is a 15 story neo-classical high rise property located a short distance from Madison Square Park.[26]

On October 7, Topolsky announced that This Is My Next—which was noted by TIME as being one of the best blogs of 2011—was going to be updated less frequently, in order for the team to focus on the launch of their serious technology news website The Verge.[27][28] After many rumors, Topolsky confirmed on Twitter on October 29, 2011, that The Verge would launch—superseding This Is My Next—on November 1.[29][30]

Today, the "thisismynext.com" URL that used by This Is My Next redirects to "theverge.com."

Founding

The Verge launched on November 1, 2011. The site was already populated with all of This Is My Next's content and a comprehensive product database. The site has been updated regularly with new features and fixes. Version 1.1 brought an often requested feature: user reviews of gadgets in the product database. The team has continued to expand, with additions such as Microsoft-focused writer Tom Warren.

In January 2012, The Verge covered the International CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, Nevada. The site was named the "official technology news partner" of the show by the Consumer Electronics Association. The team's attendance at the event marked the publication's first major appearance of a technology news show or conference.

On February 10, 2012, senior reviews editor Joanna Stern announced her resignation from The Verge to pursue a position as head of technology news at ABC News.[31]

On April 6, 2012, Vox Media and The Verge announced via Twitter and a post on The Verge's website that they will be spinning off their gaming coverage on a website entitled Polygon. The new website is to be headed up by Christopher Grant, former Editor-in-chief of Joystiq. Also on April 6, Joshua Topolosky announced via Twitter that IGN Tech editor Scott Lowe would be joining Vox & The Verge as a Senior Editor.

Content

Design and branding

On July 18, 2011, "resident tech expert" Topolsky announced on NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon that he and his team had developed a new technology news brand called The Verge.[32]

The logo mark was created by international design firm Area 17 and features a modified penrose triangle, an impossible object.[33]

Reaction to the mark was mixed when the brand was first unveiled. One prominent reviewer, Armin Vit, co-founder of graphic design firm and media publisher UnderConsideration said that "The wordmark is ripped right off Herb Lubalin’s playbook, typeset in a modified version of his own ITC Serif Gothic (Heavy) and then pimped with a ligature, just like Lubalin did in a 1978 ad [...] The icon isn’t that original either, it capitalizes on the ambiguous triangle trend that populates the pages of ffffound but, in its defense, it doubles as a “V” monogram so I’ll allow it. There is nothing wrong with mining the past, especially the 1970s-Herb-Lubalin past, as long as something new is being contributed or a clever twist applied. Here it’s just repetition."[34] Topolsky later commented on a blog post explaining the philosophy behind branding, comparing it "With the kinds of books and magazines I’m extremely fond of (and collect) — pulp sci-fi from the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. I wanted to bring some sense of that ethereal, psychedelic weirdness to what we’re doing."[35]

On September 30, 2011, Stern released the first video review branded with The Verge logo and styling. The video style relies heavily on 3D text and graphics to support the review. Text is made to look as though it is "floating in space" rather than a simple overlay as is often the case in videos of this type. 3D lines accompany the text and connect it to the review unit to illustrate size or pinpoint particular features. The video style was developed by Billy Disney.[36][37]

Products database and articles

The Verge features hosts a vast database of products akin to that hosted by CNET. The database allows readers to compare device specs and find out product availability. The site's team publishes many reviews of products such as personal computers, cellphones, and gaming consoles. Reviewed products receive a "Verge Score" out of 10 accurate to one decimal place (e.g. an item may receive a score of 7.3). Users can also submit reviews for gadgets they own, a feature similar to one on the website GDGT. The Verge also publishes features, including interviews (with industry leaders and other technology journalists), editorials (about technology products, issues, and culture), and columns (such as "this is my next").

Podcasts

The Vergecast
Presentation
Hosted byJoshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, and Paul Miller
GenreTechnology news
LanguageEnglish
UpdatesWeekly
LengthApprox. 60–120 minutes
Publication
Original releaseNovember 5, 2011
ProviderThe Verge
The Verge Mobile Podcast
Presentation
Hosted byChris Ziegler, Dieter Bohn, and Vlad Savov
GenreTechnology news, Mobile phones
LanguageEnglish
UpdatesWeekly
LengthApprox. 90–120 minutes
Publication
Original releaseNovember 9, 2011
ProviderThe Verge

The Verge broadcasts a live weekly podcast. Like their previous podcasts, The Vergecast is fairly light in tone, with show hosts Topolsky, Patel, and Miller regularly falling off topic and discussing popular culture. Guests, usually from the editorial team, may often appear in the podcast and make contributions in their particular areas of specialization. The live podcast is broadcast using Livestream, a platform for lifecasting and live video streaming of events online. The Livestream network allows users to interact with one another and with show hosts through chat. After the live broadcast, an edited edition of the show is made available to download directly from the website and is usually featured within a post. Alternatively, episodes can be downloaded through iTunes, Zune, and RSS. The inaugural episode was broadcast on November 4, 2011. Unlike many episodes of previous podcasts, it included a video stream of the hosts.[38]

A second weekly podcast was introduced on November 8, 2011. Unlike The Vergecast, The Verge Mobile Podcast is primarily focused on mobile phones and hosted by Chris Ziegler, Vlad Savov, and Dieter Bohn.[39][40]

On The Verge

Main article: On The Verge (show)

On August 6, 2011, in an interview with Edelman, Marty Moe, publisher and co-founder of The Verge, announced that they would soon be launching The Verge Show, "a hip version of your favorite late night television show, with interviews of major technology leaders and luminaries, in-the-field segments, comedy, and analysis and discussion with the leading tech experts, with Josh Topolsky as our host and multi-media star". The article went on to describe plans to "create television programming that can be syndicated around the world".[41] After the site's launch, the name of the show was revealed to actually be On The Verge. The first episode was taped on Monday, November 14, 2011, with special guest Matias Duarte.[42]

Reception

In a preview of The Verge, Kara Swisher from All Things D appeared to have a positive impression of the site, writing, "From my quick perusal, it has a vibrant and slick design, with a lot of packed boxes, swooshy movement and plenty of content."[43]

In a comment on his blog Daring Fireball, John Gruber praised The Verge's comprehensive coverage. "The Verge is simply one of the best publications in the world. Period," Gruber wrote. "Nobody is doing stuff like this better than they are."[44] He has also commended the site's video reviews on multiple occasions.[45][46] Gruber appeared on the second episode of the site's show On The Verge.[47]

Joshua Benton for Nieman Journalism Lab wrote a positive review, praising the site's "bold look." He wrote, "What’s most promising about The Verge, though, is not any one specific element — it’s the fact that they’re giving a lot of thought to the form of their content, at a time when the basics of the blog format have congealed into a kind of design conventional wisdom."[48]

Ben Brooks wrote a mixed review of The Verge on his blog The Brooks Review. He praised the site's design, use of photos and video, and volume of content, saying its content "puts to shame even larger sites like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal." However, Brooks believes the site does not offer readers clear opinions, citing "a lack of opinion and a lack of wow" and "vanilla" reporting.[49]

Partnerships

The Washington Post

On August 10, 2011, Topolsky announced that The Verge and The Washington Post were launching a technology content partnership to share original technology reporting, videos and podcasts.[50][51] According to a press release posted on Business Wire a "column will appear online Wednesdays and in the paper each Thursday - the day of the week consumers have grown accustomed to reading about new technology releases. It will focus on technology culture, trends and reviews."[51]

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

As Late Night with Jimmy Fallon's "resident tech expert," Topolsky has used his appearances on the show to make announcements about The Verge. In Episode 472 on July 18, 2011, in Topolsky's eleventh appearance on the show, he unveiled the "The Verge" brand and announced that the publication would launch in "early fall." On October 12, 2011, Topolsky quietly tweeted, "Hey guys, I'm on Late Night tomorrow! Been so busy I forgot to mention!"[52] It was widely expected that he was going to announce the launch of the publication on that show with one user replying "To announce the launch of the Verge?!?".[53] Instead Topolsky made reference to the fact that the publication would launch sometime "within the next few weeks."

Advertising

It was announced at launch on July 18, 2011, that The Verge was to be sponsored by BMW of North America.[54] In a press release, Vox Media Chairman and CEO Jim Bankoff indicated the significance of the partnership for potential advertisers, "Launching with a major partner such as BMW, the most innovative and sustainable premium automotive company in the World, it is clear that significant advertisers understand the potential of The Verge to appeal to a broad and influential audience."[8]

Ford Motor Company sponsored The Verge during the team's coverage of the 2012 International CES. The sponsorship included several "behind the scenes" videos of the team's CES preparations.

Staff

Editors

Position(s) Name(s)
Editor in chief and
co-founder		 Joshua Topolsky
Managing editor Nilay Patel
Senior editors, Europe Thomas Ricker
Vlad Savov
Tom Warren
Senior editors Sean Hollister
Paul Miller
Scott Lowe
Senior editor and
product database director		 Ross Miller
Senior mobile editors Dieter Bohn
Chris Ziegler
Features editors Joseph L. Flatley
Laura June
Features editor and
community manager		 Thomas Houston
Reviews editor David Pierce
Reporters Ellis Hamburger
Joshua Kopstein
Contributing features writer Jesse Hicks
News writers Bryan Bishop • Adi Robertson
Sam Sheffer • Jacob Schulman
Nathan Ingraham • TC Sottek
Dante D'Orazio • Chris Welch
Andrew Webster • Ryan Heise
Aaron Souppouris
News writer, Europe Jamie Keene
News writers, Asia Jeffrey Blagdon
Sam Byford
Contributor Matt Macari
Founding editorial team Joshua Topolsky • Nilay Patel
Joanna Stern • Dieter Bohn
Joseph L. Flatley • Sean Hollister
Thomas Houston • Laura June
Paul Miller • Ross Miller
Thomas Ricker • Vlad Savov
Chris Ziegler

Other staff

Position(s) Name(s)
Director of multimedia production and
executive producer		 Chad Mumm
Senior producer Creighton DeSimone
Video producer Billy Disney
Associate producer Jordan Oplinger
Video intern Raymond Wei
Product database manager William Savona
Production coordinator Nina Sokoler
Podcast producer Trent Wolbe
Editorial assistant Michael Shane
Interns Patrick Austin • James Brace
Joshua Cherkes • Tyler Gold
James Ho • Hyunhu Jang
Lucas Ogera • Alexander Roman
Zinon Kyprianou
Publisher and co-founder Marty Moe

Media

See also

References

  1. ^ About | The Verge
  2. ^ "Theverge.com Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved 2012-06-02.
  3. ^ Trademark information for THE VERGE from CTM - by Markify
  4. ^ This is my next project • Joshua Topolsky
  5. ^ Book Review: Ghost in the Wires by Kevin Mitnick with William L. Simon | This is my next
  6. ^ Richard Edelman - 6 A.M.: The Verge Is Coming
  7. ^ Richard Edelman - 6 A.M.: The Verge Is Coming
  8. ^ a b CORRECTING and REPLACING SB Nation Announces The Verge To Launch This Fall | Business Wire
  9. ^ a b Carr, David (3 April 2011). "No Longer Shackled by AOL". New York Times.
  10. ^ "Staff". SB Nation. Retrieved 2011-08-18.
  11. ^ "So, I no longer work for Engadget". Danchilton.com. Retrieved 2011-08-18.
  12. ^ Is AOL destroying journalism for page views? - TNW Media
  13. ^ "» Leaving AOL paul j. miller". Pauljmiller.com. Retrieved 2011-08-18.
  14. ^ http://twitter.com/#!/joannastern/status/52731217791041536
  15. ^ "Top 'Engadget' Editors Depart AOL Tech Site - Kara Swisher - News". AllThingsD. 2011-03-12. Retrieved 2011-08-18.
  16. ^ Carr, David (2011-04-03). "Team From Engadget Makes Jump to SB Nation". The New York Times.
  17. ^ Beet.TV: With Deep Pockets, SB Nation is "Building a Great Media Company" - Launches Interim Site for ex-Engadget Crew, Sets up Shop in NYC
  18. ^ Super Bowl Q&A: Michael Bean of Behind The Steel Curtain Provides Pregame Insight from Dallas, Blog | BallHyped Sports Blogs
  19. ^ The SportsStream Comes To SBNation | TechCrunch
  20. ^ Profile page for Trei Brundrett : SB Nation
  21. ^ SB Nation Network
  22. ^ "Welcome to This is my next Podcast! | This is my next". This is my next... 2011-04-04. Retrieved 2011-08-18.
  23. ^ "This is my next… | This is my next". This is my next... 2011-04-14. Retrieved 2011-08-18.
  24. ^ This is my next Podcast live… tomorrow | This is my next
  25. ^ foursquare :: SB Nation HQ :: New York
  26. ^ 126 5th Avenue, New York City, U.S.A. | Emporis.com
  27. ^ "The Verge". This is my next... 2011-10-07. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
  28. ^ This Is My Next, Time.com. Retrieved July 2011
  29. ^ With The Verge, SB Nation looks beyond just gadgets - Fortune Tech
  30. ^ Twitter
  31. ^ "Happy trails, Joanna Stern". The Verge. 2012-02-10. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
  32. ^ "Joshua Topolsky, Part 1 (7/18/11) - Video - NBC.com". Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Retrieved 2011-08-18.
  33. ^ http://twitter.com/#!/joshuatopolsky/status/93205712771096576
  34. ^ Herb Lubalin Called, he wants his Typography Back - Brand New
  35. ^ The Verge Remixed
  36. ^ billyd.net - Billy Disney's digital scrapbook
  37. ^ Asus Eee Pad Slider Review - YouTube
  38. ^ The VergeCast, live at 6:30PM ET / 10:30PM GMT! | The Verge
  39. ^ The Verge Mobile Podcast 001 - 11.09.2011 | The Verge
  40. ^ The Verge Mobile Podcast, live at 4:30PM ET / 9:30PM GMT! | The Verge
  41. ^ "Richard Edelman - 6 A.M.: The Verge Is Coming". Edelman.com. 2011-08-02. Retrieved 2011-08-18.
  42. ^ http://www.theverge.com/2011/11/8/2547883/on-the-verge-arrive-on-monday-november-14th-with-matias-duarte |publisher=theverge.com
  43. ^ Swisher, Kara. "On "The Verge" of a New Tech Site, Which Finally Debuts". Retrieved 1/1/2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  44. ^ Gruber, John. "Android: A Visual History". Retrieved 12/29/2011. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  45. ^ Gruber, John. "Josh Topolsky on the Kindle Fire". Retrieved 1/1/2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  46. ^ Gruber, John. "LG Nitro HD". Retrieved 1/1/2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  47. ^ Gruber, John. "On The Verge, Episode 2". Retrieved 1/1/2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  48. ^ Benton, Joshua. "Three lessons news sites can take from the launch of The Verge". Retrieved 1/1/2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  49. ^ Brooks, Ben. "The Failed Promise of 'The Verge'". Retrieved 1/1/2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  50. ^ "Announcing The Verge in The Washington Post | This is my next". This is my next... 2011-08-10. Retrieved 2011-08-18.
  51. ^ a b "The Washington Post and The Verge Launch Technology Content Partnership". Business Wire. 10 August 2011.
  52. ^ http://twitter.com/#!/joshuatopolsky/status/124239369493159937
  53. ^ http://twitter.com/#!/sqreone/status/124248211111165952
  54. ^ "New Tech Gadget News Site Name: The Verge - Kara Swisher - Media". AllThingsD. 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2011-08-18.
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