Akademik

(nan.oh.PUB.lish.ing)

n.

An online publishing model that uses a scaled-down, inexpensive operation to reach a targeted audience, especially by using blogging techniques. Also: nano-publishing.

—nanopublisher n.

Unlike Kelly's site, Gizmodo (gizmodo.com) is built for speed and the quick hit, and it wants to be far more au courant than "Cool Tools." It was launched by New York-based Brit Nick Denton — who also started the ultra-hip blog site Gawker.com, a mix of New York party gossip and news. Denton's approach to online publishing is part of trend that's been dubbed "nanopublishing."

— Stephen Williams, "Two Grand Blogs For Geeks, Gadget Freaks," Newsday (New York, NY), February 17, 2004

One reason why hard-bitten Web publishing veterans are so interested in emerging nanopublishing models is that, after being hyped for so long, community is finally coming true. The fact that bloggers can easily link to material they find interesting not only keeps them ranked high on Google, it also means that communities of shared interest emerge quickly online, as PaidContent and Gawker have demonstrated.

— Nic Howell, "Blogging: Think thin," New Media Age, July 24, 2003

Denton says a site such as Gizmodo costs between $1,000 and $2,000 a month to maintain. It is run by one journalist — Peter Rojas — and employs one designer. "Start-up costs were minimal, at around $2,000 for the initial set-up, plus $150 for the Moveable Type software the site uses." So, in other words, Gizmodo and Denton's other sites won't be running up huge debts as they attempt to build a readership. "Some of these new online media ideas are small but potentially profitable little businesses."

One name for this slimmed-down approach to online publishing is "thin media". Denton's label of choice is "nanopublishing", a term coined by Jeff Jarvis, head of content, technology, and strategic development for Advance.

— Jim McClellan, "New biz on the blog," The Guardian, January 30, 2003

Nano- (one billionth) is the prefix-du-jour for describing something as extremely small, having in the past couple of years replaced micro- (which had replaced mini- a while back). A less trendy — but probably more accurate — name for nanopublishing is thin media (2003).