The blogs that cover the tech industry — with rumors and fact

Damon Darlin of the New York Times writes Saturday about the blogs such as Silicon Alley Insider, Gizmodo and TechCrunch that cover the technology industry.

Darlin writes, “But seeking credibility may be a less-important strategy for the blogs at this stage. Mr. Arrington, a lawyer, is quick to point out that he has no journalism training. He is at ease, even high-minded, in explaining the decisions to print unverified rumors.

“Mr. Arrington and the other bloggers see this not as rumor-mongering, but as involving the readers in the reporting process. One mission of his site, he said, is to write about the things a few people are talking about, ‘the scuttlebutt around Silicon Valley.’ His blog will often make clear that he’s passing along a thinly sourced story.

“He did agonize a bit before publishing the post about Twitter and Apple. In fact, he waited five hours. But in the end, he decided, ‘it was interesting and it didn’t hurt anyone to write about it.’

“TechCrunch, with about five million monthly visitors, dominates rival blogs, which Mr. Arrington disparages. (And they do the same to his.) But he doesn’t think of sites like Gawker or All Things Digital as competitors. He has his eyes set on The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. (And he disparages both.)”

Read more here.