When the Microsoft Network debuts its 14 new shows Tuesday, you can be sure that it has been watching the competition closely. But one site, the Razorfish Sub Network, likely hasn't even registered on Redmond's radar, and its creators want it that way. With no ads, little budget, and no business plan, the six dynamic shows in RSUB - supported by the premier Silicon Alley design shop Razorfish - provide a striking contrast to the excesses of Microsoft on nearly every count. Foremost, it's pro bono.
"It's decidedly non-commercial," says Razorfish CEO Jeff Dachis, "There's no editor-in-chief, no traditional titles. We provide an opportunity for people who find the time in the middle of the night to work on this stuff."
Without the deep pockets of Microsoft, RSUB has still managed to find an audience. RSUB has registered "several million" page views, all from word of mouth and "a boat-load of awards," says Dachis, including "Cool Site of the Day" and a people's choice Webby award.
A staff of volunteers and designers overloaded with vision have put together a selection of programs way left of the Microsoft dial. From the futuristic frenzy of TheNvelope, to the game site Bunko!, to the underground culture search engine Disinformation, the programs aren't for every taste. Unlike the general scope of Microsoft's programming, RSUB is far more niche oriented, says Jason Calacanis of industry newsletter The Silicon Alley Reporter. "RSUB is not a comprehensive network," Calacanis notes, "it's a slice of five interesting shows that a lot of people in those niches would find interesting."
The project began with The Blue Dot, a site about literature, photography, and "esoterica," which was originally created, says Dachis, "to allow the staff to explore creatively and push the boundaries of what could be done." RSUB, which debuted just four weeks ago, with its Ray Gun like look-and-feel is simply "a continued extension of that," Dachis adds.
But the content on Razorfish's Sub Network stems from the emotional investments of its producers. "The best stuff on the Internet is the stuff that comes from people's passions," says Calacanis. "That's why a fan Web site will always be better than the corporate site." Essentially, the model is not the bloat of major TV networks, but an indie music label. Dachis explains. "We have a decidedly smaller and more personal vision about what content on the Web can be."
Despite all talk of intimacy, Razorfish will be doubling the size of the network, adding six new games to the nine currently running on Bunko!, and a season of 13 installments to the one-woman cybersoap, ThisGirl. Dachis, however, is wary of committing too much. "There's a lot of money to be burned for a media that's developing," says Dachis.
From the Wired News New York Bureau at FEED magazine.
