The Industry Standard returns

The Industry Standard is back after a seven-year hiatus. The publication returns as a prediction market and blog platform in an expanded beta on Monday.

As noted in October, IDG has been plotting the Industry Standard, a publication that was synonymous with the dot-com bubble in 1999 and 2000.

The effort will be Web only and is described by Derek Butcher, vice president and general manager of the Industry Standard, as one part Huffington Post and one part Iowa Electronic market focused on the technology industry.

Butcher says that the new Industry Standard is aiming to provide exclusive analysis from paid "thought leaders" and "industry pundits." Riding shotgun with those writers will be the prediction market, which will forecast technology events and outcomes via the publication's community. These folks will place virtual bets with 100,000 Industry Standard dollars.

In theory this market and editorial content will create unique insight. The business model is advertising based and Intel has signed up to be the exclusive sponsor for the first three months. After that IDG will sell ads on the site.