Salon, an online magazine started by mainstream journalist David Talbot in the mid-1990s, was one of the first major online media outlets, along with Slate (started by Microsoft and now owned by the Washington Post). But apart from experimenting with a variety of advertising vehicles -- including the current "watch this ad and read the site for free" model -- the site hasn't really done all that much to push the boundaries of the magazine-on-the-web approach. That seems to have changed, however, with the launch of Open Salon, a public blogging network and social-media aggregator.

Located at open.salon.com, the site -- which was in private beta testing until recently -- allows anyone to set up a blog and add friends, as many social networks do. But at Open Salon, editors from the media outlet highlight selected posts from different blogs on the "cover page" of the site, and a description of how the site works suggests that in some cases posts may even be highlighted on the main Salon.com page.

The network also includes Digg-style voting, in which users can give individual posts a "thumbs up." Posts that get a lot of recommendations and/or comments from other members of the network are highlighted on the cover page. And that's not all: Salon is also experimenting with a "tip jar" compensation system for bloggers called Tippem, where readers can click and pay writers whose work they enjoy. The feature uses the Revolution Money micro-payment system, which was developed by former America Online founder Steve Case.

In a statement about the launch of the site, Salon editor-in-chief Joan Walsh said that it "eliminates the gatekeepers [and] makes our smart, creative audience full partners in Salon's publishing future.” Whether the moves will help to push Salon forward and once again put it on the cutting edge of online media remains to be seen.