Mar 13, 2008

The best commentary on the Spitzer mess

Like so many, I've been following the Elliott Spitzer mess since the news broke Monday. I've restricted most of my commentary to Twitter as I don't really have anything new to add. Others have already done a terrific job commenting and analyzing the disaster. Among others, check out Huffington Post for great columns by Nora Ephron and Chris Kelly.

But this morning, I read what has to be my favorite commentary on the whole debacle, including the inordinate amount of attention the news media paid to this story. Sure Monday was a slow news day but by Wednesday there were other events in the world.

It's short so I'll give you the whole thing. From Famous Mark Verheidens of Filmland:

The Helicopter Shot...

I'm watching MSNBC as I write this, and they're twenty minutes into live helicopter coverage of NY Governor Eliot Spitzer's SUV driving across Manhattan so he can theoretically resign. Forget all the other issues involved... my question is, do these news folks really think there's a chance Spitzer's gonna run? (posted March 12th)

 

Posted @ 12:03PM in Politics/Policy | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Dec 4, 2007

Internet pets on strike in support of the WGA

So I am in the middle of writing a fairly serious post about customer service, and then I found this video by the writers of the Colbert Report on YouTube.

Enjoy.

 

Tags: WGA, writers strike, Colbert Report, pets, cats, dogs

Posted @ 10:12AM in Humour, Media, Politics/Policy | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Nov 21, 2007

Pencils Down: How fans can support the WGA

I twittered about the Pencils 2 Media Moguls campaign earlier this week, but today United Hollywood posted an amusing video promoting the campaign.

Enjoy!

Tags: Pencils 2 media moguls, WGA, writers strike

Posted @ 8:11AM in Media, Politics/Policy | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Nov 15, 2007

More on the Writers Strike

The writers are doing a great job communicating their story on the Internet. I wish them luck, and will be doing what I can as a fan to support them. If you want a good summary of the issues, watch these two videos.

 

And check out these sites:

• Fans4writers
• United Hollywood (sign the petition)
• Writers Guild of America West
• Writers Guild of America East
• Pencils down means pencils down

The issue is resonating particularly loudly in the fandoms I follow, chiefly the Whedonverse and Battlestar Galactica. Joss Whedon has posted on Whedonesque multiple times and Ron Moore of BSG just started his own, personal blog (versus the scifi.com one he sporadically posted to last year.) And of course writers Jane Espenson and Mark Verheiden, whose blogs I read on a regular basis anyway, have been covering the strike in their usual articulate fashion.

Tags: WGA, writers strike, Whedonverse, Battlestar Galactica

Posted @ 8:11PM in Media, Politics/Policy, Science Fiction, Serenity / Firefly | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Nov 1, 2007

What does Facebook want to be when it grows up?

Facebook. It's hot. It's become one of the most popular social networking sites mere months after opening up to the masses. It's cozying up to, and getting tons of cash from the big boys.

But what does it want to be when it grows up?

Some of its recent actions suggest that it's a little confused.

If it wants to stay the adult equivalent of the college facebook, then I guess it makes sense to have a terms of service that requires that people use real first and last names on their accounts, a security measure that has its roots in Facebook's beginnings. And to boot off people using pseudonyms. But then it won't really be an inclusive social networking site, will it? Lots of "people" who would join, and bring their rich social interactions, will find someplace else to (net)work and play.

If it wants to enforce its own definition of obscenity on the entire community, in direct contradiction to US law, by banning photos of a legal act, breastfeeding, while allowing things like pro-anorexia groups, the company certainly has the right. It's not smart to alienate current and future customers, but it is their playground,so they can set the rules. They have every right to define obscenity as something that would make a 16 year old boy uncomfortable... in a bad way. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

Don't get me wrong, I like Facebook. It has tremendous potential as a social networking platform. But even as its valuation rises, it seems to be making short-sighted business decisions that will ultimately affect its future growth.

Personally I like the fact that I know my friends on Facebook are real, live people. I'm not likely to befriend an avatar. And I'm not a big fan of anonymous blogging. However, I do engage in other networks like Twitter with folks using pseudonyms. Sometimes I know their name "in real life" and sometimes I don't. And I don't care. Wouldn't the smarter decision be to allow pseudonyms, but require that it be acknowledged in the profile? Transparency. You have the right to know that Jon Swift is a pseudonym before you friend him, but it is ridiculous to require his real name. His online friends don't require it. Why should Facebook?

And the obscenity thing. The legal definition of obscenity is complex (and by the way, doesn't even apply to breastfeeding in public which is legal in all 50 US States.) In the US, we rely on the Miller test. Facebook on the other hand appears to be applying the frat boy test. Or something. Truly, they have to straighten this out. Either  Facebook supports free speech or it doesn't. And "doesn't" is a really bad business decision which doesn't have to be made explicitly. Inconsistent application of community standards accomplishes the same thing.

It's time for Facebook to grow up. Think about the long term implications of its actions. Understand that the seemingly trivial issues of breastfeeding moms and anonymous avatars are fundamental business decisions that ultimately will affect its ability to become the preferred public social networking platform.

Or not.

UPDATE: The Facebook account of political humourist "Jon Swift" has been restored.

UPDATE 11/2: In this corner Microsoft and Facebook. And in this corner Google and everyone else. Ding Ding. Yesterday the Internet was abuzz with the Google OpenSocial announcement, and today the kids at Facebook are looking at a whole new world. They still have the users and a very powerful Big Brother in Redmond. But they can't afford to keep making stupid mistakes. Because it seems we have a viable alternative.

Tags: Facebook, Jon Swift, Facebook bans

Posted @ 12:11PM in Blogging, Politics/Policy, Social networks | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 15, 2007

One more for the road and one for the Roadmap

I promise, I do have some actual marketing content in this post, but before I get back to the Roadmap, I've got one more comment "for the road" about the absurdity that is our national presidential elections.

You may recall my comments in earlier posts about how the media always seems to pay inordinate attention to the appearance and demeanor of female candidates -- hair, make-up, nature of their laugh. You know, the really important stuff that tells voters whether a candidate is qualified for elected office. You know, more important than the issues facing our country like the war, health care and the economy.

Well, I must extend kudos to USA Today and reporter Maria Puente for an interesting story on the front of the LIFE section this morning about how style is "an issue for '08".   The story presented a pretty balanced view of the media's obsession with the candidates' (and especially Hillary's) looks.

But the best was the sidebar on page 2 of the section that dissected what all the presidential candidates are wearing. Absolutely priceless. Absolutely perfect. Here are just some of the gems:

John Edwards

[...] Earlier this year, Edwards was captured on camera fussing over his hair. Then there were jeers when it came out that he spent $400, twice, on haircuts. But Edwards laughed off the criticism, spoofing the kerfuffle with his own video (featuring Hair from the Broadway musical).

Rudy Giuliani

The former New York mayor gets applause for finally giving up on the comb-over and accepting the realities of male-pattern balding. Now if only he could spiff up those oversized, un-stylish suits he sometimes wears.[...]

John McCain

[...] Then it was reported on Radar Online.com that he was miffed at his staff for dressing him like a metrosexual in a "gay" V-neck sweater over a T-shirt. McCain's campaign did not return calls seeking comment, then or now.

Mitt Romney

[...] Romney criticized Edwards on the haircuts, but then it came out that he had spent $300 on a makeup job before a debate. [...]

Go read it.

Now back to the roadmap. You remember, the Marketing Roadmap :-)

The media landscape is shifting. Right in front of our very eyes. Customers are increasingly taking control of their own brand experiences. Generating the content, deciding what is important. Targeting by behavior is more effective than demographics. It's not just about viral, it's about spreading the right message for the right result.

Now, if you've been active in social media marketing for the past few years, none of the above is news to you. At all. You already know that the traditional lines between PR and marketing are blurring. We aren't talking in isolation to influencers (the media) and customers. Intermediation is no longer the name of the game. We can, and must, talk directly with our customer, who is simultaneously both influencer and buyer. Forget about messages. We have to connect with people. Honestly. Authentically. No bullshit.

If you've been doing this for a while, you understand how important this new communication is to our brands, our companies, our survival. You've sucked that social media kool-aid right down. You get it.

But it can be hard for people to put their heads and arms around when faced with it for the first time. And there's no real way to cut the learning curve down. You just have to jump in.

Now, I am always suspicious of business experts who don't actually do what they write about, so I viewed Larry Weber's new book,  Marketing to the Social Web: How Digital Customer Communities Build Your Business, with a bit of a jaundiced eye. Sure, he has the PR background but I'm not sure he even has a blog...  How much could he really know about marketing to the social web without doing it? Without being in it?

Well, I can't answer that question, but I just read an excerpt from his new book in BrandWeek, and while I'm not sure I'd get much new information from the book,  I was pleased with the 12 steps he outlined for companies to follow toward an interactive future.

Which makes me think his book might be a good intro for brand marketers and PR execs.  Budget is tight right now, so I don't plan to buy the book, but I'd love to hear from my readers if it is any good. And of course, Larry Weber, John Wiley & Sons, if you send me a review copy, I will read it.

Books are pretty much the only things I do review here.

Tags: Larry Weber, John Wiley & Sons, national election, gender, sexual politics, politics, social media, Web 2.0

Posted @ 9:10PM in Gender, Marketing, Politics/Policy, Social media | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Oct 13, 2007

Al Gore's Nobel and Hillary Clinton's Laugh

Just one more side trip, friends.

First, to express my delight that Al Gore was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. No hanging chads in Norway I guess.

And to share with you what has got to be the most absurd moment in the media's coverage of the presidential campaign to date. As you may remember from my Sexual Politics post last week, I am continually dismayed by the amount of attention paid to female candidates' looks. Well, CBS has taken it one step further and actually had the nerve? stupidity?  to comment on Hillary Clinton's laugh. And actually not her laugh, but more specifically, the absence of her "cackle" during a recent MSNBC interview.

On Talking Points Memo, Steve Benen writes:

I was particularly fond of the way CBS tried to distance itself from its own report. The senator's laugh, the report said, is "overly analyzed." Apparently, it's so excessive that CBS finds it necessary to note its absence.

In related news, Rudy Giuliani delivered a speech yesterday in which he didn't answer his cell phone; Mitt Romney answered questions without abandoning a position he held five minutes prior; John McCain hosted a town-hall forum in which he did not refer to anyone as a "little jerk"; and Fred Thompson went the whole day without responding to a reporter's question with, "I don't know anything about that."

And just think, the election is still more than a year away. How much weirder is it going to get?

Tags: Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, Nobel Peace Prize, politics, presidential election

Posted @ 2:10PM in Politics/Policy | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Aug 5, 2007

BlogHer Recap Part 2: Everything and the Kitchen Sink

There was a lot more to BlogHer than a bit of a fuss about public relations, including seeing so many old,  and meeting so many new, friends. Since I am bound to leave someone out if I do a list, know that I was so happy to see or meet you, and was sorry I missed so many people that I know or read. Next year....

This post is going to cover a variety of things, from the unconference on Sunday to politics and why the major media didn't come to BlogHer.

In fact. let's start there. Joanne Bamberger of Pundit Mom and  Jennifer Pozner at  the Women's Media Center have done an excellent job of summarizing the issue: the national media didn't bother with BlogHer, with 800+ women bloggers in attendance, even though a major policy effort, BlogHers Act, was a key element of the program and Elizabeth Edwards was featured in the closing keynote. Yet a week later. everyone finds time to go to Chicago for YearlyKos. 

Why?

As I posted in a comment yesterday to my previous BlogHer post, I wonder if it was in part because of the absence of assholes?

Bear with me a moment.

It's a well known fact. Disagreement and invective make better stories than agreement and community. At least as far as the mainstream media is concerned. Don't believe me? Just pick up your local morning paper and look at the front page. Besides, there really is no other explanation for Ann Coulter.

Why doesn't the mainstream media understand that 800+ women bloggers are a powerful political presence? Especially in the context of BlogHers Act, a collective effort to make a difference on a significant issue, global health?

 I'm wondering if it is because the BlogHer community generally embraces its diversity instead of encouraging controversy? The media loves arguments and assholes and division, and you know, there is plenty of all three over on most political sites. But 800 women coming together out of a mutual interest in using blogs to share their experiences, whether professional, personal or political, and agreeing to respect the diversity of the community, not proselytize?

Nah. That's no fun.

It's also not right. Think about how you can change it.

Moving on, let's be crystal clear. Just because the BlogHer community isn't a bunch of jerks doesn't mean that there aren't  political differences among the members. Julie Marsh, mothergoosemouse, touched upon them on both her personal blog and on Imperfect Parent. As she notes, the women in the BlogHer community are good at coming together on the areas upon which we agree. But there seems to be a liberal bent, which may be off-putting to more conservative women. How do we embrace both groups? It's not a trivial question.

Especially in context of the thing that worries me the most about US politics, which is that we seem to have become so polarized (call it red/blue if you must) that we cannot come together on anything. I posted the following on BlogHer a few weeks ago and Lisa Stone referenced my question during the Edwards keynote:

Posted @ 7:08PM in BlogHer, Politics/Policy, Social media, Social networks | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

Jul 4, 2007

Independence Day musings

In a country where Ann Coulter can continue to spew the sort of garbage that compelled Elizabeth Edwards to call Hardball...

In a country where Scooter Libby can leak information that compromises a CIA operative, lie about it, be found guilty of perjury and then have his sentence immediately commuted by Dubya...

It is perhaps a good day to remind ourselves of our foundations:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

And to think long and hard about what kind of country we want. 2008 is not that far away.

Also writing about the Declaration of Independence today: David Parmet, BL Ochman, Chris Abraham

Update: And reminding us of our Constitution (School House Rock and all) Brian Clark over at Copyblogger

Tags: Declaration of Independence, politics

Posted @ 5:07PM in Politics/Policy | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Mar 30, 2007

When the wisdom of crowds is replaced by the rule of the mob

Step into my minefield. Because, yes, I am going to comment on the Kathy Sierra/meankids blogstorm, and I already know that many of my friends will not agree with me. But I will soldier on.

I'm appalled that Kathy Sierra got death threats, as I would be about anyone who got death threats. I think the posts about Maryam Scoble and Ms. Sierra were vile and wholeheartedly agree with the critcisms of them. They cross the line. Legitimate, satirical criticism of the ideas of a public figure is one thing. Personal, vicious attacks are another. Especially under a cloak of anonymity.

I  feel for Ms. Sierra, and anyone else who has been the victim of similar abuse and threats, and in no way want to dismiss their feelings or encourage on- or off-line misogyny. However, the public linkage of the anonymous death threats to the meankids site contributors disturbs me.  It is trying these people in the court of public opinion, where, let's be frank, the standards of evidence are not so strict.

"Tell me sir, when did you stop beating your wife?"

Now, I don't know any of the antagonists in this tale particularly well other than through their public writing. I've exchanged a few emails over the past couple of years with Chris Locke, mostly about our mutual obsession with the television show Battlestar Galactica. I worked with Jeneane Sessum once on a teleconference organized by mutual friend Toby Bloomberg. That's it. I don't know Frank Paynter, Alan Herrell or Kathy Sierra personally at all. Until this disaster, I would say that they were all highly respected in the blogosphere. Now?

The wisdom of crowds has been replaced by the rule of the mob, which has tried and convicted Locke and friends, without really bothering all that much about the other side of the story. That this other side includes the fact that they were part of the meankids, and some were part of the successor uncle bob (or whatever it was called), doesn't seem to be in much dispute. As such, perhaps they share responsibility, whether they wrote the posts or not, for the unpleasant posts about Ms. Scoble and Ms. Sierra.

But it is a gigantic leap to then link them, by name, to the anonymous death threats. To be fair, Ms. Sierra's post did not accuse them, but the inference is definitely there. And that's pretty much what the blog mob went with. Everything got muddled together, and the rush to judgment was intense. 

One could be guilty simply by association.  For example, BlogHer, mentioned in Ms.Sierra's post, came in for a little mob abuse. Read BlogHer co-founder Lisa Stone's excellent response.

I even got my small share simply because I had linked to meankids once, in its very early days when it had some amusing stuff related to the whole Locke/Tara Hunt blog spat. The site didn't stay at that level of satire, and I soon stopped reading it. Nevertheless, on Monday, someone left a snide comment on my blog implying that I was involved. I corrected that assumption immediately in my comments, but started to think:  What does this mean for linking, for the conversation, if you run the risk of being held accountable for the actions of another site? Especially as in this case, when it diverges from what you liked, and linked, initially.

Now, let's turn from the rule of the mob to the offensive posts themselves.

Did meankids get a whole lot meaner? Apparently. Was bad judgment used? Probably. Do dark corners exist on the Web that exploit women, children, minorities? Absolutely. Is hate speech alive on the Internet? No question. I spent 10 years of my career working in the Internet and spam filtering industry and I can assure you, I have seen just about everything you can imagine. And some stuff you can't.

Were the posts about Ms. Scoble and Ms. Sierra vile, beyond the pale, bordering on hate speech? Absolutely. Did they "ask for it," simply by being public persons? Absolutely not, and anyone who makes that argument has missed the point completely. They don't deserve such abuse and neither does anyone else.  However, as Michelle Malkin pointed out, it happens all the time.  Public persons have to deal with everything from spoof and gossip Web sites to obscene snail and email, stalkers and the occasional death threat. Sometimes, it is intended to be funny and unfortunately crosses that fine line between humour and hate. Sometimes the material is simply hurtful. And sometimes, it is as, or more, unpleasant than the photoshopped images of Ms. Sierra.

When we blog under our own names, bloggers become public figures . When you become a public person, you give up some small measure of your privacy in exchange for recognition, celebrity, fame, etc. For most of us, the exchange is a positive one; we get more than we lose. Most of the time. But we can't pick and choose what parts of recognition we want, and what parts we don't. It just doesn't work that way. It's like the movie star who drives his way to the top, gets the fame and fortune he wanted, and then complains that the fans invade his privacy.

It's not right that we have to deal with trolls and hate speech and all those other things that come with being a public person. But absent a complete and total cultural shift, we have to deal with it. It is part of the price. We only can choose HOW we deal with it.

I agree with Michelle Malkin, and as a die-hard liberal, you know how hard that was for me to write. From her blog post referenced above:

"My response to this and other endless slurs and threats--most empty, some serious--has been two-fold:

1) Report the serious threats to law enforcement.

2) Keep blogging."

You can also choose to not be a public person. By blogging anonymously or in a gated community. Or by not blogging at all. But if you want the goodness that comes with being a well-read, well-respected blogger and expert in your field, you've got to be prepared for the badness. And as we've seen, it can get pretty bad.

And there is a corollary to this: you can't just get upset about bad behavior when it affects your "friends." You have to be just as willing to stand up and say it is wrong when it is your "enemy" being attacked as when it is your friend.

Now, today is "stop cyber bullying day," and I think that's a terrific idea. But the problem is, we have to do things for more than one day. If you are appalled at violence against women, don't just write a post and make some noise this week. Do something tangible next week, and the week after that, and the week after that.  Instead of selling your old clothes on eBay, donate them to a local woman's shelter. Volunteer. Cancel your subscription to Maxxim. Whatever.

Cyber bullying bad? Sure it is. Stop it. And don't limit your definition of cyber bullying to just those behaviors that you don't like, done by the people you don't like. Cyber bullying doesn't have to be obscene or profane. It can simply be throwing your weight, and your words, around with an intent to dominate the discussion.

So, please look in the mirror, too.

***************

Other commentary: Ronni Bennett, Eric Eggertson (also here),   Dave Winer (also here), Shelley Powers (also here), AKMA,  Doc Searls

Tags: Kathy Sierra, meankids, cyber bully, cyber bullying

Posted @ 3:03PM in Blogging, Gender, Politics/Policy | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

Nov 13, 2006

A little more on the election

Watch this citizen-generated election advertisement.

Explains last week's election results better than anything I've seen or heard to-date.

Seen on Elisa Camahort's blog

Tags: politics, 06 election

Posted @ 11:11AM in Mathom Room, Politics/Policy | Comments (0) | TrackBack (1)

Oct 20, 2006

Flogging, this horse just won't die, more Wal-Mart and Edelman

It must really suck to be Richard Edelman this week.

I had decided to stop writing about Wal-Gate, even after no WOMMA sanctions for Edelman because it seemed excessively cruel to keep beating a dead horse. Give them a chance to get their house in order, I thought.

Until today's news that there were two more "flogs" for Working Families for Wal-Mart written by Edelman staffers without attribution.

Enough already.

This can't be simply  "one bad apple" who didn't get it. There are just too many rotten apples and too much evidence that this is culturally acceptable behavior at Edelman.

Far from transparent or honest, it is Fifties-style PR with a social media patina (paraphrasing a comment by John Wagner on an earlier post here.)

And it is most certainly not what we did, or should, expect of a social media leader.

********

Some more recommended posts on this topic: John Wagner, Katie Paine, Tom Murphy, Constantin Basturea

Tags: Edelman, Wal-Mart, flog, fake blog, PR, public relations, ethics

Posted @ 12:10PM in Blogging, Ethics, Fake/Fictional Blogs, Politics/Policy, PR | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Jul 18, 2006

Rocketboom and Net Neutrality

While I don't think the changes at Rocketboom merit quite the attention they've been getting, I have to admit, I do like Joanne Colan's style.

Something that DOES merit our attention is the debate about net neutrality. Ted Stevens' "tubes" comment notwithstanding, everyone online should take the few minutes necessary to familiarize themselves with the issues, and US legislation, at stake. Website "How Stuff Works" has a good primer on the issues (courtesy CBS News Public Eye blog). For more, check out Save the Internet. And of course Jon Stewart.

Tags: net neutrality, Ted Stevens, "tubes", Rocketboom, Joanne Colan

Posted @ 8:07PM in Politics/Policy | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Jul 10, 2006

New Workshop: Getting the Message Out - Be Heard, Understood and Remembered 

Two months ago, I gave a short talk on communications to one of the dog clubs to which I belong. This group does a fair amount of lobbying on the state level, and the club officers wanted to give the members some guidance on how to speak effectively with legislators and other influencers. I've turned the material into an one-hour workshop:

Getting the Message Out - Be Heard, Understood and Remembered 
Whether you are talking to a reporter, lobbying a legislator, or speaking to your employees, you need to be heard, understood and remembered. Our one-hour workshop “Getting the Message Out” offers three tips that will help you tell your important message effectively and memorably.

While this is a for-profit endeavor when it comes to for-profit organizations, I'm happy to do the workshop pro bono for charities and civic groups. All I ask is that the group cover my expenses to get to their location. Drop me an email at sgetgood@getgood.com if you'd like more information.

Tags: PR, communications, lobbying, public relations

Posted @ 9:07AM in Charity, Politics/Policy, PR | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Jul 6, 2006

R is for ROCKET, P is for PERSPECTIVE

Well, I am just back from vacation, and still catching up on work, so this post will be mercifully short.

It's about perspective, people.

Amanda Congdon leaves Rocketboom.

North Korea launches missiles.

Yeah, both news items are about rockets, sort of, but let's get real: a business split, of a small though high profile tech business, versus ongoing proof that our fearless leader picked the wrong "axis of doom" when looking for weapons of mass destruction.

Sure Amanda is cute and Rocketboom was fun and the ongoing soap opera is like the proverbial train wreck. But, let's have some perspective.

Troops are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan. North Korea is marching irreversibly down a nuclear path. Gas prices are horrendous for consumers as Halliburton and other Cheney friends line their pockets. Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of the London subway bombings.

Think about it.

Then hug your kids, pat your dogs and cats, kiss your spouse, call your mother. In whatever order floats your boat.

Rocket who?

Peace out.

Tags: Rocketboom,  North Korea

Posted @ 7:07PM in Blogging, Politics/Policy | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

May 1, 2006

THIS is real satire - Colbert at the White House Correspondents Dinner

Take note, would-be satirists, THIS is how it's done.

Stephen Colbert's bit at  Saturday's White House Correspondents' Dinner (tip of the hat to Peter Caputa at PC4media, first place I saw it)

Other links of interest: Editor & Publisher's report on the event; a number of threads on Atrios -start here.

See it on YouTube.

UPDATE 5pm: Two interesting posts by Peter Daou and Chris Durang on The Huffington Report about the major media essentially ignoring the Colbert perfomance, and focusing instead on Bush's appearance at this event. I originally posted this item in awe at Colbert's masterful performance. Funny, disconcerting, uncomfortable, courageous.

But given the way the coverage has played out, I think it will have far more long term impact than perhaps even he realized as he wrote his material.

As Durang points out, before C-SPAN and blogs, many of us (myself included) wouldn't even KNOW about Colbert's performance.  How important are blogs? What HAS happened to mainstream media? For a great essay on this, check out Lap Dogs of the Press by Helen Thomas in the March 27 06 issue of The Nation. Not surprising that she had a supporting role in the Colbert video.

I'll be coming back to this.

Tags: Stephen Colbert, White House Correspondent's Dinner

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Posted @ 10:05AM in Humour, Media, Politics/Policy | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Apr 12, 2006

Cleaning out my Bloglines Closet

I read a lot of feeds, on a variety of subjects, and take advantage of bloglines "keep new" to save things to look at/blog later. When I'm busy, the "blog closet" gets pretty full, and quite often, many of the things I've saved for later are over and done with.

But some things are timeless.

• Like this 1975 live interview with members of Monty Python. (via Boing Boing) Check out the hair!
• And this short historical analysis: The Founders Never Imagined a Bush Administration (via Talking Points Memo)

Others worthwhile.

• The wonderful Yvonne DeVita is going to jail... for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. You can help her make her bail, or check out her blog  for some other suggestions on how you can help.

And of course, some things, you just know I am going to comment on.

Like character blogs.  At Beyond Madison Avenue today, Mack Collier writes that character blogs would be a good solution to carry on cancelled TV shows. You betcha. Just take a look at the sheer volume of fan fiction on the Internet.  I would still pay for a Whedon-produced character blog featuring the characters from the Buffy/Angel-verses.

Great advice from the Copyblogger. Writing about this week's NY Times article "This Boring Headline Is Written For Google," which discussed the ramifactions of search engine optimization on the news business, he reminds us: "Write for people, people." Amen. We don't need fancy footwork (or cute headlines) as much as we need clear, concise writing. A little time spent there can save a boatload of hassle, not to mention cost.

Bonus links

Two from Neville Hobson: a European business blogging survey and some info on search behavior

Tags: monty python, character blog, seo, search engine optimization, MDA

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Posted @ 8:04AM in Blogging, Charity, Fake/Fictional Blogs, Humour, Media, Politics/Policy | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Feb 28, 2006

Whew.

Posted @ 11:02AM in Mathom Room, Politics/Policy, PR, Web/Tech | Comments (0) | TrackBack (2)

Jun 28, 2005

Who's on top?

Why is it that even in the middle of a media revolution, we can't resist the temptation to create an aristocracy? Benevolent, but an elite nonetheless.

Following hot on the heels of blogebrity (which apparently started as part of a contest), we have the AO/Technorati Open Media 100.

I agree with Fred from A VC, who says: Take me off your lists please:

"Open Media?  Then let's make it open. Let's keep the desire to rank and create clubs in check guys."

Unfortunately, I don't think we are going to get our wish.

It is human nature to congregate with people of like mind. Social groups (cliques) form. Once the group has solidified, it is hard to break into it. Not impossible, but the formed unit tends to resist interlopers.

In nature, order and structure are a requirement for smooth operation of the unit. Someone has to be in charge of defending the territory etc. etc. 

In human society, however, social groups are formed for reasons other than defense and self preservation. The group may initially apply order and structure to itself to make the group more manageable. You know, to blow up society, even anarchists need a leader :-)

It starts with the member list and a definition of the membership requirements. But, sooner rather than later, it becomes clear that "membership has its privileges." Status. Respect. Wealth. Before you know it, the group, which may *think* it is open to all comers, starts to fear dilution of the membership value, and as a result, begins to defend its exclusivity. It may be subtle. It may even be sub-conscious. But make no mistake... it is there.

This is bad enough when the group is a formal group. But when it is an informal group -- a clique versus an organization -- it can be downright insidious. Because informal groups aren't going to have rules in the same way a club or association might. So there's no way for those on the outside to EVER get on the inside where all those great connections can be found. 

Do I think this has happened in the blogosphere? No. Not yet. But the signs are there, and it would be a shame if we didn't resist.

Captain Picard did, and so can we.

Posted @ 1:06PM in Blogging, Politics/Policy, Web/Tech | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Jun 1, 2005

Deep Throat, blogging tips, asking for the order (and lions and tigers and bears, oh my)

As expected, I am really busy this week with the Revenue Roundtable and client work (hurrah), plus trying to jam everything in by COB Thursday as Friday is the Scottish Terrier Club of New England Specialty Show, and I will be there all day.

However, I do have a few things to share before I race off to prepare for a new prospect meeting tomorrow.

First, the big reveal of Deep Throat. I came of political age during Watergate. I think my first adult non-fiction book was All the President's Men and I definitely remember going to see the movie on a hot summer day in whatever year it was. It is hard to believe that all that took place more than 30 years ago.... when it still colors so much of what we feel about politics, regardless of what we believe or how we vote.

For my part, I am glad that Mark Felt, and his family, didn't wait until after his death. For whatever reason, and however it came about, I'm glad Felt will get the accolades due him while he lives. If his family benefits, that's great. He did a courageous thing, whatever his personal reasons were, and he deserves to get the praise in life. He'll certainly be criticized as well -- I can see the revisionist wagons circling.

So often, we wait to honor great men and women until after their deaths. I for one am pleased when the subject of the praise actually gets to hear it themselves. I remember a few years ago, here in our town, the local chamber of commerce had an event to honor an elderly civic leader who had done a tremendous amount for the town and the area. Literally put us on the map.

As my husband and I were waiting in the long line to greet the man and his wife, it crossed my mind that the whole event was a bit like a wake, except in this case, the man who actually KNEW everybody was still alive, and could enjoy the love of his community. I thought it was wonderful, and wished that we as a society were better at thanking our elders in life, not just honoring them in death.

Wakes and funerals serve an important religious and grieving function. But they aren't really for the person who has died. So... moral of the story: take time to thank and honor people today.

Thank you, Mr. Felt.

This story will be all over the blogosphere and the media today, tomorrow, the next day, but do read Dan Gillmor's post, Deep Throat: America owes Gratitude.

***********************

Now a few little housekeeping things, items that caught my interest over the last week. If I had more time, I'd write more about them, but the clock is ticking.....

Standing Out from the Blogging Crowd, an item on BusinessWeek's Blogspotting, linked to tips for better blog writing from Robin Good.

Jim Logan on the importance of asking for the order.

Scottie Claiborne on links that drive search engine rankings (seen originally on Micro Persuasion). I need to get serious about promoting this blog ... one of these days.

Posted @ 10:06AM in Blogging, Integrated Sales & Marketing, Mathom Room, Politics/Policy, Web Marketing, Weblogs | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Mar 3, 2005

GOP on FEC: Regulate Blogs?

From Marketing VOX today, Republicans on FEC: Blogs May Be Regulated

I fully support the need for campaign finance reform -- the whole situation has become just nuts. But it is a slippery slope (of BS) when you say, as GOP Commissioner Smith did to Cnet:

"We're talking about any decision by an individual to put a link on their home page, set up a blog, send out mass emails, any kind of activity that can be done on the Internet." 

In other words, even if you aren't actually raising or donating money, the actions you take on your blog might be considered a contribution.

That's crap, and pretty ridiculous, given this little thing we have called here in the USA called the First Amendment to the Constitution. It will be interesting to see if the GOP really pushes this issue or not...

Posted @ 10:03AM in Blogging, Politics/Policy, Weblogs | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)