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Having been involved in blogging for years… I’ve been challenged by the numerous changes to electronic communication, the ethics behind the words, the emotions that underlay the ideas, and the personalities that are introduced.
In the 80’s and 90’s I was an active member of multi-line bulletin board systems (BBS) and I was one of the first adopters of the net when things went visual. The years of 300 baud dial-up modems vanished to the world of high-speed multi-page online browsing enhanced by wireless communication of video commentary and nearly instant relay.
So a few years ago I wrote the Blog Manifesto, a series of thoughts and ideas that were inspired by the Cluetrain Manifesto. Having been written before the age of the recent online social revolution, I thought the Blog Manifesto was something that detailed how I felt.
I now realize that within a few short years that many of the things I wrote about have indeed materialized in one way or another. I think that is amazing.
I also realize that the Blog Manifesto is already coming and passing- it may indeed be outdated already. Scary how technology and society can move so quickly.
How anonymity destroys the very nature of community.
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One of the proud things that led me to blogging is that it allows a forum to share my voice and opinion with the world. With over a decade of experience communicating online through various e-mails, bulletin boards, forums, and blogs… there have been hundreds of times where I ask myself not if I can do something,
but should I?.
When I am walking down a street, my voice is kept in-check by my interpretation of how people may view my actions and words. I do not use derogatory terms and I do not curse. I pause for a moment before stating thoughts that may be damaging or hurtful, as once said they are a reflection of who I am and what I believe.
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In the past thirty days, one of my favorite print news site –
The Seattle PI, has opened a discussion via the blogosphere and has done something that I ethically do not support. I am a proponent of free-speech, but the value of a statement is weighed by the supporting experience of a person’s history and whether or not they are willing to take responsibility for what they have said.
As newspapers like the Seattle PI open up massive communities to online conversation, they fail to educate the masses on the basics of online etiquette. The following are two examples of a well renowned media voice allowing slander to be thrown across an online forum with what appears to be little or no regard to the affected parties.
I do not believe that either of these examples would ever be allowed to reach a print version of the Seattle PI, as the online discussion reminds me of granting web visitors white hoods and torches so that they can use an anonymous face to say things they would not say in any other environment. In my opinion as a supporter of blogging and social media, this pushes the very definition of slander and libel and also leaves me with a shallow feeling that a respected news source would rather have a bloody “he said, she said†fight with no accountability just for the ratings.
The first example covers a technical recruiting company in the northwest- Jobster. At the end of 2006, information was leaked out of the start-up company and several blog posts were made by the CEO indicating the company would be restructured. When everyone came back from the holiday break, a not-so-standard layoff occurred with roughly 60 employees (apparently they all knew it was coming.)
I read several blog articles regarding what was happening over a week long drama at that office. The employees and remaining staff were all thrown off-balance by a significant change to their daily lives, affected individuals were left dealing with losing a group of family and friends (Jobster was not a typical company, people actually liked one another there.) Yet the “news breaking†column of John Cook allowed dozens of unsupported comments to be made by nameless visitors. The commentary includes personal bashes of the CEO and of claims made about the internal workings of Jobster by people claiming to be employees.
I thought that it was distasteful and was an accidental editorial mistake, thinking the Seattle PI could not be that ignorant of the fact that they were aiding competitors and angry x-employees to put up potentially damaging commentary. I do not know Jason Goldberg (except for having read his blog), but I wonder if any decent person would say those things in an actual live audience or claim a business model didn’t work if it could be argued by proper business analysis.
Fifty years ago, we allowed people to put on white hoods and burn people to death under whatever pretense they cared to imagine.
Is the digital age of social responsibility falling flat on its face?
I was holding a deep hope that this was a mistake by the Seattle PI. I’m sure it had happened with other media players across the nation, but a few weeks later the Seattle PI did it again with a very similar story about another layoff at HouseValues. The commentary seemed to be less targeted against a personality, but still the CEO received numerous attacks and the remaining business was hammered by anonymous commentary.
“I am a former employee†does not hold any accountability. Claiming to be someone (or something) without providing some credible evidence or way to check your claim is bad business. If I logged on today and claimed to be Bill Gates, someone would be checking. I would hope that someone across the media footprint of the world is looking at this type of situation and asking if this blind conversation is newsworthy, or if this anonymous stone throwing is merely a way to sell a little more advertising while a fictional fight has more gasoline thrown on the fire.
In previous years, a “credible source†for a reporter extended beyond someone being able to type in some random commentary and hitting “submitâ€
This play is somewhat the gold standard of theater, haha. It has lived on through two renditions on the silver screen…
I don’t often get a chance to go see a bonifide artistic work at a true theater, but since I was in New York I thought that I should watch at least one show. For this visit, I chose to go see “The Producers†by Mel Brooks. If you’ve seen the latest movie rendition of the play, you would probably love this. Watching the great changes in the sets flip from section to section is pretty wonderful in this one.
The crew on this one had a great presence, and I didn’t spot any missed lines or obvious errors. “Springtime in Germany” is just a funny song, and you have to make sure that everyone you see it with can appreciate the humor and tone of the entire play.
If you are really looking for a great ride in New York to get the adrenaline pumping, the next time you get off the plane- take an extra $20 and tell the cab driver to get you there as fast as possible. This is an adventure, and not for the weak of stomach.
My friendly driver, a guy in his mid-forties who barely spoke any English should have been an Indy driver. He made so many lane changes in one city block I don’t even think he realized there were lanes, and whenever I looked down at the road my seat was directly over the line. He took several turns at a high enough speed that the back end of the Taxi slid into place, and I’m pretty sure he took flight on at least one of the bumps we hit.
It was fun. The craziest part was that we passed at least a half dozen police cars doing 20+ mph over the speed limit and breaking almost every traffic law I can think of. I don’t know if it is just New York, but it seems the bright Yellow of the cab makes it incredibly difficult for a police office to see.
I would hate to imagine what the insurance rate for a cabbie in New York is, but I imagine they either develop great driving skills or they simply don’t do business for long.
The nature of competitive business in New York is just brutal. The real estate convention I was in town for had several people describing the territory as “bloodyâ€. I even heard a half-dozen comments about Seinfeld commentary regarding home buyers checking the obituaries for a good real estate deal or apartment opening.
In such an environment, the speed and precision a professional needs to maintain even in such a basic industry as cab driving is a key example of how competitive metro areas can be.
This is what happens when Barry is left at his keyboard without proper supervision. I had to spread a little Christmas humor and practice some of those poetry skills.
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the net
Not a reader was stirring, as no one was ready to post just yet.
The comments were hung by each article with care,
In hopes that St Yahoo would soon be there.
The authors were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of google-ratings danced in their heads.
Some snuggling computers at their desk, some on their lap,
All having settled our brains for a long winter’s gap.
When out on the net there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the computer to see what was the matter.
Away to my Windows I flew like a flash,
Tore open my in-box and browsed the latest mash.
And soon the best of the new-fallen posts
Gave the lustre of mid-day ideas to host.
When, what to my wandering eyes should appear,
But a celebrity blogger, his words felt so near.
With my old laptop nearby, acting more like a brick,
I knew in a moment that we must blog it quick.
More rapid than spam the commentors they came,
And then edited, and deleted, and approved them by name!
“Now Mr Chaney! now, Bubny! now, Hurd and Nacht!
On, McKnight! On, Barnett! on, on Heaton and Turner!
To the top of the ratings! to the top of the wall!
Now blog away! blog away! Blog away all!”
As dry jokes appeared before the wild audience fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, they just ask why?
So up to the blog-top the readers they flew,
With the blog full of Toys, and St Yahoo too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the net
All the laughing and hawing that each blogger could get.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the ratings St Yahoo came with no sound.
He had blogged all in blur, from header to foot,
And his articles were so tarnished with dashes, that no one would look.
A bundle of thoughts he had flung on his page
And he looked like a creature, trapped in a virtual cage.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all his bloggings, then commented with a smirk.
And lending his thoughts to topics he knows,
And giving them each a blog, up google he rose!
He sprang to the web, to his readers gave an idea to enjoy
And out came a laugh, as he practiced his google ploy.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘as he turned off the light,
“Happy Blogging to all, and to all a good-night!”
Thursday night I’ll be leaving the wonderful security of my Seattle lifestyle and jet setting down to NAR in New Orleans. I’ll be getting off the plane at 9:00 in the morning, which mean I’ll have to double my morning dose of coffee.
This year the NAR conference will be a blast. A good portion of our team will be on the show floor, helping with feature panels, and meeting with a variety of contacts we’ve made across the country.
I’m jazzed up about it. I really look forward to meeting the people behind the conversations I’ve participated in here. If you are attending NAR, stop by booth #981 at the conference and introduce yourselves.
Friday – 6:15 PM- We’ll be at the Power Broker dinner being held by RISMedia. It will be held at the New Orleans Mariott on 555 Canal St. (come by and say hello, we have a table up front)
Saturday – 8:00 AM- Meeting as many AR folk as I can at the International Room. Hopefully everyone can use a light-hearted soul on Saturday morning to chat with. J
Saturday – 9:00 AM – Richard Nacht (our CEO) will be doing a panel session covering how blogs are changing how real estate is marketed. Richard is a great speaker on the subject and I encourage people to show up.
Following the Blogs in Real Estate Session- Richard Nacht and Paul Chaney will be doing a book signing of the new book Realty Blogging at the NAR book store. So, come by, pick up your signed copy.
Saturday night- I’ll be holding a competition to assemble the best Saturday evening social activity. I’m going to put everyone familiar with New Orleans on the spot and have them show us the best the city has to offer.
Sunday- is open for me right now. I’ll be helping to man our booth and answer questions.
Our team will be staying at the Sheraton. We’ll have a bunch of us there, so feel free to grab any of us and have a cup of coffee or a bite to eat. We can all use a friendly break and you would be amazed at how chatty we all are regarding what we do.  For anyone trying to reach me at the conference- my cell is 425-239-0973. E-mail: barry.hurd@bloggingsystems.com. Skype ID: barryhurd.
This has nothing to do with real estate or blogging…. or does it?This post is about The Show – with ZeFrank
The above link takes you to a zany guy who does a daily video blog covering all sorts of topics. It can be funny and sometimes pushes the envelope with odd humour and personal commentary.
Yet I cannot deny, ZeFrank knows how to market himself online. He has 3000 forum members talking about his antics on a daily basis. Each day he takes 4-6 hours to produce one little 3-5 minute blurp. Sometimes his videos are downloaded hundreds of thousands of times.
In a world of establishing a market for your own brand, humour and light-hearted antics can go a long way. Would this work in a real estate professionals arsenal? Who am I to say?
Yet developing your own brand and flavor is essential to having a blog that catches the wandering visitors mind. Next time you are thinking about establishing an image for yourself, think of ZeFrank and then ponder what niche in your market you can become a superstar with.
(and no, I cringe at the fact of seeing a real estate ZeFrank… but it may be pretty darn funny)
I had to laugh and do it. I’m listening to Robert Scoble and Maryam Ghaemmaghami Scoble give a presentation on ‘10 ways to a killer blog’, and he joked that someone should add sex in a title. Well why not?
We’ll drop down to his 15th bullet point on killer blogs. Keep your integrity.
There has to be a lot said about personality, ethics, morality… and being true to yourself. I am a light-hearted person, always seeing a bright side to things, and often I have many deep thoughts that earn me the title of ‘devil’s advocate’.
I often think about the various blogs that I don’t market or filter into results. One of my personal sites is www.trueloveofcoffee.com. It has hundreds of crazy and sometimes wonderful poems I’ve written in the past two years. I have a lot of readers browse through it, but I rarely combine my daily work life with my creative writing life. Sometimes being artistic is fun and inspiring, sometimes it makes me ponder why my brain doesn’t have a built-in edit button.
Technorati tags: BBS06, Blog Business Summit
October 16th, 2006
Thoughts of the Day
Moving in the direction of my passion. I’ve joined the team of BloggingSystems.com, working with my blogging colleagues Richard Nacht and Paul Chaney. I’ll be working with a great team of like-minded individuals on projects that are very close to my personal visions… and I’ll have a chance to make some amazing changes to different industries.
