BlogHer!

BlogHer, BlogHer, BlogHer, BlogHer, BlogHer, BlogHer, BlogHer, BlogHer, BlogHer, BlogHer, BlogHer, BlogHer, BlogHer, BlogHer, BlogHer, BlogHer, BlogHer, BlogHer, BlogHer, BlogHer.

I'll be thinking about EVERYONE at BlogHer while I'm shuffling off to Buffalo for the family reunion on the 30th. I'll have email. And cell phone. But laptop's staying home.

Actually, plan to leave this coming Tuesday and be back the following Tuesday. Don't think I'll get much time to blog. Whoopie!

But you still have a couple more days of My Big Mouth.

Not Just Any Corporate Blogging White Paper

Who better to tell the corporate blogging story than us? By us, I mean we bloggers who have been working in large, multi-national corporations, middle market companies, small firms, two-person startups, or out on our own, while nudging the blogworld into form over the last several years.

I've said before, when it comes to the intersection of business and blogging, one thing that makes this intersection point important for business is that we are typically people who work, have worked, and/or will work somewhere--some business, some place, whether it's IBM or the Harley Davidson shop on North Oak in Kansas City.

We are people first. We connect as people, but also delight in discovering those things we are passionate about, including what it is that we "do." I'm not saying that this is blogging's value. But it's part of how blogging can help businesses better understand and move closer to their markets.

And these relationships continue to grow. It has been one of the most rewarding parts of blogging for me during the last 5 years, both personally and professionally, to have met and learned from some mighty minds.

Those learnings are reflected, at least a little bit, here.

The bottom line is, blogging gives business an opportunity to shrink the distance between its front doors and ours.

Why go on and on. It looks a lot prettier here:

To Blog or Not to Blog: Blogs Help Corporations Answer the Call to Conversation

from The Content Factor.

Note of thanks to Michael O'Connor Clarke, whose keen eye and, shall we say "zesty?" understating of this space were WAY valuable in getting this paper done.

A couple additional notes:

Not sure if the links inside the PDF are working--will be interested to know from you all.

The resource section at the end is something I want to put back into HTML and expand.

There are a lot of compendium of "must read" blogs, but when I started putting this paper together, I realized I needed a different kind of "blogroll" for it--and that is still emerging.

Because, as we know, everything is changing so friggin' fast. ;-)

Lemme know.

Thanks.

Industrious Pippa

When I wake up, God willing, and I get back here to this very spot, I wanted to have something to start off my day--something to change my steroid-induced funk into a creative nirvana, or at least a productive morning.

Found one, thanks to Margaret & AKMA's creative daughter, Pippa. See Pippa's other artwork on Flickr.

Blows my mind.

I love these folks.

My better half is blogging again

Isn't that a kick in the head.

Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Quick.

Guess Jack doesn't work at Ketchum.

I am not sure how to help, but maybe someone will be

See Constantin's blog for information on a woman who needs immediate medical help in the way of a liver transplant. I called the number Constantin provided to get information on exactly--really--what Shari needs.

She doesn't need a transfusion, or blood, or that kind of thing. The deal is this: She needs a cadaver liver, and she needs it right away. It doesn't have to come from NY, but I would think a good way to start would be putting the word out in the NY Hospitals, or NY Doctors, and doctors around the country--world even?--regarding Shari's current condition.

I don't know, personally, how designating an organ takes place. For instance, if today, you were to know of a loss in your family or another family's--an aunt, uncle, cousin, sister, brother, friend--is it possible to say, get this liver to Shari? Does there have to be a matching process, or is any liver better than no liver? I'm not sure we can get these answers in time, but stranger and more miraculous things have happened.

If you know of anyone who can help, this is the number to start off with, and they can refer you onward: 877/223-3386.

Good Journalists Gone Wild!

Sheila Lennon's new blogspace is more bloggish than ever, with RSS, Comments and the ability, finally, for Sheila to post from home. WOHOO! That means she'll be posting more often I bet. She's still adding code, so, you know, lookout.

And we won't lose the stuff she's already written in the rehab, thank goodness:

The previous three+ years of blogs will still be available, linked somewhere on the right. For now, they're all at the bottom of today's page -- the one many of you started at before clicking to come here.

Welcome to the after hours club Sheila!

{shhhh. cut a check to chris locke quick}

Though they may not be earth-shaking, business-shaking, or the panacea of a lifetime of sinusitus and phleghm, the truth is that real-life best/worst practices are unfolding, here and now.

This isn't a hypothetical Harvard Review Business Case Study that poses the 'Blogger in Your Midst' question to businesses.

This is realtime.

Another way for PR practitioners to look at the ongoing Ketchum Conversation: How would you advise Ketchum if you were the PR Agency's PR Agency?

Note: The first two comments are from ex-Ketchum employees who have been actively blogging since 2001, and have been working to advance the space as it applies to marketing and PR and the real people that intersect those disciplines since 2001, including while with the company.

This I can predict with the utmost certainty: Folks are sitting down in a conference room or sitting on a conference call right now at Omnicom Group's Ketchum deciding the hows, ifs, whens, whys, and whos of their next communication with what they call the PR Blogosphere. If you were in the room, what would you advise?

Batters Up!

You Can't BS a BSer

I really like the title and substance of this post at Advancing Insights that references yours truly and David and Constantin on the Ketchum Thang. "The Pathology of Business Bullshit" is a right on way to look at it. An example now being played out real-time via the traditional BigPR 'control the message' mantra. This is just the malady that blogging sprouted up to remedy--it grows from the ground like echinacea for business.

It's not much like Western medicine practices that are predictable and 'managed-care' manageable; it's more like Traditional Chinese Medicine and accupuncture, twisting in the needles to unblock and re-direct the flow of energy.

Or maybe I've had too many steroids today.

{Full transparency disclaimer: I am sick and on antibiotics and steroids. Don't mess w/ me.}

I Get By with a Little Help from My Friends...

The latest interview with Ketchum's Blog Representative, Adam Brown, is up at Jeremy's place. I added a few follow-on questions that came to mind after a first read. I also helped out last night when I first scanned the piece and noticed it said Adam joined Ketchum in 1988. Whoops. Typos can really make one stop and think. It was actually 1998, in April, same week as I signed on. Jeremy said that's how it was in the bio he received, but he changed it after he did the ciphering. Not always, but sometimes I have a pretty good eye for proofing.

Pod Doc

Pappa Doc and The Kid do their first podcast, and its just great. I love the light and excited voice of The Kid layed just beneath Docs staccato expressions, until The Kid gets way excited and lights up the melody of voice over doc's in the pocket groove.

I've talked to Chris, I've talked to David, and now I know what Doc sounds like (Plus The Kid). That means I'm 3/4 clued. We ever find Levine, I got first dibs on his voice.

Love Notes to my Google Referrers...

How badly is your tooth chipped? You can probably get it fixed for about $150. Don't freak out.

I don't know when school starts, but I wish I did!

You know what? I'm not sure that anyone won the showdown between Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Gadd, and Dave Weckl -- except for us fans who get to watch it forever because it was digitized. We won.

I can't believe you didn't know YAHOO stood for You Always Have Other Options! I'm glad I could help, but I can't believe I'm number 1 result on Google over such a funny little thing. But you know something--I really don't believe we really do always have other options. I hate to be a pessimist, but I think I might believe these are the only options I have. But you? YOU HAVE OPTIONS Girlfriend/Boyfriend. The sky is wide open to your potential.

As far as the Arkansas Bees go, I would just get a good can of Wasp spray at the dollar store, maybe Big Lots. Look, you can go to Lowes and get the expensive kind, but then you won't have the money to pay the Lowes card, and they start calling all the way from India to tell you that your attidude isn't helping. TRUST ME. Stick with the Dollar Store. Arkansas Bees aren't any worse than any other bees. (Oh Geez, Myrtle, did you mean Africanized Bees? You searched on Arkansas Bees--their is a difference. Never trust a dark bee. They'll mug you in the elevator.)

The DiGiorno Pizza cooking directions are on the back of the box. You use my post, you're gonna do it RageBoy's way and cook the cardboard. You do NOT want to go there. Just do what the box says.

Don't get me started about Earthlink Live Chat support. The first two times I tried it honey, It was m-e-s-s-e-d u-p. Okay? But now, I think they've worked the kinks out. I really would give it another chance. I think there's a new rule that they can't get offline with you until you answer with just the right string of characters. Don't try fuck you--they don't respond to it. It's like yelling into a black hole.

Whoever is making Halushki, you better invite me over. And I mean it. I don't care where you're cooking it, you either freeze some and send it to me or you invite my ass over with the most greatful set of molars and tastebuds you've ever seen. Now make sure you get the fried cabbage just a little bit brown--cook it long enough--because when some of those slivery pieces of cabbage get brown, the sugar in the cabbage carmelizes. HELLO! Czech Heaven.

When it comes to bronchitis pleghm, you are looking at the woman who can tell you more than you wanted to know: Taste, Color, Texture--you name it. Now, you probably didn't want these details when you first came here, but if it's green or brown tinged (maybe blood) get some antibiotics, a steroid shot in you ass, a take home Medrol Dose Pack and call in sick tomorrow. (Give me a shout on my cell when you go through the steroid shakes. I'll talk you down: 678-294-0900)

Ketchum? Just don't go there.

And last of all, stop worrying about getting a bigger one and start loving the one God gave you.

From CBO to EXBO, he's the Internet's Chief MoFo

David reports that Chris' tenure as Highbeam's Chief Blogging Officer has ended. Perhaps the big man's work there is done. You know, this blogging thing: once you get the rapid implementation done, the rest is pretty much value, value, value. (cough.)

There were many entertaining ideas in a recent email exchange on what Mr. Locke should "be" next. Michael O'Connor Clarke suggested this:

Maybe you’ll still re-emerge as a Highbeam Blogging Officer. Pity you weren’t doing this back when you did that gig in Japan - you could have been an Artificial Intelligence Blogging Officer, and then sued those Sony chaps for copyright infringement. Personally, I’ve always fancied playing the Official Blogging Officer – but six years of French horn messed up my embouchure. With my background in knowledge management, I guess I could try for Knowledge Intranet Blogging Officer, but I don’t think the world really needs another one of those.

Me, I was thinking TAE Blogging Officer has a nice ring. Which brings me back to my post the other day -- except it's not just for BigPR anymore. Smart companies won't let their bloggers get away just yet. Now isn't the time to do something "leading edge" and then take your jellybeans and go home.

What if MS decided having Scobel's mouth open all the time was more pain than pleasure. What if Scobel decided to retire to Jamaica and chase hurricanes? There isn't a thicket thick enough to hide him from the companies that would want their very own Scobelizer. You and I both know, it would be really stupid for MS to cut bait on its technical evangelist any time soon. Short of any hard jail time, Scobel's there for a while.

And that's the thing corpo-newbies need to understand: blogging isn't a project or a program; blogging's for life. It's not an engagement, it's a process by which your organization becomes ever increasingly closer to your markets. It's not linear. It's an inward churning circle, spinning like a hurricane, bringing your markets closer to your eye, where what you see happening will blow your hair back.

At the same time, it's an outward churning circle, like a reverse hurricane, and I don't even know what a weather bug would call that.

The point is, now that CBO has re-emerged as the Internet's Chief MoFo, you would be wise to follow David's links to what RB's up to. Or try some of these.

• Was Highbeam's Chief Blogging Officer
• Now Ex-Blogging Officer
• Continuing to write the most entertaining, Enlightening and frightening book of the 21st century. (Oh wait, he started it last century, so I guess that would be "of the last two centuries combined.")

Isn't it neat that after all of these years, he's still throwing down words blogspot? The Blogger/Google/Blogspot folks should feel honored. Here's why.

Named in a 2001 Financial Times Group survey as one of the "top 50 business thinkers in the world," Christopher Locke (aka RageBoy, aka Chief Blogging Officer) is co-author of The Cluetrain Manifesto: The End of Business As Usual, and author of Gonzo Marketing: Winning Through Worst Practices and The Bombast Transcripts: Rants and Screeds of RageBoy®. He has worked at the Japanese government's Fifth Generation Project, at Ricoh, at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute, at MCI, at IBM, as a consultant/blogger for HighBeam Research, and as a short-order cook at Nick Tahoe's Texas Hots. Locke has written for Wired, Release 1.0, The Industry Standard, Harvard Business Review and many other publications. His work has been covered by Fast Company, Advertising Age, Business Week, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, The Economist, The Financial Times, and like that. He has never recanted anything. Before now. He lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Peace, Out.

100,000 mile club

When I started blogging in 2001, a search on my name, in quotes, brought up two search results: one, a comment on an online discussion group about women's health, and the other, I don't even remember.

Today, I did a quick check for something I'm working on and saw that Google's kicking out more than 100,000 hits on my unique name, in quotes.

I think that means I get a new car.

To dispel any conjecture, no one else has my full name, with this spelling. Color me lucky.

Note to risk-averse corporations on the reverberating effect of the Internet--participating doesn't always mean "having a blog." It does mean participating in the conversation. Comments, forums, Wikis, IRC, conferences all of these places are hang out spots for bloggers in our "off" time (i.e., non-posting time). Wouldn't it be cool to be able to talk to us on the things we're talking about? You may even find, after a while, that you, too, want to blog!

We like to talk to people. Why the heck else would we be out here doing this year after year. You think we're after the free car?

OMG, The World Is Round?

Spurred by this NY Times article, Scoble is surprised that Dave Winer is considering treating his PC as a consumable, like an ink jet printer which now cost less than the cartridges, because Microsoft's OEMs don't provide Windows install disks when you purchase a PC, and it's nearly the same costwise--even less sometimes--to buy a new computer instead of purchasing a full-fledged copy of Windows.

Let the dumpster diving begin!

My guess would be that Scoble gets his Windows CDs free, or that perhaps they have WindowsXPPro CDs sitting around in candy dishes at Microsoft for all who wish to partake, but newsflash to Scoble: Most of us regular folks have to RE-BUY the software if we want to be able to pave our machines (to get rid of offending agents, because we deleted an important operating system component and screwed it up bad, or just because we feel like it).

I spent $2,000 on computers last year--my Acer laptop from buy.com (do NOT buy.com) and an HP PC from Microcenter here in Atlanta. The year before we bought a PC from a different store (or OEM as Scoble refers to them). In fact, I've been buying PCs for years, and it's been a long, long time since I got the actual software that would let me re-install, from scratch, the Microsoft OS. Maybe never.

Yes, Robert, the world is round and every day all around this round world, people pay for Microsoft's OS twice. Once on the computer and once in the box.

I hate that too. Grrr.

Oh and by the way...

Thank goodness all the men are doing the heavy lifting around this issue. We from Girls Gone Wild: PR Spring Break just wouldn't know how to hold all of those deep thoughts in our pee-sized heads, would we? Nooo. We haven't been writing on these topics for years, have we? Nooo. We're busy making our hair fluffy and color coding our Organizers with our earrings. Spending all that time in Media Map can make a girl perspire!

Make sure you keep it in the family, boys.

A good un

Tom Murphy has a sizzling rant on the silliness of the predictions regarding the demise of PR-Proper. Some are now prophesizing that your average PR flacks will morph into event planners, thanks to blogging. Follow the bouncing predictions. I think they all end up with telemarketing. So quit now and get yourself an extra phone line or a ticket to India.

I do agree with the folks who use the word "folks" a lot, whom Tom quotes, that command and control doesn't work, and that public relations is a dish best served as private relations, thank you Chris Locke for writing all of that many years ago.

However, I see the division coming along the lines of flexibility and speed. In other words, practitioners who stay small and nimble and on the outside of BigAgencies will make headway into all but the Very Large accounts of BigPR. But in BigPR, there will always be room for a good crisis guy. So don't write your telemarketing script just yet.

Things are changing. Tom is right that the hyperbole among the 'because I said so' blog bunch is getting annoying.

But then, I have been in that 'because I said so' bunch for years, so I guess I'll shut up now.

I think I have an event to plan anyway.