It all makes sense now.

Werner Vogels has revealed that he is Strumpette. In the blogbreaking announcement, Vogels said that he was simply trying to put some "warm and fuzzy" back into blogging.

AMAGATOR - go ahead, make my day.

amagration's an idea i left in werner vogels' comments - see it's an actual GOOD use for RSS, the particular technology which seems to be the only way to consistently read this blog now that it's taken to disappearing several times a day. so amagration (or amagation--heck i don't know a big alligator with a book or something) is this awesome new concept where by amazon builds the world's BEST aggregator where PLOP they're on the desktop of the customer -- or optionally it's web-based on amazon.com -- and using this amagator or whatever we call it, customers can use the power of RSS not to visit other people online in their blog homes, but instead to get the latest author interviews, book reviews that THEY care about, product price changes that THEY care about, posts from authors THEY care about, research on topics THEY care about, and even feeds from related sites outside of amazon.

MAN WHAT IF you could subscribe to "Search Inside This Book" via RSS, so it's not just multiple instances of "borderline personality disorder" within a specific book, but multiple instances of BPD across EVERY book. It's an RSS feed to the amazon TAG for BPD that means EVERY mention inside EVERY book (current and future) inside Amazon flies itself into your amagator. On your desktop or inside amazon. Take your pick.

THAT'S how blogging fits. ALL KINDS of cool ways. And think of how the little feature above would help BLOGGERS at large with a STOREHOUSE of new fodder for writing.

because a lot of amazon's customers could benefit from blog fringe activies (i.e., beyond write-and-post), and they don't even know WTF RSS is. Or what podcasting is. Or what aggregators are.

And with truly two-way feeds, right, then customers can feed comments BACK to those folks who care about what they have to say (merchants, amazon itself, other reviewers, etc.). baby slap THAT on my desktop. I now live with you 24x7 amazon, and how much more likely am I to BUY YOUR SHIT now?

there's your roi.

Tags: werner vogels, amazon, scoble, israel, naked conversations, blogging, dave winer, rss, holy shit = Powered by Qumana

shhhh

{see those weird little test comments round these parts? shhh. that's the Blogger folks trying to figure out what's wrong over here as to why this lil blog keeps disappearing off the face of the planet from time to time to time and again. shhh. just let them do their work. if they spray some bug stuff your way it's best to go decontaminate. no tellin what kinda varmits they're after. shhh.}

Tags: blogger support = Powered by Qumana

You Don't Get a Free Pass

I wish that my blog had been acting right when this latest exchange between the Naked Guys and Werner Vogels at Amazon took place. (Doc has the best roundup of links on this that I've seen.)

I have only a couple of observations, since the story has been played out.

• Werner Vogels wanted Shel and Robert to tell the group something they didn't already know about blogging and business.

• He thought they didn't. Does that mean he should have acted like an asshole? No. But it might have inspired him him to.

• We've got to start telling a compelling business story if we're walking into their houses, gang--to start telling them what they don't already know. We've overplayed 1999. Cluetrain is now the default, Thank God. So let's wind up the happy dance and find even better ways to weave conversation into the corporate fabric besides: "I blog, you blog, we all blog together!" That's simplifying it, yes. But maybe it really IS that simple.
  
  
• Amazon's customer reviews (like ebay's "in your own words" feedback loop) WERE pioneering platforms for the voice of the customer. If Shel and Robert didn't start the meeting off saying that, then that was a missed opportunity.
  

So what? Werner is right to ask. We ought to have answers.

Blogging doesn't have to LOOK LIKE it always has. We don't even have to keep CALLING it that. The tools and approaches inspired by blogging over the last few years are something else altogether, and the opportunity for enterprises to use these tools to tighten the connections between themselves and their customers -- and to do that Faster, Better, Funner -- are exploding. And so what next? And after that?

Werner is right to ask. Demand, even.

Time to get the suit on and write a new white paper. ;-)

Tags: Werner Vogels, Amazon, Naked Conversations, Shel Israel, Robert Scoble, Microsoft, Blogging, Tech, Delighting Customers = Powered by Qumana

working on wordpress...

I'm trying to import my OPML file from blogrolling.com into wordpress, but it keeps erroring out (new term, like it?) after two entries. I get this message:

Importing...

XML error: undefined entity at line 13

Inserted ...As if its real

Inserted 25 Hours a Day

Inserted 2 links into category 1. All done! Go manage those links.

Anyone know what I have to do to get my WHOLE blogroll OMPL file into WP? What could be wrong at line 13?

thanks.

BubbleShare Captions - OH MY GOD

This is more fun than I've had in months. And I'm not shitting you. Try BubbleShare's new captions. AND check out what REALLY went down at SXSW by clicking on mine. Heh....

This album is powered by BubbleShareAdd to my blog

i love you all how sad i am

I avoided posting yesterday while the folks at blogger were trying to figure out why my blog, along with a few others they have now noticed, keep disappearing.

So far no luck figuring that out. No estimate as to when things might become, pun intended, clearer.

in the words of immortal shakespierce, fuckity fuck fuck fuck.

Rest assured, it is not your imagination. It is not my latest technique to go RSS-only, because I love it so much. It's a real problem.

So, i have to think. And then do. In the mean time, there's always the mean time.

more later.

What do I think of Strumpette?

About like this.

Tags: Strumpette, Death of BigPR, PR Outing, Crisis Management, Employee Relations, Public Relations, Analyst Tour, Press Tour, Brainstorms, Pitches, Dinners, PRSA, Ketchum, Edelman, Weber Shandwick, Fleishman-Hillard, Porter Novelli, Brodeur, Omnicom Group, Interpublic Group = Powered by Qumana

itty bitty test

Okay, heard from someone with Blogger/Google. They can't replicate the problem. Still by their very breathing in my direction, I have noticed somewhat of an improvement, as in, my blog isn't disappearing every two hours until I publish this evening it seems. I'm hesitant to say that out loud. Let's see though. How it goes when I am asleep and less vigilant about posting.

BTW, I've got a second life. Do you?

Tags: blogging, blogger, google, support, disappearing blog = Powered by Qumana

A Cry For Help: Google Customer Service Does Not Exist for Blogger / Blogspot

Someone, somewhere, A-List, B-List, C-List, must know SOMEONE at Blogger/Google who can be shamed into helping a user who had the first team blog on blogspot in 2001 (gonzo engaged), the largest women's team blog on blogspot (blog sisters), and who has been blogging (here) on, and supporting, Google's blogging platform since LONG before Google gave a rat's ass about blogging and Doc uttered the "Holy Shit" heard round the net at Google's Blogger/Blogspot purchase.

Blogger ignored users, don't feel like you're being singled out because your blog doesn't have a big enough readership to matter. Apparently there IS no important customer. My blog isn't A-Listed, but I do have the 6,000th-something most popular blog according to Technorati, which Kevin Marks tells me puts it in the 90-something percentile.

Forget popularity--how about the fact that I've heard from a dozen readers this week who want to know what's wrong with my blog and whether or not Blogger has responded. Fellow bloggers like Ken Camp and Susan Kitchens have posted. Still nothing.

Since 2001, folks. That's a LONG TIME.

Have I emailed Blogger Support? Oh yes I have. I have reported the problem -- that after an hour of so of not posting, my blog disappears, replaced by a blank white screen. It's been going on for a week now. Readers can't get here. Folks can't comment. HELP.

This is the one and only response I've gotten (to my first cry for help):

-----Original Message-----
From: Blogger Support [mailto:support@blogger.com]
Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2006 11:05 PM
To: {U 360869 B 3199544}
Subject: Re: [#435218] my blog keeps NOT SHOWING UP

Hi there,

Thanks for contacting Blogger Support. Since we cannot always respond personally to every message we get, we encourage you to check Blogger Help, where you can find answers to many common questions. Here are some of the top articles which could help you out:

CHANGES ARE NOT APPEARING ON YOUR BLOG
http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=639

A BLOG IS MISSING FROM YOUR DASHBOARD
http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=656

HOW TO DELETE A BLOG
http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=70

THIRD-PARTY ADD-ONS
http://help.blogger.com/bin/topic.py?topic=40

HELP WITH HTML OR CSS CODE
http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=1116

If you don't see what you need in these articles, you can use the search form in the upper right corner of any Blogger Help page. Be sure also to check our Status page and our Known Issues page. These cover many known bugs and current operational problems.

BLOGGER STATUS
http://status.blogger.com/

KNOWN ISSUES
http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=791

You can also check out our Blogger Help Group, to talk to other users, ask questions, or see if anyone else has had the same issue as you.

BLOGGER HELP GROUP

http://groups.google.com/group/blogger-help

If your question or problem is not addressed anywhere in our documentation, please simply reply to this message and let us know. We will help you out as soon as we can. Thanks for your patience.

Sincerely,
Blogger Support

------

That's not Support--That's a diversion!

Nonetheless, I have followed instructions and replied to this message three times asking for help, telling them that the problem is still occuring--AND HAVE NOT HEARD ONE WORD BACK.

I've tried republishing all 3,000-plus posts, I've tried republishing single posts. Not working. It seems that every time the blog stays dormant for more than an hour, it disappears.

And maybe that's just what Google wants. Because long-time users with thousands of posts serve no purpose except to eat up server space, right? Is that what's going on? Does it matter that I paid more for Blogspot to host my blog during the year+ when they DID charge more then most people pay for hosting today?

No, it doesn't matter. And that's why I'm being summarily dismissed.

Of all the big mouths in the world to dismiss, I'm probably one of the worst ones to dismiss. So with my big mouth I'll ask one more time: DOES ANYONE KNOW ANYONE AT BLOGGER/GOOGLE WHO CAN HELP FIND OUT WHAT IS WRONG AND FIX IT?

The only other idea I have is that anyone who reads this blog email blogger support at support@blogger.com. Since regular CONVERSATION isn't working, maybe spammng them will.

The end,
jeneane sessum
678-294-0900
ewriter AT bellsouth DOT net

Stowe Boyd's Imodium

Stowe has some great tips to freshen up your blog relationship before you decide to hit the road for good.

Ken Camp asks what is wrong with my blog and sucky Blogger. Hi Ken! Can you see me now? Thank you for caring, because BLOGGER doesn't. No response to any of my emails. Four-plus years as a user and I earn not a peep.

Yes I have to go. Trying to figure out what, where. More on that in another post.

Technorati Tags : stowe+boyd, optimism, blogging, tech, blogger, google, blogspot = Powered By Qumana

George Kelly on SXSW

More essentials: George Kelly gives his roundup thoughts (pt 1) on SXSW.

The one thing I feel compelled to say is I don't go to SXSW to be anybody's token. I go to meet my friends, make new ones in person and visit a city I learn new things about each time I return. I go so I can have a renewed sense of connection and ownership in the flood of ideas, products, services and partnerships on display. I go so I can talk about what I saw and learned to the super publics to whom I belong and with which I identify.

Instructions: Read it, click the links, add them to feed/blogroll. Read some more. Rinse, Repeat.

 

 

Technorati Tags : George+Kelly, SXSW, Blogging, Ethnicity, Identity, Race, BlogHer, Conferences = Powered By Qumana

Essential to Understand Second Life

As I said in my Shittng Point post about blogging, an indicator of what's next is to look not where people are going now, but where they've have been disappearing to all along. Second Life as an OS is a Huge Concept; it's also right on.

And not just a computing OS -- also a social OS, a business OS, a religions OS, an education OS.

You think we've been talking about social software? Oh baby. We're talking a social architecture.

Essential reading on why at Scoble's (plus comments) here.

THANK YOU SUSAN KITCHENS

Susan asks Dear Blogger, Why Has Allied Disappeared Again?

THANK YOU, Susan. Maybe if 150 more bloggers ask, Blogger/Blogspot/Google will actually respond to one of my support emails -- which hasn't happened yesterday or today. Or from any of my posts.

SO for now, Allied is still intermittent -- the blank white screen seems to appear any time I stop posting for more than a couple of hours. This may be Blogger's New Cattle Prod Feature.

I'm sure we can turn it into a drinking game if we try hard enough.

Any time you see the blank allied screen, have a shot.

AA Workaround: Say the Serenity Prayer 3 times fast.

The Shitting Point

It started when Joi Ito all but abandoned his blog for Second Life. Few bloggers were writing about the -- well, "game" doesn't seem to do it justice; perhaps: lifestyle choice? -- when Joi made a mad dash for the virtual new world order. But that would change. Within six months, Dave Winer would predict that second life might be the OS of the 21st Century.

Speaking of Dave, shortly before uttering that prophetic piece of web wisdom, he announced his retirement from blogging, sayng that he would quit blogging by the end of the year. The blogworld gasped for a nano second before launching into all maners of parody. God love the Interweb.

This week, when Microsoft announced the delay of Vista and estimates of a 60-percent rewrite hit the blogosphere, Scoble nearly burst a blood vessle. The Naked Conversations author and cluetrainian student admitted on his blog that he was wrong about the importance of "getting the story first" and now believes (channeling George Bush on Terror) that "we need to be vigilant against bad journalism."

These not so insignificant developments within the blogworld have some wondering: WTF?

I've remained optimistic about blogging's future on this site -- you know, when it's actually up and running and not just a white, empty screen (fuck you, Blogger) -- declaring my loyalty to the sphere and my little plot of land within it.

Fighting the good fight. Carrying on. Etc. Etc.

But something has changed.

Repercussions from Scoble's recent rant about Truth, Journalism, and The American Way -- combined with the exodus (and planned exodus) of high-profile thinkers and money makers from the blogosphere -- signifies something important for blogging.

The Shitting Point.

What is The Shitting Point? The Shitting Point is precise moment that a Brand-Movement-or-Medium shits the bed. Craps out. Gives in. Gives up.

One characteristic of The Shitting Point? When participants in a Brand-Movement-or-Medium begin to really believe what they say. And most of what they say is that theirs doesn't stink.

The Shitting Point is much easier to identify in the virtual world because, as we all know, Google remembers everything and hyperlinks don't lie.

Here are some signs that we've hit The Shitting Point with blogging.

1) People use more words than necessary when talking about it. Before The Shitting Point, folks involved in "the coolest new thing" have a secret, shared language used to discuss and describe it. New terms emerge and become part of our culture. Reach The Shitting Point, and these same folks are universally understood to be speaking assholese. They typically use extra words to cover up the fact that they have nothing new to say. Often you will see words like Transparency, Ethics, and Credibility rear their ugly heads.

2) Anyone who disagrees is an evil doer. Before The Shitting Point, a school yard fist fight over the last cigarette (okay, I started smoking early) -- and a few ad hominem attacks among friends -- were just another way to start the day off right. Once you reach the Shitting Point, challengers to blatent stupidity are labeled "Trolls" and "Flamers."

3) Hyperlinks morph from gems of discovery to unnecessary exertion of the wrist.

4) Everything Becomes Collaborative. This is BIG red flag for The Shitting Point. When you hear terms like "collaboration" and "commons," being used by Corporations, it means that you're about to be shat on. The shitting point ranges from five to seven years after these terms are first uttered. Always. When large numbers of people begin attending conferences that use these terms, Run Like Hell.

5) IBM.

It is with some sadness that I bring you this news today, this explanation of why things don't feel right just now. And yet it is with hope too that I come to you.

Because with knowledge comes understanding, and with understanding comes... understanding.

The Shitting Point is a natural part of creative evolution. It's something to be embraced (don't think about it) as much as mourned. It's a time for celebration and a time for grieving, for letting go.

It's a time to discover what's next.

Just don't forget to wash your hands.

Technorati Tags : blogging, tech, OMG = Powered By Qumana

A Google of People

Jenna was getting ready for bed and in her usual intense way reminded me that somebody somewhere died today. Oh my dear child. I am blessed. "Hmmmm," I said.

"Right mama? I mean the world is big. So somebody died someplace today."

I leveled with her while avoiding stating the obvious--that TONS of people died today--and die every day. Instead I simply said, "Well yes, given all the people on the planet, probably somebody did die today."

She said, "I know, because there are a LOT of people on the earth, like more than a million. I mean there's a google of people on the earth."

"A google of people? You mean like a 'billion' or 'gazillion'? Is that the word you mean?"

"No, I mean a google of people. When you add them all up. I mean A LOT of people, a GOOGLE."

hee.

Technorati Tags : google, kids, parenting = Powered By Qumana

Non-Violence or Non-Existence

For Frank, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Non-Violence or Non-Existence.

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Blogger.com, I'm Leaving If You Don't Help Me.

I've emailed blogger technical support. God knows where I found that link--can't find it again now. Their Bot emailed me back with a pat list links for FAQs. Duh. It also said to email them again if I really had a problem. So I did. Because I do. I'm sick of my blog disappearing. I'm sick of the lack of customer care.

About six times my blog went blank today--at least.

Meet the Fockers Two-Word Movie Review

Continuous LOL.

 

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Shaggy Dog Two-Word Movie Review

Friggin' weird.

 

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a comment on mainstream blogdom

"even tho i'm not there yet, second life may be the only alternative for re-engaging one another in the non-news sense of the word...." said it in comments -- needed to be posted. i want to remember to write about this later.

Dave Winer says second life may be the Next-Real-OS.

Looking for what's next? It's probably not here, it's probably someplace like there.

Technorati Tags : second+life, I'm+going, blogging, mainstream, media, technorati = Powered By Qumana

Thanks, Stowe

Thanks to Stowe for noticing and saying so. I think that it's no small observation and generally captures the conundrum that so many folks are writing about. It also makes some of us old-time personal bloggers feel whistful if not sad. But that's how we do.

 

Technorati Tags : Stowe+Boyd, Blogging, MSM, Journalism, A-List, Technorati, Bloglines = Powered By Qumana