GOOBER ALERT: Jeff Jarvis Outraged Over Moms Ensnared in Advertorial Slavery Ring!!

I've watched the video of Jeff Jarvis explaining his issues with Pay Per Post; I've followed Jarvis' odd blog crusade to save children from their mothers, and the moms from themselves. I know he is one of the loudest voices calling for a halt on PPP's paying bloggers to make advertorials, an advertising mechanism as old as dirt. (Hey Jeff, ever send a mom to Davos in your place?) I've read comments and blog posts by Robyn -- Jarvis' newly-appointed "poor clueless mom of the day" -- and seen the actual video that won her her HP Camera Kit and $1K in cash; I have blogged about PPP before myself; hell, I've even watched Ted Murphy's obnoxious rockstartup videos of PPP's adventures.

All of this has led me to one conclusion: I want a little ticker tape to put at the top of my blog that sends out "GOOBER ALERT!" messages.

I want this ticker tape to work in the same way cable broadcasters use the public broadcasting system warn us of alarming events in our local area by scrolling scary words across the screen, and in the same way the Department of Homeland Security saves us from Terrorism by playing with primary colors.

My "on-topic" opinion is that while Ted Murphy has some annoying qualities, Jeff Jarvis tips the obnoxious scale by a long shot with his continual techmeme-gaming pseudo-rants that serve to boost his own ad revenue. PPP will either stand or fold based on the corrective nature of the Internet, not on anything Jarvis says or doesn't say, no matter how many mothers he claims to be trying to save in the mean time.

PPP, keep paying bloggers to make advertorials as long as they say that's what they're doing. (And just because I agree with the business model doesn't mean you aren't annoying in the truest sense of the word). Robyn, keep making your videos. (Tell your kids to use plastic bats next time.) BTW, I thought you looked great and laughed at your postie patrol blog introduction--LOL if you get my drift. One other thing: I'm not sure what you're doing with SEO and exclamation points, but girlfriend, stop it. You can write and still make the scratch. And finally, to you Mr. Jarvis, one day your righteous-prick shtick is going to wear thin on the wrong people.

jeremy gets personal

our experiences shape us, no matter who we are.

Tags: kat herding, jeremy outerbridge, KHM, social media, "new media", PR, Advertising, Business, Kat Herding Media, Blogging, Internet, Web2.0, Friendship 2.0, Social Drama = Powered by Qumana

Social Drama or the "Jazzification" of the Web

One of my favorite Canadians, Jon Husband is posting chapters of a book that he says he'll never write, but appears to be doing just that in front of our eyes, for all to read and comment on. Tres cool.

Jon recently expanded on my Social Drama post with his thoughts, offering clarification on what I might have meant, which wasn't so clear to me then (and still fades in and out now). He says:

What I have inferred is that we will have much to learn, unlearn and relearn about what being social is all about, and we will never again do it without the always-just-available email or voicemail or blogging or MySpace page or LinkedIn profile and digital identity protection requirements and .. and .. and ...

Oh, of course some people will eschew the use of the the Web and its tools and services, refusing to be prisoners of a by-and-large reductive and tautological medium, and we will never transcend the sociality of life behind the doors of our home or the relationships with neighbours or work colleagues who become lifelong friends ... but presumably 'social drama " will be redefined in this new hyperlinked context.

Yes, precisely, Social Dramas are being played out on the Web, but are not possible without the merging of our online and offline selves.

In fact, they are the result of just that. They urge us to take on new personas -- outside of pre-constructed intravironments like Second Life, where identity rebirth is expected -- to explore who we are across the web, and even who we are not -- then play out those roles here and there and there and there, doing so through improvisational story lines connected through hyperlinks and a shared creative sense.

Social dramas happen online only in collaboration with others or the co-story-telling would be impossible.

They are always the inverse of punditry and postulating. They are not commentary, they are complementary.

It is musical, you see?

Online social dramas are improvisational jazz, played with words, the story carried across and throughout venues -- sites -- sustained through the hyperlinking of chords and melody. The resulting piece is written over time, and is presented as it is written -- the listening ear piecing it together with delight at the end of every measure--or at least that's the goal. Auditory conception. Immaculate--no way.

What social drama is NOT, using the musical analogy, is Miles reincarnated as a red-sweatered avatar playing a concert within Second Life. Rather, it's Miles alright, playing every note he ever played everywhere at once for everyone ear and heart across a connected web.

At least, that's the goal. And admission's free.

Tags: social drama, jon husband, miles davis, internet, tech, blogging, "media 2.0" social media, web2.0, tech, PR, Advertising, Marketing, Second Life, Social Software, Social Networks, digital identity, digital identity crisis, jazz = Powered by Qumana

Splish Splash, I Got Back in the Bath -- How Was I to Know There Was a Party Goin' On?!

One of my favorite gentlemen of the Internet is involved in the launch of an interesting new service called SplashCast, which offers a multi-file, mixed media (video, photos, audio, text) embeddable player that gets updates via RSS. In other words, Splashcast lets you display and syndicate channels of content on your website, blog, social networking profiles etc. Gone are the days of Annoying Copy. Spashcast brings the real you up close and personal.

The way I'm explaining it inside my own brain is that splashcast lets me present a "multi-media me" that's auto-updated by RSS.

I wish my real-world, real me was auto-updated via RSS. Is that too much to ask? Can you add the real-world component in the next rev, Marshall? Auto take my vitamins? Auto feed my dog? And all the while you watch me do it.

Talk about putting the GREAT into InteGREATed!

Anyway, you can see SplashCast in action now, with Marshall himself telling the splashcast story, here. He is so cool.

Blogger FAQ's and answers are here: http://splashcastmedia.com/blogger-faq/

I'll be checking it out up close and personal once I get that webcam George got me for Christmas hooked up.

Now THAT's a scary thought.

Tags: spashcast, marshall kirkpatrick, web2.0, "media 2.0", blogging, social networks, multi-media, video, photo sharing, tech, PR, Advertising, Marketing = Powered by Qumana

Hyper-Relations and In Between Spaces

There's only one direction in the faces that I see;
It's upward to the ceiling, where the chamber's said to be.
Like the forest fight for sunlight, that takes root in every tree.
They are pulled up by the magnet, believing they're free.
The carpet crawlers heed their callers:
"We've got to get in to get out
We've got to get in to get out
We've got to get in to get out."

--GENESIS--

Someone asked me last week, what's this "social drama" you've been talking about. I said, what do you want it to be? A beginning? An ending? A welcome? Rejection? It's the net--it means what you want it to mean.

Or maybe I didn't write back at all.

What I know is this: what's new is happening on the hyper-strands connecting us, not in the "places" where everyone already is. Sure, I'm interested in what's inside all of the coolest social networks, what's playing on the Internet's intranet -- from myspace to facebook to orkut to flicker to second life and on and on.

But I'm even more interested in the spaces in between blogs and old media and new media and social networks and marketplaces and so on. I'm interested in how we are living and working and hyper-commuting across the web, and in the ways we are relating to and touching one another as we go, and what our travels do to our DNA, and what strands we pick up as we travel. How it changes us. What kind of organisms we are waking up as we move. What wakes up inside of us.

's a big thing, that.

Somewhere in there is where social drama fits. I don't know exactly the parameters -- what constitutes a social drama or what precise definition it deserves. I do know that social dramas taking place AMONG and ACROSS the network, not inside. And I do know that social dramas of one or more people -- with real or merely realistic identities -- offer a way to pull the strands of our social travels together into stories that engage, entertain and maybe even move.

That's enough for me. That's enough for us.

It's not always easy--maybe you feel duped. Maybe you should. Digital Identity's more than a technorati tag, and suspension of disbelief can be a bitch. Conception-to-birth -- it's a rough ride.

You got to get in to get out.

Tags: "media 2.0", PR, Internet, Blogging, Tech, Social Networks, Web2.0, PR, Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing, Social Drama, Kat Herding, Jeremy Outerbridge = Powered by Qumana

Media 2.0 Workgroup and Young Dr. Kildare

I'm delighted (you can tell when I use words like 'delighted' that this is serious business) to be part of the newly (as in today) launched Media 2.0 Workgroup.

When asked if I would like to participate, I said as long as I can play young Dr. Kildare.

And (you won't believe it, but) they said yes!

So in my new role, I promise you, dear readers and friends and detractors, that I will try to use my power for good, not evil, and that means I will construct my meanderings using the broadest interpretation of what Media 2.0 means. Or doesn't mean.

We came here to tell stories, didn't we? Yes we did! Once upon a time, we were the wedia media pedia, weren't we? Yes, we were! And with the web 2.o pony beaten just shy of the glue factory, I'm looking for new rides, higher slides, longer strides. So let's find some together! Are you with me?

Although my beat is PR, because my roots there are long and twisted, I plan to explore way more than what I already know about. What's your pleasure--social drama? network karma? big pharma? it's all good.

What made me say "Sure, if I can play Dr. Kildare" in the first place was the chance to join this cast of characters who are also part of the workgroup:

Ben Metcalfe (Ex BBC)
Publishing 2.0 (Scott Karp)
Stowe Boyd (/message)
Are you Paying Attention? (Touchstone)
Daniela Barbosa (Factiva/Dow Jones)
Jeremiah Owyang (PodTech)
Jeff Pulver (PulverMedia)
Suw & Kevin (Strange Attractor)
Frank Gruber (AOL)
Ian Forrester (BBC)
Brian Solis (PR2.0)
Marianne Richmond (Resonance Ptnrship)
Jeneane Sessum (Oh, duh, that's me)

Heavy company indeed. I'm looking forward to working with them all to build a useful, aggregated base for stewing and stowing and suwing together and with anyone who wants to participate, because that really excites me, and I could use a good dose of excitement about now.

You too? Okay then!

For a more formal description on what this whole thing is about, see the blogs listed above, and the announcement on touchstone.

Tags: Media 2.0, Internet, Blogging, Social Media, Media 2.0 Workgroup, Tech, PR, Marketing, Advertising, Business, Wedia = Powered by Qumana

Well, sponsoring a dog show is nice i guess.... uh...

Jeremy's, liked, flipped his lid. I'm pretty sure Kat Herding Media isn't sponsoring the Kennel Club International. I hear they're looking to cause some trouble at SoCon though. Word has it the couple pictured here will be in attendance. And the leash? Who can tell.

Tags: kat herding, black snake moan, blogging, SoCon, tech, internet, movies, the south = Powered by Qumana

Precisely!

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Y i love the Y.

Frequently I regale you with tales of my attempts toward some semblance of physical fitness, which often takes the form of deep-water aerobics at the YMCA. I love water anything, I love the Y, and I go as often as I can after dropping Jenna off at school at 7:30, which gets me back home to greet the work day with a gallon of coffee and 4 ibuprofen.

Just as God intended.

I've also written before about how fun it is to see my lady friends in class, many of whom have a few years (or decades) on me.

But they could kick your ass. Don't cross them.

These ladies are my heroes. They don't care that they're not Beyonce or Brittney; they're there to be healthy. They don't care that they sag here or bag there; they come back and back and back because it's the right thing to do. They are so much more beautiful for their energy, generosity, and amazing stories at 8 in the morning when I can't imagine wanting to listen to anyone, but find myself glued to their conversations.

These are not dainty frail women. They work their asses off literally, on the elliptical and in the water, on the treadmill and on the track. I am a mouth hanging open wondering how to get what they have at 64 and 74 that I ain't got at 44.

So I go, and I absorb them into my skin with the chlorine and sore muscles. I hope what they have is contagious.

When classes are over, a few of us head to the whirlpool, where there's often a few people already de-stressing. Because I'm there around the same time, I've gotten to know the whirlpool folks too.

One older man is usually soaking away by the time we finish our class. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen him actually work out, but he sure does seem to spend a lot of time soaking his sore muscles.

Tuesday I was talking with one of the ladies from my class while we soaked away in the hot water, and that gentleman  joined us. He was telling us about his trip to the doctor the previous week. Apparently he had a couple of things out of whack, including his blood pressure, which was high enough for the doctor to put him on medication.

In fact he said his blood pressure spiked high enough that the doctor was pretty concerned.

My friend asked him, "What made it go so high?"

Without missing a beat, he said, "AOL."

I nearly drowned myself giggling.

Tags: YMCA, health, aging, internet, ISPs, AOL = Powered by Qumana

‘High School Musical’ @ Fox

By Wendell Brock | Monday, January 15, 2007, 09:38 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

THEATER REVIEW. Grade: B.

Go ahead. Call me a freak. I’m a 46-year-old theater critic for a major metropolitan newspaper, and I’m feeling the pure bubble-gum joy of Disney’s “High School Musical.”

In spirit, I’m right up there with the vibrating balcony of cheering tween-agers who rocked the Fox Theatre last night, as Atlanta witnessed the unveiling of the first professional stage treatment of the unstoppable pop phenomenon.

As directed by Jeff Calhoun for Atlanta’s Theater of the Stars, the tale of East High School’s colliding cliques of basketball players, thespians and brainiacs may not be a slam dunk, Broadway-ready, A+ production. (We’ll get to the demerits in just a sec.) But it’s a strongly acted, brightly designed, adrenalin-soaked celebration of the triumph of all things good and true.

And for a story based on such thread-bare plot material, stitched together by so much light-weight musical thread, it’s a surprisingly moving experience.

At $56 a ticket, I am hoping it moves my ass off. See ya there tonight if you're going, blogfriends. Look for the three screaming kids and two bewildered moms.

P.S. Assuming this will bear slight resemblance to my first concert: The Jackson Five in 1973/4 at the Rochester War Memorial. Expecting fewer fros and less pot for a variety of reasons.

More on the other side...

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what are your five 'rot in hell' companies--The Bastards Awards

From Wyome comes a personal list of favorite companies to never do business with again. And the winners are...

Bally Total Fitness (winner in the category of ripping off out-of-towners)

Shell (winner in the category of cheap bastard greed sloths)

Verizon (winner in the category of fine print overcharging)

Bridgestone Firestone (for a supporting role in dissing of candidate's skills--and killing people with faulty tires)

NetFlix (for sending movies on a U.S. tour to your mailbox)

So, who won't you do business with based on past experience, and what would it take to change your mind?

Tags: blogging, business, advertising, public relations, PR, tech, reputation, CRM = Powered by Qumana

Dear Big PRlings, It's Official

There he goes! There goes Fonzi! Right there!



OMG, He jumped the shark! He's Okay! Wshew. whoa. wow.

Tags: Scoble, PRSA, Keynote, PR, Fonzi, Marketing, Blogging, Public Relations, Advertising, Internet, Tech = Powered by Qumana

OMG Stowe said the P Word

If "social media" PR types continue to focus on how to bring old tools into a new paradigm, they will continue to be beaten about the head and neck. Case in point is the social media press release, which has been discussed way too long for anyone outside of BigPR, which struggles to adapt to the changing means of "relating" among "people," formerly known as consumers.

The problem is the dual role of consumer (or user) and producer (or co-creator) that we find ourselves in, thanks to the Internet. Wait, it's not a problem at all. At least outside of BigPR--which has quickly become OldPR.

The traditional press release serves a purpose and always will. For public companies it is more an IR tool than anything else. Public companies are required to release information--and whether they do it through more human sounding language, through some PDF or HTML file with horizontal rules and links to podcasts, OR the usual way, they're not bothering anyone.

The call for a social media press release is a straw man. It is easier to fix formatting and links in an OldPR tool than it is to figure out how to bring an old-world discipline into new territory.

We are not an audience. You should not be broadcasting. Hello, it's time to take delivery.

On the social Internet, people are always looking for help getting done what they need or want to get done. THAT is the role of PR. THAT is how NewPR people are helping their clients. Finding ways to help people participating online do the things they want to do. Helping them discover new things to do. It's bottom up in the most radical way. The People are the new CEO. And the new CEO is a person.

It's all good. But you gotta stop caring about press releases and start caring about people.

[[UPDATE: NEW post by stowe on the topic, aggregating thoughts from others with new stuff. nice.]]

Tags: stowe boyd, new media, social media, press release, blogging, Internet, PR, Marketing, business, advertising = Powered by Qumana

equality now, women's rights, can't stop the serenity, big big big

head going to explode. too many things brewing. chest cold feeling like it's starting. mucinex please work. on the other hand, there are deeper issues than my bronchial tissues. If you are interested in helping raise money for women's equality globally, you can help spread the word about Can't Stop the Serenity, which is raising $ for Equality Now. The press release is here. How did it start?

Last year, organizers held events in 47 cities around the world, raising over $65,000 for the women's rights advocacy group. Organizers in over forty cities have committed to holding CSTS screenings in 2007. Their FAQ has more information.

Tags: gender, feminism, women, internet, film, charity, donations, blogging, business, advertising, marketing, PR, blogher, blogsisters = Powered by Qumana

I'm bringin' cluetrain back

I'm like DAMN that's the Head Lemur's picture on Megite tonight. Lookie there! And he's not even blasting a clueless student of the intranets. Must be the warmth of the holiday season got all over our favorite raver.

I notice The Sage One is quoting some good marketing advice from Chris Willis of Hypergene Media Blog:

''On the web you don’t control your message, but you’re welcome participate in the conversation you’ve started.''

Took the words right outta my cakehole.

But while we're at it, let's tip our hats to a few of the spot-on theses from every teenager's favorite Manifesto (sung to the tune of "We are the Champions" by Queen -- you can sing along when we get to: "We are the markets, my friends..."), which gave us permission to be sassy in the first place:

#62 - Markets do not want to talk to flacks and hucksters. They want to participate in the conversations going on behind the corporate firewall.

#63 - De-cloaking, getting personal: We are those markets. We want to talk to you.

#84 - We know some people from your company. They're pretty cool online. Do you have any more like that you're hiding? Can they come out and play?

#85 - When we have questions we turn to each other for answers. If you didn't have such a tight rein on "your people" maybe they'd be among the people we'd turn to.

Tags: head lemur, megite, cluetrain,tech, markets are conversations, marketing, web2.0, Internet, business, marketing, PR, advertising, micromarkets, Gonzo Marketing, Cluetrain Mainifesto, Queen = Powered by Qumana

anymore

i don't blame you
i don't blame you
i don't blame you
i don't blame you
i don't blame you
i don't blame you
i don't blame you
i don't blame you
i don't blame you
i don't blame you
i don't blame you
i don't blame you
i don't blame you
i don't blame you
i don't blame you

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first thing i did on trig.com was upload a dozen photos

then i wrote a piece of poem.

stand
carve into the muddy sky
your name
reminds me
tomorrow is coming
and then
hurry.

waiting.

why I didn't wrap your heart
in the starched linen kerchief
sprinkle holy water
to keep your soul safe
sacrifice
is all we ask
of each other.

In loss, I die backward
claw earth with shredded
fingers
pull myself from your grave
and now what.

there is no stopping regret.

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anti-social network for sale, and trig is more than math.

you can still get your bid in for self-proclaimed anti-social network site ruduzu at just under $4K, with 4 days remaining in the auction. Let's see, if 8 of us get together, that's $500 each....

The Lucky Winner gets a working site with 200+ users, traffic coming mostly from facebook.

This site is listed as a turnkey sale only because no ads have been placed yet. It is fully functional and is currently being used, with 250,000 page views per month.

More Stats: (as of 12/21/2006)
Total users: 235
Total annoyances: 4579
Total musings: 346
Total votes: 86005
Total comments: 3312

Everything is for sale. All of the code is included, and the right to manipulate it and use it for other projects. The back end is a PHP 5 object oriented application, with an easily expandable modular design. The site has a great interface with plenty of Ajax for logged in users.

Ruduzu looks kind of like a blogher + twitter for the terminally pissed off, with both genders represented and annoyances instead of twitters. It could be funny, but it'd need an overhaul. All in all, I hope they walk away with some money for a good parody, which is what the site started out as.

For a hotsy-totsy better looking social network (not for sale yet--well, not launched yet actually) get a load of Trig.com. See Mashable for a good review from the inside.

Hey Mikey, he likes it!

Tags: social networks, web2.0, tech, mashable, trig, ruduzu, blogging, business, advertising, marketing, PR = Powered by Qumana

web 2.0 co looking for risk-seeking marketing veep?

Extreme Marketing. That's what they should call it, when fast-talking Web 2.0 startups post job descriptions. Especially when they list "risk-seeking" among the qualities they're looking for in their Marketing heads. Case in point, Sampa's job listing via techgigger.

The ideal person will be an energetic, risk seeking, experienced web marketing person that has a proven track record in growing a web service through all of the available distribution channels and doesn't shy away from the hands on work of a startup environment. The VP of marketing will know how to develop an effective marketing mix for a new brand in consumer generated content. S/he will have a broad array of skills that range from creative instinct from site design to ad copy, from competitive product features to tiered pricing structures

You know you're not a kid anymore when every organization you've worked for wanted you to mitigate risk, not seek it out.



And by the way, any time you see a job description with VP and site design in the same sentence, know that you'll be making coffee and copies by noon your first day.

I'm just sayin'...

Tags: tech, web2.0, Internet, jobs, careers, marketing, PR, advertising, business, blogging = Powered by Qumana

word comes from the music underground of augusta and s.c....

...that the godfather of soul, James Brown, is still above ground, unburied, embalmed and at semi-rest in a refrigerated something-or-other at his home while the factions fight over where he should go.

can you belee that shit?

now if he could just get up (get on up)....

Tags: james brown, above ground, music, family, soul, south, augusta, damn! = Powered by Qumana