"Austrian politician Joerg Haider, a champion of the far-right who drew criticism for perceived pro-Nazi comments, died in a car accident Saturday, Austrian police said. He was 58."
- Dave Winer
from Bookmarklet
Quite important news. A charismatic -- and troubling -- European leader.
- Chris Baskind
I heard him speak while living in Germany and he was an amazing orator. I was expecting a crazed, angry zealot due to his views and beliefs, but his style commanded the audience and was far-reaching, and was also scary for those LIKE ME that find his politics hateful.
- Natallini
I often wonder what benefit there is for google to sponsor big shows like this, because every single person in the convention room knows about google so its not like they benefit from getting the name in front of influential people. Same with Techcrunch50, I bet 99.9% of the entire population of San Francisco knows who google is, so why bother paying to have your logo at these shows?
- MarkFromIreland
LeWeb is the number one event in Europe, Google and Microsoft have supported it for years. Thanks to their help tens of startups get a huge exposure, funded etc. Entrepreneurs know it is thanks to Google, Microsoft and others. So yes, it is good for them.
- Loic Le Meur
from twhirl
I also agree with Dan on that piece. He makes a point that we wouldn't put up with it from anybody else, and all the fanboys are attacking him for it.
- Jonathan Kemp
@Sidharth the selective leakage only came about because the media would not accept the answers they were given. They chose the option not to disclose the info, but "journalists" and "analysts" wouldn't accept that. If you want to put the choice on Apple and SJ's shoulders you have to be willing to live with the results.
- Aaron Krug
Why should Dan or anyone else leave Steve Jobs alone, Jason? He's the CEO of a public company, and he knows that disclosure comes with the territory -- except that Apple fanbois think that he should get some kind of free pass just because he makes cool gadgets. Is it bad that he had cancer? Sure it is. But that doesn't change his responsibilities, or those of Apple's lapdog board of directors.
- mathew ingram
I guess that makes us even then, Vinnie
- mathew ingram
Mathew is right. Far too many people - even otherwise savvy journalists - are giving Apple a free pass. Vincent, Apple had two good options: stick with the "it's a private matter" line, or full disclosure. Number 1 would at least have been consistent, but number 2 would have been right for Apple's shareholders. They chose to do neither.
- Ian Betteridge
@ Aaron: Apple is the best company in the world at not saying anything to the press. The idea that this time they had to cave in because "the press kept asking" is, frankly, laughable.
- Ian Betteridge
This is reprehensible. There's no question that Steve Jobs is integral to Apple, and from a business perspective the company would not be the same without him there ... but COME ON ... have some respect. I had respect for Dan Lyons. It has just utterly evaporated.
- Cathy Brooks
from twhirl
Vincent, an awful lot of those "nattering dopes" are backing Jobs in this. Apple PR thought they could control the question of Jobs' health in the same way as a product launch. Surprise, surprise, they were wrong. The issue of Jobs' health will not go away until they put something on the record. Until they put something on the record, every time the guy has a cold the stock price will drop.
- Ian Betteridge
Vinnie, I'm neither bitter nor angry. Frustrated maybe -- by people's willingness to overlook anything negative that Apple does because they love the company's products. And regardless of what you think of the term, "fanboy" is a great way of describing that unthinking support. As for ripping Apple to get traffic, I've been writing about the company for 15 years -- when it does something good, I say so. When it does something wrong, I say so too, and usually get flamed by fanboys like you.
- mathew ingram
Jason, obviously Dan did not have Linux or OpenSource fallacies to print today..he seems to be dealing in fallacy printing for a living.
- Fred Grott
Vincent, if you're a stock holder of Apple, the health of someone who probably represents about 20% of its value IS your business. If something is wrong, and he doesn't say anything, he will be in breach of his fiduciary duty (his duty to preserve stockholder value). You *can't* keep a major illness quiet if you're a CEO.
- Ian Betteridge
What's more, Vincent, I think the fact that your first post was simply an insult aimed at Dan Lyons (who, by the way, will never read it) kind of robs you of the right to criticise Mathew for attacking you. If you want people to be civil to you, a comment which insults someone is not a good place to start. And ending it with an insult aimed at an entire country (small pond, indeed) isn't great either.
- Ian Betteridge
"You can't prove he's lying, so why not take him on his word?" You're missing the point, despite claiming you get it. Jobs has not said a single thing on the record about his health. Nothing. But Apple's PR team outright lied - remember that "common virus" which they claimed was causing him to be thin? Apple's PR team do NOT say anything without Jobs' so-say. That means he's authorised the misleading of investors once, at least.
- Ian Betteridge
What's more, Vincent, "way to succeed, Danny boy" is a piece of sarcasm. Sarcasm is used, commonly, as a method of being insulting. So yes, despite the fact you were "factually accurate" you were attempting to be insulting. Like I said, start off your discussion with that tone and I really don't have much sympathy if you get called a fanboy.
- Ian Betteridge
@vinne - i repeat - Neil Young is from Canada. @Ian - According to Wikipedia, sarcasm can also be used in a humorous or jesting way depending on the intent of the person speaking.
- leigh himel
Vincent, I love the "last time I'm bothering with you" comment. Plus the "wah wah wah I don't care what you think wah" at the end. Well done, you win the internetz!
- Ian Betteridge
how would you know it works if they are always on when you get near. I think Bill gates has something similar going on at his place, read it somewhere.
- Javi Guerrero
I like the idea sharing idea but, not so sure Apple could come up with a cost effective way of pulling off your idea. I read something the other day that if I can find I will post a link but it was basically the same idea using hardware already on the market available at electrical supply stores. Every electrical outlet and switch in your home could be retro-fitted with devices that can be radio controlled remotely or from one switch in your home at the door. Depending on the size of your home it would..
- Chris Conway
cost any where from $200- for 1500sq ft to $600 for a 3000 sq ft. This would also cover divices like lambs etc, stuff that is not computer oriented. I know every one loves there new iphones but do we need it to wipe our ass to.
- Chris Conway
Hey pcnerd37 - sign on up for Seesmic and come play!
- Cathy Brooks
They already kinda have this. It's called X10. I've seen this work real well with Bluetooth enabled phones too.
- Dustin Eichler
Sounds like an X10 type controller with an iPhone app to control the base station. There's power control stuff at http://x10.com but nothing that the iPhone can control. I like your thinking Kevin. Apple, make it so!
- Jim Bergman
I use X10 at home through a Perl program on CentOS (RedHat) called Misterhouse that I can control through my iPod's web interface. If you go on their mailing list you can see discussions about Bluetooth proximity sensing. MH is also available on Windows.
- Ernie Oporto
First time ive used seesmic. Loic..if you are out there..what id love would be a download all button where I could just get one long video stiched together of the entire conversation.
- Matt Brooke-Smith
Hoping to do more of these. Thanks all for posting your video replies.
- Kevin Rose
Great idea. My wife says this already exists but she leaves all the lights on all the time so go figure.
- Mark Mitchell
The only issue is when you lose signal power wise or signal wise. It either has to have a 10 min. delay or a way to tell the device you are home when your phone cannot.
- geekazine
Cool idea! One feature of this app is that if someone sneaks out of your apartment with your iPhone, you'll be notified by your appliances switching off!
- Todd Logan
I've been using X10 for several years, and while not quite as automatic as Kevin's idea I can call into my base station via telephone and turn on or off lights or appliances, open or close drapes, adjust thermostat, etc. Great convenience, and also fun to freak out housesitters while away :)
- jcunwired
First of all, GREAT IDEA! I love it! - Problem... This may be great for single peeps! If you have a family at home, and they are watching TV or whatever other item may be hooked to this device, and you decide to run to the store, then the house suddenly shuts down! Not good! There should be some sort of override capability! 5 Minute Countdown chime? - Something to ponder!
- Michael Johnson
There could always be sensors within rooms to detect animals, children, etc. That could solve part of the problem. Then you could also have "family" accounts where you could attach various iPhones and devices.
- Matthew Horton
I have an idea, more The Broken shirts at J!NX!!
- Adam Maldonado
Look out Kevin! The Patent Trolls are going to subscribe to this feed to leach off our thoughts to steal great ideas! Open forums are probably a bad idea for this! Although, I still love the concept! - I wish I had people in my area with the same drive for creation and entrepreneurship like you and I! It seems I'm among old farts and lazy bums! (In Florida)
- Michael Johnson
OMG what SUPERB casting. As for John Wright's comment about "unbiased" ... let's face it, at this point all but the most dense Republicans would likely agree that W's been a lousy impact on both the Republican party and this nation. Well, except for the delusional ones who still support the man I fondly call Shrub.
- Cathy Brooks
from twhirl
I didn't say I thought he was a good president. I just don't get my news from Hollywood. And the reason I don't like Bush is because he isn't a conservative. The government has grown more under Bush than any recent president, even Clinton. And that's saying something. Every time the government grows I have less freedom. We have less freedom in this country today than at any time since the revolution. And I only see more of the same with either of the two major candidates in this election.
- John Wright
Lets lay off the poli and say this movie looks like a fun night at the movies - along the lines of Dr. Strangelove and maybe a dash of Superbad...
- Roger @ CineVegas
I'll admit that I tend to use folks as filters - why I don't use a feed reader, actually. I get better passive advice on what to read thru FF and Twitter. Not everything that any one person writes is going to be spectacular - but when several people whose opinions I respect share something, it tends to be worth reading.
- Lucretia Pruitt
My information filter are my GReader friends primarily and then twitter and friendfeed friends
- Nikos Anagnostou
You are. You make it easy for me to understand the relevance and essence of Web 2.0 tech.
- Tokyo Dan
from twhirl
Who replies "me" is a bit arrogant, who says "you Robert" is too much deferent. Filtering is [or should be] a process, not a person. Isn't it?
- Markingegno - Donato
i would like to know it, because the information that i have are already filtered and i can't avoid. :D
- Felter Roberto
from twhirl
Why is it arrogant to be one's own filter? I read a lot of sites each day (both liberal and conservative, scientific and psychological, artistic and technological), compare points of view, consider my own views, and filter the information I receive accordingly. Should I trust others to do this for me? The real question is whether or not we are "open systems," capable of accepting information that counters our own viewpoints and beliefs.
- William Harryman
I think "filter" is the wrong term and it is leading to some "ick" responses. I'm with Harryman. Also, I see Robert as a connector (since he's analyzed in the piece), not a filter. Also, the degree to which Scoble points to things that I have an interest in changes as our respective interests and attention change over time. I find myself adding other connectors to my sphere of connection, although I still keep an eye on Robert. I think that is a social phenomenon.
- Dennis E. Hamilton
from twhirl
@William - I mean it's impossible for anyone to read anything is written in a day by millions of blogger. You can see only a small part of the tale. You have to adopt some kind of filters, being them human or not. From the other side, you can't rely on them, or on another person, neither he is called Scoble, :) you have to use your brain. My two cents.
- Markingegno - Donato
Experts in their respective fields. No-one can make sense of everything.
- Meryn Stol
I think it's hard not too hear the loud voices of the A-list bloggers and media-people. At the same time, information is only as valuable as when it can be put to practice. And that is completely up to you!
- Vincent van Wylick
Can't say that I have one. Depends on topic. Frankly with the incredible splintering of the content flood these days I'm learning to trust someone I hadn't listened to in a while ... myself. One's own gut instinct rarely proves wrong ... so if it sounds like bullshit, it probably is.
- Cathy Brooks
from twhirl
@ Markingegno - I get about 1100 feeds through Google Reader, and sure, that is only a fraction of the web, but it's a pretty representative fraction from news sites to blogs. Plus I browse FF a couple of times a day, and this is turning into another good source of information, but even here, I choose "friends" who post interesting content or links. So in the end, I am still my own filter.
- William Harryman
"In most online communities, 90% of users are lurkers who never contribute, 9% of users contribute a little, and 1% of users account for almost all the action."
- Hutch Carpenter
from Bookmarklet
I think you could apply those same percentages to society at large. Question; what's the tipping point that moves a person from one level to the next, up or down?
- Jack (a.k.a. Jeber)
Julian - "lurkers" speaks to the goals of a company running social media. You want participation. But as consumers of information, you're right. I'm learning, not lurking!
- Hutch Carpenter
Jack, he defines what each level is right in the article.
- Mark Trapp
actions carried out by lurkers (views, time spent per node, node entrance, node exit, etc) can be considered a form of positive participation if you're feeding the trending patterns back into your community. - [edit] - just saw it in the article, 'Make participation a side effect' aka 'read wear'.
- Graham Garland
I saw that, Mark, but the examples were internet oriented. When applied to real life or society, there are other tipping points. Some people's lives could be defined by those statistics. They are actively contributing to their lives about 1% of the time and spending 90% of their lives more as spectators than participants. Life's lurkers.
- Jack (a.k.a. Jeber)
Jack, it's not about "tipping points:" he's merely citing statistical data. In general 90% of users online don't participate at all, 9% participate but don't make it their main focus, and 1% seem to focus on nothing other than participating. Therefore, you're not getting a representative sample for user feedback when soliciting comments or methods that require participation. I think it's a stretch to take this data and attempt to discover life's lessons out of it.
- Mark Trapp
Old media: TV,magazines,etc. probably 99% lurkers. 10% improvement not bad.
- Mark Forman
We all lurk on most things, participate on some things. Last night, there was a good discussion about the safety and reliability of nuclear energy here. I have *nothing* to add to that, I was just as curious as anyone else. Lurking.
- Hutch Carpenter
"Wikipedia is thus even more skewed than blogs, with a 99.8-0.2-0.003 rule"
- Nicholas James
Wikipedia: "The encyclopedia anyone can edit, but you're really not going to, are you?"
- Mark Trapp
Why should we-and put all those wikipediaists out of a job?
- Mark Forman
@jbaldwinconnect: I like the term "audience," since it goes right to the heart of what they're there for. To observe, enjoy, and if they feel the urge they CAN interact but don't have to. Sometimes they applaud, sometimes they heckle, even if they don't get on stage. You can't have a theatre WITHOUT them. And why would you want to? Sometimes I think a lot of SocNet activists would like a masturbatory world where everyone's just acting for everyone else and no one's listening.
- Alexander Williams
from NoiseRiver
Yep, +1 Alexander. The performer/audience relationship is just natural. Well said.
- Colin Walker
from fftogo
Isn't it true of the world in general?
- Parth Awasthi
Personally, I think Ye Olde "Lurker" is perfectly apt. In online communities (as opposed to what passes for such in the Web 2.0 world), there is no performer/audience dynamic... there are people who define themselves and the community through participation, and then there are the those who prefer to observe the community without becoming a part of it.
- Roger Benningfield
Hutch: I'm not subscribed to you, and yet your name pops up in my FF flow all the time. So that pretty much confirms you're not a lurker in this space... having nothing to say in a specific "thread" doesn't change the fact that you're generally active.
- Roger Benningfield
Roger - there are times I lurk, times I jump in. And I just subscribed to you as well. I like the earlier comments regarding the need for people to just *listen*, not always *perform*. Nothing wrong with that. Lurking = learning.
- Hutch Carpenter
Hutch: Oh, I don't mean to suggest that there's some sort of moral imperative to participate. And there can definitely be a learning aspect to lurking... bit it can also be voyeuristic and detached in some contexts.
- Roger Benningfield
Someone who watches and observes is generally thought of as intelligent, open. But in online social communities they are "lurkers."
- Alex Williams
Imagine the noise if there was 100% participation.
- Morton Fox
Alex: Someone who sits in shadowed silence while observing the party is usually thought of as "creepy". :-D Again, context plays a big role here. I'm simply resistant to the recasting of lurkers as "contributors by other means" or the audience at a show. Lurkers all-too-often bring their own sense of entitlement to the table, and don't need anyone encouraging them to feel more important than they are.
- Roger Benningfield
This is an important point for any community strategy: how can you encourage the lurkers to participate easily? The "like" button in FriendFeed was made for lurkers!
- Erica Toelle
from twhirl
I disagree that people who observe a public community are sitting in "shadowed silence" and are therefore "creepy." I agree that they are not contributors by other means. Now, some silent observers may be creepy but they are a smaller subset of the community. Same could be said about contributors. A subset of that community may be quite "creepy" in their own right, too.
- Alex Williams
Erica: To me, the bigger question is, "do you really want to make it easy for people to participate?" I agree that the "like" link is a handy, non-destructive substitute for an endless stream of "+1", "first!!!", and other one-sentence contributions. But I'm not sure it would do much to forge the bonds of community.
- Roger Benningfield
i was thinking of passing on this one, not wanting to be the only counter comment - but hey, why not - doesn't anyone else on this thread find it ironic that inside the most progressive participation tool to-date (friendfeed) a thread is occurring around an almost 2 year old "article" written by the ui dinosaur that is jakob nielsen - his way of looking at online interactions was dated back then and it is still dated - anyway, i just thought it was ironic, i'll go back to my lurking now ;)
- mike "glemak" dunn
Alex: Again, I'm not saying lurkers are of any single character... I'm just pointing out that, depending on the structure and purpose of a community, lurking can have a very different feel. Honestly, I don't have anything against lurkers in general. I simply chafe at the emphasis that is often placed upon them when discussing community.
- Roger Benningfield
sorry one more - alexander has a great line above "Sometimes I think a lot of SocNet activists would like a masturbatory world where everyone's just acting for everyone else and no one's listening." - awesome
- mike "glemak" dunn
Mike: That only makes sense to me if we're talking about blogging or a service like FF, where it is entirely possible to approach participation as a fire-and-forget exercise. But in an actual community, you're usually talking *with* someone. Listening is kind of an important part of having a conversation. :)
- Roger Benningfield
roger: are you referring to my "ironic" comment, in which case i don't understand or my quotation of alexander's funny statement in which case i still don't understand - can you pls say what you're trying to say a different way?
- mike "glemak" dunn
Mike: Non-threaded discussion drives me ape-shit. (grumble grumble) I was referring to the latter... an "acting without listening" environment can really only take shape on a blog or a place like FF, where one can get by with one-way content production. Communities, meanwhile, host conversations, which by their very nature require that someone at least *pretend* to be listening.
- Roger Benningfield
I've heard the 80-19-1 split... but many communities probably are closer to 90-9-1
- Eric Berlin
roger: I think you and i define online communities differently - alexander's line was humorous which is why I pointed it out - possibly the joke did not resonate with you but it worked for me - have a good one
- mike "glemak" dunn
this is nothing new; it was true 20 years ago on USENET and mailing lists. Most people just don't have the motivation to be more than a passive watcher. not a bad thing.
- Chuq Von Rospach
Come to think of it, The Smurfs community follows this same distribution: 90 are Crowd-Scenes only, 9 Have a Name/Brand, and 1 is Female -- BUT THEY'RE ALL TEMPRA PAINT BLUE.
- Micah Wittman
some of the comments I saw before they got deleted were maybe harsh but they weren't personal attacks. they were about the quality of the show not about attacking you or shel. you just deleted every negative comment.
- Marcel Weiß
All comments except one sycophantic one was deleted. And that one looked like it was written by PR. I am really surprised. My suggestion would be to turn off comments. FastCompany is a censor? That's not something their PR people would like as a lead item.
- Frank Roche
To all the folks crying here -- Here is an idea. Create a better show you can. And please don't whine if your comments got deleted. Don't want to get your comments deleted - here is an idea - setup your blog, write a blog post on your blog criticizing to your hearts content. Nobody will delete that.
- Vic Podcaster
Is there any way to delete @vic's comment here? It seems overly negative and sarcastic.
- Frank Roche
This cottage industry that has formed around criticizing Robert and Shel is getting tired and worn. I think the people who are complaining are being disingenuous when they say they are just looking after SAP's money. No one seems to complain about the production quality of certain poorly lit loudmouths spewing in front of an isight. The censorship issue is clearly a red herring. I think someone is jealous of a couple of guys who actually have a sponsorship.
- Oldengrey (Jay)
The comments were attacks and were not constructive criticism.
- Robert Scoble
That's simply not true. I read the comments myself. They were hardly personal attacks.
- J T. Ramsay
Robert, please define "constructive criticism" as you see it. It makes no sense that some of those comments were deleted.
- Slobokan
@Scoble - you are normally pretty open about stuff. But your reply seems like a pretty lame cop-out.
- Tom Quinn
blackmailismylife: well, we judged them as attacks. There is, like Jay noted, a group of anonymous people who are just saying negative things about Shel in a way that's personal and attackive. I'm not going to put up with it anymore, at least on FastCompany.tv. Wanna do it somewhere else, like here, fine.
- Robert Scoble
Constructive Criticism: next time ask a question without saying "um." Attack: you're an idiot.
- Robert Scoble
Jay: that's cool. Comment policy is important. It's not that I'm getting it right. I used to be far more open to letting people post whatever they want, but I'm definitely changing my view to match what you posted.
- Robert Scoble
I used to run a pretty busy community driven website, and was continually surprised at the amount of time and effort people would put into fighting with each other over the most petty and seemingly innocuous things.
- Jonathan Beckett
Tony: we wrote a book together, are friends, and I like him a lot -- he's helped launch dozens of companies in Silicon Valley. Loyalty in life has served me well.
- Robert Scoble
Tony: well, there will be major changes to the show starting on Friday. I'd love to hear your feedback about how the show goes. Your feedback IS being heard.
- Robert Scoble
1938 should shut up and move on. This crap only gets press because people keep trying to create a scandal.
- Andrew Ruess
from twhirl
The expression "jackalling" is sometimes used to describe the work done by a subordinate in order to save the time of a superior. (For example, a junior lawyer may peruse large quantities of material on behalf of a barrister.) This came from the tradition that the jackal will sometimes lead a lion to its prey. In other languages, the same word is sometimes used to describe the behavior...
more...
- Oldengrey (Jay)
Trying to create a scandal? Naw, I don't think so. I think people are just concerned about legitimate comments being deleted from fastcompany.tv. It reeks of censorship from within, and it does not look good from the outside.
- Slobokan
Censorship is an issue here. Deleting comments after the fact is not a good thing. If you don't have a policy then at least have comments placed in moderation first so they never appear. The fact that they were public and then removed just looks bad.
- Tom Quinn
Only one of the negative comments was preserved in Google's cache, but I for one would have left it up. Yes, it included the statement "Shel...do yourself a favor and go away," but it did include a valid comment about having the subject of the video actually appear within the first two minutes of the video.
- Ontario Emperor
@Ontario Emperor: Just Googled the comment you mentioned. Reading the whole comment I can see why it was deleted. Have I read worse comments on say Digg? Yes, but let's agree it would have been fine for the person to leave their feedback that they wanted to see the guest Tim Ferris before 2:27 minutes into the show, sign their name to it, and leave it at that.
- Loren Heiny
Someone should setup a comment mirror site or a wayback machine of sorts for blog comments.
- Eddie Codel
Sometimes bad PR may be good PR and I wanted to watch the interview myself: But I have a question Is there a low(er) bandwidth feed available, preferably without Flash?
- Arnd Gronenberg
Lots of professional media sites remove comments for a number of reasons. I'm happy to review the comments again tonight, but FastCompany’s initial review (they were deleted by a team at FC) were that they were pretty classic “troll” attacks. Sites such as NewYorkTimes.com review all comments for personal attacks before posting comments and we have adopted a considerably more open policy than this. But we'll consider all suggestions as to how we should handle our comment policy.
- Robert Scoble
Mooney: that's not constructive. How would you improve them?
- Robert Scoble
You know who you remind me of? The U.S. Government, you subdue all dissenters
- Andrew Fielding
Andrew: really? I didn't delete your comment here, so that proves you are wrong. There are plenty of ways for you to make personal attacks on the Internet. It's just that we're not going to let you do that on our properties. That's what Valleywag, your blog, or FriendFeed is for.
- Robert Scoble
Mooney: I'll personally review your comments shortly, it's also possible our spam filter is catching some of them. A couple of mine are held in moderation too.
- Robert Scoble
I don't see the big deal. People need to stop hyping this up. Companies have a responsiblity to mitigate risk. Taking down hate speech, abusive language, etc. is not a bad thing. Scoble can use FF, and/or his blog to 'keep the conversation' pure if needed. It's not like FC is the ONLY place for a discussion to occur. 1938media needs to chill.
- Ryan
@Robert - this can be an important point "but FastCompany’s initial review (they were deleted by a team at FC)" - does that mean you and Shel (and I haven't watched, so I don't know) did or did not participate or direct the deletion? Maybe there should be some way to keep the comment, since part of it could be useful, and delete the personal attacks with [PA deleted by admin]
- Sean
Don't see what a lot of people are complaining about. FastCompany has every right to remove comments from their own site. If anyone is upset by this they can post their comments elsewhere. It's not like there's nowhere else to post such comments.
- Paul Grav
I think you may have coined the word 'attackive'. Nicely done!
- Seth Eagelfeld
As far as I see it, a blog author or company has the right to remove whatever comment they want if it reflects negatively on the site or the authors. Free speech is one thing, but it's another when you have someone's name and reputation on the line. I support Robert in the decision. Don't let the trolls bait you anymore.
- Haggis (Sean Loyless)
Thanks for posting the link - but your terms of service open to a blank page (checked on several browsers) and are on fastcompany.com rather than fastcompany.tv - there's no link at all on the fastcompany.tv site - how is someone to know what the comment policy is? Can anyone actually open the terms of service link on fastcompany.com??
- Matt Craven
There's nothing censoring you from saying what you want but, when you are on someone else's "turf" ..even if it is virtual turf..it's their rules. They aren't telling you that you can't speak at all or, you can't say something on your own space. They are just making sure their own site has the look and feel they are striving for. Otherwise, everything would turn into Digg or YouTube with comments. It's not "censoring". It's saying "Go somewhere else."
- Candace
Sean: Shel was not involved in deleting the comments. My bosses told me they were doing that and I agreed with them. So, the responsibility is mine, but there is a team watching the comments and deleting ones that aren't constructive criticism.
- Robert Scoble
Seth -- I'm wondering if there's a way to be constructively attackive or if being attackive is inherently personal and destruckive.
- Omar Gallaga
I wasn't making a personal attack, I was just saying using a politically charged analogy to say that I believe deleting anything other than spam or vulgar comments is something that shouldn't be done as it blocks the ability for other readers or viewers as it may be in your case, to see what others are thinking. I do however appreciate that you are taking a stance on this and looking in to it. I was going to say more but it seems that there is a maximum limit for comments on FF.
- Andrew Fielding
Strange, the Service Terms won't load for me. No 404, just no content at all. I value sites that remove nonsense comments and spam, but often find the legitimately critical comments the most interesting. The grey area, of course, is tough, and will obviously piss off people one way or the other. Sometimes the "x comments below your threshold" approach is worth the complexity. Let people see the nonsense if they really want to.
- David Sky
Think you could take a hard lesson from @garyvee - Leave everything up. Taking stuff down leads to harsh discussions like this. Leaving it up rallies your supporters and in the end leaves you better off.
- Mark Drapeau
Weird, I'm getting a blank page now too. I'll get the tech guys to figure that one out. Sorry. I think a server is barfing.
- Robert Scoble
Mark: good point, but this is a business site and we're looking for a different tone to the comment area than, say, you'll see on Gary Vaynerchuk's site, or here on FriendFeed.
- Robert Scoble
I guess I don't really understand why you folks think that you have some sort of "right" to have your comments--legitimate or otherwise--displayed on FastCompany's site. I'm not a big fan of the material, but I sure don't have any expectation that FC will "publish" my feedback, even if it is constructive. If you want free/open conversation, you have blogs, FF, twitter... lots of venues. Nobody's "rights" are being violated.
- Ken Sheppardson
@Scoble...if this was still your personal site with no affiliation with FastCompany, SAP or any other, would you have handled this the same way?
- ryangraves
At the end of the day, it’s the right of the owner of the blog to have whatever TOS they want. People have to expect that a more mainstream pub will have stricter policies than a personal blog five people read anyway, no? Still, that’s no guarantee because everyone runs things differently. (Just scan the crap on Huffington Post, YouTube or Breitbart and see that TOS mean jack there.) I’ve also seen personal blogs ban people for things like opposing viewpoints. Bottom line: It’s FC’s blog—it’s their rules.
- mtlb
I have to agree with Mark Drapeau. No matter what, it is just better to leave stuff up and let things run their course. If someone attacks and what not, they will slowly lose credibility, even if it doesn't seem that way. I do agree that having people post insulting things is never wanted. When you take an action though you'll always have those ready to pounce and try and discredit you, etc. Just everything in my involvement with online communities has taught me that. Delete dups and link porn lol
- Dean Clark
ryangraves: I've been deleting comments on my personal site too and blocking people here on FriendFeed. I've had enough of jerks in my life. I don't need to have them part of my life anymore.
- Robert Scoble
Ken -- I think it's because people expect guys who are covering Web 2.0 culture to approach it in a Web 2.0 way, not in a "We own this site and can do whatever we want with your (unnecessary) participation" kind of way. I think that's what's angering people. And given the potshots Scoble regularly takes at "Old media" I find it ironic.
- Omar Gallaga
@Mooney: what confuses me is why you or anyone would even want to insult Scoble. he does a very specific thing for a specific audience. he gets incredible access to great companies and people who open up to him because he is genuinely interested in them. that is a rare, valuable thing. he is not the most polished journalist in the world but i and many others are okay with that. i don't like airbrushed journalists who tick off the whos, whats, wheres and whys and move on.
- mike
Dean: I disagree with you. I used to agree. But then I look at how Digg has gone downhill and how YouTube's comments are totally worthless. Omar: Web 2.0 does not mean you have to put up with jerks or trolls. Sorry. If I ever gave you that opinion, then I was wrong.
- Robert Scoble
There's a fine line that needs to be established and enforced with any comment policy, but basically, anywhere you want to be a bully online, if it's not in your own schoolyard, expected it to get deleted. Robert, I think the problem here is that line needs to be more clearly defined.
- Paul Short
Andrew, philosophically i agree with you...but anyone who has run some kind of online forum or even blog comment section can tell you that if you let really aggressive, insulting comments become a regular thing, it can drive away the majority of users who would otherwise have a productive discussion. it's fast company's house and they can throw out whoever they want for whatever they want. that ability can be abused but in this case i think they did the right thing. especially since robert is talking here
- mike
I didn't see the comments, but I saw the video and I wish you had asked Tim more about BodyQUICK. I had to look long and hard to find the ingredients and then showed them to a Herbolist. She was very familiar with all the compounds, but laughed because the best of them would have been cheaply sourced and in minuscule quantities and the rest were fillers.
- paul mooney
Paul: I agree. I'm still trying to figure out where that line is too.
- Robert Scoble
Clearly, personal attacks ought to be axed but the line is fuzzy. I say err on the side of letting negative comments stay and address them head on. A negative comment, even one with a personal attack element, if properly addressed will usually do the trick, at least for the onlookers-- you will not sway the detractor, however. And like David Sky, I find the dissent worthy of notice, not negation.
- Joseph Ferrara.Sellsius
Joseph: I used to agree. But if you let unconstructive comments run rampant it just takes over the tone and things turn worse and worse. It's one thing to do something simple like "I sorta like what you're doing, and here's how to make me really like it..." But it's a whole nother thing to come in and just try to make people feel bad. One is a constructive conversation, the other is just "I'm here to make a political point and rip you down." Er, "I wanna be a jerk."
- Robert Scoble
Mooney: why trust a content site at all? Either you like the content you see there, or you don't. If you care about the stuff you see there, but would get a little more enjoyment out of it if it were a little different, then let's have a conversation about that.
- Robert Scoble
Might it be best to deal with this sort of situation by just following a policy of turning off all comments? I don't just mean on this post in particular, but blogs in general. Push the conversation to platforms like Twitter, FriendFeed, the commentator's own blog, etc. Everybody is free to say what they'd like to say, nobody's forced to provide a platform/audience for views they don't agree with, but yet the material/discussion is still out there for anyone who wants to see it?
- Ken Sheppardson
Should the presidential candidates each have to provide some amount of time, on their dime, at the end of their ads/speeches for the other candidate to respond?
- Ken Sheppardson
Ken -- that's a dumb analogy and I mean that in the kindest, most constructive way possible.
- Omar Gallaga
If people dont have the brains to make decent comments, or the balls to name themselves, who cares if they are removed. Robert - Shel, just keep doing what you do well guys.
- Scott Purdie
I admit it. I've deleted some blog and forum comments too as well as edited out foul language when needed--though I'm more likely to delete than edit. Editing doesn't seem right. I've also walked away from people that want to endlessly argue about one thing or another, hung up on sales reps calling me and thrown away unopened mail. Should we require everyone to attend to everything anyone wants to say to them?
- Loren Heiny
Mike, i have had leadership roles at forums and on large IRC channels and i know it is hard to police and I also know from experience that annoying and unproductive comments make serious people less enticed to contribute but I also believe that good constructive criticism that is not overtly complimentary has an important place in the discussion (comments as it may be) as well. From what i can tell, some of the comments that were deleted fit this description while others were clearly personal attacks.
- Andrew Fielding
...(continued) that obviously did deserved to be either completely deleted or have specific parts of content censored. .... on a completely different note, I thought FriendFeed had no limit to the size of entries, i keep running into the fact that comments are limited in lenght, argh.
- Andrew Fielding
I think you should censor this type of information. I think people at the moment don't understand why it should be censored but then if a personal attack occured to them, they'd want it removed so i don't know why people are complaining about these things.
- Nicholas James
@Nicholas James I've had personal attacks taken on me in various forms at various locations and I take it all in good fun, if someone is wasting their time to make a personal attack on me I figure that means i've done something well enough to garner their attention and make them feel that i warrant a personal attack, this is all about each person's individual philosophy and what we believe should be the presiding philosophy in this instance.
- Andrew Fielding
On my blog, I ask ZDNet to kill all personal and nasty comments. Those comments inhibit serious discussion among other participants.
- Michael Krigsman
I admin a large online community. You have to be very strict moderating and remove personal attacks immediately. You also have to be very consistent. Leaving attacks up for a long time and then taking them down is the probelm here, you have set the wrong precedent. I agree that personal attacks should be removed but you need to do it consistently from now on.
- Chris Paton
I don't thnk comments need to be constructive though. It's fair to say the videos are not very good without offering solutions (as long as it's said in a non-offensive way). I personally have enjoyed watching many of the videos. Scoble and Shel are not TV personality types, they are just two geeks interested in what they are discussing. If they are discussing something I find interesting too I don't mind if they are sometimes little too close to the mic.
- Chris Paton
@mooney - you said, "Robert: You do understand how horrible your fastcompany.tv videos are?" that is pretty insulting.
- mike
@Andrew Fielding - point well taken. didn't mean to imply lack of experience. just trying to make a point that you obviously already understood. :-) and yes the limit on comment size is frustrating....usually leads me to only putting one space between periods and the next sentences.
- mike
Robert: You are getting it right, especially in the charity you grant differing views. This is the Slashdot vs Digg argument rehashed. Discussion management is the factor which determines your target audience. Slashdot routes around this with their own elaborate moderation/sliding scale system which allows individuals to decide what level of cruft they wish to be exposed to. You are catching flak due to *all powerful* editors making that decision for the populous. A common gripe when editors decide.
- Matt Bidinger
@scobleizer Man, this comment thread is soooooooooooooo 2003 ;-)
- Hugh MacLeod
I agree with hugh... you should delete the whole thing and see how loud that makes the moaning and wailing! ;) Only kidding. Seriously tho... you have every right to say whatever you want on your own blog, FF, Twitter, and any other platform that allows you to say it. You do NOT have the right to say it on my blog, FF, Twitter, or any platform that I have control over. It's reality people. Learn to cope.
- Lucretia Pruitt
So what is the issue here? Pretend I'm new. Is this a matter of censorship vs freedom of speech? Is this a matter of personal attacks vs constructive criticism? Either way isn't that all best seen from the eyes of the person who has control to allow or decline those comments? No where am I shown that I am commanded to let people say anything they want on my sites.
- Mike Lewis
@Mike Lewis No. This is a matter of transparency. Fast Company seems to think they are above it. Hugh: Go back to the bar and shut the fuck up.
-
Simple solution - someone will register slowcorporationtvsucks.com (or perhaps even use the fastcompanytv name - it may be legally allowable in this instance). Only negative comments will be allowed. Verizon can sponsor to show that they "get it." Whatever "it" is.
- Ontario Emperor
from fftogo
Loren apparently thinks "transparency" implies some kind of obligation to provide a platform for racist fuckwits and their sock puppets.
- Karim
Wow, this is one of the most serious discussions on FriendFeed ... I definitely agree with Robert on this one ... I think everyone deletes personal attacks ... u don't need a policy ... it is a rule of thumb in blogging
- Nick O'Neill
J. Phil, okay, then it is me not understanding you can do video easily on an iphone and my team not having the bandwidth to do this yet, thanks for the fact checking
- Loic Le Meur
Loic, I think you mis-understood me. I don't know. I don't have an iphone yet. I just heard that video can be done on an iphone, which makes me wonder why apple hasn't done it 'officially' yet.
- Phil G
Just posted my reply via Friendfeed. Very cool Loic. This will change the game again. What's up wit pushing out new features on Sundays. Seems like lots of 2.0 companies do it.
- Brian Daniel Eisenberg
Brian, we had sent the code to our Friendfeed friends and they decided to push it on sunday. I like it ;)
- Loic Le Meur
Which way do I go? Right or Left! LOL Just joking! Very useful!
- Igor The Troll יִצְחָק
this will be awesome if it doesnt show in the seesmic main timeline
- adolfo foronda
adolfo right now it does show in the public timeline, we're taking that off in the next hours
- Loic Le Meur
from twhirl
Nice one Loic. Keep up the great work. You're doing a great job listening to your community. It's all about integration.
- Larry Kless
Loic. congratulations. The new player is great! Really a big step forward usability-wise. Question: if someone adds a video reply, does friendfeed get notified about the addition to that the post get's back on top of the friendfeed timeline. It would be nice if it did: bringing active conversations back on top is one of the nicest friendfeed features. Kudos again. Funding -> stability -> features = nice momentum!
- Edwin Khodabakchian
Loic, do we still have to pay 5 Euros for Cappuccino in Paris or do we get a discount if we tell them we know you? lol
- Igor The Troll יִצְחָק
Congratulations on this new development; Happy that Seesmic continues to grow and integrate with other socnets! : )
- Susan Beebe
It doesn't work with Posterous now. Is this because of seesmic's update?
- Shinya ICHINOHE
What are the chance of gettig that function in Twirl?
- Bart Mroz
from twhirl
Heh -- finally Seesmic works inline in IE7 -- can now unhide Seesmic posts (that doesn't mean I will view them but at least the option is there ;-) )
- Brian Sullivan
Edwin, yes, if you add your seesmic account to Friendfeed (like you do for all services) then you do a reply (or any new video) it will post it in your Friendfeed feed.
- Loic Le Meur
Hey Bret, I'm Cathy B at Seesmic. Would love to talk with you about partnership. You can find me at cathy@seesmic.com, I'm cathybrooks on Twitter or the old fashioned way at 415-250-2382. Hope to hear from you!
- Cathy Brooks
Cathy: will give you a call later today.
- Bret Taylor
Internationalization is still one of the most painful phases of every product I've worked on. Timezones, doublebytes, RTL, all those things remind me of unpleasant times.
- Rose
Drupal 6 has some amazing localization features that make going international a much less painful process for communities using that platform.
- Rob Safuto