Really good to see the trending stats coming out to support those in the early and late majority who need confirmation that this is real... - Chris Heuer via Bookmarklet
So Microsoft in the UK encouraged other people to steal photos, submit them in a contest and rewarded them for it. This is the sort of break in ethical boundaries that needs to be called out more widely. Microsoft should be forced to make restitution to all photographers whose works were used in the competition, and especially reward any of the photographers whose works results in awards being granted to those who stole them. - Chris Heuer via Bookmarklet
OK, so this is ridiculous - lost so many followers, which would be ok, but I also lost a few people I am following who I know are real people - no time to figure out who was lost though. Biz, Ev and Jack really screwed the pooch on this one. Its almost unforgivable. - Chris Heuer via Bookmarklet
Seems Twitter could use a backup service & easier-to-manage followers; too cumbersome and too dependent on them. I'd rather have some responsibility for managing my own data. - Roxanne Darling
do you mean the startup provides services TO social media/PR people, or it is a startup ABOUT social media/PR people? seems like too vague a question right now - Jeremy Toeman
The service is a SM tool for PR and Media pros - Jason Kintzler
Podcast and New Media Expo -- Great yearly conference dealing with integration, monetization, and measurement of success using social media tools and new technology in small to growing businesses http://www.newmediaexpo.com/ - Glenn Batuyong via twhirl
i'd hang in the halls of TC50 and Web 2 with a laptop. if the tools work, you'd think you wouldn't need an event, right? :) - Jeremy Toeman
Very true. It's more about where I can get some quality coverage and exposure - Jason Kintzler
NewComm Forum would be one, very informative and intimate feeling, accessible presenters, lovely Santa Rosa, California atmosphere. I haven't been to SXSW yet, but it's the next big one I'd like to attend. - Cathryn Hrudicka
My personal experience is that unless the startup is enterprise-focused, there's really no point in attending (let alone sponsoring) big events. Just hang in the halls with plenty of cards and a laptop to show what you do to anyone who would listen, that's perfectly enough. - Svetlana Gladkova
also look at New Comm Forum with SNCR.org - Chris Heuer
I'm saying a special thanks to those who have voted for me for Social Media Club Board's #42 http://twurl.nl/2v3f28 Really passionate about helping SMC grow! - Cathryn Hrudicka
we (and me especially) learned a lot here - got some momentum, got people more engaged and now we are getting to work... - Chris Heuer
You can have mine, as I'm not getting one. - Paul W. Swansen
@John Frost: 3rd party sites like ColorWare (http://colorwarepc.com) will do that if you send them your phone (or wii or computer or whatever). I got a painted iPod long ago from them and the paint wore really well. - Andy Tinkham
funny how people outside, however smart they are, interpret one experience, or past experience and push it on outsiders - there are certainly social media people who are also MLM folks, but I dont personally know any or associate with any - they are on the "bad side of the tracks" in our village - Chris Heuer
Social bookmarking has become a great way to promote any site. It can be such a tedious pain though, to manually submit your URLs to all those social bookmarking sites on a daily basis. Would not it be nice if there was some kind of automated software that you could use to submit your URLs all at once and would only take 5 minutes out of your day instead of an hour (or more)? Well, of course there are a lot of software options out there, but from a little research, I have found BookmarkingDemon to be the best for your wallet. It is an application that will automatically submit your links to social bookmarking sites. - ChaCha Fance via Bookmarklet
dagnabit! @gregarious I told you that the idea behind Xtagging was a strong one...good business model too - charging people! what a concept! - Chris Heuer
I Never heard of them but their traffic is over 2 million so I am a bit surprised I have not until now. Why did you bring it up? You work with them or are thinking about joining and just asking? - Roger Kondrat
One of our members at PitchEngine asked the question in the forum. I'd never heard of them either. Here's is the link to their site http://www.ibnma.org - Jason Kintzler
a correction here, I know Paul Chaney who just took over as President to revitalize the organization and Jim Turner, one of the founders of SMC Denver is also on board - Chris Heuer
Des Walsh, a friend in Australia, has mentioned them to me several times. He is on one of their boards. They are getting a lot of traffic and growing attention. If they have people with the credibility of Des continue to be involved I look to them to be an ethical and important voice. - lonnie b hodge
How do I edit the wiki to add my name to the list of attendees? It's asking for an invite key. - Hao Chen
Guess Memphis didn't make the cut! D'oh. - matt ceniceros
the tour coincides with Mashables Summer Tour which is why no Memphis. Social Media Club will be bringing more unconferences and social media workshops all around the country to a town near you over the next year... - Chris Heuer
“ Anyone have an example or case study of social media/networks used for advocacy in a community for health care, environmental, labor or construction issues?”
"from the article "drawing more attention to stuff that is only of interest to a tiny minority of a tiny minority. It's not even of interest to most bloggers, just a subset of Twitter users"
apparently it is of interest to him enough to make a mainstream media case out of it - perhaps seeming like the MSM is trying to paint an interesting picture of social media in light of 'attack of the bloggers' ala forbes eh?" - Chris Heuer
So they looked at tumblr, said, "Perfect! But let's get rid of signing up!" and voila, posterous? - J. Phil
How does it determine your vanity domain? By the sending e-mail address? That'd never work for me as I never give my actual e-mail address to any website. It's part of my zero spam measure (and, yes, I get absolutely no spam and have for many, many years). - Akiva Moskovitz
great, i got my own name there - another extraneous social appendage to look after... - Chris Heuer
@Akiva - You can set up a gmail account and register. You are assigned a temporary URL and can create your own 'vanity domain' after registering. - Rex Hammock
Thanks for the suggestion, Rex. This fits in with what I normally do: create an alias account on my mail server and use that. And now, for no real clear reason, I have http://akiva.posterous.com. - Akiva Moskovitz
It's pretty nice. I still like Tumblr more though. - MG Siegler
Posting from the site doesn't offer the opportunity to include photos that I can see. I'm with MG. Using the bookmarklette with Tumblr is still easier. I can link to a site while there instead of having to open my email client. - Jack Carlson
Gary Tan seems like a nice guy. That's a plus. - K Welch
Neat, but considering how I just got hit by a spammer spoofing my Gmail to blast a few dozen people, I'm leery of the no-setup model. Going through the signup is easy but defeats the purpose - what major blog service doesn't have post by e-mail now? - Garrett Guillotte
No future, for this app, it includes Comic Sans in text style options; Comic Sans is evil. - marcantonio severgnini
Hey Scott, thanks for the tip on Posterous. So bloody easy. - Marc Johns
Does Obama know? He still thinks we have 57 states. - Michael Tefft
Michael, that doesn't work anymore -- you can't turn this around. I usually don't go for these gotcha questions, but the price of gas is a huge issue, it hits everyone. I remember very well the first time I paid more than $4 a gallon for gas, and I'm finanically well off, I can't imagine what it must be like for people who are just getting by (I've definitely been there myself, many times). You can be sure that if Obama didn't know before he does now. - Dave Winer
The guy is lazy. What, he doesn't ever look out the window of the Straight Talk Express. The price of gas is advertised everywhere. I could understand not knowing the cost of a gallon of milk (though he should be up to date on that too). Presidents have to keep a lot of information in their head, it's a complex world. It says a lot that he can't be bothered to understand the most basic thing about the people he's trying to sell. In some sense we're defined by this today. - Dave Winer
This reminds me of when George Bush, Sr., visited a supermarket and didn't quite get the concept of scanning product bar codes. I fear that too many politicians are so out of touch with the realities of life for normal citizens that their judgment is warped. We must always be wary of people so thirsty for power that they forget the realities of life. - Mark Dixon via twhirl
Aren't there enough things to attack McCain on without distorting the facts? The question put to McCain was "When was the last time you pumped your own gas and how much did it cost?" McCain's response was "Oh, I don't remember. Now there's Secret Service protection. But I've done it for many, many years. I don't recall and frankly, I don't see how it matters." Not remembering what the price was the last time he bought his own isn't the same thing as not knowing what the price is now, is it? - Ken Sheppardson
Note I'm an Aussie - and prefer OB to JM, so be kind. But I also prefer fact to spin. In this case it looks like it depends on how the question and answer were interpreted. McCain was asked when he last pumped gas and the cost - he said he couldn't remember and didn't see how it mattered - that doesn't necessarily mean he doesn't think the price matters, it just means he only answered the first half of the question - about when he pumped gas. Easy trap for someone to fall into. - Craig Thomler
No Dave, I am just tired of you and your friends always taking cheap shots at McCain and Bush and NEVER having anything bad to say about Obama.. And you can't seriously infer from that question, even if the source is telling the truth, that McCain is not aware of how the price of gas is affecting people. Give me a break. - Michael Tefft
Candidates are under tons of pressure to come up with answers to some pretty arcane questions (Sunni/Shia, names of world leaders, etc.), and I am sympathetic. But this is their chosen profession -- both the governing AND the campaigning. If they are not able to answer these questions, then they are not getting their jobs done to satisfaction. Period. I live and work in China, and I am not quite insane enough to drive myself around Shanghai, but I still have a pretty good idea what my friends in the US are paying for gas and milk. McCain will just have to laugh this gaffe off, like Bush Sr. did with his "I'd like a grit, please" boner. - sage brennan via twhirl
The question was not "What is the price of gas?" It was "What was the price of gas the last time you pumped it?" It's not the same thing. You and I remember the price of gas, because we filled up within the last week. Do you remember how much you paid for gas six months ago? Quick... without looking it up! - Kenneth LeFebvre
(Oh, and I absolutely don't like McCain, either, so I'm not particularly looking for any reason to defend him... :) and I do think a good politician could have answered that one much better than he did.) - Kenneth LeFebvre
Michael, it's okay to feel that way, but you're wrong to direct your anger at me and my "friends." Do you think a football coach ever goes into the halftime locker room after a losing half and blames the other team's fans? He wouldn't have a job much longer. He'd probably be fired by the third quarter. :-) - Dave Winer
Kenneth, I thought that at first too, but I actually read the interview and he did get asked the price of gas. - Dave Winer
And to answer your question, I don't remember the price of gas six months ago. But the question was what's the price of gas TODAY. That, I know. It gives me a stomach ache. It makes me feel we're headed into the crapper as a country, that we're not at all ready for what's ahead. But I know what the price is cause I pump it into my car. - Dave Winer
Yea. I am going to agree that this question/answer does not really equate to whether or not he knows that gas costs 4.00. It does however show that he is out of touch with what Americans are doing each day. The next time the SS is fueling up his car, McCain should get off the phone and pay attention to the people and the pump. - Sean Brady
I agree with Kenneth and Ken. It was a trick question. The question was what was the price of gas the last time you pumped it? McCain explained why he did not remember, since the secret service will not let him pump it. The question was not what is the price of gas now? If you have to distort and twist the meaning of questions and replies that is pretty sad. - Michael Tefft
Hey Dave, I know this is a bit of a cliche but why is there such an uproar over Gas prices in America? In Europe, particularly in Britain, we pay over 2.5 x as much as you do per gallon. Your gas is cheap, sir. - Mark
You can overcome the cocoon in which the Secret Service surrounds you. I'm sure President Bill Clinton knew the price of a Big Mac... - Ontario Emperor via fftogo
Shades of King George Bush the First at the grocery check out - Michael VanDervort
Dave, since you obviously have blinders on I will reprint the question." When was the last time you pumped your own gas and how much did it cost?" Where does it say what's the price of gas TODAY? McCain explained that he had not pumped gas in a while due to security measures so he did not remember what the price of gas was the last time he pumped it. Try reading the article again without your obvious political bias. - Michael Tefft
Mark, the big issue is the rate of increase in the price of gas (in US dollars, which is how we pay for it). Gas costs twice as much now as it did in early August 2005. In late August 2005, I was shocked to pay $2.60; yesterday, I was pleased to pay $4.41. - Ontario Emperor via fftogo
Does anybody have a link to the original column in the Orange County Register? I'd like to see the original before judging. - Leo Laporte
Hah! That's very clever. I didn't see that. But... The right answer, imho, is "I haven't pumped gas myself for a while since the Secret Service won't let me, but I do know that we're all paying over $4 a gallon today, and that's hurting a lot of people, now let me tell you what I plan to do about it..." followed by some pandering about a tax holiday. Anything else comes off as "Let them eat cake." - Dave Winer
That's simple... McCain is an idiot. He doesn't even know how to use a computer either! - Jeff McCord
Ontario Emperor: That's a good point actually, this surge in price has come to America over a couple of years. In Europe the high prices are the result of over a decade of gradual tax rises. Fair point. - Mark
Oil is going to hit $209 per barrel by Q1/08- this is the future market predications. No amount of pondering can change this.wheeling and dealing that is going on. Oils is the base commodity for War Machinery..now go figure !! - Peter Dawson
This is a result of the 80's. We deregulated the oil industry and banking. Now we have refined products that are way over the top and a banking industry that is in deep stuff. One of the major arguments at that time was that if we deregulated those areas, we would have the problems we have now. The chances of getting them fixed now....Zero! - Dave Rutter
That's right Peter. The CEO of an airline or car company would know the price of oil and gas at the pump, all grades, probably up to the minute. In many ways these guys are speculating on the price of oil. Okay cut the Prez a little slack, maybe he only needs to know the price of oil at the weekly or monthly level. Not knowing it at all, that's incompetent beyond belief. - Dave Winer
Mark, sir, it's because our economy is (somewhat foolishly) built on the assumption of cheap oil. Even we were smart we'd still have a problem. Look at the distances. How much oil do you burn getting from SF to NY vs London to Paris? There's no comparison. We *need* cheap oil not just cause we're lazy and didn't prepare, but also because of geography. - Dave Winer
I buy gas once a week and I barely know how much it is where I pump, much less the nationwide average. That said, being such a huge issue he should probably know it off the top of his head so he doesn't seem out of touch. BTW, I am an Obama supporter but I don't think McCain is an idiot. And I don't think it matters than an 80 year-old man doesn't know how to use a computer. Know many smart 50 year-olds who just don't care to learn. - Adam
Sorry Dave that is not clever, that is how the question was asked and how McCain answered it. If the reporter wanted to know if McCain knew what the price of gas was today why didn't he simply ask him. No, instead he couched it in terms that could easily be mis-interpreted , as the reporter obviously hoped it would be. BTW, hindsight is 20/20 - Michael Tefft
He's clearly not an idiot. He does this kind of interview well. Much better than when you put him behind a podium. - Dave Winer
BTW, each thread in FF is kind of like a mini-Twitter. - Dave Winer
I wish we had your kind of problems in Germany, where we pay $3.50 per liter (about a quarter of a gallon). *sigh* - Alexander Kucera
So, let me ask: How much is a gallon of gas? - Mike Lewis
To the people that question why Dave is McCain bashing.... being from a rather Republican minded family I can tell you my inbox is flooded daily with anti Obama mail, most of which can be quickly disproved with a visit to snopes.com. Yet these email quotes always come up in our Bar-B-Q political debates. I find it refreshing to find some anti McCain stories which are at least TRUE, that I can forward on. Although the question was phrased badly I think Dave is correct with his answer above. - Kevin Shannon
it doesnt matter to him he has donors to pay for it - Fuad Arshad
Even though I am a Obama supporter, I hate it when the press twists individuals statements. I am sure McCain knows the current average price for a gallon of gas, you cannot run for president and be an idiot at the same time. - Kyle DeFacis
We are actually paying around $3.89 on average for regular. I feel sorry for the poor truckers who are paying way over $4.00 a gallon for diesel. Have you seen how high food prices have gotten in Hawaii? People are actually being priced off the islands. - Michael Tefft
Just one example of how detached the leadership of this country is, and not exclusive to any one party. But really sad for someone running to be president, his people should tell him every morning the state of a massive issue facing the nation. - Tom Carroll
It's discouraging that McCain doesn't know the price of gas. (Splitting hairs that McCain was referencing the last time he pumped it is a s t r e t c h.) But here's the real problem. This is one of the most important issues for voters, so as a candidate for POTUS, McCain and his campaign should know this question is coming, is important, and know it cold. It shows a general lack of understanding, planning, vision and strategy - and THAT's the problem. - AJ Kohn
first of all, the straight talk express is retarded, but thats another matter. secondly, i agree with the aussie, its not about being out of touch 'last time i pumped' really doesn't matter. the crux of the matter is that we've been drunk on cheap fuel for years and consume way beyond our means. cheney's insane 'conservation is a virtue' is doubly quaint... - tommy payne
AJ. But he plainly wasn't asked that question. The reporter obviously stated the question in an intentionally misleading way. I wonder how many politicians in DC know how much gas costs. Do you think they pump their own gas? This was a survey of one, a real useful gage of McCain's grasp of the issues. - Michael Tefft
Reading Comprehension FAIL... where's that new block feature so I'm not tempted to feed the trolls anymore? - David Knight
Hey David, what trolls are you referring too? Don't see any on this thread. - Michael Tefft
He said the same thing about computers, too. Sigh. - Robert Scoble
McCain's comment about not seeing that it matters, is just as bad as him not knowing the price. - Alex Hammer
I didn't see this earlier when I wrote my own post on McCain's comments. I think he knows the price of gas, or at least he knows that it's rising at a ridiculously high rate. That's not the outrageous part of what he said. The part that should piss every thinking voter off is that he doesn't have a clue as to what impact that has on normal people who have to deal with gas prices doubling in six months and the attendant price increases in other areas. Out of touch..that's the message. - Karoli
The problem comes in another, staggering set of government numbers. (Economists argue about the validity of using these numbers over long periods, but they capture the sorrow of the situation.) Get this, friends: from 1947 to about 1973 — from the days from the great Harry S. Truman to the great Richard M. Nixon — real hourly pay for nongovernment workers rose by about 40 percent. The peak year was the one before R.N. left for San Clemente in 1974. Since then, real wages both hourly and weekly for all nongovernment workers, on average, have fallen by about 5 percent, very roughly. As I see it, the problem is not the price of oil generally. (I think that the price will decline somewhat before long, but the long-term trend is very much up.) The problem is the stagnation of wages. - Will DeLuca
Wasn't McCain asked when he last filled up as opposed to the current price? Is it news to us that celebrities don't deal with day-to-day stuff the same way we do. I don't like it, but it's reality. He probably also doesn't cook for himself, pick out his own clothes or apply his own stage make-up. We don't orient campaigns to do-it-yourselfers. - tim
we are putting together a post on the responses and some additional thoughts today - please chime in on this one. some leading contenders: attribution, disclosure, transparency, crossing the line, lack of respect, dishonesty, black hat tactics, trolls - Chris Heuer
Tough call. Attribution is a problem for sure, but (sadly) lack of respect seems to be on the rise. Hope this is not too late to be useful.... - Abby Martin
An interesting perspective on one of the latest buzzwords, "conversation". Marketers should realize that it's not a conversation if they are the only ones doing all the talking. - Paul M. Banas
For some reason this makes me think of the "push me pull you", an animal that went opposite directions of itself- conversation is a collaborative push and pull- marketing that pushes without looking at what's being pulled is the ridiculous animal I just mentioned. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D... - Brian Carter
have also received some good private messages on this concept, though a few friends are wondering why I have a problem with conversational marketing, which is kinda funny - Chris Heuer
