Goldie Katsu

Eric does not need business cards - just Google the man! - Matt Hartley

oh man, use dropcard or something! - Faboo Mama

i normally use moo.com but not on this short notice...i should also ping the tokyo crew about their thoughts since the card thing is SO part of biz culture. - Eric Rice

Someone mentioned awhile ago to hook up a Nintendo DS and pictochat your info to them :P You could do the same for a PSP (I think it was Alexander Williams who said it). I want that personally. - Candace Holly

Honestly, I don't understand this card thing. I was beaming people with palm pilots 8 years ago. In fact, it was considered RUDE to have business cards when I went to infrastructure conferences. - Christine Cavalier

@Christine, i work in telecommunications and i've run into situations where handing a biz card is a huge faux pas. beam it or forget it is what i've been told. - Faboo Mama

Of course, how do we know what can be beamed or not, what's compatible or not. I wouldn't even know how to transfer between a treo and iphone or blackberry and nokia... and i'm like from the FUTURE n shit. :) - Eric Rice

so... years ago Palm had the biz card beaming feature. I remember loving it. Where did it go? How did it fall out? - Michael Hussein Markman via twhirl

its bluetooth, don't the smurfs in our phone just make it work. i used to have a PPC6700 and now i have an instinct. I've never had a problem beaming anyone anything, except when I was in vegas and my phone would not pick up or receive data from the iphone user standing next to me. that was the only time in the past 5 years that's happened.. - Faboo Mama

i think the other point i'm making is that i can't even recall having run across the need to do this, much less, even know *how* to - Eric Rice

I know this doesn't help you for next week, but if it is an important contact, in the future perhaps use a branded flash drive w/ your contact info and sample of work? There are a few sites like this out there: http://www.usb-flashdrive.com/... - tagami

Uh, why? Because Shel's a man and Kathy's a woman? They're both victims! Shel's getting bullied, and somehow he's the one who is under attack for not having a sense of humor about it. Sorry, but I still smell waffles. - l0ckergn0me

shel doesn't do victim well enough, but you're right, if he was a woman, different story, and it's a double standard - Duncan Riley

Seems like some weird "mean kids" high school feud. Tiresome. Might be swingin' shel's way tho. - Jay Tannenbaum

Maybe. I think that Shel's target demo isn't the cool kids, anymore. Loren's better at playing politics, and he's backed by Mike. You don't get much more political juice than that. - Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins

Nothing to see here, move along. - Z-lot

I don't want to be put into some kind of "pro Mike and Loren" camp, but to compare what Loren is doing to Shel with what happened to Kathy is stretching things all out of shape, I think. Loren is "taking the piss," as the Brits say, and that is directed at Shel and his professional skills, not him as a person. It's on the edge, as most satire is, and arguably is mean-spirited, but I still think it's qualitatively different. - mathew ingram via fftogo

very different situations, threats of sexual violence intended to silence outspoken women carry loads of personal and social historical weight. using a puppet to say a man on camera is silly is going to hurt feelings but it's different by so far that it's a different phenomenon. like pointing and laughing vs punching some one in the face. plus l.f. is such a dickface that few people want to challenge him. that's what i think. - Marshall Kirkpatrick via fftogo

come on Shel... I don't know you. but the puppet I know. think what Seinfeld did for the soup nazi! who is KAthy? and why doesn't she have a puppet? - AnotherⓃⓄⒶⒽ

I'm not a "pro" either side here, either - merely pointing out that (personally or professionally) Shel doesn't like it. Period. End of story. The last thing anybody should tell him to do is "lighten up" about it. - l0ckergn0me

I still smell waffles. The blogosphere is accepting these attacks, but not others?! It makes absolutely no sense to me, personally or professionally. Or, let me put it to you another way: how would it make YOU feel if YOU were on the receiving end of this?! - l0ckergn0me

what's the deal on the waffles? waffles are good. this situation is not. - Justin Whitaker

OK, I will take the obvious approach. Kathy was being attacked and threatened on her blog. Loren's videos are just an attempt at poking fun. Granted someone should come to Shel's defense a little, but the situation is much different. - Rob Diana

I can see how it could be funny until Loren made it personal.. Personal attacks from one person to another are not funny. - Ian D. Nock via twhirl

I heard that Shel was mean to Feldman first. That's what you get. - Michelle McCormack

I don't think Shel needs anyone to come to his rescue. But Loren has crossed from parody to meanness. I also disagree that it's just about Shel's professional skills. Seems rather personal. - Chris Baskind

Interestingly, I think this is probably the first time I've seen an attempt by Robert Scoble take a side in the issue. Not that this is a bad thing. In fact I'd probably act the same way - staying distant and siding with no one because everyone involved are friends (and in this case a co-worker). - trextor

It's all a bunch of idiotic crap. Someone trying to make a name for themselves by attacking someone else, instead of acting like an adult. Low rent. - Andru Edwards

It's not like he's Daumier or something. Let's take the videos out of it. How about twitter? Pretty personal stuff about destroying Shel. And calling Julia a whore. Let's get back to the double standard. Is chivalry completely dead? Creepy. - Jay Tannenbaum

Loren's behavior is wrong and it should stop - enough harassing of Shel already. Loren seriously needs to get a life already...gees - Susan Beebe

@Michelle McCormack Um, you heard? that's some solid ground to stand on. @l0ckergn0me i think the problem is that you used the Kathy Sierra incident as a comparison. It's not the same. However, Feldman's a bored bully who's getting lots of attention, so he'll keep doing it. It's the oldest story in the book. I don't know Shel, but I'm sure he doesn't deserve the personal attacks. I can understand his being upset. After all, this could start costing him work, and it does get really annoying after awhile. - Chris Cavs

I'll bet Loren can't go on this way for long and still do work for CNET. Then he'll lose work and we can all gossip about that. - Jay Tannenbaum

I saw one vid and thought it was funny - but i agree it shouldn't (and doesn't have to) be much more - weblivz

@Michelle McCormack started it! what a professional world we live in when the rules of the playground count for acceptable behaviour. We have to realise that we all have people we do not like, people we do not get along with, even people who hate us, but that is not for the public realm, we should maintain a professional stance in our dealings. The moment you direct your efforts to kicking people down rather than making yourself better, is the day when you kick yourself down and are poorer for it - Ian D. Nock

THE PROBLEM is not Shel Vs Loren, its us- the blogosphere, we love to stick our nose into it yell "blog fight" !! We are to blame for adding fuel to fire.. they are adults, let them sort it out , rave, rant and kill each other verbally. However Bloggers are like pit bulls .. bite onto the jugular vein at the smallest chance !! - Peter Dawson

Shel? Loren? Who are they and why should I care? Is this the geek version of the east/west coast rap "war" from back in the day? - Queco Jones

I couldn't force myself to watch that video all the way through. It was boring and moronic.Not sure why anyone finds it entertaining. If Feldman was trying to imply that this is how Israel's videos are, perhaps Feldman should be aware that I didn't find that to be much different from the incessantly pause-ridden vitriol I've seen on the three or four other videos I could bear to watch (before deciding to pretend he doesn't exist). The major difference was there was a much cuter critter doing the shouting. - MiniMage LightBlueRanger

It's pretty disgusting. High school on a grand scale. Why do people have to be hurt to create humor? - Francine Hardaway

That's the root of most comedy. and highschool drama is the root of most of the blogosphere's interaction. - Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins

My motto has been "insults from idiots should be taken as compliments." At the end of the day, it just shouldn't matter what others think or say about you if you're doing the right things. It's not fun, but smile and say "I never did mind the little things." - AJ Kohn

Shel isn't taking near the beating that Feldman is giving poor Julia Allison. I don't take anyone's side in any of these debates and find the puppet amusing, but if there's any outrage/crossing the line I think it's Julia Allison and not Shel that would have the beef. - JonathanJoseph

I predict this behavior will be mitigated starting Friday. - Jay Tannenbaum

I think the two situations are enough different that it is hard to know if there is a gender treatment issue going on, a different attitude about what is "just deal with it" kinds of attacks (it is a year or two later - we may be less sensitive), or a matter of being able to relate/laugh at Lauren and being more shocked at the attack at Kathy. So could be waffles, could be just too different. - Goldie Katsu

Really nice ad lib voice your son uses at the end there. I want to wake my boy up to say hi to another kid :) - ishak

thats adorable - Tyler Gillies

I think one can be multiply Rckrolled and even other type rolled and each is equally an event. - Goldie Katsu

I prefer the BigButtRoll myself, which is a mashup of Rick Astley and Sir Mixalot. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v... - moo Money

Of course there's also the MuppetRoll, which Selserene lists as a favorite: http://youtube.com/watch?v=3Ad... - moo Money

Particularly with Brightkite, they force you to search for a location before you can check in. That threw me for a loop. Why can't I just say "This is where I am?" Why do I need to search for it first? - Mark Trapp

bright kite has a number of issues before it's ready for prime time. one that gets me every time is the performance of its sms interface. if you search for something in your area to do a check in, you may well be gone by the time brightkite comes back with the results of the query. FAIL. - sean808080 via twhirl

@Mark, I beleive the search returns results that can be placed on maps vs. you typing whatever you want and they trying to figure out where you are. - Tsega Dinka

Tsega, sure, but why not let me say "This is where i am" and do what Google Maps does: if I type something it doesn't understand, it says "Did you mean this?" Right now, the only cue of where you're supposed to check in is a microscopic question mark next to "You have not checked in" that tells me I have to do a search first. - Mark Trapp

Um..yeah I had exactly the same reaction. I couldn't figure out how to set my location. I still find it clunky. When I was trying to do the company lookup the first time I fought with it for 30 minutes and finally gave up and manually put in the information. I now know how to but...um I use this kind of stuff regularly. If I can't figure it out there is something wrong. - Goldie Katsu

Well, she's one step ahead of me... I haven't signed up. :) - l0ckergn0me

Thats the reason I have not seen that site after I signed up!! - Jigar Mehta via bTT

<yawn> yeah I feel her on this one </yawn> - Mark Forman

I think the most "beta" part of beta releases is the UI/how to portion.Most techies don't know how to talkie. - Mark Forman

was just thinking of how much of a bkite noob i am. they have complex sms codecs to learn. - Brian Daniel Eisenberg

I disagree about holding hands when services are still in beta and invite only. I would expect a released version of a service to do better. Getting an invite and being a early adopter comes with some strings - broken software and no manuals are usually at the head of the list. - Doug Brooks

None of this stuff is prime time until it can be properly sold to the masses with a DUH. Also, Brightkite (which I do actually like) isn't the only one here, we could probably list the services that run on geek assumptions. - Eric Rice

I'm sure other people have similar rules, but my rule is the 10/10 rule: the user must grasp how to begin using your software within 10 seconds, and must be able to use it without supervision or help after 10 minutes. Granted, advanced things might take more time, but they should have a working knowledge of how to do day-to-day things in 10 minutes. Any more time, and it's back to the usability drawing board. - Mark Trapp

@mark t: i like that. beta or not, user friendliness should be in the top five of the list. - edythe

10/10 rule ftw! - Mark Forman

Yeah, I really do like bright kite, the idea an implementation is great once you get past the how do I get info in here? I spent more than 10 seconds looking for a check-in button. - Goldie Katsu

Eric - your wife is a savvy Web 2.0 app user. Start-ups that fail to clearly guide the user with a nice, simple straight-forward walk thru on the 1st login to introduce them to their app are missing a huge opportunity to demonstrate the key features of their product. If the user doesn't see these features they will NOT see the *value* in the application and the will not use it. Attrition rates are much higher for apps where there is no up-front training on the 1st login. - Susan Beebe

Usability testing is the solution. Sit some people down in front of the screen, ask them to perform a task. Sit back and watch. Its amazing how quickly you find out that what you thought was obvious, is completely missed by everyone. Doing a Beta release in and of itself will not solve UI issues. - Kevin Shannon

Does anyone have a spare invite to BrightKite available? - Joe Dawson

Joe, email me at mark@itafroma.com and I'll hook you up. - Mark Trapp

even after you try and use it, I find it still fails - Jonathan Greene via twhirl

@Mark cheers mate! - Joe Dawson

Brightkite.left me too wondering why I was wasting my time - AnotherⓃⓄⒶⒽ

I like BK, but when you are in the exact same location for a few days, it's kinda retarded, conceptually. - Eric Rice

Eric, yeah: I've been wanting to use it in earnest for the past few days, but... I haven't gone anywhere. - Mark Trapp

It's as much as "why should I use it" as "how do I use it." - Leo Laporte

BrightKite was alittle hard to figure out at first, but once you get the hang of it - it's a pretty powerful social feature. I don't really have any friends on BrightKite but using it hand-in-hand with Twitter is great. - Aaron Myers

it's only interesting when you check in away from home/work. it would be especially interesting to see places within a given geographic radius where the most people have checked in. geographic serendipity. also, hopefully, they'll get this working with gps - rob zand

So far, I like it. It's a little tricky to figure out at first, especially posting from the web site using my blackberry, but I think I've got it. The problem is, I haven't gone anywhere since I signed up. :) I'm interviewing for a new job with about 50% travel, and I'm thinking it'll be a lot more useful then. - ha3rvey

The one thing I do find interesting with it is doing a search for a place where you are going, have been or are curious about and see the activity there. - Delete Me

signed up for it, used it a couple times, but too much of a hassle to keep telling it where i am. my friends can txt me or twitter me for "where i am" info. - Chris Harris

BK is quite boring when I'm just going from home to work and so forth, but when I go places work or vacation it's kind of cool. I do have issue with the foreign place names being in the local language, such as when I'm in China, I get all china symbols. Being that I'm not a manual reader, it took some time to figure it out, but I got it going after a bit. - clarke thomas

Well, Eric proposed the idea recently that the motivation to use social media had a basis in the desire for popularity - which he felt was the predominant motivation among users. I argued that other reasons - social change, basic need for expression - were also significant. That got me thinking about how digerati see *themselves* in relation to their followers. Creating content that amuses creates popularity and an audience. An audience has difference needs than a public. - Mel "VOTE NDP" McB

I think it's a pretty fluid situation. Sometimes we see others as an "audience" to entertain, other times we are all just talking with (or at) each other, and it's more of a conversation. On the level of an individual post to a network, it can sometimes be hard to tell which is which. - Jason Wehmhoener

I agree about the fluidity. But I do think we ought to call attention to this difference - if social media is going to be understood beyond the current purposes of amusement and status. - Mel "VOTE NDP" McB

I agree that so called "influencers" do little of substance. Social media just isn't a very expressive medium for meaningful influence. It can scale to the level of conversation, and not much further. If you really want to change behavior on a large scale you need the full force of art and/or journalism. Social media just isn't capable of that level of meaning at this point in the game. - Jason Wehmhoener

I see people who attempt to use social media to "influence" beyond the level of interpersonal communication (attempts at "broadcasting") as essentially very "spammy" in terms of communication quality. I tune it out (even when it comes from people I otherwise respect). - Jason Wehmhoener

no one is gonna comment on your shit unless you are popular, one needs the other - Anthony

Anthony, I think your use of the word "shit" is quite apropos. The more "popular" you are the more likely you are producing shit. Precisely my point. There are a great many people with little to no audience producing content of substance. That they lack an audience says zero of the insight of that content but that they are merely unheard. That they remain unheard depends on the kind of change I'm asking about. A shift from audience to public. - Mel "VOTE NDP" McB

But is your link the "influence" or is the destination itself the thing doing the heavy lifting? Put it another way: do I need your social media link in order to find the relevant cultural meaning, or would I have encountered it another way without you? I would propose that the more relevant the message is, the more likely the latter is true. - Jason Wehmhoener

The most relevant posts are ones like this. Very little real information, but lots of speculation. When FF becomes more than just geeks talking about friendfeed while they are on friendfeed, and more about intelligent people discussing world issues relevant to everyone. as well as nerdy friendfeed talk ( which i obviously enjoy) more people who live lives not on the internet, but in the world that you have to touch a doorknob to see, relevance will trickle down - Anthony

Can't you engage and activate an audience through being amusing? Use humour to open up someone's mind and get them thinking? - Abby Martin

Here's an example: I feel that this 12 part documentary about "Garbage Island" is highly relevant content: http://www.vbs.tv/shows.php?sh... I've now shared it with you. who is more relevant, me with my link, or the journalist in the Pacific Ocean with a video camera? - Jason Wehmhoener

I want to hang with smart people. - Robert Scoble

Abby: this is an excellent point. Great and persuasive communication is not distinct from entertaining one's audience. It is not only possible but of course advantageous to use all tools available to you to engage. My point is one of amusement for its own sake versus *engaging* viewers/users into something beyond a passive audience.Thank you Anthony - great points as well! - Mel "VOTE NDP" McB

relevant, if that leads to popularity so be it...I just like chillin with information at my finger tips - Julian Baldwin

Julian: you are correct to point out that popularity is not divorced from relevance. But the question is one of motivation. Do all of us wish to merely amuse (our selves and each other) or engage/interact. I LOVE the amusement factor of social media but I also feel it is historically unprecedented opportunity for social interaction that could have profound consequences - if only we view it as something beyond a toy or tool of narcissism and gratification. - Mel "VOTE NDP" McB

I am with Robert -- social media since the time of nntp and mailing lists has been about learning( I think that is what he is implying). If you are here to entertain or to display your relevance you will surely fail. - Brian Sullivan

Entertaining my audience is the way I have chosen - this is one way to activate your audience. - Marco Sascha Sven Hoppe via twhirl

I'm totally here for the connections and discussion: outside of a philosophy department, I haven't found very many places where so many smart people are discussing abstract and complex issues with some meaning and depth. Those are the people I want to talk to and hope to work with. The social media celebrity isn't as much an influencer as a person who gets trends right with higher frequency than others, or can bridge the gap between social media people and everyone else in the world. - Mark Trapp

this concept that Web 2.0 and it's stepchild social media will do anything to change our world "socially" or otherwise is a crock. It is PR for a movement trying to remain relevant - Steven Hodson

Melmcbride this is something i've been grappling with for over a year -- technology advances rapidly, human nature, not so much. It strikes me that what is being labeled "social media" is not much different at all (in terms of how it's used) than the online communication tools that were available 20 years ago. Many more people have access and there are many, many new tools, but at the other side of those tools are...humans :-) - Robert Seidman

I entertain and educate MYSELF. That appeals to some, not to others. I won;t ever be A-list that way, but frankly I don;t care that much. I need to do what I enjoy. - Soulhuntre via twhirl

"the motivation to use social media had a basis in the desire for popularity - which he felt was the predominant motivation among users." Poppycock. I'll stick with the third option - interaction with others who share similar interests. - JodyUnwired

I don't know why I'm here. you people just suck. I suppose I was hopiing to share my art... but the MailOurMilitary horde and all the nasty Leftist crap has made that completely pointless. when I say BITCHES... I mean it. it isn't fun anymore. I think I like drawing better. this online stuff has no effect on elections, just elitist stuff like primaries. ur wasting ur time. change the world by coming out of ur elitist leftist online life, not wasting my time with ur farts - AnotherⓃⓄⒶⒽ

Steve: and that movement would be, I presume, progressives who aim to engage in active citizenship - as opposed to passive consumerism of corporate culture and entertainment? I've heard this line before and I don't agree. Enormous changes have been brought about via participatory media - and social media has the same potential. Those who dismiss this potential do well to reinforce a culture of cynicism, hopelessness and apathy. - Mel "VOTE NDP" McB

sharing art is very different than passive amusement. Art is very much a form of ENGAGEMENT. - Mel "VOTE NDP" McB

Internet used to be IRC, nntp, MLs... wasn't it social? Of course, it was! And now, what do we see? Coachs, socialnetworking advisers, specialists, A-listers, High scale bloggers that help you blog better, websites making money on things like "Top ten css menus... TOP 25 tricks to drink water..." Will this crap stop someday?? - directeur

@melmcbride the day that social media or anything Web 2.0 for that matter does anything substantial to change the living conditons for an increasingly large section of *our* society I might rethink that statement. Sure we can get all warm and fuzzy about hopping online and donating a few dollars for some foreign relief flavor of the week but where is the social pressure to hold our governments responsible for the disaster our own society is becoming. Never before have we seen such a disparative seperation between people as we are now and it isn't getting any better - the rich are only getting richer while the middle class is making reservations for their place in the poverty line. If there was any real promise of "social media" being able to effect change why are people still homeless after Katrina .. why are food banks a growth industry. Sorry but social media and changing the world aren't communicating very well together - Steven Hodson

"social media and changing the world aren't communicating very well together" you've got that right Steven. - Mel "VOTE NDP" McB

Steven, I don't the situation is that bleak. In large part, it's changing the way politics are played in several countries. In our country, Barack Obama won, in large part, due to his ability to engage a younger constituency, through social media, to vote (young people voting is like getting a kid to eat is vegetables) and to contribute. Most of his contributions were done online. - Mark Trapp

If you can use social media to engage and inform large swaths of the population by merely the virtue of "look how easy this is!" you've done a good day's work. And you are starting to see that now. Not as fast and transformative as the 250 may make it out to be, but it's definitely significant. - Mark Trapp

Mark, and if McCain wins in November..then what? - Robert Seidman

@melmcbride: to answer your question: I'm for something else: Learn and Help. I'm not here to entertain, or engage people... I'm here to learn and help in return... That may seem idealistic, but I guarantee you that the Internet used to be, and still is, like this in many other places than the new social platforms... - directeur

social media couldn't be as popular as it is if everyone were in it for popularity. For most, I would argue, it is about connecting and being heard, or even the possibility of being heard. - Zach Landes

Robert, if he wins, it'll have the same effect. You are already seeing him change portions of his campaign to emulate Obama's. And it's not about the short term here: the success of the Obama campaign, even if he loses the general election, in his ability to raise money and tap a large demo that previously refused to vote is going to influence campaigns to come. Heck, even Obama's campaign is influenced by Dean's fundraising (done primarily through his website and viral media), and Dean lost spectacularly. - Mark Trapp

We DEFINITELY need threads. Remember? these kind o things that forums have... :( - directeur

@Mark I don't mean to be facietous but how does this helps the Katrina victims or the homeless or the unemployed due to government policies. Sure Obama learned how to use the new tools of the web but it still remains to be seen if he isn't just another smart politician who learned how to successfully dupe another medium of communication. Social media being the world wide phenom that it is suppose to be (which is debatable) can't be attributed I believe with effecting any social change anywhere. Sure the Cuban might be able to buy computers now but that doesn't mean they can *freely* access the web. The Chinese might be flooding the web with people but it is all under the supervision of the government. Darfur is still a hell hole where innocent people are dying. Yup this social media is just the rat's ass isn't it. - Steven Hodson

Please don't get me wrong folks, and If I'm wrong, I'm really sorry in advance. But you're just off topic here. Sure the problem is the tool we're using, we don't have threads or private msgs... I suggest opening new comments clusters, but you may as well invite me to leave... - directeur

Steven, if you focus on the short term ills of the world, I agree with you. Reporting the Sichuan earthquake on Twitter didn't do anything for the millions affected by it. What it does do is highlight to people who would otherwise be uninformed about a lot of issues. Obama may be a slick politician, but even if that's the case, you now have a bunch of people engaged in the process that previously weren't. Take a look at the Wright scandal: Youtube brought that to national attention. - Mark Trapp

Steven, I agree with you for the most part and I like how your input/posts always bring me back to reality :). On another side of it, I believe social media has the potential for greatness. It allows few to speak to many and anything that can do that is definitely a medium for positive change in the world, I just don't see anyone using it in that manner. - Rah™

Steven, changing the way people look at things or involving more people in the process will change things, for the better (hopefully), as time goes on. It's progress, not a revolution. - Mark Trapp

To answer the original question, I personally want to be popular, but I want to be popular because I provide Value in everything I create. I hate to overuse the word, but it is what it is. - Rah™

Ah! The original question... - directeur

@Mark I'm sorry but I think you've been drinking too much kool-aid. How the f*ck is Katrina victims or the homeless children in any major city a short term problem? as For any and I mean any disaster that happens in our world doesn't need something like Twitter to bring it to the masses. Our whole media culture is based on the publicity of disaster and death so you can be certain that CNN will be on the scene televising it. I think we are blindly placing too much value on an extreme small segment of our communication world when we believe that Twitter et al is going to be our social savior as we move forward. - Steven Hodson

@Rahsheen - it's not that I don't believe there isn't any potenital but I really wanna puke when I see catch phrases and high minded ethos being trotted out as the great end all and be all that will save our asses. - Steven Hodson

@Mark .. hell I'm not asking for a revolution (I'd be happy with a half assed eveolution) but I think we are a very long way off from anything close to social change because of what we do in a very very small section of cyberspace. - Steven Hodson

Steven, my apologies: I did not mean to offend by calling it a short term problem. But I think you're being too focused here: social change doesn't just affect natural disasters. Social change can bring corrupt governments down; it can provide better education, it can bring cultural changes. You focus on issues that, yes, were huge and were going to be covered by the MSM anyway. But you miss things like the cyclone in Myanmmar, which the outside world learned about, in large part, due to social networks. - Mark Trapp

Debate this thread in real time (if you wish) in my chatterous room: http://www.chatterous.com/land... password: orwell - Mel "VOTE NDP" McB

You also forget about things like the Orange Revolution in Ukraine and the Rose revolution in Georgia, where many demonstrations were organized using social networks. Heck, I'm going to go out on a limb and say even Friendfeed is effecting social change in Iran: do you think the large Farsi community on Friendfeed (and Twitter) would be able to converse as such without the support of social media? - Mark Trapp

@melmcbride and risk fragmentation the discussion? Nevar! (: - Rah™

Steven, I agree with you: me, you, and everyone in this thread dictating social policy from his or her armchair are a very small portion of the population. But it's a snowball effect. We recommend or show these services to others we know. They show it to others, and so on and so forth. We're not making change happen, the people 5 or 6 steps removed are. - Mark Trapp

But I do think, Steven, that the only way to get those tools out there to the very smart people who are too busy effecting change than to play around with Plurk is for people like us to test them out, see how they work. We're the first roadblock. - Mark Trapp

@Rahsheen Porter : It's allready almost off topic... I've said it many times, but no one seems to care... - directeur

directeur: how is a discussion about the relevancy of the original dilemma off-topic? Steven brings up a great point: it's a potentially false dilemma being proposed. I don't think that's the case. One of the great things about conversing with other people and having a complex discussion is that people like Steven will bring a completely different take on things and make you rethink your starting point. - Mark Trapp

I'm not here to change people, engage them or entertain them. I'm here to learn and help. Isn't social media a place for me? So please when people _ignore_ my voice, they'd better stop saying "we" - directeur

@directeur - sorray about that (I think it started getting lost when I replied :) ) but this warm and fuzzy stuff gets me a tad bit cranky :) - Steven Hodson

I basically want to share my thoughts and ideas. Publishing them helps me to bring those into focus. I hope that they are mostly relevant to those that might see them. However, I don't hit the post button if I feel the integrity of the message is compromised by my emotional state or if I feel that I am being too brutally honest. I do find value in influencing those that can effect change better than I am positioned to do. I don't have enough free time to be popular. - scott anderson

@Mark: Maybe it's the tool, maybe me or you, I don't know... But we disagree and I'm feeling ignored... I told you that Obama it's not the topic, and I am right. Read the question melmcbride asked - directeur

Re-read what I've written. Obama is an example used to illustrate a point. You don't seem to like it very much when people think in different directions than you, and it tends to be very clear in what you write. Because of this, yes, I'm actively ignoring your comments in lieu of an ability to outright block them. But thanks for taking this completely off-topic. - Mark Trapp

Mark: No ad hominem arguments please... You have your idea about me made since that first discussion we had about "trolls"... So, you're free to ignore me, but not to tell that I seem to be such or such for it's simply none of your business. I've never insulted you - directeur

You made a statement and I confirmed it. You are feeling ignored because you are being ignored, and what I said is the reason why. This is silly. Discuss the topic in whatever you way you want to, directeur. I'll move on to other discussions. - Mark Trapp

@Steven : no problem at all :) - directeur

@Mark : and so you'll be too dear... You don't desrve my respect. - directeur

I have to be both. - Eric Rice

That's a forum, though. Things don't stay on topic. Comments don't stay on blogs. And you can't control it. If you try, then you've defeated the social in social media anyway, and turned it into a lecture. - Cyndy

I'll just answer the question honestly....I do it to be popular....it just never seemed to work well with my podcast etc....so I don't do it as much as I used to.... :-) - Bob Bichler

Social media and social networking services can lower the barriers to participation. But it's up to people to figure out the best ways to use the technology and to get others interested. More generally, lots of stuff to unpack in Mel's question - popular to whom? Relevant to whom? Why must popular and relevant be a dichotomy? - Steven Kaye

Steve: you're right, this need not be a polarity but it served the purpose of getting the discussion going on the basis of those, apparently, different motivations. I don't question that much of the content that may be intended to amuse also serves to inspire discusssion. But I do wonder about the constant sharing of material that is ONLY intended to amuse. And the notion of "audience" versus "participant" - Mel "VOTE NDP" McB

Interesting concept. I'm not sure that I'd ever give up the management of my personal brand to anyone, no matter how good they are. - Mike Doeff

Not sure if he needs one ;-) he rocks all by his amazing self! - Susan Beebe

Your selling yourself short man. Scoble's never gonna break out of his very limited uber-geek niche appeal. Put that effort into managing brand Eric Rice. - Rob Safuto

Rob, I don't think it's as easy to manage your own brand. Outside eyes are needed. That's why brand managers exist. It's like designing your own biz card or web page--- over and over and over and just not getting it right. But for others, oh hell yeah. Cake. - Eric Rice

unnecessary - agree w/ rob go w/ brand managing yourself ;) - mike "glemak" dunn

An objective eye can help a lot, even with an awesome brand. And who would say I want to manage x's brand if they didn't already have something going. - Goldie Katsu

Goldie: It's like a car needing a tune-up. Fine tuning. Not totally Michael Caine/Steve Martin in the movie Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Just gotta move the train off the track for a second to inspect and assess and tune. - Eric Rice

I think there's definitely a lot of value in Eric Rice being a facilitator for companies to enter the social media or gaming space. Help a company that's not on the inside to get in and do it right. - Rob Safuto

@Robert Scoble so you don't have a personal assistant yet? ;) - Simon

Eric: you're my R&D department. :-) - Robert Scoble

Robert: Be careful what you sign, or you might have to go as "The podcaster formerly known as Scoble" until the contract's term expires. Then again, some of the fringe unicode characters are pretty cool looking... - Kevin Fox

@Simon I offered him before than you - If it was an offer :-) - Erhan Erdogan

Eric your mind is a weird and wacky place... - Britney Mason

I think he needs an entire agency :) - Devlin Dunsmore via twhirl

Yeah, we have really entered the world of people as person brands. - Tris Hussey

@Tris I really love the idea of person brands. In some way it validates my obsessive-compulsive urge to grab my username everywhere ;) - Andrés David Aparicio via twhirl

@Tris Like a Beckham perfume - I want a "21 inch Scoble LCD monitor" : ) Will you buy it like me? : ) - Erhan Erdogan

Heh, I'll take the Scoble brand RSI wrist support strap. ;-) - Jason Wehmhoener

Dunno-Scoble is interesting as an antenna, you're interesting as a transmitter - Mark Forman

Scoble is one of a kind...and you are comparing him to other products? - Luke Harvey-Palmer

Eric, I think you have lost it. Can you imagine trying to rein him in to stay on message? - Cyndy

All kidding aside, I had this kind of problem to a degree for a while. For a while I had about 12 blogs I wrote professionally, plus my own personal one. It got to the point where I had diluted my brand. I couldn't say what "my blog" was, or what I blogged about. I had to pull back, focus, and learn to manage "my personal brand". - Tris Hussey