Blogosphere Updates

Jason Calacanis Quit Blogging Altogether
The internet is a fascinating place. It so rules the day for a certain subset of humanity, while many more others have yet to really dip their toes in. This week, we are seeing a dramatic shift in how we communicate online, why we communicate, and how we can be both transparent and in control at the same time.

Jason is the CEO of Mahalo.com, a human powered search engine. He was the co-founder of Weblogs, Inc. with Brian Alvey, and the GM of Netscape. Weblogs was sold several years ago and was one of the key markers putting "blogging" and "business" next to each other on the map. In Jason's own words:

Today the blogosphere is so charged, so polarized, and so filled with haters hating that it's simply not worth it. I'd rather watch from the sidelines and be involved in a smaller, more personal, conversation.

Blogging Still Makes Sense for Business
Meanwhile, most companies still have not even started to blog, and if you read this blog, you know there are many reasons why blogging can help your business. So to Robin Graf, General Manager of the Wyland Waikiki Hotel, who just started blogging last month, I ask please don't quit! There are literally these many vast mini-cultures that co-habit the internet space. Count me among the many who want to know what it's like running a hotel in Hawaii.

What do we do about the trolls, and spammers, and haters?
There are w-a-y too many of them online for my pleasure. I do a combination of setting up filters and rules, followed by exercising my ignoring muscle After 16 years of working online, it is herculean!

My favorite rule is to simply post a comment policy, much like the one Scoble et all were discussing on FriendFeed. Moderating or editing or deleting comments used to be a sign of wimpiness. No longer. It has become a reasonable policy for avoiding the negative underbelly on the internet. I have stated on my YouTube page:

We share beautiful scenery, original Hawaiian music, and lots of Aloha and positive energy. Lame or rude comments will be deleted.

Starve these suckers of a platform and they will go away. One of the people on a friend's paddling team sent a terribly nasty email to her coach, and BCC'd the entire team of 40+ paddlers. People that is not how you use email. IMO she should be banned from the team, at least for this season. And yes, now the club probably wants to have an email policy.

It's really pretty simple, when it comes to blogging and business.

Be curious before critical. Add instead of subtract. Manage your manners.

Do that and you'll be welcomed just about everywhere.

Why (text-audio-video) blog? A sample of one.

There is so much frenzy about video blogging these days!  And like most trends, there is incredible presuure and lure out there for people to jump on the bandwagon. It’s human nature 101: when someone finds something they love, they want “everyone else” to share the love too. Alas, it doesn’t always make sense.

Whether it's people pushing iPods or Bibles, the urge to evangelize is one powerful urge!

Jeff Pulver responded to Dina Kaplan's suggestion to "Do a Video Blog" with a sober and IMO realistic perspective:

This all said, working with video does require some level of full-time commitment and care and is more "work" than just putting together one's thoughts for a text blog on any given Saturday afternoon.

And Robert Scoble has a useful list of video blog considerations that is both inspiring (no, it doesn't have to be perfect) and yet practical (good sound matters). Devlon at Loaded Pun also weighs in, pointing out the grass roots power of this medium. It feels like something we the people are just not going to let go of! Video is so much more compelling. Remember all those arguments you've had, wishing someone had documented it with video, to "prove" your version of reality?? Well, now you can.

A Study of One:

Here is my history with (text/audio/video) blogging.

Even though I love to write, I so far haven't become a great blogger. I don't have much of the snoop and gossip genes that I think help make a great blogger. I've had many blogs, starting back in 2001, but none really stirred my pot.

Then I got excited about audio podcasting, because heaven knows I love to talk to people. But that didn't really stick either, tho not for lack of ideas. It seemed cumbersome and I wanted to write it out first, but didn't want to take/have the time. Me alone with my microphone in my office where I already spend too much time? Nahh.

Then along comes videoblogging, and I have truly found my home. It feels so natural to me. I love it, though it is considerably more difficult and more time-consuming than blogging or audio-podcasting. Especially since I choose to do my Beach Walks with Rox outside in the elements, every single day, generating content from my my own little heart and mind. Go figure!

As a consumer, I often prefer to read as I can get so much more in, in a short period of time. I love it when a/v podcasters have show notes as that helps me decide whether or not to go further. Even if I don't have time to listen/watch, I can still engage in a relationship. I am very loyal to the podcasters who "speak to me" - something I cannot yet define. But I won't wait for an ad that most MSM requires before it will show me their video. Especially when I have to wait several seconds for anything at all to begin to play - as all the ad-click tracking makes its database calls to report on my behavior.

But back to my original point, seems to me there are plenty of us who are seriously inspired by video on the internet and we can back off everyone else. I like that old AA practice: attraction not promotion. If it's as powerful as many of us think, it's only going to get bigger. You've got plenty of time to jump on this bandwagon. As for me, I have so many show ideas I can't sleep at night!

videoblog,roxanne darling, beachwalks, von, scoble, pulver