So I’ve went on about all the cool things I’m doing lately but haven’t actually revealed anything. There’s a reason, however invalid that reason may be.
I’m taking it a lot slower this time, as opposed to jumping into something while totally unprepared. I’m getting all my ducks in a row, making a list, checking it twice (/badanalogies)
No sense in going belly-up before learning to swim. (ok, I couldn’t resist ;-))
NEW YORK, (PRWEB) February 13, 2007— Wikia, Inc., (http://www.wikia.com) the leading provider of community resources for building free content on every topic, today unveiled three new communities for entertainment, local and politics, in a move designed to significantly enhance the ability of passionate people to collaborate online. (Continue…)
I’m going to keep my eye on this company and space for a while.
Quick! What’s the first site you think about when you see the phrase “user generated content?”
You probably thought of a blog network or social networking site, like MySpace, a popular dating site or Forum, right?
Well, Wikipedia was doing the user generated content thing years before many of those sites were launched, and doing it very well.
Keep an eye on that company. They’re not just innovators, they’re pioneers in the space. Watch and learn.
A few days ago I found a story on Techcrunch that showed a screenshot of how WalMart’s new online video store was borked for anyone using the Firefox browser. There was much speculation in the comments over there and from other bloggers that it was a design flaw, but now we get the real story, straight from the horse’s mouth.
The screenshot to the right is what loads up when I use Firefox to access the site now. There are also reports today from other bloggers that people trying to access WalMart’s site using Mac and Apple computers are getting a similar message…
I’m using Windows XP on both my computers and only open the IE browser out of necessity, like when accessing a Microsoft site to download OS updates or patches, etc. But it’s out of necessity.
For a company to shut out a percentage of it’s customers who like to choose what brand of computer or software they use is just idiotic.
It was only this morning I was looking at the flyers I got with my Sunday paper. I’m looking for a new TV. Not a cheap one, but one that will end up costing about $1500 with taxes and delivery. There were a couple nice ones in the WalMart flyer… but I think I’ll buy it elsewhere, like from a more forward-looking company with a site that does not exclude me as a customer.
I have choices. I like choices, and that’s what I choose to do.
Will WalMart go under because decide not to buy my TV there? Nope. My $1500 means nothing to them in the grand scheme of things.
Click Here to get Firefox for free from Mozilla.
The Times is reporting that companies who post fake blogs and reviews under false identities could be “named and shamed” or even criminally prosecuted under new laws going into effect in the UK at the end of the year.
Hotels, restaurants and online shops that post glowing reviews about themselves under false identities could face criminal prosecution under new rules that come into force next year.
Businesses which write fake blog entries or create whole wesbites purporting to be from customers will fall foul of a European directive banning them from “falsely representing oneself as a consumer�.
Although I can see enforcement of these new rules being a bitch to deploy, I think it’s a good move on the part of lawmakers. Looks like they’ve been folowing the lead of bloggers and communities who “out” people and companies for misreprenting themselves by using shadey marketing tactics to get exposure.
I don’t like the way the Times did their own headline for this story though. “Fake Bloggers” is not what the new laws are about. It’s shadey marketers who’ll use any means necessary to make themselves and their company look better to get more exposure. Fake blogs and blog posts are just a small portion of the tactics at their disposal.
Will there be a law against misleading or fake headlines too?
Chris Clarke over at the Blog Herald has an excellent post up on how PR people are still getting it all wrong when contacting bloggers. PR: Only As Good As Our Weakest Link. He talks about how some PR guy practically spamed his blog with an off-topic, cut-n-paste press release snippit.
I’ve had my share of bad contact with PR people as well.
Last August when I still owned Gadgetizer.com, I got an email via the contact form from a rep from an iconic PR firm. When I say iconic, I mean, these people handle PR for the US department of defense. At any rate…
The email read simply “We have a client who may be interested in advertising on your site. Could you please send along a media kit.”
So I spent half the night updating ad rates, creating a spiffy PDF package, researching the firm and putting together 3 custom advertising packages I thought may be a good fit, etc. I did my ground work because an opportunity to deal with such an affluent firm and their clients could have been extremely profitable, especially for a smaller tech blog.
So I send off the package via email. They replied to set up a conference call.
About 30 seconds into the call I discoverd they were not interested in paid advertising at all, but simply wanted me to write an article on the blog about their client.
My reply was less than professional, one they probably still cringe at to this day… but no less professional than dangling a possible lucerative ad contract in front of me just to get me on the phone so they could pitch their client to me in hopes of free coverage.
They flat out lied to me. Period.
Here’s the deal, PR guys and gals: Be up front. If you want bloggers to write about you and your clients, just tell us. Read our blogs, get to know us and above all, don’t try to deceive us.
Walmart, famous around the world for their flyers where clothing models are “Daughter of Angela, sales associate” or similar, must have hired “Stu, son of Ed, icemelt applicator” to design their breakthrough new movie site.
Michael Arrington over at Techcrunch has a nice screenshot of the carnage.
Hmm. It DOES say the site is BETA though…
