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Matt Mullenweg on CNET–insight into a Web 2.0 genius and pioneer

May 15, 2007 By 1 Comment

Jim and I consider ourselves lucky to count Matt Mullenweg as a friend. Over the past several years I’ve had the chance to talk with Matt over dinners etc and every time I learn something new and am even more amazed by him.

Who is Matt Mullenweg? He is the father of WordPress. Yes, it’s now open source and lots of people, including other folks Jim and I know, are working on it, but Matt started it all. He is also the author of several key WP plugins maybe most importantly Akismet. Akismet is the uber anti-spam plugin for WP and MT. Matt talks about why he hasn’t made it open source and some of his other thoughts on Web 2.0 in this interview with Rafe Needleman of CNET.

This is certainly worth a watch (okay I listened).

 

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Filed Under: Blog Platforms, Blog Tools, Bloggers and Blogs, Business Blogging

The New Digg Effect – What This Means For Social Media

May 2, 2007 By 3 Comments

After watching the story unfold about the blog post that appeared on Digg that was dugg over 15,000 times and appeared on page one of Digg.  The Digg Effect as it has become known is a phrase given when this phenomena occurs.  Many times if a story becomes popular enough it will appear on page 1 of Digg and the result is traffic soaring to the point of bringing most servers to their knees and crashing many sites.  This Digg Effect has taken on new meaning for me since seeing the resulting revolution that unfolded.

For me, the "New Digg Effect" is the power of social networks and communities.  This can be used for good or for bad actually.  In my opinion, posting something on a site that breaks the law or goes against a terms of service rules can be a very bad thing.  Mob rule takes over in this new action.  This is not necessarily unique in the instance of Digg, but its popularity was shown and the number of people that can influence an outcome was apparent here.  As I read a comment by Paul Montgomery at Tech Crunch it came clear to me that this could be a New Digg Effect:

I agree with the users on this one. They win. I just wish they could turn their power on some issue that actually mattered. (emphasis added)

That made me think of the power that social networks and communities could wield in other areas. The viral effect of this new medium.  It made me think of things like the Amber Alert System, and then I began to think of the power a mob could have on a Presidential election in online communities.  I’m not sure if the New Digg Effect has me running scared at this point or in awe how quickly something can travel from shore to shore and continent to continent when a group wants something accomplished.   Social Media and the online communities carry a new torch at this point.  Like Paul Montgomery said, let’s use this New Digg Effect for something that really matters.

Filed Under: Advertising, Blog Consulting, Blog Mining, Blog Platforms, Blog Tools, Bloggers and Blogs, Blogging News, Blogs and Law, Blogs and Politics, Blogs and PR, Business Blogging, Findability, Marketing, Media

The Brogan “Extended Conversation” Manifesto – Web 2.0 Delivers Our Message

April 26, 2007 By Leave a Comment

Chris Brogan has written a great blog post today about extending the conversation.  He says that he believes that all of these web 2.0 tools that are available are for helping to extend the conversation.  I have to agree with Chris.  He touches on something that I think is the gist of Shel Israel’s new book about Global Neighborhoods.  Web 2.0 has allowed us to reach out and communicate like never before.  I have experienced it on a personal and business level myself. 

He makes a great point about how we are merely just a somewhat big cocktail party all talking to each other without reaching out to a broader audience.  We reside in a bowl or a bubble and we can only hear ourselves.

We’re all just talking to each other, which is swell, but if we want to be relevant, we’ve gotta climb the slippery, shiny, invisible sides of this big bowl we’re all standing in, and we’ve gotta get out there into the crowd. If I had this graphic, I’d post it. The graphic would be a guy throwing a bowl of shiny goldfish into a busy crowd. Think about that a moment. We’re all just goldfish in a bowl until we get there, into the people’s world.

I love this analogy because some days I feel like I myself am trying to climb the sides of the bowl to get to the outside to get the message to those that I can see through the bowl but they can’t seem to hear me.  I shout and shout and they walk on by like that zoo exhibit of the penguins underwater in Happy Feet (yes, my life is all about animated movies).  If I could only get through the protective glass and grab them and shake them.  Make them hear me.

I have begun to leave the virtual life and the echo chamber to get out into the real world and speak to people about Web 2.0 and the social media.  They have heard about blogs now which is different from this time last year.  The MSM has helped deliver the term and the message.  Of course, they have done this kicking and screaming, as is still shown by Jeff Jarvis as Chris mentions with NBC not allowing the Presidential debates online.  What happened to equal access? The funny thing is, NBC will broadcast it and it will be reported and written about by bloggers long before the MSM can possible publish their thoughts.

Controlling how you reach people is an illusion.  With the new Web 2.0 applications and uses being employed, they will find you whether you intend them to or not.  As Jeremiah Owyang was presenting at his panel at the ad:Tech conference in San Francisco, it became apparent that we as web 2.0 experts cannot agree on this issue.  I agreed with some on the panel and others not.  My style and message was even different than the people involved in Jeremiah’s chat.  It became clear then that we are not all singing from the same song sheet.  This in my opinion is a great thing.  It brings variety and diversity to the message. 

Finally, Chris Brogan asks the questions, "Should we even try to reach out?"  My response is a resounding YES.  Our problem is we are not sure ourselves what message we are reaching out with to be able to sing the chorus as Chris so aptly put it.  I think as we increase the integrity of the Web 2.0 foundation, we will begin to see our message take shape and it will allow us to break free of our "Bubble".  The chorus will get louder and the harmony will be great music.

[Photo taken from Chris Brogan]

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An Example of Web 2.0 at the Web 2.0 Conference

April 16, 2007 By Leave a Comment

This is very cool.  My partner Tris is live blogging this conference for the fine folks at Blog World Expo.  While I’m watching and keeping up with the event sessions as live blogged by Rick and Tris, I am able to watch it live streamed via Jeremiah Owyang’s Ustream.tv page.  In addition, I was able to talk to Rick Calvert the CEO of the Blog World Expo via a Skype chat.  I suppose if we wanted, he could actually have me on a Skype call and I could even participate and ask questions of the panel or of a speaker in a session.  Go over and watch the session.

Tags: , , Tris Hussey, , , , , W2E,

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A Mashup of Applications Creates New Reporting Medium

April 13, 2007 By 4 Comments

As I sat looking at Twitter last night and reading through my RSS feed reader, I saw that Chris Pirillo was streaming a live broadcast on Ustream.tv.  As he was getting things set up for his live show, Robert Scoble sent out a message that Mexico City had an earthquake.  Immediately Chris saw the message typed in by Robert Scoble. At the time, Chris had about 20 viewers on his live streaming show.  He asked them if anyone knew of someone in Mexico City or if anyone was near there.  Chris set up a telephone conference using a free application, and we all began to discuss the situation.  A viewer came on named Eduardo, a resident of Mexico City and he used the phone conference and eventually Skype, to communicate with everyone about the happenings as they unfolded. 

There were four technological applications in play during the impromptu session.  It was very surreal, like being on the set of CNN but we were all participating in the news as it unfolded.  I was able to ask questions of Eduardo, and everyone in the group was able to not only here my participation but the responses as well.  It reminded me somewhat of what it was like to watch the first Iraq war when the reporters on the ground were reporting in real time, but in this case I was able to actually participate, ask questions, and comment on what was happening.

Afterward a session began discussing the event and how it was captured on this historic evening.  It was like participating in a barcamp.  A group of media and technology experts all contributed to a discussion and it was very rewarding.  We discussed how this could be a new form of reporting and a new medium for real time discussion and conferencing.  I myself participated until 4:30 a.m. when I finally ran out of adrenaline.  It will be interesting to see if something like this unfolds again, and perhaps not in a disaster situation but perhaps just the impromptu conference that allowed for participation.  Next time of course, I would ask if Chris would start the party a little earlier.  I’m whipped today.

You Tube capture of Part 1

You Tube capture of Part 2

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Filed Under: Blog Consulting, Blog Platforms, Blog Tools, Bloggers and Blogs, Blogging News, Findability, Marketing, Media, Miscellaneous

SEO and Social Marketing

March 5, 2007 By 2 Comments

As we discussed earlier as our client Freight and Shipping, Inc., has used their new blog marketing program to increase their organic search, more and more companies are using the new social marketing as a way to increase their SEO and the marketing campaigns they are implementing.  Jennifer Jones at Podtech.net has a great interview with Andy Beal.

We have been very successful at using a blog to increase organic search results in our client’s marketing campaigns.  This is a good interview if you are on the fence about SEO and blogs.  Now is the time to benefit from search and a blog is a perfect tool to get you on page 1 results!

Tags: Jennifer Jones, Podtech, Andy Beal, ,

Filed Under: Advertising, Blog Consulting, Blog Mining, Blog Platforms, Blog Revenue, Blog Tools, Bloggers and Blogs, Bloggers For Hire, Blogging News, Blogs and PR, Companies Needing Blogs, Corporate Blogs, Findability, Marketing, Media, Professional Blogging, Search Engine Optimization, Services, The Site

Blogging: So Easy A Caveman Can Do It

March 2, 2007 By 9 Comments

Well it looks like the caveman has signed a deal with ABC making my attempt to copy and plagiarize GIECO’s advertising campaign moot.  I wanted so badly to have the caveman tapping away at his keyboard, making fun of Robert Scoble, linkbaiting, Digging, and perhaps even signing up to work for clamshells at PayPerPost!  How cool would it have been if he would have been like Loren Feldman on 1938 media talking about the latest in tech gadgets and testing blog platforms, all while rubbing elbows with the likes of Om Malik, and Dave Winer.  He would have been perfect making a behind the scenes deal with Jason Calacanis starting the Caveman Blogging Network!  His videodcast would be picked up by John Furrier and he would be interviewing 40 second spots (rather than a Scoble 40 minute taping) of Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and the latest in celebrity gossip like Perez Hilton.  He could write a great book like Jeremy Wright or Shel Israel or Debbie Weil.  He would be a sought after keynote at all the cool conferences like Gnomedex, Blog Business Summit, and of course Blog World Expo.  He would be sought after for his political opinions, like Instapundit, Little Green Footballs and Daily Kos.

Then I thought I might just get a variation of it and have it be "Blogging:  So easy a lawyer can do it."  Of course then I would probably be sued by litigious Mike Arrington, or I might offend for the second time people like Brian Clark.  I was soon talked out of that as a result of not wanting to offend Cavemen everywhere.

Since it seems that I am losing out here on the real wave of  "The Caveman", I have decided to do it myself and start my own campaign. Since I kind of took a beating yesterday after taking on Adobe, and since Dave Taylor believes my Bloggers For Hire operation to be similar to second class, I’m beginning the new campaign here:

"Blogging, so easy  Jim Turner can do it." 

Of course, you have my permission to actually let everyone know just how easy blogging is since nobody would possibly believe that I could actually do it successfully.  TGIF!!

Tags: , , GIECO, , Linkbait, , , , 1938 Media, , , , , , Brian Clark, , , , , Bloggers For Hire, Jeremy Wright, , Debbie Weil, Gnomedex, Blog Business Summit, , , ,

Filed Under: Advertising, Blog Consulting, Blog Mining, Blog Platforms, Blog Revenue, Blog Tools, Bloggers and Blogs, Bloggers For Hire, Blogging Books, Blogging News, Blogonomics Conference, Blogs and Law, Blogs and Politics, Blogs and PR, Business Blogging, Conferences/Trade Shows, Corporate Blogs, Findability, Marketing, Media, Miscellaneous, Partnerships, Professional Blogging, Search Engine Optimization, Services, The Site

WordPress Founder, Matt Mullenweg, To Take Over The Blogosphere

February 6, 2007 By 2 Comments

Marc Freedman points us today to a story about domain host GoDaddy and his thoughts about boycotting the service.  This story reminded me of my own anecdotal story about having dinner with WordPress founder, Matt Mullenweg.  First, Freedman tells about a site that is purported to have violated some privacy issues and GoDaddy’s quick response to the problem without much due process:

In a news.com investigation, Seclists.org owner Fyodor Vaskovich provided evidence that GoDaddy’s notification consisted of a voice mail that the domain was suspended with no explanation. The domain was turned off 52 seconds later. It took several hours for the domain to be restored after he spent hours on the phone with GoDaddy.

A web site with 250,000 pages vanished from the Internet because of one questionable page. With essentially no notice, no chance for the customer to explain or act, no request to remove the offending page, no subpoena, no court order, and no legal risk to GoDaddy.

If true, this seems to be a very scary thought indeed.  The power wielded by GoDaddy in this scenario is mind numbing.  This led me to my thought about Matt Mullenweg taking over the world…er…blogosphere.

I was recently having dinner with Matt Mullenweg, the founder of WordPress, in Seattle while attending a blogging conference.  We sat and chatted about a few things, but the conversation turned to the power of WordPress and its popularity in the blogosphere.  On being the most downloaded blog application, I jokingly threw out, "and one of these days you are going to throw a switch and you’ll control the world?"  His sly grin meant he knew I was joking, but then I realized, he has control of all of this data, and he truly does have tremendous power.  Matt is far too great a guy to take over the blogosphere or the world for that matter.  In fact, it wasn’t until recently that he even became old enough to legally drink.  Now that is a scary thought.

[Disclosure:  WordPress did not pay me for this article.  We recommend WordPress to all of our clients as the blogging platform of choice.]

Tags: Marc Freedman, , , , BBS 06, Seclists.org, Fyodor Vaskovich

Filed Under: Advertising, Blog Platforms, Blog Tools, Bloggers and Blogs, Blogging News, Blogs and Politics, Corporate Blogs, Marketing, Media

PayPerPost and Performancing The Real Deal In Hindsight

January 4, 2007 By 3 Comments

On December 27, 2006, it was announced by TechCrunch and Mike Arrington that PayPerPost would be acquiring a portion of the assets of Performancing.com.  Later, PayPerPost published the press release confirming that they had in fact:

“…has signed a Letter of Intent to acquire select assets of Performancing LLC, operator of Performancing.com, a popular Internet community site for professional bloggers. Through its purchase PayPerPost gains a number of powerful blogger support tools including Performancing Metrics, the leading, free blog analytics service, and Performancing Exchange, an online “classifieds” for bloggers.” (emphasis added)

Ted Murphy was quoted in the press release as saying:

“PayPerPost is committed to furthering the development of a strong and viable professional blogging community. Performancing has created several very innovative services that help bloggers become more successful in their work,” said Ted Murphy, chief executive officer of PayPerPost. “We believe this acquisition not only helps marketers and bloggers, but also solidifies PayPerPost as the premier destination for those who make their career in weblog publishing.” (emphasis added)

I wanted to emphasize the bold portions of the quotes because I think this gets to the heart of the acquisition and the eventual reason for the downfall of the deal.  Performancing carried some heavyweight contenders in the professional blogosphere, bloggers that had worked hard to make themselves professionals and worked even harder to create a credibility that now seemed to be tarnished by the acquisition.  The press release also reveals this fact about Performancing when it stated:

“Written and maintained by individuals who make their living in the blogging trade, Performancing.com has amassed a community of over 28,000 professionals since its launch in 2005. In addition to information and discussion on the subject of professional blogging, the site provides a means for advertisers to connect with bloggers and place ads on their weblogs based on the site’s subject matter, readership and ad pricing.” (emphasis added)

The numbers may be a bit inflated but the idea was clear–PayPerPost was going to ride the coattails of the community built from the ground up by Performancing “solidifying” their credibility.  The corps of professionals amassed was the real gem being purchased.  The metrics application and the classified advertising section of the community was the gravy.

In just a few days the writing on the wall was clear about the intent behind the acquisition.  The concerns about the intent to purchase the “assets” was questioned  making PayPerPost founder Ted Murphy address the concerns.

In the spirit of maximizing value for existing Performancing members, PayPerPost has created an ad opportunity at PayPerPost.com specifically for existing Performancing Metrics members to review the Performancing Metrics and Performancing Exchange platforms on their blogs and get paid for doing so.

They offered to pay Performancing members $10 to consumate the deal, and all they had to do was sell their credibility for a sawbuck  This is almost too poetic.

A member of the Performancing group was very clear about his consternation as stated in the comments to Ted Murphy’s post:

raj said…

I’m unhappy that my personal posts on Performancing are being transferred to PPP. Nick says that the system makes it difficult for him to delete my posts.

I’m invoking the Berne Copyright Convention, which the U.S. as a UN member nation follows. PPP does not own the copyright to my posts on Performancing, and as such, if Nick is unable to remove my posts, I expect PPP to remove them or completely delete my Per account – whichever is easier.

12:36 PM

The “professional bloggers” wanted no part of the deal.  They were not a party to it but somehow they became collateral damage. After seeing some of the reactions and comments in this post from Nick Wilson, it was only a matter of time before the PayPerPost wolf was exposed for its sheep’s clothing.

If the deal were truly to acquire assets of  Performancing to include the metrics application and the classified portions of the brand, that could be easily accomplished.  In my opinion, the problems began when transferring more than just the applications and the site.  When it came to transferring the trust and credibility of 28,000 users, the game was over.

Tags: , , , Ted Murphy, Performancing, Nick Wilson

Filed Under: Advertising, Blog Platforms, Blog Revenue, Blog Tools, Bloggers and Blogs, Blogging News, Blogs and Politics, Blogs and PR, Business Blogging, Professional Blogging

PayPerPost and Performancing Go Separate Ways

January 4, 2007 By 1 Comment

It’s not always easy to make a relationship work, and that’s true in the real world and the world online.  It appears that Nick Wilson and company were not able to put to bed the purchase of parts of the Performancing machine.

After much discussion, we’ve decided that the deal proposed by PayPerPost just isn’t right for us or our community. It’s regrettable that we should part ways as I still feel that Dan and Ted are stand up guys breaking new ground, but in the end, the deal was just not right for them or us.

I was not real excited about the deal to begin with, because I thought that the cloud hanging over the PayPerPost.com people was not yet settled and it could only mean bad news for the Performancing brand.  I think that the guys at Performancing have the right vision as it relates to where we as professional bloggers will head and they are staying on the right path.  Good Luck in 2007 Nick and keep up the good work.

Tags: Performancing, ,

Filed Under: Advertising, Blog Consulting, Blog Platforms, Blog Revenue, Bloggers and Blogs, Bloggers For Hire, Blogging News, Blogs and PR, Corporate Blogs, Findability, Marketing, Media, Partnerships, Professional Blogging
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