Not the way to write a note to our readers: I don’t want to break my long-running practice of not blogging about politics, public policy or war, however, I find USA Today’s note to its readers a rather interesting challenge to parse and decipher. I guess because I didn’t closely follow the NSA-tracks-phone-calls story when it first was reported, I’m not quite following the clarification. To me (reading it with only a general idea of the context), it sounds like during preparation of the original story, the USA Today reporters gave certain officials at the phone companies the chance to respond to classic, “Have you stopped beating your wife?” types of questions and when they responded, “We don’t comment about wife beating,” they ran the story.

For example, here is a quote from today’s “note”:

“At the time, BellSouth did not deny participation in the program, but it issued a statement saying the company “does not provide any confidential customer information to the NSA or any government agency without proper legal authority.” Verizon said that it would not comment on national security matters and that it acts “in full compliance with the law” and with respect for customers’ privacy.”

Again, this is not a comment on the original reporting and decision to run a story based on the supposition that truth is the same as absence of denial. However, it’s merely a suggestion that this “clarification” or whatever it is, is worth re-printing for future generations of journalism students. It should be filed under the heading “How not to write a note to readers.”

It includes what has to be one of the classics of non-clarifying clarification ever written:

“USA TODAY also spoke again with the sources who had originally provided information about the scope and contents of the domestic calls database. All said the published report accurately reflected their knowledge and understanding of the NSA program, but none could document a contractual relationship between BellSouth or Verizon and the NSA, or that the companies turned over bulk calling records to the NSA. Based on its reporting after the May 11 article, USA TODAY has now concluded that while the NSA has built a massive domestic calls record database involving the domestic call records of telecommunications companies, the newspaper cannot confirm that BellSouth or Verizon contracted with the NSA to provide bulk calling records to that database.

Broken down, that paragraph says, “Our sources can’t confirm that calling records were turned over to NSA, but based on our reporters who talked with those sources, we have now concluded that NSA has built such a database of calls — but we can’t confirm it.

If you’re tempted to ever run a “clarification” written like this, I think it would be better to skip the whole thing. All it clarifies to me is that at some point, USA Today has stopped beating its wife.

Sorry, double post.

Why does iTunes start-up again whenever I shut it down? Whenever I shut-down iTunes, it automatically starts up again in a few moments. Very annoying. I’ve checked (and unchecked) all the obvious preferences. I do NOT have any other software (i.e., NetNewsWire) set to automatically download files to iTunes — or maybe I do and I don’t know it. Any suggestions?

Technorati Tags: itunes, mac

Custom publishing and blogs: Jason Calacanis says that Weblogs, Inc., has a custom publishing group that helps companies launch their blogs. They’ve just helped AccuQuote launch one. I am happy that Weblogs, Inc., a part of the Time-Warner empire, recognizes that custom publishing is a “business model” related to weblogs. Hammock Publishing, by the way, does some custom publishing. And come to think of it, we help clients launch blogs ,also. I guess, then, we have a group that helps companies launch their blogs.

Historic sidenote related to AOL and custom publishing: Only a custom-publishing geek like me would note the following significance in Jason’s post. His boss (and blogger and owner of the Washington Capitals ), Ted Leonsis, was founder of a company called Redgate Communications that, in 1993, was the first company ever acquired by AOL. It was (among other things) a custom publishing company that did some beautiful magazine and “digital media” work for several technology companies. Somewhere (I’d have to dig), I probably still have samples of their work.

Technorati Tags: aol, custompublishing, jasoncalacanis

What Matt McAlister said: “A good marketer doesn’t have to advertise.” While I think good marketers will be advertising for the foreseeable future, I agree with much of what Matt is outlining. Great marketing is great story telling. Great marketing is great “teaching.”

Technorati Tags: advertising

Random music post: Earlier this morning during a train ride from New York to DC, I read several newspapers (the actual on-paper kind) while listening to music on my computer. After finishing the papers, I jotted down the following random things about my music collection.

I have 2,769 “items” on iTunes. That’s 11.3 days and 14.64 GB of “items.” All but about 50 of those “items” are songs (the others are podcasts and audio books).

The very first album I uploaded to iTunes was “Home” by the Dixie Chicks (still one of my favorite albums of all time — there is so much to like about this album, I could listen to it every day).

The most recent album I uploaded to iTunes was “Taking the Long Way” by the Dixie Chicks (it’s awful, sorry — too contrived, whinny and commercial for me).

“I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You” by Colin Hay is the song I’ve listened to most (41 times) in the past four years. (This surprises me. I like it, but not that much. It’s on a playlist of mellow music I play in the background a lot.)

“Cuckoo’s Nest” by Nickel Creek comes in second (39 times). I don’t find this surprising. It makes me happy. (I like is so much, my son and daughter learned it to appease me — they always know I’ll request it.)

If, for some reason, I had to erase every song but one from my computer, the one song I would keep is the acapella version of Amazing Grace by Judy Collins on the CD “Whales and Nightingales.”

Now, back to meetings.

ContentNext/Paidcontent.org New York Mixer: I don’t know how to describe the happening that took place last night at the Paidcontent.org mixer at the Union Square W Hotel. If you’re in the “digital media business” in New York, it was definitely the place to be. And hundreds and hundreds were — when it was announced a couple weeks ago, the online sign-up closed after three hours. That photo on the left is everyone in the “main” ballroom. There was an equal number jammed in a room next to it.

Jeff Jarvis was there: He says, “It was jammed with guys in nametags making pitches for their companies to anyone who would stand still and even those who would not. Jane, stop this crazy thing. It’s deja vu all over again.” (Jeff was also interviewed on Beet.TV).

Donna Bogatin of ZDNet blogged the Q-A of NYT Publisher Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr.

As Jeff said, it was exactly like 1999 — without (as Staci Kramer pointed out to me) the carving table and good schwag. As you can see from the photos I’ve posted on Flickr, the ‘digital media’ crowd is alive and well. Unlike the Silicon Alley days, the majority of name tags seemed to be from traditional media companies. However, as Jeff Jarvis pointed out in his post, there was some deja vu-ness to being thrust a business card and told, “maybe we can do something together” before I caught the persons name.

As much it seemed like 1999, however, I kept thinking to myself: A blogger threw this party. And, while there were very few people in the room who blog (the folks there are the ones getting paid for what they do), they are here in a “marketplace” that has been created by their common appreciation of the importance of what Rafat, Staci and now others at PaidContent.org have created.

Something big happened there last night.

Technorati Tags: paidcontent.org

Blog lite: I’m floating in and out of web-ness during the next 48 or so hours. I’ll be at the ContentNext Mixer in NYC tomorrow night. Hope to post some photos afterwards if the wifi gods are friendly.

My last, last post on the subject of Radar Magazine: Long ago on this weblog, I used to blog about magazines that are announced (vaporzine) or return (even if briefly) after a hiatus (dejazine). I got bored with that, primarily because one magazine kept doing it over-and-over. I thought the magazine was gone forever, however, apparently some folks didn’t get the memo. Fortunately, I’m not blogging that beat anymore.

Technorati Tags: vaporzine, dejazine

I am not that Rex: I am NOT Rex Camino, the Murfreesboro blogger or Rex Noseworthy, the new gossip columnist for the Nashville City Paper. However, if I were going to be confused with either of the two, I’d rather be confused with Rex Camino because his writing is actually witty and clever. I’ll stop there.

Technorati Tags: nashville

Jason Calacanis ‘got his MBA by starting a magazine’: “Some of the best entrepreneurs I know learned their skills by building a publication. It’s sort of like getting an MBA in my experience: you learn how to make a brand, scale a brand, reach an audience, build a sales department, and eventually how to exit.”

Technorati Tags: magazines

Rambling thoughts on blogging, 2006: Warning: This post contains lots of navel-gazing. And it rambles way too long. But that’s what happens when one has a four-hour flight and ones PowerBook battery stays charged longer than it ever has before (key: dim monitor).

Before writing anything more, I’d like to thank the two people most responsible for me having this weblog: Dave Winer and Doc Searls. They didn’t know me at the time I started blogging, but they still were responsible. Okay, now on with the rambling.

Almost three years ago (to the day) I attended one of the first conferences (I’m impressed that link is still alive) that ever tried to pull together “business” bloggers into one room. It was not an “unconference,” in fact, it was very much a conference-conference. However, in some ways the conference was hijacked by the attendees who actively blogged it and linked to one-another’s blogs (it was pre-tagging and track-backing) and there was a lively IRC channel (the cool kids call it a “back channel”) taking place that connected the room with dozens more who were listening in from all over the world. Way before the organizers did, the attendees of that conference figured out how to un-conference it and to completely subvert the “we’re the panel, you’re the audience” thing.

On the flight home from that conference (it was in Boston), I collected some random thoughts about my, then, two years of blogging and posted them. Several times in the past three years, I’ve thought about posting something on “where I think blogging is now,” but each time I do, I look back at that post and think, despite the explosive growth of everything related to blogging and participatory/citizens/conversational/personal/social-networking media, I really had nothing more to add.

Most of the stuff I wrote then I still think is accurate. However, after spending another 48 hours in “group therapy” (Dan Farber’s term) with people who pioneered blogging and others who think about this stuff way too much, I decided to add some more observations. The following is in no particular order, so as a public service to the easily bored, I’ve created links to each point. Also, I’d like to stress these are only my thoughts: I don’t suggest they are “rules” or truths or how-tos.

Seven rambling thoughts on blogging:

1. I am not a blogger.
2. Okay, I am a blogger.
3. How to make money with a blog.
4. If I’m a “user” then developers are “pushers.”
5. Those of us who know how to use these tools need to learn the art of “how-to” sharing and teaching.
6. Lawsuits and the lack of civility are very real threats to blogging.
7. We’re not even at the end of the beginning of personal media.

1. I am not a blogger.

I blog. I use a blog. I write things and post it to my blog. I will start adding audio and video to my blog. I post photos and link to them on my blog. But I’m not a blogger. I’m a dad and a husband and sports fan and a small business owner and a volunteer in a few things. I’m a rookie gardener and a geek about certain types of technology. But I’m not a blogger. I use a blog. I use a telephone. I use a white board. I use conversations. I use listening. I use giving. I use lots of tools and devices and strategies to do the things I do. This blog is just one more way. [top]

2. Okay, I am a blogger.

As much as I want this blog to be merely a tool, it’s more. It is, as I’ve said before, my identity online. It has (and I really hate to use terms like this) become a part of my “brand.” It’s embarrassing for me to admit this, as I’ve been “in marketing” or publishing and the creation of media in some way or another my entire career, but the last thing I ever thought this blog would be is a “branding tool,” much less a “media property.” As a business owner, I wish I’d realized the whole “branding” thing and tied this blog more into the “Hammock” brand more. If I had thought about it strategically, I guess I would have figured out the business-angles as what I do for a living, custom-publishing, is more akin to what “the business of blogging” could be about than a lot of the goofy business models I see people chasing. Bottom line: I like being a blogger so much more than the business of blogging. I like the non-business, personal part of being a blogger. However, my being a blogger has been good for my business…and becomes moreso all the time. So, heck. Call me a blogger all you want. Just call. [top]

3. How to make money with a blog.

At Bloggercon, I couldn’t mention the news about PaidContent.org that I just blogged in the previous post. However, I’m very enthusiastic about someone like Rafat Ali blazing trails and displaying the correct way to build a business using the tools of personal media. He established authority and trust in his niche and now is extending his brand into various tried-and-true B-to-B media lines of business. He’ll succeed because of the years of establishing that trust in his brand. Chris Pirillo had some great comments on the topic of monetizing personal media that should be listened to by those who are trying to figure out the money angle here. He’s also shown that you can generate plenty of revenue on a blog. But more often, the real way to make money is with a blog. A blog can be the lynchpin or foundation of a business — but I’d recommend one not viewing the blog as being the business. Or, if you want to use these tools for advocacy or raising money or changing the world in any way, remember that: The core product, the core brand is you and your cause and your product or service. Using your blog (and other tools) as a means to support that brand will lead to the money. I think Kathy Sierra said it best in a post last September: “You can out-spend or out-teach your competition.” I think “the money” in all of these tools of personal media is learning to use them to out-teach your competitors (or opponents, or alternative causes, etc.).  [top]

4. If I’m a “user” then developers are “pushers.”

A big part of the “un-conference” model is centered on its emphasis on “users” of products and services rather than on those who develop and sell such products and services. (Note to people not living in the tech industry bubble: Developers is the term used to refer to people who make and sell products and services. In other fields, we call them manufacturers, publishers, creators, makers, marketers, providers, etc., so when you hear the word “developer” just insert whatever you call those folks in your industry.) But, personally, I don’t like the “user” label. Granted, I’m addicted to some of these tools of personal media, but “user” isn’t what I am. If I’m a user, then developers and marketers are “pushers” and media channels are “enablers.” We’re all a bunch of junkies.

Also, because Bloggercon was developed in reaction to traditional conferences (thus the “un-conference” title), its creator, Dave Winer, is adamant that developers not use the venue for touting their wares. Unless one understands the context in which this “developers can’t pitch” approach is occurring, it can seem harsh and petty. However, if one considers the context of “developers get to say whatever they want in every other conference” then it begins to be more understandable. However, the subtlety of this “don’t speak as a developer” rule can lead to some trepidation on the part of developers who may be able to spread some light on a topic who fear their contribution could be seen as a pitch. For example, yesterday there was a question raised about blog advertising networks. As several people in the room had developed and run such networks, they could have answered the question, however they may have been reluctant to respond because they would have been speaking as a developer.

As I’ve reflected on this issue, I’ve begun to believe the “developer” vs. “user” paradigm may not be the problem. Frankly, in a room of 125 or so, it’s just a bunch of people. Rather, I think the desire to remove commercialization from the conference is the appeal. Placing “selling” or “hyping” outside the bounds of commenting or commentary is the appeal. Getting rid of the “agenda” to what session leaders or attendees do is the appeal. However, if there’s a developer in the room who can talk about his or her product with a bunch of “users” who are going to call bullshit on any hype they drift into, then a conversation between users and developers is fine with me, IMHO.  [top]

5. Those of us who know how to use these tools, need to learn the art of “how-to” sharing and teaching.”

Phil Torrone’s session on “tools” (MP3) was great for several reasons. Number one, Phil displayed what I think a great session leader is: curious. Phil is one of the most amazing “professional” how-to people out there. His how-to hacks for Make Magazine’s website and print edition are magic. But Phil doesn’t dream those things up. He’s a sleuth for great ideas from wherever they arrive. He ran his session the same way, obviously and genuinely more curious with what everyone in the room had to say than in hearing his own voice.

However, one of the things HE suggested was the need for those people who know how “to-do” to take time to share that knowledge with those who may not know. He suggested there should be a “how-to” day each week. He also suggested that screencasts of how things work would be helpful. I agree. Unless you have someone to sit and walk you through using new software or using a new product, a video tutorial is more helpful than the thickest manual. As soon as I learn “how-to” screencast, I’m going to start sharing some how-tos with others.[top]

6. Lawsuits and the lack of civility are very real threats to blogging.

There are two trends that I don’t like hearing about, but I know they are going to influence the direction of blogging — they may even make us look back to today as “the golden age” of personal media, rather than the foundational era. One is the lack of civility or, as Doc Searls says, a lack of understanding of the concept of “the commons.”

I’ve read enough history to know that the lack of civility is not a new thing. Duels and wars and feuds go back to cavemen. However, the drive-by nature of many online feuds and disagreements and petty jealousies is disheartening to those who’d like to see something more meaningful emerge. I have a theory that our pop-culture’s celebrity obsessions are part of the problem. We transfer what’s okay in one arena to another without thinking of the absurdity. For example, yelling “you suck” at the visiting pitcher of a major league team leads some parents to think yelling “you suck” to the pitcher of a Little League team is the same deal. Some people apparently think the same is true online — that anyone with any degree of celebrity or even faux celebrity (i.e., anyone willing to step onto the pitcher’s mound of a blog) is fair game for personal attacks. And god forbid that someone’s blog become popular with a few dozen people.

What is it? Jealousy? Lack of civility? Stupidity? Whatever it is, the personal attacks on blogs about other blogs — and by commenters on blogs — is not a good thing. Arguing issues is good. Personal attacks, bad. Of course, there are those who invite personal attacks by their outrageous actions, or, by their open trolling for attention at any costs. Or by their pomposity and out-sized hubris. But in almost every case, the personal attacks that spew harangues rather than present countering arguments are counter-productive. And they are going to make the practice of open comments a thing of the past.

The second scary trend: Lawsuits. Robert Cox mentioned calls he’s getting from bloggers who are being sued for something they said on their blogs. (I don’t know specifically the issues in those calls, but it sounded like several are related to libel.) I have a personal bias here: I don’t like lawsuits. Lawsuits are expensive, even if you believe you are correct and you eventually win. I have the personal belief that until the U.S. reforms its tort system (for example, my favorite suggestion: user pays — or, perhaps, some sort of pre-certification or screening of cases (like the EEOC does), I worry about bloggers who don’t understand the difference in “free speech” and libel. Traditional media companies carry liability insurance to defend themselves from lawsuits — and in most cases, such companies have at least some understanding of the boundaries they can and cannot cross. Until the availability of blogger liability insurance (and even after it’s available), I’d suggest tp those who blog to eschew using their blogs to libel, manipulate, perpetuate crimes or do other stupid things that would get people in trouble in all other venues. A couple of hints: learn to complain without resorting to flame-throwing. And don’t be stupid.

Update: See Chilling Effects Clearinghouse. [top]

7. We’re not even at the end of the beginning of personal media.

One thing I’m as certain of as I was three years ago. We’re at the very, very beginning of something still. The train hasn’t left the station. There is no boom in personal media (while there may very well be lots of money and individual’s time lost on ill-fated ventures, the “bust” in those myspace knockoffs will not matter in the big scheme of things — as the “dot.com” bust didn’t matter in the long-run of how the Internet is so significantly changing our lives and business) It amuses me when any powers that be designate the winners and losers of the blogoshere.

I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again: I believe all these personal media tools (blogs, video-blogging, podcasting) are like the telephone. They’re tools for connecting. For having conversations. For staying in touch. For conveying your ideas. Granted, they are as transformative as the introduction of the telephone, but they are also as simple to understand as the telephone is today. The more one tries to make this complicated, or about business, or about changing the world, the more I believe one can miss the point at how simple all of this really is. [top]

Technorati Tags: bloggercon, bloggerconiv, blogging, businessblogging

Congratulations Rafat & Co.: ContentNext Media (the parent company of PaidContent.org) has received its first round of investment from the venture firm Greycroft Partners.

I am happy I will be in New York on Tuesday evening for the ContentNext mixer so I can give a high five to Rafat Ali  and Staci Kramer. Every time I’ve had the microphone at a meeting of business-to-business media people, I have used PaidContent.org as the model for creating a media business using the approaches and conventions of blogging as the central focus of the brand, and then to extend that brand in any way you see an opportunity.

I have predicted, and still do, that PaidContent.org will be the “casebook history” for how to create a business-to-business media company “with” a blog (not as a blog, but with a blog). Rafat, Staci, etc. are “reporters” who deftly use the tools of blogging. Whether or not they’re blogging is a nuance that’s unimportant.

Here’s a link to the WSJ’s Nick Wingfield’s story on the investment.  (Thanks WSJ.com for making it a free feature.)

Quote:

“The financing, though small in comparison with most Web deals, is one
of several in recent weeks that indicate optimism on the part of
early-stage investors in the viability of blogs as an outlet for
journalism, rather than the gossip and personal opinion that
characterizes much of the medium…”

(As always, the necessary jab at blogging.)

Technorati Tags: b2b, paidcontent.org

Back in Nashville: I’ve got a way, way too long of a post I wrote on the flight back home. It needs a little editing before unleashing it to the ether. There are also lots of great posts I want to point to from folks summing up Bloggercon IV. But now, I’d rather hang with the family so all those things will wait until later.

Technorati Tags: bloggercon, bloggerconiv

First post script: I’ll probably use the plane ride home tomorrow to pull together some thoughts regarding the past two days. In the meantime, Dan Farber sums up Bloggercon IV in this post regarding Dave Winer’s exit from blogging: “Overall, two days of good discussion and group therapy.”

Technorati Tags: bloggercon, bloggerconiv