Of late I have noticed that there is a lot of negativity in not just my posts, but on the Web in general. This is not something that is pleasing or even interesting to me, but somehow a good number of my interesting people, startups and the Web in general appear shadowed these days. Why is that, you may ask? Let me give an example if I may.

Out of course any blogger or news person deals with hundreds of contacts and loads of information every day. We all hope for and enjoy reporting on and talking to people doing uplifting and sometimes life changing things. However, as a percentage of our total “data diet”, although the numbers and kinds of negative news do not numerically outdo the positive variety, the negative kinds do carry a heavier weight sometimes. This is the long description of basically saying; “Some people just make me mad.” There is an old saying in the military; “It takes 250 attaboys to erase one oh crap!”. I always marveled at this saying, but now I fully understand it, and this is why crappy stuff people do seems more impact full sometimes.

Jason Calacanis and The Atta-Boy Syndrome

The subject of this “oh crap” moment is none other than Jason Calacanis. Not too long ago I was fairly critical of Calacanis over his apparent treatment of Jimmy Wales. Calacanis commented here and we exchanged emails wherein I offered in fairness to show his side more substantially. In the end he agreed to answer some questions and sort of set the record straight. At long last and after a few emails, Calacanis never showed. I kind of write this off as one of those “too busy” episodes in life, but it still bugs me. So, I expect it is time to go all negative again on Mr. Calacanis.

Before writing this I ambled over to Calacanis’ blog to see what he has been up to for context. To my surprise, he decided to retire! I guess, given his inattention to what he said he would do here, he must have retired from proper reciprocity too. I am a little ashamed to have been out of the loop to a degree on this one to be honest. I did take note of what Calacanis said in his “sort of” farewell address to the blogosphere however. He basically says that he is fed up and tired and tired and fed up etc. It is both indicative and interesting how he choose to phrase things in the address to the nation though. I must say I think I have an even clearer perception of the man after reading his last blog entry - he appears to be more of an egomaniac than I ever imagined. (Contrary to popular belief, Calacanis did not win a Pulitzer Prizer for blogging)

Jason Calacanis With Lady Byrd Johnson 1964

The Heart of the Blogosphere Is Heavy

I remember President Lyndon Johnson coining the phrase “with a heavy heart” back in the 60’s. Every time he came on TV to announce some catastrophe, Johnson would begin with; “My fellow Americans, it is with a heavy heart I come to you today.” Even back then it seemed corny and insincere especially when he held his beagle up by its ears. In Calacanis’ farewell address he delves even deeper into the “coined phrase” bag of tricks, and even to the most obtuse onlooker galvanizes his own sense of self importance. Calacanis actually evoked the famed Lou Gehrig phrase; “I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth”, which I could scarcely believe and I quote from Gehrig’s first paragraph:

“Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for 17 years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans. Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn’t consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day?”

- and Calacanis’ evocation:

Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been linked to from so many blogs over the five years, and I have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.

Madre De Dios! I know Jason cannot equate being linked to by a million blogs to even one of Gehrig’s athletic exploits. Okay, so he did not do what he said he would in my regard. Yes, it makes me mad, but honestly this is not about bashing Calacanis as much as it is about “proper etiquette”. Had he not agreed to answer the questions, or if he had simply mailed and said he did not have time - this would be another story. I honestly wanted to hear, everyone wants to hear what these people have to say.

Jason Hitting 4 Home - Uh, Writing 4 Blog Posts In One Day

We look to leaders to show us the way. Calacanis compares himself to Jimmy Wales in the last correspondence I had with him. This made me take pause and consider that possibly I might have been wrong in my assessment of him and his dealings. So, in this case not following through further amplified a perception - not just by me either. I expect Calacanis has fallen victim to his own comments on many other occasions. So why is it that Allen Stern of Centerworks and Saul Hansell of the New York Times clambered to ask Calacanis questions (in front of Calacanis’ PR I might add) at this auspicious occasion? Maybe they just wanted to feed an insatiable ego? Perhaps the guy is just that important and I am the only one who does not know it? Heck, when asked if he would return to blogging I half expected Calacanis to equate himself to Douglas MacArthur returning to the Philippines in WWII.

Web Blinders

Okay, I hope I am not being unfair. I was interested to see what Calacanis was referring to when he said he was looking for a new outlet, one more intimate and portable etc. It did not take long to find his latest “Jason streaming” episode on Twitter via my Google search. Apparently Calacanis has decided to become overlord of the ultimate “me” network Twitter. Interestingly I think I may have also discovered the “not so hidden” reasoning behind him using Gehrig quotes too - Calacanis appears to be a baseball fan. So, my question is this; “If some of these people want to equate themselves to heroes, then why don’t they act like them?” Perhaps Gehrig left questions unanswered too?

I picked a big target for this article obviously. The reasoning is that we have to expect and demand more from the people out in front. We have all fallen short in this regard far too often. Look at the Presidential candidates of late, the people we cheer in athletics (being criminal and etc.) and leaders in every venue you can think of. This “out to lunch” aspect of leadership is not simply characterized by Jason Calacanis, but rather by generations of narcissistic “wonder boys” who, once they have a ticket in the game, act characteristically mediocre.

Calacanis Retires To Twitter

We all make mistakes and miss opportunities sure (me more predominantly than many), but when called to act on an oversight we respond. However, most are not so fortunate as to have the sun shine on them so fortuitously. Just so everyone knows, Jimmy Wales may take two weeks to answer an email, but he never fails to answer. The Web may be full of “haters” as Calacanis puts it, but I for one do not hate him at all. I just think he ought to be held to a higher standard, and he should use his own lines.

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If you think about it we are all a product of so many variables, not the least of which is environment. Somehow we all intrinsically know this, but are so often distracted and obtuse as to just how much a hometown or place can be a part of us. For me personally, I know that my hometown has etched a sort of brand on me. Charleston, SC is, like so many other hometowns, a fascinating and impactful place – especially if one grows up there. We are, to a large extent, products of the people, places and ideas we are exposed to – and yes much more.

Another important aspect of our humanity, if you will, coincides in importance to place and that is time. The era or moment we reside in a place has as much to do with our environmentally influenced self as the actual place. Logically, we cannot extricate time from place, as the one is so impactful on the other. For this reason places like Charleston have their own “shadow” or light to reflect on our selves. Charleston for the most part and until most recently was a place caught out of time and sync with the rest of the world. A sort of menagerie or capsule inextricably tied to the past and its history. There are many places like this, but none more fascinating or beautiful than the oldest city in America, my home town.

So, if the reader will bear with me, we will take a trip back in time. Back to a place and era when unfiltered dreams forged so many personalities, and to where the past met the future in a most interesting way. I shall for once attempt to be more brief and graphical in the presentation, for as anyone who reads here knows – there is no “short way around the barn” for me telling a story. Look back – and remember.

1861 To 1961 – Only A Hundred Years

Without giving a history lesson, perhaps Charleston’s defining moment came, like for so many places, at the dawn of a great and cataclysmic event – the beginning of the American Civil War. The Confederacy galvanized its separatist ideals with a preemptive attack on the Union garrison at Fort Sumter. One must capture both the gallantry and idiocy of such an event in order to fully see how it shaped not only a city’s aura, but that of the South for decades to come. Fort Sumter still stands as a defining memorial to the dual nature of mankind – brave and noble on the one hand, and fully insane on the other. The dream that once was the South, however naïve, did once live in near physical reality for some.

Fort Sumter Ablaze - 1861

Confederate Held Fort Moultrie Looks On Fort Sumter

A scant 4 years later, the whole of the South lay prostate and subjugated to a kind of vengeance so many defeated places have known. Still, in places like Charleston, old dreams die hard. So, as one might imagine, A young child is so heavily influenced by both the legends of the past, and the undercurrent of reverberating memory of what might have been. It is said that the citizens of Charleston held great galas and gathered atop the roofs to watch the ensuing battle, it is from this imagery that characters like Scarlett O’Hara were forged in the mind of authors like Margaret Mitchell.

Gone With The Wind.

Fast forward to 1961, and impressions on the mind of a generation. Not unlike any hometown, Charleston imbued many with this flavor of possibility and naivety. However, unlike most people Charlestonians clung unflaggingly for a time to something of an ideal - however false in reality. Imagine the tales told sons and daughters in such a place. In all reality though, the air smelled quite more fragrant way back when. One can only imagine the scent of it 100 years removed, yet much of the beauty remains as illustrated in the images below.

Middleton Place Gardens.

The beautiful but stoic houses of the Battery remain today just as they were in 1861. Imagine the town’s people gathered atop the porticoes and balconies to witness the bombardment of Fort Sumter.

East Battery Homes - Today As Always.

Some places cannot be separated from their essence no matter what progress encrouches. The nearby plantations of the low country stand as a symbol of both gentility and also the elitist undercurrent we were all insulated from. A sad irony when the mask of beauty is hung atop a very ugly reality - removed extent until time catches us all.

Boone Hall Plantation On The Cooper River.

All places have a center, an aspect so prevalent that every sense is tantalized by it. For the lowcoutry and Charleston this place is the salt marsh. Everywhere, the visual and aromatic aspects with the subtle sounds abide a sense of both tranquility and wonder.

A Salt Marsh Between Mt. Pleasant And Charleston Proper.

So between the sea and tales of personality like Gentleman Pirate Stede Bonnett (who was hanged with his entire crew in front of East Battery), the horizon of the past connects dis-encumbered to that of the future in the soul of every true Charlestonian. There is no conjunctive way to express such ethereal ideas, images nor words reflect how all these stimuli effect us. Suffice it to say that a true Charlestonian would gracefull bow and be subjugated to the most intense personal insults, but then they would also fight the devil barehanded over a lady’s scarf. This is of course the way it was, while now even such lofty and perhaps noble ideals have succumbed to “modern” thought. Still, in Charleston there are the houses, always the houses - endless reminders.

The Meeting Street Inn Looks Over White Point Gardens.

Not old by European standards, but still the oldest conjunctive remains of ties to the rest of the world, so many things Charleston are the “oldest” this and that of America. And the churches, some of the most beautiful in America tie ideology completely - religion and rich environment - sometimes one and the same.

Saint Philips Church.

Spiritual and soulful, a walk through Charleston take us past one historic revelation and another. The religion of culture and spirit was and is alive still in quite a magical place. From the Dock Street Theater to a lone tree where George Washington tied his horse, as a child or adult it seems there is no foot of ground without a story.

Dock Street Is the Oldest Theater In America.

A hidden world come full circle, the Citadel and the pride and tradition of South Carolina evokes thought and gratitude for those that came before and those who’s sacrifices we pray will not be in vain. Valor, pageantry, honor and tradition - as in so many places and hearts - is more demonstrative than we know sometimes.

An Honor Guard Of The Military Academy Of South Carolina.

Defined Personality

It matters little whether your hometown is the oldest or the most modern city, the impact place and time has on us is undeniable. There is also always an element of positive and negative in this regard, because just as we are human and dual - so too places have good and bad. Charleston when I was a child was magical yes, but beneath the crystal purity of idealism resided a naked and ugly truths we were all protected from in the 60’s. Racism, global conflictual lies and a many other perpetrations of the powerful resided there too. To an extent, our idealism was used against us, especially in the case of Vietnam and other catasrophic and Machiavellian contrivances. South Carolinians volunteered as so many did to fight for a dream that no longer existed. We believed like the Confederates did, that a call so dire could not be wrong or a lie. Now I think we find so much more delusion perpetrated on the faithful. Still, the fringes of who were were remain in such places - waiting there to be rekindled by another pure dream.

This sounds like regret to the average person, but history and the places where it resides the strongest are full of all human emotion. Regret, hope and beauty co-reside everywhere, and I am sure your home town is also full to the brim with man’s only true heaven on Earth - the heart’s vision spread out on the canvas of life. For my part, I take this everywhere I go - sharing beautiful pictures and thoughts with my loved ones. The best of things should be savored more frequently than murky negativity, but as people we are a comparative lot. One of those flowers at Middleton Place is pale in comparison to the light resident in a true love’s heart. My hometown provides the backdrop for my comparative journey always, I hope some will enjoy the imagery and the philosophical voyage too. If you ever get the chance, visit this wonderful place - but go slowly - it is a place meant to savor.

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As the search saga continues, rumor has it Microsoft is just about to announce it did a little shopping and acquired Powerset – one of the leaders in natural language search. On the other hand, Microsoft’s future plans of buying Yahoo’s search functionalities no longer seem dead and buried, as they’ve teamed up with billionaire Carl Icahn and áre working hard on convincing Yahoo’s board to choose the MS path.

All this news begs the question; “Should Google start doing some serious thinking and then try to compensate with its own tactical moves?” Would buying Hakia (the other leader in semantic search startups) give them a strategic advantage on the semantic search market?

If we give credit to a Microsoft-Yahoo-Powerset trio as a serious search competitor to Google, then Google really should do something soon to make absolutely sure no one threatens their position. Buying Hakia would be the smart move. Although lacking any smart marketing and PR thinking, there’s still quite a lot of buzz around Hakia these days and surely Google can implement its never failing business strategy to boost Hakia on the first position in the semantic race.

On the other hand, such a move would also mean betting it all on rumors that will only be proved right or wrong in a month or so. If Google chooses to sit tight and wait to see what happens, they might lose too much ground. Let’s say Microsoft has its way and buys both Yahoo and Powerset and everything about these acquisitions is clear by the end of July, there’s still a lot of merging to be taken care of.

Integrating teams of three different players whose values, business models and views might significantly differ, while embarking on a race against time in development and integration, is not the easiest thing to do. Even if the result of this “Brotherhood of the Search” is something to make Google tremble, our sometime evil friend still has some 4 to 6 months before starting to worry.

If it’s true Google is already adding some semantic ingredients to its search recipe, as some experts point out what’s happening behind closed doors might be (1) as good as anything Powerset has to offer or (2) seamlessly integrated with Hakia in no time.

So should Google buy Hakia? They should, if they want to make sure no one threatens their position when it comes to semantic search (blocking a MS, Yahoo, Powerset, hakia combination). This of course would only be a good move if they don’t have highly advanced semantic tools already and if what they have is harder to further develop than to be integrated with Hakia. It also makes sense to keep the aforementioned combination from materialiing in the event the “fearsome 4” could collectively challenge.

It is an interesting time for search and for the companies mentioned. It will be fascinating to watch how the bibg boys play this hand out. Adding Microsoft and Yahoo to the equation certianly gives one pause at least in continuing to assume Google will be tops forever.

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Our end of the Internet, the information and networking side, has seen some interesting changes over the last year or so. One of the most predominant ones is in the way we are are driven to promote stories and those from within our networks. Social media sites other outlets were once fantastic resources for “getting the news out” so to speak, but as we all either know of at least sense - this is becoming less and less fruitful.

Given all the success that Digg and other such sites have seen, I think it is safe to say that Digg is at the forefront of a group of sites that are declining in both popularity and actual added value to our Web. Part of the reason for this lies in improper focus and essentially careless targeting of audience. The bottom line is, if you want more - do not go to Digg.

Judas And 30 Pieces Of Silver

At the onset of Web 2.0 user generated content was the lifeblood of sites like Digg. True to its shall we say heritage as a Web 2.0 company, Digg was a virtual treasure trove of stories about Tech and all things 2.0 back then. Not withstanding the elitist gaming aspects employed by many there, Digg was THE place to let the world know of our discoveries and interests. Kevin Rose became perhaps the most notable celebrity (or one of them) essentially because of the Web 2.0 boom and largely at the hands of TechCrunch , Readwriteweb , Mashable and a host of others. This is not to say that other venues did not contribute, but as our PR firm tells clients all the time: “You cannot escape Web 2.0 being a Web 2.0 startup.” A fantastic article by Richard McManus expresses the decline of Tech on Digg both intellectually and graphically, if you care to check that link out. http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/digg_the_decline_and_fall_of_tech.php Proof to a degree that Kevin Rose and Digg betrayed their greatest supporters - the very people that helped make them what they are. Trackback

Ruled By Mathematics

Isn’t it funny now sites dedicated to and for people are so often ruled by algorithms? Digg is the most notable one that uses rather extensive mathematical computations to determine much about what a user experiences there. Stories rise and fall now based on some nebulous computation that essentially prevents “gaming” of the system and God knows what else. My point here is; “How the hell does a math equation know what a good story is?” I do not care to get into the Digg matrix of how things are submitted, viewed or rated for that matter, but one thing is certain - actual intrinsic value has nothing to do with it. However, the official Digg description at Crunchbase (ironically) describes a long lost Digg still:

“Digg is user driven social content website split up into two sections – “Popular” stories and “Upcoming” stories. After you submit content it goes into the “Upcoming” stories section. This is where other people read your submission and “Digg” what they like best. If your story receives enough Diggs, it’s promoted to the “Popular” section and listed on the front page for other visitors to see. This effectively allows the Digg community to choose which stories are the best.”

The best indeed! I remember doing a CEO interview a long time back for Profy, when such interviews were really news. Unbeknownst to any of us at Profy, somehow of another the domain at Profy was either being banned or had fallen victim to what was called the “the bury crew”.

In fairness Kevin Rose did post this one year after my emails to him started in explanation of the “supposed” Digg bury brigade and a rather cloudy explanation of domain blocking. I make this point only to illustrate that great news is not a predetermining factor in the Digg equation. As any of us know now, a 150 word story with 25 images of a cat eating a mouse stand a better chance of making the front page than news of any gravity. Now it appears that Tech has fallen victim to yet another mysterious variable in the Digg arsenal of apparent trickery.

Fiddling As Digg Burns

I remember writing Kevin Rose about 20 times trying to figure out what was up with the Profy situation back then. In the weeks prior to Profy stories “somehow” getting buried on submission, several of my articles had made the front page (unknowable to me, as I was not a Digg efficianado). The answer never came, as I expect that some celebrities are too tall to see even the most prolific Tech writers. I think this may have been the beginning of the end of Diggs love affair with the Tech blogs, though stories about techdome still proliferated the community until recently.

Kevin still remains something of an enigma to me I must admit, but I really wish Digg had used its power to influence in a much more positive way than appealing to a user demographic interested more in slugging beers and pornography than actually making a difference. In other words; “Kevin, you could have made such an impact, now this impact is a transient piece of profitable air”. Empires have tumbled over such mediocrity and obtuse narcissism.

Goodbye Digg

For my part Digg has been something of a useless commodity for some time. I only recently discovered that this is so for most of the social networking community too. I do of course “vote” for friend’s stories as they do my favorites too, but I think this is out of some long lost hope that the place will return to its once exciting promotional character. Let me say here that Digg is not the only transgressor in the “Social media betrayal” category. Stumbleupon and others are following suit in losing the drama and “coolness” they once had. However, either out of some necesary and unknown factorial or pure system copying, all the other networks seem to be following the Digg example as far as letting the math rule.

I used to think that “gaming” the system was a bad thing for all of us what with the paid Diggers and such, but now in this rather sad time for news broadcasters and story hunters it appears that at least those being paid had some wares worth while. Digg, like Google and so many other successful Web 2.0 entities just did not go where we thought it would. Maybe there is still time? Look for a startup called Streamy once again.

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The discussion over “who owns what?”, and particularly content on the Web will become more and more intense in the months to come. Some of the major news outlets have already begun their campaigns to monetize or at least limit who uses their content. The days where a trackback or just traffic pays for the use of content on the Web would appear to be drawing to a close. I am struggling with what the far reaching indications of these actions by Reuters, The New York Times, AP and others who want to charge for “sniffing” their pages might be, but it is clear that revenue is at the heart of the matter.

My inclination is to believe that the “bean counters” are finally owning up to the fact that ad revenue on the Web is not what it needs to be. In our own experiences, both as a PR company and as intense users of the Web, is that people simply do not click on ads any more. I know, this is a not brainer isn’t it? At the other end of the spectrum are the people who built Web 2.0 and still have a vision of a free and rather open standard dynamic platform. We work with several companies who are dedicated to both transparency and “real data” portability - notably JS-Kit and Secondbrain .

Interestingly, these two just collaborated to solve an immediate problem for a contest Secondbrain has been conducting. Khris Loux CEO of JS-Kit and Secondbrain CEO Lars Teirgen worked with one another in integrating JS-Kit’s Score widget into the Secondbrain platform in order to allow Secondbrain users to vote for the winners of the contest . Though there is no huge user generated content aspect involved here, the portability of JS-Kit tools is evidenced in that Lars’s team can choose to either retain or stop using the Score aspect for their purposes without penalty of content loss or tech time to remove the tool.

Open Standards And Web 3.0

In extensive conversations with Khris Loux and other notable Internet experts, one common theme or “war” becomes apparent. There is a small unnoticed war going on behind the scenes - the war between people who want a decentralized and democratic Web and those that would gather all the power to themselves in a sort of “traditional” approach to what we might call “The TV of the Future” or the Web. It is already obvious that traditional models of monetization are being applied to what we lovingly thought of as Web 2.0. I expect most of us half expected this all along, but these latest “ham handed segues” by online traditional media (NYT, Reuters and etc.) should be evidence. According to Loux;

“Widgets and other distributive technologies are beginning to drive an aspect of the Internet, and the business implications of this are potentially staggering. The control, ownership and portability of user generated, advertiser and publisher generated content are paramount issues for the future of the Web.”

I don’t know how much better anyone can state this issue than this, but certainly Web 2.0 and its derivatives hinge in the balance in as far as what we “the users” get out of it. If you cannot see this, then just think about who owns or what is presented to you on television. Perhaps readers might also look into the “not so limited” opinion out there besides mine too, or even the prima fascia evidence .

Just how did that information broadcast conduit change and how does this bear on your Internet? For their part Secondbrain, JS-Kit, Particls (and innovation of my friend Chris Saad), Wikipedia (Jimmy’s thing) and a host of other groundbreaking developments of Web 2.0 have broken the ground for the future of people who can use the Internet for fantastic visions. In the end, the quality of life that something impacts is all that matters to any of us.

So here it is, which side of the fence do you really belong on? Yes, we represent Secondbrain and JS-Kit, but your question might be better focused on the “why” of the people we are behind. I have iterated the solution to this question 1000 times at least with no BS involved. Web 3.0 is in the balance, what will it look like - open or closed? Jimmy, you and O’Reilly showed us the way, so you guys ride herd on them doggies at the NYT’s.

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What exactly is a "blogger code of conduct ", or any code after all? We all talked about it some time back when things got out of line with the "Kathy Sierra incident". Beyond simple humane activities, any code of conduct has to take into account that proper conduct is simply about being civil. Ok, what is civil? You see, here is where all the trouble starts in these discussions, with definitions. There seem to be a never ending line of definitions when measuring anything aren’t there? Well, as complex beings we are supposed to be able to process all this easily.

To one person being "civil" can simply mean not choking the hell out of someone when you are mad at them, while to another person being civil means actually respecting the other person. Wow, now we are into even more terms to define - what exactly is respect? If you stop right here, perhaps you might see how this can be confusing to some people. Those with limited resources to rely on can easily get hung up on definitions. Okay, this is the "civil" or nice way of saying that some people are either stupid or course or both. Well, there you have it, a civil person like me crossing over into the world of bluntness and coarseness. Well this code of conduct thing can get "fuzzy" sometimes as you can see.

Face it, all of us are capable of being downright rude at times, and the only determining factor between a gentleman and a cur sometimes is a hair’s breadth of timing over frustration. I think the point here is that people who adhere for the most part to a good ethic or conduct try really hard not to cross the line, however loosely defined it may be. Of course there are those who simply do not have any upbringing and who define the line all together differently. We know many of these types and most of them hang out at Digg. But perhaps the most frustrating group of "code breakers" are those who know better and still choose to act inappropriately. Ahaa! you are saying. You know some people in this category?

Well, let’s talk about some people who do not fall into this category. Sometimes powerful or popular folks see themselves as above common decency. This is particularly true on the Internet as everything is so removed from physical constraints. A good for instance here might be my friend Jimmy Wales , who though super busy and stressed by much, always responds to friendship and things of import. Though he will hate the mention, he does actually pay attention to what goes on even on the most remote blog if it has import or a friend points it out.

So you see, even the mighty can always seem to exhibit traits and respect befitting all people, even under the most unusual circumstances. We had a similar situation just the other day when Mihaela approached Guy Kawasaki about an issue. Guy did not have to respond, but characteristically of this type person he gave a polite and genuine answer to an honest request. To the point, genuine and actually going above and beyond relatively, Guy is always a gentleman and a professional. As it turned out, he did not have the time or the inclination to stretch so far as to "dive into" the issue, but he did honestly pay "respect" to the request and to Mihaela. This is indicative of the way we should all interact with one another - respectfully, honestly and with a smidgen more cordiality than we might think we are capable of.

Ok, you are saying - who made you the "defender of the faithful?" No one. This is not rocket science to anyone who’s parents taught them respect. I am just mirroring everything most of you were ever told about proper action by your own parents. So what is the problem? The problem is that all our biggest issues come about because of a lack of respect for one another. I can give you some examples of other situations in which myself, Mihaela or friends exhibited the very best intentions and qualities, and only recieved silence or disdain for our efforts. This is a sad reality that none of us talk about very much, the real world of human interaction. The Guy Kawasaki’s or Jimmy Wale’s of the world as something of a rarity these days.

Doing our bit to make the world a little bit better (or at least trying) we have hammered some startups or even individuals in an effort the make them better. Sometimes this comes off the wrong was and we are seen as antagonists, but quite honestly we just want everyone to do good. There are those who feel they are above all this though. I cannot tell you how many times I have honestly tried to help or extend a hand of friendship to people who evidently just think they are better than the rest of us. This is some form of lunacy in my view! Who’s time on this Earth is worth more than your’s or mine? Just because someone has a position does not add one day to their span here or detract from it either. This is an age old dilemma though. If the people on top who act inappropriately could equate themselves with those who are uneducated and ignorant on the other end of the spectrum then perhaps things might be much better for all of us. Power and influence would seem to be given for a purpose other than self aggrandizement.

This, of course, is the long way around the barn in saying that some people are just rude, crude and socially unacceptable. Disappointment is what we all have to swallow in the end. Even our most adamant support for people and movements can be dashed in a moment’s improper behavior as we all know. Extending ourselves is what we are all here to do it would seem. So, why can’t we all do this more? Extend ourselves to other people and issues just a tad beyond what we think we can endure? Jimmy and Guy do this, I do it, I know you do it, so why can’t so many others? Perhaps they are and we are only seeing our end of the equation, but if I email Michael Arrington 20 times with a sincere gesture, why can’t there be an equitable answer? Not picking on Michael singularly, as there are so many non-responsive ones. Are they that busy?

A code of conduct for bloggers or anyone else should be to respond in kind I suppose. A better code might be to respond or act just a slight bit more appropriately than we think is comfortable. I really want to applaud all those who try and respect other people, especially when their own time has so many demands on it. I wrote to Jimmy just the other day; "What if one hour were worth a million kids having food?" How many opportunities have we all missed out of apparentexpedience? I think we should all weigh what we lose in improper behavior as opposed to what we might gain at the other end of the spectrum.

I feel as if this were a post about nothing so to speak, but we all need to think and that is what I started this blog for, just to make my friends think. Think about extending our time and effort towards one another. My greatest disappointments have come when I put energy and faith in people and they act as if it were nothing. I know you all identify.

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Suffering from a major case of writer’s block myself (PR consulting induced), I decided to see what my readers (and as it turned out everyone else’s) are missing. Somehow I managed to amble over to Rafe Needleman’s fine Webware blog first thing, and what did I find there? The 98th most popular website in the world (according to Alexa in my tool bar) suffering from what could either be called “Mashablitis” or “Copypasteosis”. I love Mashable, but it is news and articles of a type, while Webware has always been of a distinct other type - or at least this is my impression.

Rafe Needleman or Ahab?

Posting from other CNET entities as filler for the blog is certainly not a stupid idea, but it does say something - tho I am not sure what. Not long ago my partner Mihaela Lica sort of hammered TechCrunch for letting their content slip, but now I am beginning to realize that nearly all the blogs big and small are slipping. I thought the Web 2.0 boredom syndrome just applied to Facebook and other social networks!

Web 2 Point Blah!

Please don’t get the wrong impression, Rafe Needleman is one of the best minds in the business. It is not his fault that the steam powering the Web 2.0 engine is being diverted to mad Twitter typing orgies or Facebook meltdown application design parties. Hell, Rafe’s leading articles tonight are about two cell phone “whatchamacallits”, two map “do-dads”, two ticker tape “thingies”, sending pics to grandma, note taking application and last but not least - something called CookiePie. Holy cow! We have reached the fully integrated, hyper-connected, semantic “five and dime store” Internet. It’s like someone over at Webware ran past a keyboard and hot keyed “post BS version 5″ and left the building.

I respect what Rafe has done for and with his fantastic network of sites, but when Webware puts out 200 word snippets about nothing? There has to be a problem somewhere and I do not believe it is in Rafe’s commitment to quality. Either it is a terrible news day or content writers got so expensive no one but Pete Cashmore can afford them. Ironically, visiting Mashable revealed at least a series of unique articles - errr - blog posts about actually separate venues and etc. What is up with that? Even though they are not the blog versions of Melville, the consistency and type are evident as usual. So the bad news day excuse would appear to be out as far as a Webware “off day” is concerned.

Feeling for Rafe and sure that Web 2.0 must have virtually collapsed, I just had to go to the altar of tech blogdom and see what TechCrunch was munching on - just to see if Rafe was alone in the copy paste zone. Well, TC was there as usual, somewhere between in depth analysis and Mashable. At least all the articles were from TC and about different subjects. This is not to say any of the fare would re-energize the Web 2.0 movement however, but there was some content - period.

What’s Your Problem?

I am sure that Rafe has some very good explanation for the lack of unique content on Webware yesterday. This is not the point really, as he has done a lot and has nothing to explain. The issue is about content in general, and more importantly where it comes from and who it is for. My problem is basically 3 fold.

Since sharing the PR load with my partner and consulting, I have sent some of these guys better stories that any of those issued yesterday. Most of my communications were not even answered, save those to Pete Cashmore and others one might not think would respond as readily as Rafe of Michael’s crew.
This is puzzling to me, so I have a problem with it. Secondly, the overall quality of content everywhere (including here sometimes) in general is “tired” to say the least. This may be either a function of a weakening Web momentum or a valley in the trend of Web stories (innovations). Lastly, revered blogs like TC and Webware have reached the pinnacle of their respective niches. They receive the lion’s share of attention, and so should be held to a higher standard. Mashable is doing what they always did, so far be it for me to condemn them.

If I do not write for a week, or use posts from other than my personal blog, then perhaps 200 friends and some stumblers will be left holding the bag. Big deal! I hope everyone see’s my point. Just so you know, if I am not writing it is because I hate burdening people with less than 100 percent Phil Butler BS. Okay laugh. I should virtually never be able to go to even one of these blogs and not be able to find something interesting and new. As powerful as these people have become in the blog community, they should be able to manufacture news.

Hey! I just thought; “If I can do it, so can they!” Ahh, but being constructively critical is dangerous right? Oooooh! Come on guys, shake this thing up - the king is suffocating already! Rafe, if you were sick or had some emergency, you know I am so sorry. If you delegated blogdom to someone today, then tell them to hit F5 rather than F6 to insert original content. I am half playing man.

Editor’s Note: I almost forgot guys. I went to my old friends at Readwriteweb out of thoroughness and so no one would say I am biased. RWW and Sarah Perez are topping off the content tanks for the long journey from what I see. Just and observation - check out this post (which I did not read ahead of time) about boredom and Web 2.0. The irony is so thick you can cut it with a knife!

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Back in October of 2007 I wrote about a great little innovation called Disqus, a very refined comment/discussion tool for sites. Back then, and even now, I was convinced that Daniel Ha – the founder – struck hard at a point of pain on the Web – interactivity. The Internet is about communication and not much else. Regardless of how we view all the Web 2.0 hype and even true innovation, when we boil it all down we are talking about making better ways of communicating data, ideas, value and news.

My original post at Profy about Disqus applauded the innovation’s prospective ability to heighten the publisher to user to user discussion experience. Over the last several days I have had some problem in reconciling another aspect of the Web and startups – end user value. Now the question arises; “Which is more important, the means or the end?”

Ok Let’s Disqus It

Over the past few days I have ventured to several other blogs around the Web in an effort to establish a correct discourse about Disqus, and startups within this same niche (One of which I consult for), but more importantly end user value. As iterated before, Disqus is a very powerful tool if taken to its correct conclusive refinement. However, these latest little “comment wars” have sort of turned childish in tone out of the defensiveness of Daniel, and I must admit my own “logic” in regard to transparency and ultimately excellence.

In short, my name is on Disqus to a degree given my early support for the platform, which I take very seriously. The problem with Disqus is not the development of technology and ideas, but in the way the product is being moved and in what the end user is entitled to. This is of course in my opinion to a degree, but millions of people have had this discourse over 100 other platforms. People want to know what is in it for them and what will be derived from their participation. This is true whether we are talking about Google or the worst innovation on the Web. So, how come Daniel Ha will not just simply answer my valid questions?

Customer Directives

Intent is perhaps one of the most important and often underestimated aspects of the developer/end user relationship. Put bluntly, some startup innovation is designed to serve the end user and some is designed to be sold. You might say; “Ok, so what is wrong with that?” The answer is of course nothing, provided that the end customer – the important one – receives a true value for their contribution. The problem with Disqus, or any “for sale” startup, is that an entity that is designed to be sold to another entity is tailored or built to suit the buyer. In this case, if this is the case for Disqus, the actual people who will use the product are a secondary consideration. I know, you are asking; “What is he talking about?” Let me build a scenario for Disqus to illustrate the point I am trying to make.

Disqus Development Team In Action (Note Tin Man VC - Heart In Hand)

Success Scenario – Disqus (or any comment platform)

Said platform is designed to incorporate advanced comment and discussion tools with the intent of selling the platform to WordPress, TypePad and or Blogger. User to publisher interactive and otherwise “cool tools” are very refined and aimed at being attractive to users. An underlying SEO and content manipulation strategy is developed, centered on customer (3rd party entity) value via ads and traffic to a directed point of contact. This point of contact is a focal point for content aggregation via discussion and comments wherein the end product customer (WordPress for example) derives not only value for refined interactive comments, but perhaps millions of lines of content and data stored on their servers. You can easily see how a primary customer of John Doe the blogger would not derive any value at all in such a scenario.

Daniel might argue that he is working on a “two Way” API so that the publisher regains this data and its inherent SEO value (and he has), but this would be a fallacy. Even if the API worked and re-injected the content back into the HTML of the origin, it would slow the site load down and more importantly represent “duplicate content” – a real “no no” for search and SEO. Obviously there is a two-fold problem here in that publishers lose control of their valued content and cannot fully “opt out” of the Disqus platform once in.

Scenario Two – Dorothy Calling Kansas

A brilliant developer has a vision to create the most advanced interactive discussion system on the planet. This developer leaves no stone unturned and actually integrates very fine and useful features into a service. He and his team devise a system and philosophy from the very start where no publisher can derive SEO value, retain ownership of their content or even know if they will make any money from this affiliation.

The developer is so interested in designing a hugely successful platform to add value to the “end user” that his entire team, his investors and even the bloggers who write about it are blinded to the fact that the HUGE data portability and ownership issues even exist. Add to this “Wizard of Oz” scenario the fact that nearly everyone on the Web is paranoid that Google or anyone will steal their data and we have a true “Scarecrow” development. Somehow, this does not seem like something VC, a smart developer and their supporters would even believe let alone use.

OZ Regained

In my opinion Web3.0 (if it ever gets here) is about total transparency. No, Daniel we are not talking about me forgetting to mention that I work with one of your competitors, but rather that “questions” and their demanded “answers” are what is due to people. A CEO is the ultimate authority on their vision, and these answers should be only a breath away in a well defined business entity. To say that someone garnered hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of dollars in support without the slightest interest in ROI is not even “scarecrow” mentality exhibited.

Many may think that I am attacking Disqus out of vehement support for my friends and clients. This is an understandable assumption, but it is simply untrue. Anyone who reads my stuff or knows me in the least, knows I care and I just say what I think is right. In this case I admire what Daniel has accomplished and prefer that any win he may derive from his efforts be untarnished. Taking the 14 year old “digg hate brigade” approach to criticism is unworthy of Daniel’s intellect and in the end, just not good competition. Can’t people see that all anyone is asking is for them to “up their game”? The yellow brick road will be endless unless we can elevate our thinking. You can design yourself to death, but if the end user is not absolutely thrilled in these times, then somewhere down the road everyone loses.

Great WizardPress

I now have an image of Matt Mullenweg looking down on all these events like the great wizard, just waiting for something else to provide for users. WordPress is perhaps one of the paramount developments ever devised and even I am just beginning to realize the gravity of it. Thinking that Disqus or even one of my clients is going to break into the holy grail of the blogosphere without something fantastic and nearly perfect is wishful thinking. We can all learn a lot about patience, proper behavior and striving for excellence out of these conversations and competitions. Being childish and evading tough questions is lazy.

I encourage people to enter this discourse and also the pertinent developers to up their game. The result of this kind of completion can only be a better situation and Internet for everyone. It ain’t personal, it ain’t business, it is about being the best.

Update: Just found another informed blogger confused by the Disqus content dilemma. You are not alone!

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The first couple of months I spent here in Germany fairly dashed some of my perceptions of both the people and the essence of the place. I expect this is true for most visitors, and certainly my "American" sense of old world charm was slightly skewed by not so much disinformation as being a product of a more chaotic environment there in the states.

At first glance the average German appears rather subdued and even boring by American standards. However, just as the average American displays traits akin to his or her upbringing, so too German people exude many attributes tied inextricably to what we consider "the old world". This subject then begs the question; "When is a cup of coffee worth five bucks?" In the United States the answer would probably always be never, and herein lies perhaps a great lesson.

Kava from Java

Everywhere one goes in Germany; a cup of coffee is scarcely a stone’s throw away. From the doctor’s office to the use car lot, the gentility of a hot cup of Joe is a pleasant common denominator for business as well as community. Sure, there are great cafes where a person can get the most extravagant cappuccino imaginable, and this treat is made all the more enjoyable via the relaxing mood and setting. This prevailing setting reveals much more about how we used to view things in the United States, and also perhaps a point where we detoured from something very important – our valuation of people, time and what we find important.

Yesterday, I was coerced by my significant other to finally at long last have my eyes checked. We visited a nice and reputable optical franchise here in Schweich (a very small town) – Roman Wagner – which by all outward appearances seemed so like all those middle class eyeglass stores in the US. Having been basically blind for a lifetime, you can imagine that none of the accoutrements or paraphernalia of the place seemed all that foreign to me – a veteran of eye exams. I must say however, that the experience proved to be far more rewarding than I ever expected, and imminently revealing of a character no longer readily visible in my home country.

Seeing

An eye exam is a fairly mundane and even boring encounter, but I was immediately taken by the professional and even kind nature of the optician giving me my exam. A rather refined fellow, probably in his late 30’s, everything about the optician reflected both an innate caring and somehow very personal approach to what would be a clinical matter of circumstance in the States. To be direct about it, the guy actually cared about the singular task and person at hand.

The next customer, the telephone or any other of the nearby extraneous distractions were obviously of little import compared to the immediate subject here. This intrinsically interesting attitude became even more significant later on in the encounter, but I want the reader to know first that the professionalism of this person was so readily apparent as to provoke this story as well as an immediate heightened sense of professionalism in general.

What Would You Like

Outside of this "surreal" aspect of this encounter, I must say that the examination and technologies used were impressive as well. At length, the optometrist made us comfortable and offered to fetch us coffee, which was delivered humbly and unassumingly out of his own hand. I of course found this to be charming, interesting and again revealing of something so foreign to Americans (especially at an eyeglass establishment) as to be extraordinarily compelling. It should come as no surprise that this particular coffee break we so unceremoniously delivered to a "simple" customer by none other than Roman Wagner himself, the owner of a dozen or more optical stores here in Germany. I have found this to be the rule here, rather than the exception. Seeing proprietors actually investing themselves in the people on both sides of the counter is something we should all consider in our valuations of companies.

Black or With Sugar and Cream?

Perhaps you have a similar recollection either there in the states or abroad. I can remember long ago places there where the proprietor took such an interest and "claimed" every aspect of his or her business. It is of course, not a common thing anymore the states, where our Wal-Mart mentality has supplanted nearly all inference to a better way of doing things. Roman Wagner could easily have been on the golf course or at least have delegated any common task to a subordinate, but we are talking here about a person’s investment in their life’s work. Taking to task every aspect of business and in particular these connective "person to person" aspects is nearly a bygone myth where I come from. And we wonder why we are so often dissatisfied with service, products and even people. Time and money are constants in business, but I the United States we have somehow lost the ability to correctly place value. "When is a cup of coffee worth five bucks?"

Jerry McGuire Values

A cup of coffee is worth a thousand dollars when the person behind making and serving it offers it with an old world and gentile respect for the person across the table. We need to reevaluate what we see as "a good deal" in my view. If we could all value proprietors who really care by helping them grow their businesses and supporting the best, then we would realize true excellence once again. If every Wal-Mart shopper would save 3 weeks shopping and just wait and look for true value, then perhaps the essence of true excellence could be relived where it is now subdued. I also had a cup of cappuccino yesterday at a café. It was of course 5 bucks, but sitting there on the square in Trier, calmly watching the passersby and enjoying the aromas and sounds, was far beyond any Starbucks experience – well worth 3 Euros.

All too often we are fooled into thinking that imitations are real, but every time I ever think of refined excellence my thoughts travel to professionals who truly believe that "less is more". I believe that most Americans have been subjugated into a sort of "moo cow" mentality where a customer is worth about 5 minutes (or less). As human beings and even customers, we really only want mutual respect and in a real way, the gentle attention we all deserve. Would you trade all the cheap wristwatches you ever bought and threw away for a Rolex? The answer to this question may well determine the fate of a nation and perhaps the free world. I think we need to pay more rather than less, and also to expect more, as only great expectations and correctly scaled value will take us upward – and perhaps back.

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Delving into the mysteries of the Web for the 10,000th time, I decided to go all out transparent and also help a friend today. You see, all bloggers and social networking fools use essentially the same strategies to get what they write notices. Whether the subject is super informative news or simply some refined spam, the methodologies are the same. So, for this one post, let’s see what it takes to make a story successful.

Real Or The Matrix

I have a real story that a bunch of people should take advantage of. Second Brain is a fantastic startup that for one reason or another got behind the curve. I talked with CEO Lars Teigen about doing a contest to draw attention to the cool site again, as it was a leader some months ago. Lars agreed and he put up one of the best prizes ever offered by a startup - a Macbook Air among other great prizes. Well, contests are not exactly top tier blog news these days, so I went to my friend Pete Cashmore to see if Mashable could run the contest story. Well , it went up and Second Brain got some good users and contestants. The problem is that contests, even those written about on Mashable , are often overshadowed by other news. No big deal, it is just harder to get people the news and requires more time.

The bottom line is, no one stands a better chance of winning something worth a damn than in one of these promotions. So, here we are, Second Brain is getting some cool new users but there are still thousands of people who do not even know about the platform or the prizes. However, the biggest potential loss is to the platform as new users are the ones who make these things go. Several of my good friends and a bunch of our network people have joined Second Brain, but still - many people are missing out on a great opportunity simply due to the climate of blog media this month.

Transparent Gaming

Just for fun, let’s take a ride on the blogosphere’s social networking wheel. Perhaps my friend Lars, lots of contestants and in the end Internet users in search of a home will benefit from what Second Brain has to offer. I will let new users be the beta testers on this one, and I will try and open the door from here. So, let’s look at what we are attempting.

1. Write a story with a catchy title - This title should be something that the average 14 year old Digg user might be attracted to - like implying something about more than one brain.
2. Next we need to have a rather novel and interesting subject that is not too long (oops I always have trouble with this). Digg users and many other social media types do not like to read in the first place. So, we need pictures!
3. We will need a friend to submit this story to Digg and Propeller . (Don’t worry, they know everyone does this and Kevin’s team have made it virtually impossible to game the system any way).
4. Now we will line up all our Digg, Propeller, StumbleUpon and blogging buddies and see if they will like (vote) for the story. This is the hard part as everyone gets tired of voting and voting and voting. It is particularly difficult at Propeller as the interface is so slow that life streams by as you send the story to your "friends" (who often ignore messages).

The Kicker

Sounds rather simple doesn’t it? Well, we can make it as complicated as we want (voting from favorites versus directly and etc. at Digg), but in the end - it is just a crapshoot. Back in the day of the "Top Digger" things were a little more interesting and dynamic. The biggest problem with trying to get noticed these days is that there are so many people trying to get noticed. Social networking sort of looks like a classroom full of kids raising their hands to answer a question from the teacher. Which one do you choose? Another problem with networking is that only about one in ten people ever actually respond to requests or suggestions. I have like 300 "friends" at Propeller, but asking every one of them to look at a story might possibly get 50 votes on a good day. What is a person to do when he/she actually has something of worth to present?

A Final Message

The bottom line is that hopefully a great startup will get some more users and we will have created a win-win scenario. Second Brain is truly a great platform and deserving of some attention. I know this is subjective, but the users there have found great value and this is rather safe ground. As far as this simplification of networking strategy, well - everyone knows this don’t they? Check out Second Brain and perhaps win a great PC - what can be wrong in that?

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