Blogs and Feeds

PRSA Boston Meets to Navigate World of Blogs

PRSA Boston's March 30^th program entitled "Navigating the Wide World of Blogs" was held this evening at Weber Shandwick in Cambridge, MA. As the image shows, the meeting was well attended. The panel moderated by Mary Helen Gillespie, president of Gillespie Interactive included Dan Kennedy of the Boston Phoenix, Mike Spataro, EVP for Interactive Services of Weber Shandwick (a non-blogger who advises on blogging -- hmmm), Adam Gaffin of Boston Online and NetworkWorld.com and Sam Whitmore of Sam Whitmore's Media Survey. The panel was charged with addressing:

• What are blogs?
• Who are key bloggers?
• How to use blogs for media relations?
• How to make blogs work?
• How some companies have misread the significance of blogs?

The discourse was disappointing. Perhaps, I've already heard too many blatherings about what is "on" or "off" the record, read too many apologists for MSM slam bloggers for their lack of objectivity and issue concerns over blogger credibility and lack of journalistic professionalism. Perhaps, I've been living on a different planet for the past few years -- one where journalists at very credible papers (NYT) have written fake or plagiarized stories, where Sinclair Media aired "biased" information and the dismal list could go on and on. If the same logic is applied that all individuals using the same expressive media are alike, then MSM is just as biased and riddled with credibility problems as blogging. All bloggers are alike, aren't they? Alas! Way too much time and attention is spent looking in at the blogosphere, categorizing and stereotyping.

Missing in the discussion was what is to me the most interesting aspect of blogging -- the ability to connect with publics and listen to the sweet music of the customer's voice. Blogs offer businesses the ability to join in a conversation with their customers.

Every time I hear words like "control" and "influence" used in connection with blogging and bloggers, I am acutely aware of how frightening "customers" must be to many businesses. An image comes to mind of a small child, hands clapped over his ears, screaming at the top of his lungs --"I don't care what you say. I can't hear you." PR professionals (oh! it's that word again - profess...) should help these frightened individuals take their hands off their ears and listen. Then, based on what they hear from their customers design their communications strategies accordingly.

Sure bloggers will and do create havoc for companies that provide lousy products, poorly articulated messages and unacceptable service. However, in my own reading and blog writing, more bouquets of roses are thrown than brickbats.

Also, somewhat disappointed that there was no discussion of some of the really cool tools emerging for following blogs such as BlogPulse that monitors millions of blogs, mining out trends more rapidly than futurists could ever have imagined possible back in the old days of trend spotting when clipping and snipping news items was the norm.

What was billed at $40 a head as "dinner, networking and program" was a snack, some lively networking and the program. Mind you, the tea-sandwiches were delicious, but they were certainly not dinner. Left the meeting both mentally and physically hungry.

AOL Launches Red Blogs

AOL has joined the fray and launched its own blogging platform -- Red Blogs. This platform is aimed squarely at teenagers. It will allow them to create private, semi-private, or public blogs. Younger teens, aged 13-15, will need parental approval and cannot present their blogs for public viewing.

Blogs are big with teens, so AOL is clearly throwing a soft homerun pitch in creating a platform for this market. It will also create a platform with great "legs." Teens who blog will grow into adults who blog.

Recently in a discussion with other women bloggers, we admitted that we had kept diaries in our teen years. No pink fake leather with a tiny lock for the teens of today. Instead of a lock that their siblings and prying parents can pick with a paper clip, they get to keep their thoughts on a server protected by a password. My lament is:"Born too soon once again."

I will be interested to see not only how AOL develops this platform, but also whether the discipline of writing a blog improves the writing of teens. Watch as I hop up on one of my favorite soap boxes -- good writing only comes with practice. The more you write the more your brain and fingers connect, so writing a diary on line will force some type of connection between thought and words for teen bloggers. Are we someday going to become a more literate society -- too much to ask for, perhaps?

Greensboro, N.C. Newspaper Tries Blogging to Lure Readers

The Boston Globe reports that the Greensboro, N.C., News-Record, a daily newspaper with a 93,000 circulation has 11 bloggers. Hailed as a bold experiment, this story highlights many of the problems confronting the main stream media (MSM) today. MSM is challenged by non-traditional, citizen journalists, who are often passionate, opinionated and unfettered by a need to be objective about their topics. Unfortunately, there does not appear to be a passion in the Greensboro, journalist bloggers, if this is any indication:

Night cops reporter Eric Townsend, a 26-year-old who also contributes to a blog about traffic, said he's happy to post to the blog, but he thinks declining newspaper readership among the young is more a symptom of a decline in civic engagement than anything else.

Can hardly agree with this assessment. Since the growth of the blogosphere shows an increasingly engaged population taking on the issues.

Also, the story reports News-Record bloggers have a reluctance to engage in being purely editorial in their blogs and don't touch the hot topics. If the slide in readership of newspapers is to turn around, they must provide something for the reader -- a viewpoint maybe?

 

Checklist for Coxes

Confidence is a huge factor in winning, and little miscues can go a long way to eroding it. As a rowing official, I am always amazed at how often I see poor preparation before leaving the dock impairing a crew's ability to perform at their best.

Since coxswains are in charge of their boats once they are on the water, I thought that I would provide this checklist to help eliminate a few confidence- eroding mistakes. I've also made it into an audio file so that it can be downloaded into an iPod and kept handy.

Before you leave the dock, go through this ten point checklist and you will be better prepared for your race. You will be surprised at how this can increase your confidence on the water and your performance.

1. Check the traffic pattern and course layout. Don't wait until you get on the water to erase any questions you might have about where to take your crew once you leave the dock.
2. Know your event information - the number, the scheduled time, your lane assignment, and if multiple crews from your organization are competing, know if you are listed as the A, B, or C boat.
3. If you are racing in a heat, you must know your heat number as well.
4. Know your launch time and remember that there will be other crews wanting to get on the water too - so be sure to plan accordingly.
5. If you must carry weight, pick it up and make sure that you get it on board with you
6. Check the bow number on your boat. This is very important if you are to be properly identified at the finish. Often, when several crews share a boat, someone will forget to change the bow number. Make sure it isn't you.
7. If you are in an event that requires pin-on numbers make sure that your number will be visible, not covered by a jacket or your hair.
8. Prepare for the weather -- make sure you have adequate clothing if it is cold and liquids if it is hot
9. Check your cox specific equipment, your amplification system and rudder.
10. Oh! And lest you forget, remember to have fun!
    
    

Blogging Frontier too Wild for Advertisers

So the WSJ claims in an article published today. Although this article contains some interesting nuggets on the growth of blog advertising, I found several paragraphs particularly interesting.

Weblogs founder Jason Calacanis [states], customer-friendly companies need not be timid. "If you're hiding from your customers, you don't like their feedback, you treat your customers terribly, blogs are the worst place to be," he says, adding, "PR people and hype-based marketers are not doing well in the blogosphere."

Jason is a forthright and often controversial member of the blogging community. While I don't always agree with him, he is so right on target in this article that clearly focuses on the overall timidity of advertisers to stand up and be counted in a medium where "holy crow" they might even be criticized by an unfettered press.

I have grown weary of endless drivel about companies needing to be "market sensing" and then closing themselves off from their market by only seeking to see and be seen where soft, kind words are said. The message is clear.

If the blogosphere is hostile, that's your customers speaking. So ,listen up!!!

The second "chilling" paragraph is at the end of the article.

For now, many big companies are sitting on the sidelines. "We're in a wait-and-see mode," says Stuart Bogaty, senior partner and managing director of mOne Worldwide, a digital ad agency that is part of WPP Group. He thinks that companies will remain skittish until agencies can better monitor and control what individual bloggers are saying about them. On the other hand, that might undercut their renegade appeal. "If we were able to convince a blogger to do that," he notes, "it would reduce the value of his blog in general."

The most chilling comment is "monitor and control." I don't so much mind the monitoring part, since that is part of what good marketers are supposed to do, but the "control" part bothers me, for it calls into question the objectivity of all media that accepts advertising. Is the media in fact "controlled" by the advertiser. Ask many bloggers, and these citizen journalists would proclaim that mainstream media is not only not objective but has been bought and sold by advertisers.

One of the most interesting ongoing arguments that I have been following is about editorial responsibilities of bloggers. This statement would suggest that advertisers expect the journalist to be a "poodle on a leash" and that editors are merely leash holders.

Feedroll for Content Syndication

Feedroll just surprised me with how easy it makes adding synidcated content to a site. I just added added Lockergnome's RSS and Atom tips to my site with just a few clicks. It is so easy that I expect to be changing the syndicated content that I offer on a regular basis. If you are looking to add syndicated content to your site, why not give this a try?

The question still remains "why add synidcated content? Doesn't it take viewers away from the site?" My comment is that readers come for content, and if I offer them lots of content options, they'll find me anyway. Besides as more readers rely on RSS readers to get their content, my lists and blog rolls will become increasingly less important. This is another place where -- we'll see what the future brings.

Slashdot Survey Shows RSS Usage to Increase

Slashdot, the wellknown technology Web site, commissioned a survey of readers of its RSS (Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary) feed to determine how Slashdot readers are using RSS technology now their future plans. In sharp contrast to the DM news study profiled Making RSS Adoption Simple yesterday, Slashdot reports:

--  73% will increase their use of RSS feeds in the next year.
--  Most users received their feeds through a Web-based RSS syndication service but many users do not use traditional methods to read their feeds, instead relying on mobile and other devices to obtain their feeds.
--  Receiving feeds through mobile units such as cell phones, SMS messaging, voice mail, WAP or portable audio players will increase.
--  Technology will improve as RSS use increases, making RSS feeds easier for users to read and for publishers to deliver.

It should be noted that Slashdot readers are IT savvy and represent a audience that is on the cutting edge. As noted in the Making RSS Adoption Simple, it is my belief that RSS use will expand as awareness of its power and what it takes for successful implementation improves. Along with adoption will be a greater cry for more robust tracking and measurement tools. Here will be another challenge.

Making RSS Adoption Simple

According to DM News today "a new report from JupiterResearch claims RSS will not have a significant effect as a supplemental alternative to e-mail marketing." The analysts writing the report note that many marketers remain skeptical about using RSS to supplement their email marketing content.

A recent survey by the analysts shows that "45 percent of marketers have no plans to deploy RSS to supplement e-mail, and only 5 percent currently do so." David Daniels, from JupiterResearch, notes "it [RSS] is more consumer friendly and it won't become truly marketer friendly until more consumers realize the convenience of it and begin to use RSS." No truer words have been spoken. As a user and an advocate of RSS, the biggest challenge appears to be demystifying the implementation and articulating the benefits.

Consumer adoption will force both. The report notes that "thirty-five percent of the surveyed marketers have deployed -- or soon will -- RSS because of consumer demand."  Marketers hesitant to join the RSS generation should carefully watch the consumer trends.

DM News notes "Marketers planning to deploy RSS are hesitant. The main challenge for 40 percent of them, they told JupiterResearch, is the lack of resources and experience to deploy, which they can overcome." This speaks to a problem that I have encountered almost continuously for the past 10 years. There is a huge gulf between technologists and marketers. I've seen this in search marketing and now witness it in the RSS implementations.

The challenges remain the same, but here is my outline for success:

• Demystify the technology so that non-technical marketers can grasp the power
• Identify or develop tools that are friendly to the non-technical user
• Develop easy-to-implement solutions for use in pilot projects that will demonstrate the value
• Work with vendors for better tracking solutions -- a long range project.

When all of this is done, the market will be ready. 

Podcasting Hardware and Video Instructions

Podcasting has recently caught my fancy. The audio-blogs on this blog are just toe-tips into the podcasting pool. What's keeping me from doing more podcasting and really giving it a whirl.

There are a couple of barriers here that I have not yet leapt over. The first is that I don't own an iPod.  I'm a luddite, who doesn't like to listen to music piped into my ears in place of all those other sounds that intrigue me -- some would say, like the sound of my own voice.

But, confession time -- I'm a radio listener. How very retro. It comes from years of living where the radio was great listening -- New York in the '60 with all of the great dj's and then as an adult in the range of the "Great Voice of the Great Lakes," WJR.

Maybe that is why I am so interested in podcasting. Well, my hunt for an equipment list of what it takes to do a reasonable job at this has been answered. A podcasting kit with instructions and even a video for those of us who aren't very mechanical. I love instructions. Yes! I do all those hopeless things like read them first, too many times hearing "measure twice, cut once."

Now, all I've got to do is make the decision to really jump in the podcasting pool. Now, that's another problem.

RSS Readers

"What RSS reader should I use?" This is a question that I am constantly at a loss to answer. There are so many. If you have ever wondered how many different RSS readers are available, here is a compendium of RSS readers including those that will work with phones, pocket-pcs and email. I've personally used Pluck for sometime now. I like its functionality, but I may shift to MyYahoo! or Bloglines or even the Web-based version of Pluck. I prefer web-based applications since they are not tied to one computer and use web-based email exclusively so it makes sense. I was so impressed with the depth and breadth of the list of readers that I had to share it.