1938 Media- Cage Match Challenge Extended

Loren Feldman, someone I have posted on before, lambasts me for admonishing bloggers on Revenews about the new Tag Game. He feels I should have ended it “godfather-style” (meaning quietly or with a gun?) and according to him in general I am the one “not getting it”. I must lack of sense of humor maybe or i am a general jerk? Thanks Loren – allow me to respond because much of the reason for halting was more about the nature of the personal things than the meme- or game.

Perhaps more response later in video- I have a few roots there. You have me motivated now to move that along. Also look up the word “meme” so you know how to say it and what it means. Memetics is the cornerstone of what you appear to be trying to do- I think. You might study up on it and its importance in social media.

You said it adds personality to static URLS. Here is where you don’t get it- static URLS are dieing. The Web itself will be a “grid” in ten years or so if we reach the 3-4 or petaflops the DOD wants us to. You can Pay for Post that. Sam Harrelson is spot on with the putting a tombstone on links.

It’s not just about affiliate marketing, we talk about a number of things and each has their own “voice”. Although affiliate marketing is part of it- performance marketing is what I prefer. I am not the owner, I am a part-owner. Furthermore, I do not OWN the community- the community OWNS itself, but as a steward, it is my job to step-in sometimes- even when I know it will be unpopular. Those who know me- know that popularity doesn’t guide my decisions.

You said I “freaked out”- again- as a malware investigator- I learned not to freak out a long time ago. Whether I am “stupid” or not is your opinion. I know I am not, nor do I think you are- I think you have your own creative style and I like that, but I also think you are myopic.

Let’s clear this up- the professionals here are not “my writers” either- I do not OWN them- they are my peers and colleauges in one industry- I happen to cross several. If you need a bio- I will send it over. These folks don’t work here, they write here for out of passion and hopefully they get meaningful exposure- and they get to run some of their own ads- we turn the vast majority of applicants we get- and many are good- away. Usually for sake of balance.

For some it has paid off, for others less so, they set their expectations. We have been around since 1998 and it is a continual experiment. This last round has convinced me to up the ante yet again- your vlog too has convinced me to do it further. I was right- perhap YourTube is the new battleground for business . That’s the link you “happened to find” in your logs- the thread I note you commented on.

Let’s run it down:

A) I do “get it”. Talk to Dan at PPP or I can give you a long list of pioneers in video that know me…but i don’t need to validate myself do I? I know I “get it”- not only do I “get it”- I have done it and I do it.

B) Being a part of the conversation means saying things both good and bad and here we are are talking about a community. I respect all my blogging peers here and they know I know I do- I don’t always agree, but I respect anyone with the salt to get up and talk.

The peers are invited or accepted based on merit and skillset. If I admonish someone I *normally* do it in public- nor am I immune- I have taken myself to task. There are exceptions to this, like one person who stepped into a very bad bee hive and had no idea.

You’ll note I admit in my posts to making mistakes. I felt this had to be taken public. I am not a “Yes” man. We have missed a few too, but that is a mistake I admit too. Not on purpose, but because when I handed the torch over- well I have other jobs…I give what I can.

C) It wasn’t so much the tag game that bothered me it was what was coming out- some of the details. Some that could harm peoples careers down the road. Our readership, some who wrote me, didn’t like it. I know the make up our readership, the people on our list, and I know the feedback in the mail box. You obviously don’t.

D) You will note I asked people do it on their personal blogs and then discuss it in a business context here. I myself particpated on my personal blog where I carry out strange experiments of my own- from linking, to affiliate marketing, to testing and honeypotting or even poking fun at the “A-Listers” that have become the top-down media. I don’t dislike them either, respect many of them,- it is all a matter of context. I don’t want the A,B,C caste system ruining the new way we talk.

Posts here can be funny, ironic, allegorical, even satire. But blogging games like “Tag You’re It” don’t quite fit the mold here- mostly because some of the details like religious beliefs, marital status, etc aren’t right for the audience. It was an editorial decision- one of I made and accept responsability for. Not everyone posted those details- some ok- but you have to try to be fair- it moved like a media virus so rather stop it all the way around. Now 5 Things I Learned in Business or 5 Achievements, etc would have been better themed…even 5 Ways working online has effected me personally…that might have worked.

E) Whether or not the “bigger bloggers” do it means nothing to me. I don’t follow the crowd. See above.
Ask Robert Scobele who received a MonkeyPhoneCall. (Thanks for the reply Robert). If I had it my way I would give every single executive at Edelman a MonkeyPhoneCall for their antics at WOMMA. I go on record they are the agency for a firm I work for. I noted Steve Rubel never responded to my linked in request- perhaps he wasn’t guilty? I have his cell phone, I could have done it anyway, but I respect he doesn’t want to micropersaude me- one of his clients. Maybe I don’t understand what “micropersuasion” is all about. I sure don’t think it should be “micromanipulation”. (I like Steve by the way- I think Edelman agency has been clueless.)

F) I like your vlogging and rough style Loren, but you don’t hold the monopoly on being a curmudegeon, I am perfectly capable of being one.

G) Your response is exactly what I hoped to hear Loren- thanks for the conversation and validation. If you hated it- I know I made the right choice.

To wrap up, the tagging game is useful, great in fact- I did it on my personal blog, but disclosure on religion, etc, are best left for personal blogs- the writers are encouraged to talk about personal interests in their side bar. The game played to your style, but not our group style- we are more than just five people- we are many people.

You are one- your own lone maverick. We are a “group”, like living in a condo. You might like the fact I play Black Sabbath at 4am at 80 decibels, some may not. We have general standards. We try, and I note we sometimes fail, to uphold them because we are not perfect. We are human. I am human.

In general I reserve “God-Father” style tactics for those who need it- like malware, spyware scumbags, UA child pron pushers and miscreants who disrupt and destroy e-commerce and lives. Again- look it up.
No video- but here is a picture for you that sums it up.

Here is the video response I am responding too- I would use a widget but chose a link, so we can talk about widgets later. Loren’s Why He Would Hate To Work At Revenews.

Post Script

Loren- let’s sweeten things up- after the holidays, hopefully in January- I challenge you to a Podcast Cage Match- one-on-one about “Video”, “Links” and “Who Gets It” and where it is all going. No malice, no hatred, no personal attacks, but let’s up the ante for the sake of conversation and mutual learning- let’s debate the issues you and I bring up.

Sam at CostPerNews and I were kicking the idea of one around- so I ask he moderate- he cannot interject or take sides- only moderate.

Do you accept the challenge?

You can even curse all you like.

To quote yourself at Revenews on October 30, 2006 10:55 AM (that link you happened to find…)

You guys crack me up. Steve grow up you big baby. Aww you never heard a curse word before. Some people don’t like me, some do. That’s life, and that is my branding.

I’d say almost the same thing Loren only it would be more like this- “Some people don’t like me, some do. That’s life.”

ADDENDUM: Loren Accepts!

Note: A few people have had trouble with comments going through- they are coming through, but some are being flagged as spam from a heavy filter- like the one from Brad was triggered by the word “game”. I’ll try to tune that. If it doesn’t go through just send an e-mail to wporter @ gmail.com and I will either post it here, or get it manually.

Loren e-mail your digits and I’ll send you a Monkey Phone Call….I promise i won’t post it on truck stop walls.

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