DISQUS

What I most want from BestBuy online is fairly simple: let me filter my search based on "in-store availability". Not so much to save the few days of shipping time, but so I can actually *see* the thing (and possibly try it).

The only other thing I want from Best Buy is better ways to research/find the right thing, and for that, yes, people are required, so I go to Amazon for reviews. I'm actually thinking that Caterina's new Hunch might be the kind of thing a store like Best Buy could MOST use. But truly--I want to spend LESS, not more, time on the sites I want to shop on. I want to buy something (including research it), not build a relationship. If they can help me learn something useful, or make a more informed and appropriate decision, THAT would be great. But I don't go to Best Buy to "engage".

Excellent. And I had to take up your challenge to check out your About Me page and I was pretty shocked by what I saw there... a refreshingly humble/factual bio! I shouldn't have been surprised because of who you are, but still...

Wonderful. Not that there's anything wrong with testimonials, either, as long as they're from people talking not about how great YOU are, but how awesome THEY are as a result of something you helped them do. You're the coach, not the star player. Cheers

"Because they really don’t care if you are into photography. They care about gathering people who are into buying equipment. Why? Because that’s who advertisers want to reach."

The part about "who advertisers want to reach" is probably true, but for a photography magazine to not care if you're into photography and care only that you're into "buying equipment" makes no sense to me... people "buy equipment" for photography to the extent that they are "into photography". The more into photography they really are, the more likely they are to appreciate the need for (and cost of) higher-end gear and accessories.

The quickest way to sell more gear is to get more people further up the learning/appreciation curve. I suppose a short-term advertiser might not care, but any long-term marketing/business strategy for an equipment maker would care about repeat customers, growth, higher-end upgrades, etc. -- things that come only from those with a deep interest in the activity they're using the equipment *for* -- in other words, those who are "into it".

I'm not really arguing with your point -- I'm saying that the smarter advertisers do--or at least SHOULD--care. Go where the passion is, and there you'll find the people most likely to want the best gear, and in the best position to justify the expense.

I'm still thinking about the rest of your post... and you certainly gave me a lot to think about. Thanks!

I agree wholeheartedly! The only thing I'd add is that for some businesses, the "6 year old in the room" might be older. The corporate culture/audience might use a "16-year old in the room" guideline, and that would certainly be different. So, I completely agree on the "guests in my home" metaphor, and each company (or individual blogger) needs to decide exactly what kind of party/gathering they want.

We do know one thing... without moderation, most popular online forums devolve. It's a thousand times easier to start with a tighter rein and eventually loosen than to take up the reins of moderation later, as a reaction.

Thanks for the post (and your gazillion other thoughtful, useful posts).

I really like this post, Chris--and cheers to you for inspiring the great comments. I'll second Liz on seeking a 'playing field' not already full of competitors, Mark Nagurski on being 'the trusted source' and Aronodo on the importance of doing what you love/loving what you do...

And I'll add one small point -- you mention the importance of standing out (I agree, very important)-- and the best, most sustainable way to make that happen is to shift your focus from how *you* can stand out and instead work on helping your *users* (readers, participants, etc.) stand out.

Thanks for this and all your other posts! You're a great example--so much of your work is devoted to helping *us* stand out, and, well, you've managed to rise well above the noise : )

Chris Messina
Tim O'Reilly
Esther Dyson

The problem is not PR... it's that there aren't enough Don MacAskills. If more start-ups were driven by such passionate, caring people, this discussion wouldn't matter much.

Too many view PR (like UI design, user documentation, etc.) as something you tack on at the end. The "good narrative" that PR folks can help craft must be baked into the product from the beginning. This isn't about being on the Cluetrain, either--it's about building something genuinely loveable... or, something that can help users be/feel a bit more [whatever they want... brave, creative, exciting, smart, useful, wild, strong, entertaining, etc.]

Thanks for these two PR posts, Robert. And hey, I just got my print version of FastCompany and was delighted to see your whole "tearing up" thing made it into your column. : )

Phil said: "Robert, could you do something to rescue those 14 year-olds you mention? They are, after all, the future."

Ze Frank recently said, "I'm trying to inject some humanity into this..." after a suggestion that perhaps Digg and YouTube commenting was becoming the training ground for young people in 'how to behave online'. Not encouraging. And unfortunately, it's not just 14-year olds.

Michael Arrington has made the point many times that the 'relentless background of hate' in his part of the tech world is not sustainable. But this post is one more example of why I continue to admire and be inspired by Robert Scoble.

"It’s making me feel some sort of way about the tech community that sits in silence rather than speaking out because of fear. It’s saddening and disappointing on so many levels."

Yes.

I think I'm just done with being intimidated. Robert has been willing to keep going despite so much hate, but way too many others just stop. We're losing so many voices--most of whom see themselves more as 'teachers' then 'celebrities'--because of the increasingly destructive din of comment cruelty.

Those who don't believe that kindness/civility and criticism *can* co-exist are hurting themselves in the end as we bleed bloggers who feel it's just not worth it. Tim O'Reilly says "Civility doesn't *inhibit* speech... it *enables* it."

A look through the average comment thread on YouTube and Digg is a good indication of how we're training young people to respond online. And these aren't fringe sites. Something needs to change, and fortunately--more and more people both high-and-low profile are choosing to moderate comments and lower their tolerance. The argument that comment moderation (or banning) inhibits criticism is, in most cases, complete nonsense.

Far more discussions are shut down by abuse than by attempts to control it.

I agree with Shelley's advice to Madame L--and it remains a mystery why some of the sharpest minds on the planet would waste so much physical and emotional energy on a group of tech bloggers. Seriously. Can you imagine John Stewart caring about any of us?

For the record: Madame L created the post and images that included the photo of my head and the noose. Another participant added comments that made the context of the noose more frightening (including later comments--to a Madame L post--on my desire for sexual pain, etc.) Robert, Madame L is responsible for some of the vilest, most deeply personal and disturbing text and images about people that include you, Maryam, your kids, Hugh, and others I won't name---that continues to this day. But as far as I can tell, they were not *technically* threatening. Whether a 'noose' is threatening is apparently open to debate, although most reasonable people find it intellectually dishonest and a 'parsing' trick to claim it's anything OTHER than threatening when used in a context of a site dedicated to "mean-spirited" attacks, and where the ultimate result of that post lead to more escalation of violent and sexual text and images, including those for which I was the target. (in other words, the other authors and invited participants on the site had no trouble inferring the meaning of the noose).

Frank, you are either lying or have been misinformed. You WERE tracking who was adding what to those sites, to the extent of knowing the login/passwords for who posted what. And you are well aware that your friend Alan Herrell has now admitted to knowing exactly who DID post the worst of what was on those sites. However, the Boulder County Sheriffs dept. informs me that Alan refuses to answer or return their calls. You write about the relentless search for truth and justice in the world, yet you do nothing to help get to the truth here. Do the right thing and ask Alan to return the sheriff's calls so we can have peace and some closure on this. If you've never had someone obsessed with you to the extent of spending many hours and resources crafting violent, sexualized text and imagery--including you as the target--then you cannot know what it feels like to NOT KNOW who it is, what they're after, and why you are a target.

If you care about the truth, then end this. Right now, I'll accept help in getting to the truth from anywhere, though.

Drew said: "You can't change people." I agree, but you CAN change cultural norms. What we tolerate, accept, ignore becomes tacit approval... and those who want to shock must keep turning up the dial to get a response. The more we accept, the worse it will get.

Corvida, you're a brave one. We need more of you.

"...there is a lot to be gained from living publicly online. As long as you know where to draw the line."

The big problem is not where WE draw the line--but rather that others can draw those lines for us, wherever they choose. I have no problem with how much people choose to expose *of themselves* (well, except for my daughters), but I think it's unconscionable to expose ANYTHING about another person, even indirectly, without their explicit permission.

And that's just the people who are "oversharing" about someone they care about (or did at one time). The biggest problem of all is that our private details can be publicized by anyone, anonymously, then replicated across the 'net in ways that Google will never forget.

Privacy and identity are huge, scary issues right now. It's a myth to believe we are in control of the line. I'm glad you're writing about it, though.

Thanks so much for this post Louis. I only recently moved to the SC mountains, and while my house was not in the evacuation zone, I keep my horses on a vineyard in Corralitos! I spent all day and night yesterday evacuating first my own horses and then as many others as I could help. The smoke was awful and the horses were rightfully freaked out, but we managed to get 30 of them (including two newborn foals) out to the beach, and everyone is in good shape.

It was *awesome* to see how helpful people in the area were -- out in Corralitos we had several people stop when they saw us with horses and trailers to ask if they could help, and people were evacuating horses (and any other animals they could see) wherever they found them. It scares the hell out of me to think that if the horses had been less than a half-mile up the road, we probably would have been stopped. (Last year my sister went through a police barricade in Moorpark to rescue *her* horse, although it was way too late for evacuation).

The power was out in our house yesterday, but was restored last night.
It does make you think, though -- I'm looking around right now at all the *stuff* in my house realizing how little of it I cared about when I had only 5 minutes to grab stuff and get out. Is it awful of me to admit that I packed my iPod *before* the cute second-grade school photo of my daughter? ; )

Stop! You're giving me a Scoble Moment with this one (i.e. tear-in-the-eye). We're all a little better because of you. I may have very little free time, but the time I spend watching your shows (all of them) is so so worth it. I'm deeply inspired by all that you do, and by your other viewers as well : )

Another detailed write-up Stephanie -- thanks again! I have the worst jetlag of my life right now -- feels just like the flu -- so you have no idea how relieved I am to read this and see that at least some of what I meant to say got through. Whatever the anti-jetlag drugs are the O'Reilly folks gave me definitely got me through today and yesterday, but it would not surprised me if I'd simply tumbled off the stage today.

Once again, I really appreciate you taking the time to do this -- it's also letting me keep up on the other sessions I'm missing.

Cheers -- and please say hi if you see me in the hall somewhere.

Wow -- thank YOU Stephanie for being there and for making such a detailed write-up. I really REALLY appreciate it.
Cheers -- enjoy the rest of the conference, as I plan to now that I'm DONE! ; )

For the record, I had nothing to do with this Code of Conduct, was not involved in any discussion, and I can't see how it would have made any difference at all in my situation. I understand that my post was the spark that started these conversations, but I don't see how this is different from a comment policy. If people are determined to threaten and intimidate you, they can do it on other blogs, and when challenged--one can claim they were hacked and impersonated, so... there's nothing you can do.

The ONLY thing I wish would happen is that group blogs take responsibility for what their co-authors write, or at least once those co-authors are made aware of it that they stop promoting the sites. As for the notion of writing to the people publicly first, I tried that -- I wrote to the ones whose emails I knew-- Frank and Jeneane--more than a week before I went public...

No, I can't see how this Code of Conduct will change anything, because the blogosphere is not a community. I had mistakenly thought there were *sub* communities, like "tech blogging community" or "women tech blogging community", but that was a figment. I actually no longer think anything can be done other than growing a much thicker skin, a much stronger stomach, and a willingness to have your kids exposed to the kinds of content my daughters got to see and read about me. That's why I am NOT coming back... at least not as a sole blogger, or under my own name. Whatever causes people to want to hate and intimidate people with visibility--regardless of their topic and writing-- will be unaffected by this Code of Conduct.

I support Tim in trying to do *something*, and again-- I had nothing to do with (and knew nothing about) this. But I don't think anything--can be done. This isn't about the dark side of the interent or blogs-- it's about people who prefer to be cruel and threatening. The internet just makes it much easier to do it from a distance.

I spent the last two years writing about my optimism about blogs and the wonderful opportunity it gave us. I was so wrong. The threatening emails, photos, outright lying posts, and having all my personal data (ss, home address, etc.) posted all over the net SINCE I went public have proved that to me once and for all.

"But I also think it is another piece of the puzzle when it comes to understanding how we relate to each other in an online world, and how those relationship mechanisms are changing."

Excellent, excellent point. There's a lot to be learned from the Twitter story--now and however it plays out down the road-- even for those of us who don't like Twitter.

While I've never answered these 'tagging memes' myself, I have learned more about OTHER people from reading their answers to this than by anything else. I basically tagged *everyone* reading my blog--by asking them to answer questions--so that I could get to know them. Some of their answers made me laugh, and some made me a little teary-eyed, actually.

Robert and Hugh, we all *know* a lot about you guys, but it's very unbalanced -- I'm guessing most of your readers know way more about YOU than you know about THEM.

I don't like the idea of the "tagging" thing, though... it's pretty lame to have to wait for someone else to *choose* you. And yes, I get a little tired of hearing bloggers talk endlessly about themselves, but learning more about my readers? Gold.

I see lots of comments about things we--the bloggers--should do, but not much talk about the readers. Since they're the only ones that decide if we have traffic or not, I think respecting their intelligence and time and attention is the most important thing. They have millions of places to put their focus, and it is always a great gift when they give a little to us. I spend a lot of time trying to think of ways I can help my readers kick ass, and as little time as possible trying to think of ways that *I* can kick ass (or worse, trying to convince my READERS that I kick ass).

If people visit my blog, I owe them something in return, and I try not to forget that. That focus keeps me from talking too much about myself and MY life--pretty much the two least interesting things I could discuss. : )

And I will add that Robert was one of the main motivations behind my wanting to start a blog in the first place. So I listen to him!

Robert, about Dori's office--to refer to a 1957 vintage Airstream travel trailer as "an RV" is a CRIME. Dori might have inspired YOU to blog, but she inspired ME to get a vintage trailer as my office.

Excellent choice for an interview!

Awwww, Robert : ) You made my week.
(and George and Vincent and Greg and Jeremiah)

George, I'm right this moment in the midst of hiring someone to fix all the problems with the blog, including the worst one -- that one of the feeds is broken! (I think the RSS is OK.) I suck at front-end web development.

Thanks Robert. Both of us having worked at hugh tech companies... gee, I can't imagine why we'd ever think this... ; )

I cannot see the problem with the calendar (and I say this as both a long-time geek woman in IT, and the mother of a teenage geek girl). Geez... we're not talking about a Penthouse "Girls of GNOME" feature! I'm with Maryam on this one ; )
A woman's IQ doesn't plummet just because she's wearing a sexy lace bra, and I have great faith that most men in IT are capable of recognizing that. There may be a lot of issues with women in IT, but I seriously doubt that men seeing us as too sexy is one of them!
I say anything that adds just a shred of fun non-serious glamour to a decidedly unglamorous field is not all that bad.

Thanks for the post... I too get the nod for MY Grado headphones (my co-author Eric turned me on to them), although the nod might be simply for the absurdity of having my tiny Nano attached to these big headphones. The headphones are hard to travel with, though... what do you DO with yours? Just shove them in your bag?

That scooter is too adorable, and I love the wooden deck...it looks like a retro skateboard.
Cheers