Disqus - Latest Comments for Andrew Feinberg

Re: To All You Pompous & Self-Important Wannabe English Professors

Andrew Feinberg — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:04:57 -0000

My Dearest Steven,

First of all, thank you for reading my sadly neglected blog and responding, even though the post is a bit old.

Second, I'd like to say that at no point did I imply what you have to say has no value. What I said was that one can communicate more clearly if the message is articulated in a clear and unambiguous manner. If I can't tell what you are saying, how can I evaluate the quality and substance of message?

I'd like to point something out. Does you receive income from blogging? If so, you should be taking care that your words and message are both clear. That's why you are getting paid. If a sentence is ambiguously constructed and as a result I don't know what you mean, you haven't done your job.

I don't get paid to be on podcasts, by the way.

And as far as "delusions of self-importance" are concerned, those only exist in other people's heads. As I am reminded every day, the only thing I know is how little I know.

I'll let you rant and rave about how much of a jerk I am despite the fact that we have never actually met and all you really have to judge me on is some podcasts. I'm...not very good at them, and I've always been willing to admit that.

So, you're angry that I think your writing should be more clear. Fine.

But did I suggest it has no value? No.

Oh, one more thing: what do podcasting and the written word have anything to do with one another? If you want to defend yourself and your writing, fine. I'll take it. But going after my (admitted) lack of verbal facility in response to a short, weeks old blog post is nothing but a personal attack that only undermines your argument.

That being said, no hurt feelings on my end.

Andrew

Re: Three Rules of Why Coworking Sucks

Andrew Feinberg — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:29:39 -0000

Micah, let's play a word game.

replace the buzzword "coworking" with "outsourced office space management for freelance and small business."

that, you can sell.

Re: rizzn's personal blog

Andrew Feinberg — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 02:58:43 -0000

Mark, the Eastern District of Texas is well known as the forum of choice for patent litigation. Weird.

Re: rizzn's personal blog

Andrew Feinberg — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 01:38:57 -0000

"Washington, DC Commentator for Technosailor.com?" I hope that's not what I'm best known for.

Re: rizzn's personal blog

Andrew Feinberg — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:53:48 -0000

The state of blogging and journalism aside, I can state with certainty although you may be many things, a feminine hygiene product is not one of them. I would be willing to be quoted on this, as I believe I am a reliable source. However, some might argue that a second, and even a third source would be a best practice. In this case I believe the photographic proof makes this unnecessary.

Cheers

Re: Memo to Bloggers: Not Everything is Free.

Andrew Feinberg — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:00:41 -0000

But NYRB is not storing and archiving those books for anyone to search through and comment on, either. Nor would an author or publisher be very happy with such a service (remember the Google book search blowup?).

The NYRB was also most likely provided with the text by the publisher.

You were not provided with the video by Fox or NBC. You obtained it via RedLasso.

If you yourself recorded, excerpted and commented on the same clip, we would have no problem.

But a third party was involved, RedLasso. And RedLasso most likely had permission to redistribute under a limited set of circumstances, which their service presumably violated, prompting the lawsuit.

TV -> you -> computer -> web == OK.
TV -> RedLasso -> you -> web == not so OK.

I am going to talk to another clipping service and a few copyright lawyers and see what they say.

Hopefully I can get done with my "real work" to watch the Par-Tay tonight. Thanks for reading, Jonny!

Re: Rules for Entrepreneurs: Business Card FAIL

Andrew Feinberg — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 02:54:24 -0000

This should be required reading for all SXSW attendees. Period.

Re: What does a Grocery Store scanner have to do with a PC?

Andrew Feinberg — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 02:18:40 -0000

Ok, so you can use a computer but you shop at a small grocery store? Fine. You still see the distinction, though. One question: How am I "perpetuating" anything? The incident happened. Years later, we're being asked if a candidate's ability to understand and operate a different, more complex machine is a relevant factor in determining his fitness to serve.

Perhaps you misread my post the first time.

The ability to use a computer in and of itself isn't indicative of fitness to be President. In the greater context, it's about being able to do things ordinary Americans have to do themselves. Did you know that the Federal government is putting most forms for pensions, benefits, etc online? If McCain wants to get Social Security, he'd need to get to a computer. Same with the mother who needs food stamps. And so on and so forth.

The question we should be asking is: What aspects of everyday life are elected officials insulated from that they need to experience in order to understand the challenges facing Americans?

Re: What does a Grocery Store scanner have to do with a PC?

Andrew Feinberg — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:51:05 -0000

I think if telegraphs were in every home it would have been helpful for him to know Morse Code. Understanding of the tools and resources used in everyday life is key to being able to lead. Think slumlords being sentenced to live in their own buildings, or Mark Cuban working at Dairy Queen.

You need to be able to put yourself in someone else's shoes.

Re: The Hidden Human Cost of Government Going Green

Andrew Feinberg — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 16:35:23 -0000

Leslie,

Paperless isn't so much a "green" initiative as it has been one to reduce costs. Often one can be a result of another. Often the structure of government itself can be a source of "un-green-ness." Take the legislative branch, for instance. Did you know each member and committee office has its own IT system? Yes, that nearly 600 separate systems that could easily be reduced in number with proper use of virtualization, lowering the Capitol's "IT Footprint." Of course, all the juice comes from a gigantic coal power plant, but that's another story...

Re: Why Big Brands Don’t Sponsor Blogs

Andrew Feinberg — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:51:35 -0000

While I can't stand that book, I do agree that bloggers like us that do report news need a code of ethics, a sense of profession. There are efforts to do this by people like Bob Cox at the Media Bloggers Association.

Keen's comment about jail stems from a different in American and UK libel laws. What I suspect really bothers Keen is that in the new media world, you don't need to have a gatekeeper, promotion, or apprenticeship to publish. You need to be right. And if you're right enough, you'll no longer be an amateur.

Besides, most of Keen's book is a tome of hate against Wikipedia, anyway...and it's a known fact that for most topics covered in major encyclopedias, Wikipedia is just as accurate.

Keen is a snob who would like the unwashed masses to simply go away and leave newsgathering and dissemination of facts to the Oxbridge elite of his homeland. He should go away.

Re: Facebook & ConnectU Settle Lawsuit

Andrew Feinberg — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 11:51:06 -0000

Facebook should have fought the suit. The Winklevoss brothers spent zero time or effort putting anything together until after Facebook launched. Cafeteria agreements are not contracts.

In any instance, they were too busy rowing for Harvard's legendary coach Harry Parker to think about a website.

They simply wanted to cash in.

As I've written before, as the sons of noted Wharton grad and Professor Howard Winklevoss, they should have known better than to trust a handshake agreement

Besides, I doubt they care. They're using their dad's money to pay the lawyers. This weekend they competed at the USRowing National Selection Regatta. Tyler's boat came in 6th, almost 25 seconds off the winners, and far off the pace required for Olympic success. Cameron's boat did not even compete in his placement final.

Whiners, crybabies, and at least one quitter.

Re: Facebook Starts Recommending Friends Not On Site

Andrew Feinberg — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 17:53:06 -0000

Creeeeeeeeepy.

Re: Facebook User Fined $44k for Creating Fake Profile

Andrew Feinberg — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:08:04 -0000

Nick,

Please do check your facts. Libel and slander laws in the UK are a completely different animal than over here. The court's decision was completely within the law in that country.

The damages had nothing to do with Facebook. They were awarded in accordance with a long line of British case law, which in fact does extend to the online space, whether you think it should or not. Especially when both parties are British citizens.

Re: 2008/04/06/virginia-internet-safety-schooling/

Andrew Feinberg — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 17:30:52 -0000

Good concept, poor execution.

Teachers should do the teaching, with a curriculum designed by educators and 'net experts, not police and lawyers.

Also, emphasize the positive aspects of social networking, and kids will automagically be annoyed by, creeped out by, and totally ignore the negative.

It's too simple to say "never meet someone you know online."

Responsibility trumps fear every time.

My response at http://www.capitolvalley.net/2008/04/va-schools...

Re: 2008/04/07/facebook-connectu-3/

Andrew Feinberg — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:06:56 -0000

This was extortion. Plain and simple.

My reasoning here http://www.capitolvalley.net/2008/04/facebook-g...

And the larger background here:

http://www.capitolvalley.net/2008/03/rich-cryba...

Re: 2008/04/10/orkut-pedophilia/

Andrew Feinberg — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:31:01 -0000

I am guessing it has something to do with the advertising market in that country.

Re: 2008/07/08/congress-censor-twitter-qik/

Andrew Feinberg — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:46:23 -0000

Rest assured, I am following this story and the DC press is aware of it. I will keep people updated as much as I can. Meanwhile, I have an article about it in this morning's Washington Internet Daily. Sadly, the website doesn't have the content...I'm working on it.

Re: 2008/09/01/when-bloggers-arent-bloggers/

Andrew Feinberg — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:27:48 -0000

There should be a process for credentialing bloggers. Right now the only "bloggers" who can get access to the House and Senate press galleries are people like Kara Swisher who are actually print journalists who have sponsored blogs. True online media outlets are not considered to be media by the Congress, who incidentally handles most press accreditation for the conventions.

The "blogger" accreditation is done by the parties themselves, which already makes it a second-class process. When you're not considered part of the media, it's a "privilege" for you to get access. The "real" journalists aren't getting access because of some benevolent understanding, they get it because the process allows for it.

The Speaker of the House has the authority to designate a "new media" gallery, or the members of the Standing Committee of Correspondents (the self-elected body of "elite media" that run the galleries in DC) could vote to accredit new media publications. But they won't.

The first thing we need to do is STOP USING THE WORD "BLOG." It screams "unprofessional." Same with "blogger." If we found a lexicon that afforded us more self-respect, we'd get treated with more respect. How about "reporter" or "journalist" or "editor?" You wanna be taken seriously? Stop calling yourself a blogger.

Re: 2008/09/02/social-media-behavior-101-soon-a-required-course/

Andrew Feinberg — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 01:38:07 -0000

As a former Division I athlete, I can tell you this is nothing new. Big money collegiate athletics have incredibly thick codes of conduct for their "student"-athletes, mostly so they don't embarrass the school.

At my alma mater, there was a bit of a blow-up over a group called "Rowers are Sexually Charged" that led to some threats of people being kicked off teams. Groups were made private, etc etc.

Now some schools with large football programs are making it official and teaching that what you post stays out there. It's actually not a bad idea. I just wish they extended the opportunity to all students, not just athletes.

Re: 2008/10/17/social-profiles-after-death/

Andrew Feinberg — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:46:21 -0000

Sadly I have some early experience with this. Just under three years ago, a close friend from my undergraduate days passed away suddenly. His Facebook profile remains "frozen in time" save for a notice that he is no longer alive, and his sister maintains the profile.

Somehow it remains an online "gathering point" for his friends, who still post notes as if he were living. Silly? Perhaps. But his family has reached out to many of us in the intervening years, allowing us to share memories of our friend with them that they never would have otherwise know. They have gained an understanding of how much their son meant to the people around him.

Far from an online graveyard, in this sad situation social networks have helped my friend's family as well as other friends of his deal with a tragedy that like it or not, we are all united by.

Re: http://gary.tumblr.com/post/78888659

Andrew Feinberg — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:19:48 -0000

a) great shirt b) great message. totally brightens my day in the trenches.

Re: DC Has Not Changed

Andrew Feinberg — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:53:12 -0000

As a journalist covering technology issues before Congress and other Federal agencies, I have to take issue with just about every single way this story is presented.

First of all, we know absolutely nothing about the charges because the indictment is under seal. Second, we know that Kundra is -not- a target (as reported by both Fox News, AP, and CNet's Declan McCullagh and Stephanie Condon -- who I would probably go to before Fox or AP (Declan is one of the most clued-in journalists I know, and Stephanie is no slouch).

Third, because he's not a target and we don't know specifics of the charges, we have no way to connect this to Kundra more the I would connect the pot smoking pizza delivery boy to the guy who owns the Dominos franchise.

I look for "scandals" for a living, and II don't see this as a "Vivek Kundra scandal" story at all.

And if you want to go with Valleywag's Owen Thomas as a provider of informed opinion on D.C. local or national political news, there are a few choice words I'd say about your news judgment that I won't say because I love my mother and she would not be pleased with me.

Last time I checked, we have the presumption of innocence on this country. And when I looked again, being in charge of idiots doesn't make you an idiot yourself.

Oh, yeah. Beltway Bandits do business with the Federal government. the D.C. government is not the same thing.

(disclaimer: this post reflects my own personal opinion and does not reflect the views of my employer, nor am I claiming to be reporting any original news)

Re: DC Has Not Changed

Andrew Feinberg — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 23:11:33 -0000

I guess you have to explain what you consider transparency to mean.

If you're asking a "what did the President know and when did he know it?" type of question, I'd answer your question with two other questions:

1) "Is it possible the President made a decision based on merit and not appearances?"

2) "would 'warning' the President violate any ethical duties that a prosecutor or law enforcement officer owes?

The reason I ask #1 is because if a) Kundra has been judged as the best man for the job and b) is not a target and has done nothing wrong, than there is no reason not to move ahead with business as usual. The fact that he is taking a leave of absence to let things work themselves clear is a sign of transparency in and of itself, I think. Past administrations might have pushed the arrests back or not pursued the cases.

And regarding #2, sometimes a "lack of transparency" is a sign of a healthy executive branch, especially when it comes to the justice system. An independent judiciary, law enforcement, and independent prosecutors that do their jobs without regard to political concerns will often operate within a "chinese wall" that means there are things the President cannot, should not, and does not want to know because if someone "leaked" information up the chain of command, it would be as egregious an ethical lapse as leaking privileged information to an adverse party, or a newspaper.

When an investigation goes off without a hitch, the people who are targeted are arrested and the ones who aren't are left alone, it's a good thing.

So in this case, I would say transparency is knowing no one had a thumb on the scale to make the administration look better or worse. Everyone did their job. If we want to know more, we can always check court documents or go to the trial.

Re: The Matter of Scale

Andrew Feinberg — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 09:35:46 -0000

I interviewed Frank back in April when he was first "blowing up" and we've spoken several times since. What I've found is that his success has been through sheer ubiquity. But he has a team backing him up. While he has become the face of a commendable SM outreach program and proactive customer service, the model we expect needs to shift away from Frank and move towards teams of a bit more anonymous "Frankettes" (he can use that term if he wants) who have the same work ethic and commitment to customer service, but don't leave the company dependent on one person as a face of their SM outreach.

In a perfect world, the SM outreach could be localized, so instead of Frank @comcastcares who lives in Philly spending all night on Twitter, Joe the SM Outreach Rep @ComcastCaresBay could handle Bay area when it's 3am in Philly, @ComcastCaresDC could handle DC-related problems, etc etc.

We know Frank has a great team that he has built...but the next step in a good SM operation has to be letting operation become more than just one person.

Re: The Matter of Scale

Andrew Feinberg — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:22:29 -0000

You divulge it, of course. And how is it less genuine? The result and the quality of service that comes from a SM outreach is what matters. While I agree that putting a human face on CS w/ social media is important, I think that when the operation becomes large enough to warrant a team the "face" should be one of responsiveness, transparency and aggressive outreach to customers when trying to solve problems. That goes beyond one person. In fact, if your SM outreach effort is so reliant on one person that a well-trained team can't follow that person's example and provide the same level of satisfaction on a more granular level, the idea of corporate SM in your operation is a total failure.

Changing the culture in customer service with SM means it should become the norm, not the exception. It's ok to have lots of small faces, but they should be positive enough to give the business a friendly face and keep the customers well-served.

Re: Silicon Valley headed for political trouble?

Andrew Feinberg — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:10:57 -0000

The problem is that these "non-social" people have created what has become a massively social medium and a corresponding industry with all the problems of real-life industries, but because they don't get these "social" parts of it (i.e. politics) they'll eventually be hurt by people that do. So, either learn and adapt (which I believe tech people are more than capable of doing) or the you'll end up like a bunch of Maryland crabs: whenever someone climbs to the top and tries to escape, someone reaches up and claws him back down.

Cheers.

Re: SXSW: too many parties!!!

Andrew Feinberg — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 22:53:10 -0000

Salt Lick is well, legendary...and worth the drive. Now imagine 65 hungry rowers there, and calculate the animals eaten per person ratio. Fantastic.

Re: Switching to Gmail…

Andrew Feinberg — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 16:43:53 -0000

Switched to GMail for my personal email when they got better integration with BlackBerry Internet, use a Hosted BES/Exchange/Entourage for my "work" email, and a BIS OWA "scrape" for my "day job" email. The nice thing is that it keeps all my appointments synched across all calendars, including google cal.

Between GMail's spam filtering for a 12+ year old email address, and Exchange's groupware capabilities while collaborating cross-country with Alex on CapitolValley, I think I've got the best of both worlds.

Re: Silicon Valley headed for political trouble?

Andrew Feinberg — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:52:11 -0000

If you must know, I don't think "geeks" are non-political, being one myself.

If you doubt my cred, I was a Debian developer last century. I know the culture. I also know Washington. It bugs me that Silicon Valley can't get DC to work for them, considering how important the tech community and economy are to the overall health of the national economy.

My (well, our, since it's a two man operation) blog is technology policy through the eyes of a geek who's gotten himself a historical and political education instead of just staying in the "geek box."

Please email me if you want to chat further. My email address is on the website.

Re: SXSW Party Hype heats up…

Andrew Feinberg — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 20:00:17 -0000

Be careful, these WashingtonVC people appear to be domain speculators and charlatans.

Caveat Emptor.

Re: TED Jealousy

Andrew Feinberg — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 16:18:18 -0000

Wow, shocking, the "if you can't code, shut up" attitude.

Maybe if more people told people like that to shut up and listen, the coders wouldn't keep getting slapped down by lawyers, regulators, and others who deal with people rather than machines for a living.

Hey "Wake up," people like Scoble (and myself, to a smaller degree) make a point of looking at the tech world from a "real world" perspective, from people who get real tans instead of monitor tans and don't go through live wearing t-shirts with DeCSS on them (although I do own one, but that's a story for another day).

To a great extent, Silicon Valley and DC area almost like sister cities, in that they live in a bubble all their own. The point is to break the bubble. We're helping, you're not.

Please read more.

Love,

Andrew

Re: FastCompany.TV launches

Andrew Feinberg — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 09:16:56 -0000

Glad to hear you're live! Now I have something to show people when they come out here!

Re: The Rock Band video

Andrew Feinberg — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:48:53 -0000

Can we see Rocky in a feather boa? Please?

Re: Qik’s from SXSW

Andrew Feinberg — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:54:21 -0000

Honestly, I think the Qik videos are much better for things like, say, the Mark Zuckerberg mulligan at Pangea where it's on the fly, not for an actual "interview."

When I talk to someone it's either off the cuff with the voice recorder or sit down with the table microphone into the laptop or GarageBand. Sometimes I'll use BlogTalkRadio. To me, having the camera between me and the subject makes it about the camera and not the conversation, and I think interviews flow better when they are conversations between equals.

Having someone else take the video while you talk to someone? You'll probably get more natural results and better answers that way.

Re: Audio: Another story of someone kicked off Facebook

Andrew Feinberg — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 01:41:29 -0000

Should I tell the story on how they took my camera at their party because I was taking too many photographs after they paid the Eye-Fi guys to come in and snap photos of the VIPs?

Re: Audio: Another story of someone kicked off Facebook

Andrew Feinberg — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:24:25 -0000

Robert,

FYI, I was thinking about your question from the Dev Garage last week. The feature you were looking for (export to Outlook) existed at one point. When I joined Facebook in late 2004, I exported my contacts to my Apple Address Book because Facebook let me put their data in a CSV file.

The feature disappeared sometime in 2005. When I recently made an inquiry, they acted as if it had never existed.

Odd.

Re: The changeosphere

Andrew Feinberg — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:48:54 -0000

Totally spot on about "the right audience" versus a large one.

First thing I look at in my stats is where my hits come from.

When I see NTIA, FCC, Google, Facebook, US Congress, etc, I know I'm doing what I need to do.

Some DC publications have "limited audiences" but you know what? Everyone who matters reads them. Getting into National Journal is a pretty big deal, not so much if you hit the Examiner's "Yeas and Nays" section.

Re: Mike Arrington’s dream team has wrong goal

Andrew Feinberg — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 13:17:21 -0000

I'm not sure where you're going with this, Robert.

What I think Mike was trying to say is that many people are getting into the game with lofty goals and that VCs are seeing "blogging" (however you define it) as the "next big thing." Mike sees the dangers in this.

You have the luxury of Seagate following you, because let's be honest, you're unique and you draw an audience of not only niche people but a larger one as well. Me? I'd like to get there, not because I want to kill CNet, but because I feel like I have something to say that noone else is saying right, and that this is the right time, place, and medium.

If anything, many of the "pros" bug me more and more because they sit around taking potshots at each other (*ahem*Valleywag*ahem*) without really focusing on anything interesting. At least you and Michael get inside places I'd love to see, and I can get into places many other people would like to see and talk about them from a unique perspective. If I couldn't do that, I'd keep my damn fool mouth shut because I'd be just another voice.

I do write about what I like. I'm not in it for the money. See any ads? If someone wants to help me out, I'd love it because it would mean I could do what I love. I spend alot more emotional energy at this than I do at my day job sometimes. I'd love for someone to make it easier for me to do what I enjoy. What's so wrong with that?

As for beating C|Net, I think Mike has an OK goal. He thinks enough good voices can bring down what has become a stagnant beast. Again, what's the problem?

I was in school back in 2001-2002. Why should I be held to that standard?

Re: The real roadblocks to data portability on social networks

Andrew Feinberg — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:44:06 -0000

Robert,

Facebook has officially given the finger on Data Portabilty.

I've been emailing their corporate communications coordinator back and forth asking why/when/how the "export to CSV" feature was deleted. I asked if there was someone with institutional knowledge and expertise on the history of the system to know, and was told that there isn't such a person.

*cough*bullshit*cough*

Isn't it just easier to tell the truth?

Re: Writing a killer blog

Andrew Feinberg — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 12:52:08 -0000

I wrote something about this over at CV and even submitted it to slashdot. I think the Gawker model is exploitative and dangerous.

At SXSW you said that the best way to make money was with good content. Now these idiots are paying for quantity, not quality. We'll all suffer in the end.

Re: Not productive enough? Turn off the Internet

Andrew Feinberg — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:34:32 -0000

What if Congress started ignoring the click-to-complain sheep-stream and instead listened to the stuff that mattered and the people who take real time to call or write?

Same difference. More productivity.

Re: Twitter and inadequacy (er, the great friend divide)

Andrew Feinberg — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 02:45:53 -0000

Brilliant explanation. Now, if only we could get politicians to understand that who they listen to defines them just as much as their message...

Re: Hope

Andrew Feinberg — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 01:51:15 -0000

Hasan, right on.

This American Jew has had it with the unconditional support. Make peace or go it on your own. I've gotta get along with my neighbours, you yours. Why not theirs?

Re: Brian Solis’ and Loic Le Meur’s real “PR” secrets

Andrew Feinberg — Sun, 25 May 2008 18:06:21 -0000

Robert, you're spot on.

I've done this about 4 times today, but I think the PR industry and entrepreneurs need to learn from their more expensive cousins, Lobbyists.

Good Lobbyists know how to build grassroots support for a cause (community) and motivate "grass-tops" (bloggers) to join them. They are also experts at maintaining personal relationships. No three tools are as valuable as a contact list, an expense account, and OpenTable.

They also don't lie. I know that's the reputation the industry has, but the truth is (I'll say it again here) that once you've given a Member, staffer, or journalist bad information, you're done. Your job, whether a PR person, entrepreneur or Lobbyist is to build real relationships with and gain the trust of stakeholders (the community and leaders, aka grassroots/grasstops or userbase/early adopters/bloggers, or staff/members) and become an expert on your product, be it a website or piece of legislation. Once you do that, people will make decisions based on your information. If you, even once, mislead, omit, "forget" or lie, that door is forever closed.

Re: Patrick graduates to high school

Andrew Feinberg — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 10:44:49 -0000

Congrats to Patrick (and to you). Make sure he knows it only gets better.

Can't wait to see y'all in a few weeks. Time to start talking it up!

Re: The sixth question companies ask about social media

Andrew Feinberg — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 03:46:48 -0000

Because no one in the industry was even trying, and he could see the power and ROI that social media can give, as well as bring in customer relationships that traditional ads and PR can never do.

Gary jumped in, and he owns it. I want my employers to meet him.

Re: The sixth question companies ask about social media

Andrew Feinberg — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 03:48:16 -0000

That is to say, person-to-person loyalty. They don't buy from WineLibrary, they buy from Gary.

Re: Scoble in a suit?

Andrew Feinberg — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:12:34 -0000

I am just glad there is proof you have a suit!

Re: A Silicon Valley-Washington DC conversation

Andrew Feinberg — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:17:09 -0000

The Members who are meeting with Robert are the ones who said yes. We'll still talk to anyone who wants to talk. You might be surprised at who you see.

Re: A Silicon Valley-Washington DC conversation

Andrew Feinberg — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 01:05:04 -0000

Just a quick note for Full Disclosure (tm): I am also a reporter for Warren's Washington Internet Daily.

Re: Advertising in casual games

Andrew Feinberg — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 19:16:39 -0000

Transparency will always preempt regulation. Where we'll have problems is when we don't know when we are being marketed to and how we are being targeted. Above all, we need the ability to opt-out. That is what I see coming, at least from my POV.

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

Andrew Feinberg — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 05:23:28 -0000

Arrington won't link to you because he's probably pissed that you got something he didn't get. I would happily have done the same for him. Hell, maybe I need ti arrange an annual "Tech Blogger Visit to DC" like some groups do.

If TechCrunch is in the business of entertainment, the Washington Post should cancel that syndication deal NOW NOW NOW.

Trust be told, I get many of my story leads for WID off of FriendFeed and follow the trail from there.

Don't know if I've said it, Robert, but I'm consistently pleased with your ability to stay above the fray. Maybe it's your J-school training, but you always seem more interested in the "What and Why and How" instead of the "Who." I hear way too much about Arrington this and Calacanis that and Shel and Loren and WIner and I think "WHERE IS THE NEWS?"

Maybe people like you need to shed the "blogger" moniker and actually find something that describes your role in media. You're a relatively humble guy, but maybe its' time to step up and demand serious conversations. Arrington wants to be CNet? Fine. You can be The Economist. They don't even sign their own bylines.

Social Media is interesting for delivering news, but when you deliver news, YOU at least keep the focus on the NEWS. I can't always say that for many others in this space.

Andrew

Re: Qik and Twitter goes to Congress and causes major controversy

Andrew Feinberg — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 03:09:19 -0000

Aaron Brazell had a great roundup of coverage and statements here: http://technosailor.com/2008/07/08/democrats-tr...

Here is the follow-up interview I did with Rep. Culberson on Wednesday: http://qik.com/video/125962

Re: Has/How/Why tech blogging has failed you

Andrew Feinberg — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 01:32:43 -0000

Robert,

I just got around to reading this, and it almost brought me to tears with how right you are.

What do you care about? Not just the shiny objects, but how have they changed your life?

You have a job. This isn't your job. Write about you, your family, your interests, what you care about. Have a conversation, and I guarantee the less you engage in the "tech blogosphere" and the more I see of the guy I spent a week in DC with, you'll be on the right track.

What excites YOU?

Re: I am not an American

Andrew Feinberg — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:08:06 -0000

Does this mean you're going to put a border fence around your house and issue passports and currency?

And could you make me an ambassador so I can park wherever I want? Mmmm...diplomatic license tags...

Re: Keeping kids online safe

Andrew Feinberg — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:41:29 -0000

Robert,

Lest we forget our excellent conversation with Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein of the FCC last summer. I'm surprised you didn't link back to this.

http://www.fastcompany.tv/video/talking-child-p...

Re: Cemaphore syncs Outlook with Gmail

Andrew Feinberg — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 04:37:49 -0000

This, Robert, is possibly the most important thing you've ever linked me to. Ever.

Thank you.

Re: Facebook to Settle with ConnectU

Andrew Feinberg — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:25:58 -0000

I wrote about this months ago. The suit itself was complete and total extortion-by-judge. It was even dismissed, as you said, for having "no factual basis."

The two "founders" of ConnectU have some interesting history, and awful business sense considering their family lineage. Here is my article, along with citations from the court documents and sworn statements:
http://www.capitolvalley.net/2008/03/rich-cryba...

Re: Twitter: Where Nobody Knows Your Name

Andrew Feinberg — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:53:52 -0000

Kara,

I always bristle when I see hang-wringing over Twitter, because a) I know much of their engineering team and b) when I see that their two top guys (Ev and Jack) have made priority #1 to get Twitter stable, reliable, and trustable, I know they are onto something.

It doesn't matter how many people use Twitter proper. Twitter's success will depend on their ability to sell the Twitter "product and experience" to internal networks for dispatch, messaging, and collaboration purposes. Sort of what we use it for, but more focused.

In this business, you can either sell a product, or monetize traffic. Unless you're Google and do it in a way that doesn't make your users feel stupid and sheep-like, the way to go is to take your concept and apply it to as many scenarios as possible. Imagine Facebook (circa 2006-7) as an internal HR took for massive organizations?

Monitization and advertising are the first impulse of the fool and last gasp of the desperate. If you build it, they will buy it, in one form or another.