Tom Bridge: I just want to know why anyone listens to that tool [Scoble].
Hey, that sounds a lot like what my wife asks often. 😉 Hey, that’s the neat thing about RSS and blogs. If someone starts to be a tool, you can just unsubscribe!
Continuing the conversation: James Robertson says Microsoft just might have a tornado. No, not my hurt ego. The Xbox! Heheh.
And, Elisa says “Let’s be fair, Scoble!” in reaction to my post about Marketing Sherpa’s post about five things that corporate types should do if they are considering blogging. She notes that I should give other corporate bloggers a break, saying that blog policies are a good thing. Personally, I hope all my competitors adopt blog policies. The more a blog is done by a committee the more boring it’ll be and the less likely it’ll be to enter into a conversation.
I’m sure there are some corporate types who look at Tom’s post above and say “no, that’s not for me, thank you very much.” That’s OK, I just hope they all work for my competitors. Hey, if you aren’t willing to be a bit controversial, what good is that? How boring. I guess that’s what people want me to be. Just a dutiful little boring cog in a dutiful little boring corporate machine.
Bah!
Scobleizer 
It just seems fashionable, within certain circles, to publically have a dig at anyone who’s “famous” in the blogging world.
If they truly think someone is blogging badly on their subject then surely the best way to make your point is to “outdo” them blogging about the same thing.
I’m pretty damn certain that’s the better way to go about it rather than name calling.
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It just seems fashionable, within certain circles, to publically have a dig at anyone who’s “famous” in the blogging world.
If they truly think someone is blogging badly on their subject then surely the best way to make your point is to “outdo” them blogging about the same thing.
I’m pretty damn certain that’s the better way to go about it rather than name calling.
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I totally agree. As much as I love blogging, reading blogs, and think they can be great tools for both individuals as well as businesses, I recently had to strongly argue against one at work. Why, you ask? Because our marketing department would be running it in exactly the same way they come up with all the marketing BS for our booklets and ads. If I want to hear marketing BS, I’ll talk to the tellemarketer the next time he calls.
Next they’d be running around asking why their blog isn’t helping get any more attention to the business, and wouldn’t be able to fathom that it’s because the content sucks and no one wants to read it.
The real thing to remember when blogging (or considering taking up blogging) is that it needs to be a personal experience. It needs to have that passionate, individual touch that only someone who truly enjoys what they’re doing can successfully turn into a quality production.
I have to say that if you’re nothing else, Scoble, you’re passionate and enjoy what you do. Personally, I think you’ve helped give Microsoft a softer, more down-to-earth and human face. Microsoft’s marketing department never could have done that by putting out the same kind of content they put on Microsoft.com, it’s just not the way you connect with and win people over…
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I totally agree. As much as I love blogging, reading blogs, and think they can be great tools for both individuals as well as businesses, I recently had to strongly argue against one at work. Why, you ask? Because our marketing department would be running it in exactly the same way they come up with all the marketing BS for our booklets and ads. If I want to hear marketing BS, I’ll talk to the tellemarketer the next time he calls.
Next they’d be running around asking why their blog isn’t helping get any more attention to the business, and wouldn’t be able to fathom that it’s because the content sucks and no one wants to read it.
The real thing to remember when blogging (or considering taking up blogging) is that it needs to be a personal experience. It needs to have that passionate, individual touch that only someone who truly enjoys what they’re doing can successfully turn into a quality production.
I have to say that if you’re nothing else, Scoble, you’re passionate and enjoy what you do. Personally, I think you’ve helped give Microsoft a softer, more down-to-earth and human face. Microsoft’s marketing department never could have done that by putting out the same kind of content they put on Microsoft.com, it’s just not the way you connect with and win people over…
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Anyone overly-enamored with the 360 (which I think is a great product by the way) should check out EA’s comments after reporting earnings today.
Specifically, they state that neither 360 console or game sales have matched their expectations. Further, they state that they believe many customers are waiting for the PS3 launch before buying a next-generation console. Activision, the 2nd largest publisher made similar statements.
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Anyone overly-enamored with the 360 (which I think is a great product by the way) should check out EA’s comments after reporting earnings today.
Specifically, they state that neither 360 console or game sales have matched their expectations. Further, they state that they believe many customers are waiting for the PS3 launch before buying a next-generation console. Activision, the 2nd largest publisher made similar statements.
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Yup. More than just EA and Activision however. Although they aren’t really daring to go public now, but the off-the-record back-channel I’m hearing from the Gamasutra’s, oh heck. The 360 already has that Bladerunner-styled curse. And Nelson slagging the Mario Kart DS event was another new low in Microsoft unprofessionalism. Honestly.
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Yup. More than just EA and Activision however. Although they aren’t really daring to go public now, but the off-the-record back-channel I’m hearing from the Gamasutra’s, oh heck. The 360 already has that Bladerunner-styled curse. And Nelson slagging the Mario Kart DS event was another new low in Microsoft unprofessionalism. Honestly.
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After seeing your responses to the Apple guy, and now this guy, I’m inclined to side with the guy that thinks you’re a tool. Someone will always disagree with you and maybe even call you names, but fighting back against everyone who does makes you look just as childish.
I think I’ll go ahead and agree with your assertion about RSS and blogs… Scoble *click* *delete*
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After seeing your responses to the Apple guy, and now this guy, I’m inclined to side with the guy that thinks you’re a tool. Someone will always disagree with you and maybe even call you names, but fighting back against everyone who does makes you look just as childish.
I think I’ll go ahead and agree with your assertion about RSS and blogs… Scoble *click* *delete*
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Mike: you aren’t a careful reader. I didn’t fight back. I want only careful readers here. So, goodbye!
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Mike: you aren’t a careful reader. I didn’t fight back. I want only careful readers here. So, goodbye!
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Yeah, Major Nelson did seem like a tool going to the Nintendo event.
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Yeah, Major Nelson did seem like a tool going to the Nintendo event.
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Robert, you may have missed the point of my post.
I was merely pointing out that the article had a very narrow scope, but you criticized it as though it purported to be something else entirely. In my opinion your critique was misleading, especially since I’m sure you probably could have ripped the article apart for valid reasons if you had tried.
In addition, I didn’t really make a call on what I think of blogging policies. But plenty of bloggers insist it’s unfair to fire a blogger for blogging (if you believe that’s ever the real reason) if there are no blogging policies in place. So, I was making the point that we can’t have it both ways…complain that actions aren’t warranted without policies, but then complain if a company tries to set policies. (I tend to be among those who think that people get fired for what they express thru the channel of blogging, not for the blogging itself, and that therefore the same rules apply to corporate citizenship on a blog or not on a blog.)
Post-Mark-Jen-firing you wrote some posts that, if not positive on blogging policy establishment, were at least neutral. So it seems to me your opinion may have evolved, and I missed it.
Sorry about that, but I think my observations on the nature of your critique still hold water.
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Robert, you may have missed the point of my post.
I was merely pointing out that the article had a very narrow scope, but you criticized it as though it purported to be something else entirely. In my opinion your critique was misleading, especially since I’m sure you probably could have ripped the article apart for valid reasons if you had tried.
In addition, I didn’t really make a call on what I think of blogging policies. But plenty of bloggers insist it’s unfair to fire a blogger for blogging (if you believe that’s ever the real reason) if there are no blogging policies in place. So, I was making the point that we can’t have it both ways…complain that actions aren’t warranted without policies, but then complain if a company tries to set policies. (I tend to be among those who think that people get fired for what they express thru the channel of blogging, not for the blogging itself, and that therefore the same rules apply to corporate citizenship on a blog or not on a blog.)
Post-Mark-Jen-firing you wrote some posts that, if not positive on blogging policy establishment, were at least neutral. So it seems to me your opinion may have evolved, and I missed it.
Sorry about that, but I think my observations on the nature of your critique still hold water.
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I’m not one of those bloggers who say that bloggers should never be fired. Most companies already have policies that cover the kind of stuff that got people fired anyway.
Yeah, I was probably neutral about policies before, but after studying the problem it seems that it’s the wrong way to start blogging. It’s not how blogging started here and our policy is still simply “be smart.”
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I’m not one of those bloggers who say that bloggers should never be fired. Most companies already have policies that cover the kind of stuff that got people fired anyway.
Yeah, I was probably neutral about policies before, but after studying the problem it seems that it’s the wrong way to start blogging. It’s not how blogging started here and our policy is still simply “be smart.”
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Robert, you’re such a corporate cog, you should change your name to Cogsworth.
You’re what I call “safe” controversial. You have one post in the last few months that’s even close to really controversial, (over the MS waffling on supporting gay rights), but the rest of your stuff is about as controversial as cheerleader hazing in the hallway.
Just keep making those little “Microsoft rules” posts with the occasional “Hey, someone else had a good idea, Microsoft should buy them so it’s our good idea” posts, it’s what we expect, and half the fun of your site.
But controversial? Nah, not even close.
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Robert, you’re such a corporate cog, you should change your name to Cogsworth.
You’re what I call “safe” controversial. You have one post in the last few months that’s even close to really controversial, (over the MS waffling on supporting gay rights), but the rest of your stuff is about as controversial as cheerleader hazing in the hallway.
Just keep making those little “Microsoft rules” posts with the occasional “Hey, someone else had a good idea, Microsoft should buy them so it’s our good idea” posts, it’s what we expect, and half the fun of your site.
But controversial? Nah, not even close.
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I just don’t get you, Robert. Sure, we both love blogging, but you’re coming off as a bit of an ass here. The beauty of blogs IS that when you don’t like someone you can unsubscribe, but what about holding people accountable for being a jerk? I thought your response to Chuq’s very good criticism of Microsoft was childish at best, and trollish at worst. It’s a shame that you can’t seem to admit it. Sorry chief, until you can admit that you’ve had a problem, you’re absolutely positively doomed to repeat it. Bashing your competition when they’re giving you good advice is foolhardy. And that’s why I called you a tool.
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I just don’t get you, Robert. Sure, we both love blogging, but you’re coming off as a bit of an ass here. The beauty of blogs IS that when you don’t like someone you can unsubscribe, but what about holding people accountable for being a jerk? I thought your response to Chuq’s very good criticism of Microsoft was childish at best, and trollish at worst. It’s a shame that you can’t seem to admit it. Sorry chief, until you can admit that you’ve had a problem, you’re absolutely positively doomed to repeat it. Bashing your competition when they’re giving you good advice is foolhardy. And that’s why I called you a tool.
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