blog soup 01.23.2012
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Crack that whip! And other social media DOHs.
by Stan Faryna
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Devo, Whip It!
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1. Bloggers On Pedestals Revisited by Jayme Soulati
Jayme Soulati reminds us that it’s not easy being on a pedestal.
Jayme also gives a warm and friendly shout out to her favorite bloggers’ bloggers: Mark Schaefer (@markwschaefer), Gini Dietrich (@ginidietrich), Jay Baer (@jaybear), Danny Brown, (@dannybrown) and Marcus Sheridan (@thesaleslion).
My comment:
It’s easy to hit a bloggers’ blogger’s blog post and come away saying, hey, what’s the big deal! OR, hey, this bozo is a stupid clown!
But reaching for the sledge hammer of a comment to lay some smack down on a stupid clown may be jumping the gun. Everything they have accomplished to make them a bloggers’ blogger doesn’t ride on that blog post. Or you. Obviously.
Or maybe that wasn’t obvious to you. Or me!
Now we know. [smile]
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Subscribe to Jayme Soulati’s blog, Soulati-tude
Need more Jayme Soulati? Check out the following:
Should Health Of Blog Community Align To ROI?
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2. Ten Things You’re Not Allowed to Say at Davos by Umair Haque
Three things from Umair’s blog post:
10. If you want the world to care about you, show some caring to the world.
9. If power corrupts, concentrations of power corrode
8. You need a whole brain to be a human
My comment:
Umair is irreverent, unapologetic, and, brutally honest. But he also cares in a very honest and deeply compassionate way. He cares about the world. He cares about human beings. He want’s to see profound solutions – not just more PR and self-promotional spin.
Oh – Umair’s comment on Davos applies to the blogosphere. But I think you already knew that without me having to spell it out for you. Phew!
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Subscribe to Umair Haque’s blog on the Harvard Business Review website.
Need more Umair Haque? Check out the following:
Mastering the Art of Living Meaningfully Well
Make the Dangerous Choice to Dissent
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3. When It Comes to the Future of Social Media, We’re All Clueless by Marcus Sheridan
Marcus proposes 8 things that matter in social media:
a. Great Teaching
b. Value
c. Powerful Communication
d. Thoughtfulness
e. Transparency
f. Kindness
g. Genuine Service
h. Legitimate Relationships
My comment:
You can say that again, Marcus!
When It Comes to the Future of Social Media, We’re All Clueless.
Mark Zuckerburg allegedly took other people’s ideas, made them his ideas, and made something awesome out of that. That’s not saying those other people could have made Facebook. But that is a reminder that much good is too often fueled by much evil.
Regarding Jack Dorsey, Twitter is not an epic idea and the service could be a lot better than it is. But he had the right connections to people who have money and, more importantly, people who like to make more money.
That’s the real lesson. That nice ideas and, sometimes, even genius, is a dime a dozen. In other words, it is worth less than two cents. Money makes all the difference.
Or does it?
Kindness, I’m not going to argue with that. [grin] I like kindness. I like it almost as much as helpfulness, gratitude, and love. Don’t you?!
It might also be said that when it comes to social media period, we’re all clueless.
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Subscribe to Marcus Sheridan’s blog
Need more Marcus Sheridan? Check out the following:
Is Livefyre Destroying the Value of a Blog Comment?
10 Ways to Get Tons of Massive Comments on Your Blog Every Time
10,862 Comments Later, I Realize Blog Comments are NOT a Business Model
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4. Romania: “A Tsunami” of Protests Against Austerity Cuts and Corruption by Oana Maria Dan
Oana wants to convince us that the politically motivated protests last week in Romania represent a Romanian consensus, “a tsunami”, and the beginning of a revolution.
My comment:
I could come right out and say that Oana Maria Dan is working for the same political parties (unsuccessfully) trying to stir the pot because they want their chance again to rob the cookie jar – a cookie jar that happens to be empty.
But that would be jumping to conclusions. Ok, Oana doesn’t want to add me on Facebook as a friend and she doesn’t want to discuss the subject with me. She isn’t replying to my messages either. [grin]
On the other hand, the Global Voices’ editor approved my comment to Oana’s blog post and that goes a long way. It demonstrates a certain open-mindedness that I have to respect. Veronica Khokhlova, Global Voices Regional Editor for Central and Eastern Europe, is awesome like that.
Harvard Business Review Editors, on the other hand, have killed most of my comments representing an opposing opinion.
What revolution? What consensus? What tsunami?
As we all know what happened with the tsunami that hit Japan (a tragedy that cries to heaven!), perhaps she meant tsunami with some tragic sense of tongue and cheek. But you’ll have to explain it to me. I’m stupid like that.
Consensus? That’s silly. Consensus doesn’t happen in Romania. But deals can be brokered.
What revolution? If you could take a picture of 100 people protesting in Bucharest this chilly winter morning, I’ll give $100 for that picture as long as I can verify the protesting happened from one of my many friends that happen to be taxi-cab drivers.
$100 is good money for a picture in Bucharest. The newspaper pays $60 to girls for 100 shots of that girl topless or naked and they keep all photos and rights.
It doesn’t even have to be a good picture.
I’m not saying that Romanians don’t have cause to protest. There is even cause for a revolution, but Romanians just don’t swing like that.
I am saying that there is some US and European pressure on the trouble-making political parties to shut it down because the US and Europe don’t need disingenuous new stories and editorials that can trigger stock market unease over yet another European country (and Nato ally) on the brink of political instability, bankruptcy, and shouting out how they will never ever be able to repay the World Bank loans that presently pay the salaries of the Romanian government.
Romanian leaders (false or otherwise) just don’t know how to play ball without being reminded of all the rules of the game. At every play. That’s how it is in Eastern Europe.
In a way, I understand Oana. She wants something to happen. She wants change. But I don’t see a daily picture of Oana standing out there with her sign, leading the protest, and chanting for the end of corruption, lies, and evil.
And, please do understand me clearly on this one point:
I do not blame Oana Maria Dan for not being out there in the cold. Alone.
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Subscribe to Global Voices (English Edition)
Need more Global Voices? Check out the following:
Spain: The #15M Celebrate Christmas With Outrage
COP17: Young Trackers Share Final Thoughts on Climate Change Talks
Black Women in European Politics: from Struggle to Success
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5. The Only Thing That’s Dead Is Your Crappy “Everything Is Dead” Meme by Danny Brown
Danny asks the hard questions about the trash-talking spin that now abounds and flourishes:
1. Why do we have to bang the nails into the coffin of industries that are still very much alive?
2. Why do we have to look at an industry that’s been around for years as “ending”, just because there are new tools available?
3. Is there really such a thing as an ending, anyway?
My comment:
Danny ends with another question that is key to understanding the appeal of mean-spirited, social media headliners:
If there are solid enough foundations already there, isn’t it better than starting again?
We all want to be lifted up on the rising tide. There’s the appeal. The lack of competition. First mover advantages. Failures behinds us. Fresh opportunities to exploit. That’s what belies the excitement of the iPhone killer, the android killer, and the Facebook killer.
And, maybe, just maybe, we need to take responsibility for and tone down the sexy in our headlines, blog post titles, etc.
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Subscribe to Danny Brown’s blog, The Human Side of Media and Marketing
Need more Danny Brown? Check out the following:
What the Japanese Can Teach Us About Business Longevity
Second Impressions Are What Really Matter
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Feedback
If you think that this blog post sucks, let me know in your comment and don’t forget to include a link to YOUR favorite blog post.
If you think this blog post rocks, tell me why it rocks in the comment. “Awesome,””Great post,” etc. works for me. Don’t forget to include a link to YOUR most recent blog post.
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Stan Faryna
23 January 2012
Bucharest, Romania
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P.S.
No fairies were harmed during the writing and publishing of this blog post.
Follow me on Twitter: @Faryna
The unofficial blog of Stan Faryna 
Deep Stan, deep……….
Are you whipping it, Bill?! [grin]
Having a pretty shitty day, here, Stan.
I have been thinking about Danny Brown’s post since I opened it in my inbox this morning. The “Clueless” blog of Marcus’s is still sitting in my inbox…and you know what that means…I’m still thinking about it. I didn’t read (or get???) this one of Jayme’s I was worrying about the one I DID get of hers this morning about hiding under a rock.
I am sorry, but WT…Hell? (I just couldn’t do it, here.) WHY can’t they (they being ALL so-called human beings of all shapes, sizes, colors, shades, evolution that live on this rock) understand???
We CAN do such GOOD. We CAN make a difference, to each other, all of us, including the ones of which you will never know their names.
We can do GOOD business. We can SHARE knowledge. (and might I say resources?) We CAN be kind. We CAN reach out. There is so much we CAN do.
What is that saying/ joke about your plan verses God’s plan? I can’t think of it, the evil Lizard to working overtime today in my brain, it’s in there somewhere…
This is what my mind keeps circling over Marcus’s post. Because, like, are they psychic??
What Danny said… all it is, and he does say things in a perfect way for me. Little easy to understand words, right to the point, no petting and stroking itty bitty egos, you can clearly understand these kinds of posts he writes. WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE THE END OF ANYTHING? Because people, it seems to me, by observing most of the last 40+ years, people are similar to a pack of dogs. (ahh, also reminds me of high school) If the dogs (multiple) are all running, nipping, playing around, everything is fine and dandy. Then. If one goes down, however, the others immediately jump on it and quickly devolves into a fight- to the death at times. They will ALL (the remaining) jump on the “downed” dog.
Jayme talked about Blogging Under a Rock and it hit me then. She is one of the people I admire the most, that I met months ago and as I proved myself over time, became friends with (I believe). I consider Jayme Souati my friend.
Something else has been going through my mind (I admit, louder today than it has in such a long time..tears.) We have asked ourselves and each other “How Can This Happen?” on line, when we find one of us took a final fall. How can we help, how can we stop it, how well do we know ANYONE?
We can’t. You can’t. I can’t. Am I writing what is real? Am I writing what I know in my heart it could be, in that somehow still hopeful innocent spot buried deep inside me?
Fugelsnot.
I am so ready for a positive injection.
~Amber-Lee
YOU ARE AWESOME AMBER-LEE!!
Big hug to you, Amber.
I had a dream last night. I was back at Catholic University (which I left with an unfinished Masters in Philosophy). I came out of an exam with a B. In other words, just barely holding my nose above water. So I decided that it was about time was that I crushed it, so I moved into the library.
There were some minor issues about my smoking in a non-smoking building. [laughing]
Anyway, I was looking at this bookcase that went on for forever. It had books about the history of civilization by much admired and celebrated scholars and historians of the ages. But there was something missing in them all.
All those wonderful, expertly books merely described what had happened; they failed to illuminate why anything happened the way they did. They failed to illuminate the human heart. And, more importantly, I wasn’t going to crush any exams if these facts and descriptions weren’t meaningful to me.
For them to be meaningful, I had to know the why that history wants to speak to us through the course of civilizations, communities, and nations.
In my dream, I share my insight with a classmate and he suggested that maybe we had to experience the archaeological evidence of ancient civilizations to know the hearts of ancient peoples through our own hearts. Suddenly, I remembered that I had been to several archaeology sites. I have laid on my back in Qumran (where the dead sea scrolls were found by the Dead Sea) for hours wondering what it was like. I have rubbed my hands in the dirt that was once the walls of Jericho. And I too have bathed in the Jordan River.
I also remembered that I had found the walls of a stone age camp and a spear head near the Dead Sea. I felt their fear of the world, their desperate fight for survival, and how fear enclosed their minds and hearts like a wall. Their hearts and minds did not leap and run beyond the tight perimeter of those walls.
I awoke today in a bad mood. I hate those kinds of dreams – dreams with exams.
But as I smoked my first cigarette, I realized this dream was different. In past dreams, there is only despair. I missed the exam day or performed poorly and that was all. I would awake with only the feeling that I had failed. In this dream, however, I was determined to succeed. And I understood the challenges that I faced. No small challenges to be sure. Neither easy nor obvious.
But challenges for which I have been prepared.
I sense a profound opportunity to do beautiful, good, and true things. Not just for me. But it is there for all of us. And, perhaps, we will do amazing things together.
NO “PERHAPS”!!!
Oh it’s Davos time again, isn’t it? I love the take on the 10 things you’re not supposed to say there. With the uppity up and the rich. It’ll be interesting to see what comes out of this year’s conference. The agenda is the European markets, debt, and a looming crisis.
I found that article through your blog post, Gini! Just sayin… thank you.
And then there’s the #SOTU (Obama’s 2012 State of the Union Address).
http://www.whitehouse.gov/state-of-the-union-2012
That song made me laugh and laugh!
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