Looking up (and down) at the blogosphere’s ivory tower
I spend a lot of time reading blogs. Part of the fun of that is sharing what I’ve learned and what I think via Google Reader shared items, FriendFeed, Twitter, and of course here at the old Online Media Cultist stomping grounds.
Living in Los Angeles and working as a web producer for 3jane IndieClick, I feel like I’m in a pretty interesting and lucky position. I help to manage the production of cutting edge websites and tech products. So I like to think that my experiences as a web producer and my blog consumption and general web cultery gives me a unique perspective on things.
And so I’m a little bit outside “the beltway” of the Bay Area and Silicon Valley, though I lived there circa 1998-2003. In addition I don’t have the time/resources to get to many tech events and conferences and such (and I feel like my days are packed wall-to-wall anyway!). So while some of the upper tier bloggers in the tech/web space may have a vague-ish idea of who I am, I have no illusions that conference cocktail parties are replete with lengthy and fascinating discussions of the latest OMC installment.
This is all prelude to saying that something I read this evening by a Mr. Robert Scoble pissed me off a little bit. Scoble is of course one of the better known tech bloggers out there. Here’s the thing: I know that Scoble didn’t mean anything by what pissed me off. But I tend to think it’s a little bit telling nonetheless.
In the midst of a very lengthy discussion of the supposed concern over the future of PR (my take: as long as there’s something to promote and people around who want to self-promote by means of promoting, the PR industry’s going to be just fine, kids), Scoble issues the following declaration:
…it’s hard to remember the last industry event where Brian [Solis] wasn’t holding court and if you’re a tech blogger and you haven’t yet met Brian you probably haven’t been blogging for more than a week or two…
My first reaction, uttered out loud: really dude?
Now, technically I’m not really a tech blogger; I’m more in the webby/Internet space. But it’s really interesting to see that from Scoble’s perspective, if you’re not attending insider-y tech events, you don’t really “count” in the blogospheric sense. And I have no doubt that Solis is a fascinating fellow to be around, but doesn’t it seem a little old-boy’s-club-ish to declare that to not have been well met with the gent implies a lack of credibility in writing about tech and the web?
Perhaps I’m taking this seemingly offhanded statement too far, but it does give an anecdotal sense of how the much debated “A List” bloggers think of themselves and the wider blogospheric and Internet proletariat/masses/rabble.
Or maybe I’m just being sensitive?
Why would anyone know this guy anyway?
Good point… And no, I don't think you're being sensitive.
You are right! Just imagine how this looks from other parts of the world. Scoble, Arrington and co talk like their blog space connects with everything. In reality, they connect with other tech bloggers only interested in new news focused around english-language, U.S. interests. A tiny slice of the marketing pie.
A few examples – Every time they talk about T-mobile, they forget to mention that they're talking about T-Mobile USA and not T-Mobile (the German company). Every time they twitter about Obama being internet savvy, they forget that most people don't actually give a shit! Every time they blog about Twitter being a marketing platform, they forget that only english-speaking tech bloggers are listening.
Their blogging worlds have become so blinkered that they forget that 99% of the worlds population probably hasn't even heard of anyone in the top-100, let alone this Brian guy.
Thanks for the opportunity to let off some steam!
Steve – proffesional tech journalist.
Eric, when I read that statement from Scoble regarding Solis, I took it as an exaggeration, which Scoble does tend to do. My take was that if you have been blogging, read sites like TechCrunch and use things like Twitter and FriendFeed you have probably run into him on one of these sites. “Meeting” may not really mean a physical meeting as much as maybe exchanged tweets or something.
Hi Eric, I don't think you're being too sensitive. The groups of people that Scoble listed represent more of New PR's first line of defense over a club…but, because we do see each other quite often, it definitely would appear that way. Jeremy Toeman, Jeremy Pepper, and many others have lashed back when tech bloggers take aim at the PR profession. Not because the exchange is going to change the industry, but because there's a higher cause in spotlighting that a 100 year old industry really is transforming. Also, they're rally cries for self-awareness and the improvement of education in PR. Much to my surprise however, this is the first time that someone of Scoble's caliber has demonstrated a change of heart…and to me, that's a positive sign. It's been pretty tiring to have to practically write the same thoughts over and over each time the industry takes fire from the top down. But, this is a positive step. I spend quite a bit of time in LA these days, hope to see you…
I think it's funny to bang me for being US focused. I've been to Europe three times this year, going back for #4 in a couple of weeks. I've been to Israel, too. Going to China in November. Brian's right, you're not too sensitive, I was just having a little bit of fun there because I've seen Brian at recent events in LA, San Francisco, and other places. It's almost like we're stalking each other. There are “Brian's” in every city, by the way. Washington DC has Nick ONeill. Tel Aviv has Blonde 2.0. Germany has Nicole Simon. Switzerland has Laurent Haig. To tell you the truth, if you are claiming to be a tech blogger and you've never met one of these people I'd say that you don't get out off the house much and I would start to worry about you.
Well, Solis is pretty well known among the tech blogger set, but I see no shame in not knowing who he is. Quoting myself from FF:
I know who Brian Solis is — and I've been a fan of bubilicious for some time! I think part of my (late night) grumbling stemmed from an assumption of privilege and access in seeing super smart/talented/knowledgeable/connected people like Brian *in person*. The assumption is in my view: if you don't have the means and moxie and grit to be close to these folk, then really you don't count. And that's something I take issue with.
Thank you Niki !
Thanks Steve! I do think it's important to take in the global perspective on this whole interwebs thing, which is partly why I'll do a round-up of world news with relation to the web every once in a while.
You bring up an interesting point too about twitter: Twitter certainly is a great marketing platform, and it's also wildly popular in places like Japan. Are the Japanese using it for marketing, or more simply for personal communication… or in other ways?
Rob, while I'm tempted to agree, Scoble's pretty specific about “industry events” and his comment below seems to confirm.
Now, I get that Scoble's trying to be over the top and probably a little sarcastic (one of the toughest things to pull off in print, by the way!), but my take on it still pretty much holds.
Hi Brian! One fault of mine here is that I pulled Scoble's comment out of context and focused directly on it. I was actually enjoying the much longer piece about PR, and agree with much of it. Certainly part of what I'm trying to do here is promote what I'm passionate about.
And somewhat ironically (hypocritically?): it's on my longish-term agenda to get out and about more for myself and for 3jane IndieClick, so hope to see you around the way !
Hi Robert, thanks for your thoughts.
I do get out of the house quite a bit… and head to the office.
I'm not in marketing or PR. I produce websites, so professionally the best use of my time is usually spent doing just that.
As a blogger and online media cultist, I spend as much time as I can outside of work reading blogs, exploring the interwebs, and sharing my findings along the way. And as I mention in a comment above, I'm planning on getting out more down the road, but I maintain that doing so and meeting the “right people” in person is not a prerequisite to providing a meaningful contribution to the blogosphere.
All joking aside, can we agree on that?
way too sensitive
Haha — perhaps !
but it worked, look how many cool comments you got!
someday soon some punk kid will be moaning about that eric berlin guy
I'm (presumably) an “A-Lister”, I go to events, and while I *know* who Solis is, I've never met him.
As someone from this crowd who *doesn't* live in SV/SFO beltway, I can attest to the slightly exclusive and geo-centric attitude that others in this space seem to maintain. It was a pretty big stumbling block a couple years ago, but thanks to the shrinking size of the world due to more social networks, these effects have been much more mitigated in the last year or so.
I agree Mark, which is also partly why I think attending these events in person is not as important perhaps as they used to be. It's possible to stay informed and network in other ways.
I've met Brian. He's okay.
It's the A-listers we have to worry about until we get there.
Don't feel bad. Robert is a bit high on himself. To him, if you haven't done what he's done, you're not credible. A lot of the tech bloggers (Chris Anderson, especially) are into this because they love to read their own writings. I read them all but like the old uncle who loves to talk about how he walked 10 miles to school wearing only newspapers on his feet, you smile and let them have their 15 minutes….