Scobleizer - Latest Comments in More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

Mark Hughes — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 06:00:57 -0000

Video #6 isn't a train wreck, Robert, it's your best work. It's the only one where you really show PASSION. Where you had done the hands-on, had real experience, and then just LET THE WORLD KNOW how bad the Kindle is. To hell with good manners, saying that the Kindle's designer needs a good ass-beating and firing is important.

When you try to be a "serious", "professional" "journalist", you have such a flat affect, it's impossible to tell what you're feeling. When you get pissed off (were you also drunk in that video? If so, drink more!), you're great.

It's better to be great than to be nice.

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

Martina — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 06:43:42 -0000

Be a jerk if the situation requires you to be a jerk.
Otherwise be politically correct. As long as your posts will stay clever I will keep reading you.
Have a great 2008!
Martina

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

Rene Kriest/ProbloggerWorld.de — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 03:07:01 -0000

Did I overlook the irony? ;)

You did a good job on the videos and why not let only your visitors decide what's good for them? Your video #6 was an anchor to hook people to your site. It was a hilarious video. It is not about jerking up but about showing emotions for this is why human beings are considered human beings.

And after all you published it because you wanted to show it to your audience. Their reason to watch the video is valid. Maybe you should never post any videos with you goofing up then or better: videos that you think you goofed up in.

I think that you are wrong complaining and griping about your visitors if you fail to hook them for your other content. It is up to everyone to decide what's intelligent stuff to them and what's not. After all the term "intelligent stuff" is only an abstraction. Ask 5 Billion people and they gonna give you atleast 5 Billion answers.

I am thankful for any traffic bomb that hits me. I cannot force anyone to do what I want.

Life is about emotions and the fun. As far as I am concerned I would just put in a little more fun in the rest of the videos. People like emotions. Even Robots wanna get their hands on them (as far as Data from Star Trek is concerned). ;)

Keep up the good work!

Regards,

René

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

livecrickteblog — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 20:19:10 -0000

Robert, this is interesting

http://www.news.com/8301-13...

What do you think about the kindle now?

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

Pete Steege — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:53:09 -0000

NPR or Shock jock?
McNeil Lehrer or Jerry Springer?

Adding value vs. titilating is the way to go in my book. Especially for B2B.

Would you classify your audience as Business or Consumer? I say Business.

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

Sam — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:00:03 -0000

Great post, and definitely a great read.

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

Jerry — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:32:14 -0000

@26. Ineresting idea. Would seem to make more sense than doing a video a day and hoping something sticks

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

Tom Guarriello — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:31:15 -0000

Looking forward to the Engelbart video. His "mother of all demos" (http://sloan.stanford.edu/m... is required view, imo.

As for the Gawker issue. It's a no-brainer that blinkin' lights, yelling and T&A get more views. "Qualified viewers," however, are a different story. Imagine how influential a post on the early Well was (is?) compared with a "normal" post. Why? The folks reading that Well post are heavy influencers. It's like every one of those views is worth 50 incidental viewers. Somebody will figure out how to create/monitor that metric soon.

Nokia gave 40 of us at a PopTech precon a free N95. Why? They figured the crowd was made up of people they wanted talking about the device. (It's pretty good.)

Ads served up to qualified viewers of blogs and video might just link up with Doc's VRM. Then we'd see some interesting stuff.

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

Jim Treacher — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:30:12 -0000

Good for you, admitting you were wrong about the Kindle.

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

Erik Herz — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 10:37:31 -0000

Robert,

You inspired me to focus on engagement rather than traffic ... perhaps we can think in terms of CPE (Cost Per Engagement) and come up with a consensus about how to measure this.

I define CPE as: "The value of one unit of one person’s engagement with specific media that is strongly associated with a specific sponsor of the media."

Here is my attempt: http://podslug.com/blog/?p=115

I would love to hear what folks think about a CPE model.

Erik

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

buckpost — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 10:33:10 -0000

Whatever happened to quality content being king? But you're right, sensational posts do get a lot of attention but that's the nature of the Web right now.

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

PR Geek — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:58:37 -0000

Wise words Scobleizer. I remain a fan of yours.

But the problem isn't with Gawker or anyone else that pays for traffic. It's the fundamentals that social media is built on.

Web 2.0 itself is fuelled by traffic-based ad revenue. If you want free stuff (all the coolest things I use are free - YouTube, Blogger, Facebook, Twitter etc.) you're following the model. You have to.

For that reason, it will always be a low quality, high-traffic sphere. It's built in.

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

Rich — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:19:57 -0000

It wasn't you being a "jerk" that interested me in that video, it was your blatant "naked", if you will, honesty. In a world of unrepentant fluff, that's a rare thing. Here's hoping you don't descend into the pit of boredom in 2008.

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

spinchange — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 07:54:21 -0000

As someone whose still loyal to the user-submitted news site, digg.com, it troubles me what this kind of development means for social media. There was already a shit-storm of garbage and SEO-motivated commercial content (which, I'm sure is why bloggers and a lot of folks like you have really given up on the site) ...this is just going to make it much worse, I'm afraid.

Totally Wrong Metric. The Focus needs to be on editorial quality - not page views.

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

Robert — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 23:26:10 -0000

"Me and Mike Arrington"? How about better grammar in 2008 that makes YOU appear more intelligent? Seriously, when I read a post filled with poor grammar I conclude the author's thinking was poorly thought out.

Oh, and how about more research and fact checking before posting? That would make EVERYONE smarter.

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

Aruni — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 22:33:42 -0000

Thanks Robert. I found it hard to wade through some of the jerkiness sometimes. Sensationalism lasts for a bit but to move people forward requires them to get past their base emotions IMHO.

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

Herschel — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 22:11:58 -0000

I'm not so convinced that your #6, which had the highest viewing, is an example of you being a "thought leader."

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

Roo Reynolds — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 18:42:27 -0000

"Learnings"? Sheesh. What's wrong with "lessons"?

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

Robert Scoble — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 18:24:04 -0000

Garth: he still is ahead of his time and he's 83.

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

Garth — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 18:13:21 -0000

Doug Engelbart ... forget the mouse that everybody remembers and watch the ideas behind his NLS system that he demoed in the so called "Mother of All Demos".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...

The video is available here

http://sloan.stanford.edu/m...

The guy was way ahead of his time.

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

Garth — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 18:06:58 -0000

Well said Robert but let's have a look at what titles Gawker publishes and then you will realize there is atually a method to the madness.

http://gawker.com/advertising/

I count 6 of the well known blogs that feeds on sex, scandal or gossip.

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

geekmommy — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 17:24:28 -0000

Honestly? It's just the tech equivalent of the car wreck phenomenon.
The tabloids know that tragedy and anger and drama sell - hence the incessant coverage of Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and whatever the latest celebrity feud is.
But while 'the public' might stop to gawk, they don't usually try to emulate.

There's one thing to be said for generating traffic, but another entirely to be said for influencing the traffic once it's there.

Good luck with your new tack - looking forward to see where you sail.

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

Louis Gray — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 16:54:11 -0000

Re: #7... Arrington did, as you know. And we don't yet have news to refute it. I personally hope you find a place with innovation, flexibility, openness and big budgets. Also, it should keep you in the Bay Area. Other than that, you're on your own! I'm not your mother! :-)

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

Robert Scoble — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 16:50:03 -0000

Sheila: asshat bosses get asshat posts. I'll try not to be an asshat in 2008! :-)

Re: More asshat posts in 2008 coming…

Sheila Scarborough — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 16:44:41 -0000

I think most of the buzz about the Gawker memo is not about asshat posts; it's about whether Gawker bloggers should put up with an asshat boss, whatever the pay scale/bonus structure.

So, Robert, just don't be an asshat. :)