Scobleizer - Latest Comments in Off of the tech entertainment train

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

Jake Lockley — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:10:09 -0000

My bad. Maybe I should clarify my issues a bit. To me dialogue is more about detailed discussions than comments. Or maybe I just need better friends but even your Friendfeed is full of more comments than conversations or discussions. When I look for dialogue I look for conversations where anyone can control where the conversation goes. I look for a thoughtful exchange of ideas and knowledge that builds upon one another. The medium may allow for that but most of what is out there is simply comments. The importance of dialogue (to me) is that it engages people in an exchange that leads people to learn from one another through iterative discussions (like this). Thanks for the reply, it's the best way to disprove my point. In short, I yearn for more elaboration of ideas than simple comments. You know, people who explain their premises and the conclusions to which they lead and are open to engaging others others in debating them so everyone learns from the exchange. I know it's difficult when there's only so many hours in a day and when there are too many posts to comment on. It just appears to me that quantity has surpassed quality on services like Twitter than Friendfeed. Maybe that's just a side effect of casual chat/conversations, they are less intellectually engaging and more about expressing or articulating opinions or ideas. Or maybe I just need better networks. I look for more than just people 'chiming in'.

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

Robert Scoble — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 03:50:07 -0000

Jake: what? Check out my conversations on FriendFeed: http://friendfeed.com/scobl...

I don't see anything like what you describe.

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

Jake Lockley — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:26:50 -0000

So I have to ask, just how to friendfeed and twitter promote dialogue/conversations? They are part of the narcissistic web 2.0 where people shout look at me me me and aren't about conversations, discussions, critical thinking or dialogue. Even blog comments are fly by methods for people to post opinions and feedback rather than engage in threaded conversations where people. So tell me o' master of the one way talkers, where's the dialogue that once made the web a valuable medium?

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

Adam Christensen — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:45:24 -0000

I think you've hit on an important issue - at least for me. Techmeme really represents a very narrow view of the world. In fact, it usually reflects a very narrow view of a narrow part of the technology industry even. If Techmeme were your only source of information, you'd think the entire world comprised of a small handful of individuals, talking about one topic, and mostly it was about each other.

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

Guest — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 01:45:12 -0000

I like your videos a lot! so I agree with Dawn Douglass, your videos should be visible on Scobleizer.com. Not as links but like clickable photos. Why?
1. I'd associate them directly with you. (not that you didn't make them but still)
2. Visually it would make your blog more appealing, eeh...entertaining?
3. It's faster ;-)

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

Scabr — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 12:31:23 -0000

I like Scobleizer.I like Techmeme too.Maybe,they are info bros http://siteanalytics.compet... ?:)

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

Vincent van Wylick — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 11:50:39 -0000

I think the problem with TechMeme and other aggregators is that video, your main gig nowadays, is hard to track. There really should be an instant transcriber for people & "sniffers" to read. On a related note, I'd also love an instant audio-feed to listen to on my iPod, because video definitely isn't always ok.

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

Anthony Papillion — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:49:56 -0000

Bravo, Robert! I've always found it much more interesting to hang out with smart people than those who keep me entertained. Entertainers are a dime a dozen but people who can provide fresh perspective on relevant issues like the stuff you did in D.C. are rare and hard to find. Personally, I'd rather learn something interesting and relevant than be entertained.

So yes, you can probably kiss your days on Techmeme goodbye. The more non-generalized 'look-how-cool-this-new-stuff-is' fluff you do, the further from that crowd you'll move. But those of us who are really interested in tech - not just cool tech - won't go anywhere. We want the deeper story. We want stuff like D.C.

And don't feel too bad about Techmeme. I'm sure Valleywag will give you some love... :-)

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

wolfsbayne — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 22:49:17 -0000

don't discount that your political views may cause you some "popularity" loss. btw, is arrington an entertainer just because he claims to be? does having a tech blog qualify one as an entertainer? maybe, if one is funny, or e-n-t-e-r-t-a-i-n-i-n-g. robert, at least you squeal when you get upset and that IS entertaining.

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

Sonciary Honnoll — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 22:45:15 -0000

This is great! I'm glad you're pushing for innovation rather than sensationalism. I find the good stuff mostly on FF, but I'll continue to read content from all major tech news sites - I need a mix.

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

Dawn Douglass — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 22:07:34 -0000

You're a broken record, C.C.

Robert is just following the natural way of things. Like when you're dating, at first you're very excited about them, but as you learn more, you can get turned off and disillusioned.

What would you have Robert do? Marry a serial killer because he liked her when they first met??

The world at large isn't static, and certainly the world Robert plays in is even more dynamic. Services change, needs change, new services launch...

The way you harp on this issue over and over and over and over and over and over and over again, it makes me wonder if you're still using dialup because getting online was so exciting for you at first.

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

Scobleizer — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 20:52:54 -0000

Coulter: that is the way the entire tech industry works. BBS's were hot. Not now. Same for AOL. DEC. Compuserve. Pointcast. Even you. I remember thinking you were smart. I guess I was wrong about that too.

Gave: I use all tools available to me to reach smart people. Funny that three Congressmen talked about Twitter but didn't read Techmeme.

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

trex — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:44:51 -0000

I seriously can't believe you just mentioned Twitter. I consider myself an earlier adopter but Twitter is probably the last place I'll visit to "learn something new". How do you expect people to learn anything with tweets like "just ate dinner" ? Not everyone has time to filter through such noise.

FriendFeed, on the other hand, is excellent.

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

Christopher Coulter — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:22:12 -0000

Then: Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Now: not-working-out-for-me-at-all-so-time-to-publicly-diss.

Geesh, everything you talk about eventually goes that way, all this tech stuff must not be all it's cracked up to be. Second Life, Facebook, Upcoming, Techmeme...and eventually Friendfeed, and the last half of Twitter (with Twitter being down so much, already 50% there).

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

Robert Seidman — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:48:18 -0000

there is a difference between information and news. Which is more important to anyone personally depends on a few factors, including what your job is and what your interests are.

There is no service that combines news and information gracefully or perfectly. FriendFeed or some other service may get there someday. I'm glad both news and information are available. I agree with both Scoble and Gabe here. Scoble should do what he wants, Gabe should find the happy intersection of doing what he wants and what gets the most viewers and I think he probably already has.

I agree with Gabe about FriendFeed and Twitter. If you polled the CIOs/CTOs at all the Fortune 500 companies it would not surprise me if less than 10% had ever used FriendFeed or Twitter.

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

Evgeny — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:41:07 -0000

Robert, I wonder if you have already seen Polymeme -- polymeme.com -- a new meme-tracker that is trying to solve some of the problems you've outlined by going beyond the usual echo chamber and uncover stories (predominantly non-tech) that may be off the radar at the moment. See also review in RWW: http://www.readwriteweb.com...

Hope you give a try

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

patricia — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:37:51 -0000

cool. let's hope it's a sign that the market is maturing in its understanding of the internet because it'll make it easier to do business. I agree that there's been a little of a narrow view among the blogs/media but i think that's just a natural progression of a society migrating into a new technology. more is realized and revealed as knowledge and experience expands. few people seem to be aware that there is a major evolution of our world's communications infrastructure going on because they are still thinking it's about facebook. it'll get around to changing as people grow. it's nice to hear that the viewpoint is expanding.

but, i think techmeme will more than likely stay relevant because it seems natural to assume the users (and marketers, etc.) will seek to make the web "smaller," or to streamline their access and experience. I believe rss, aggregation, etc. are positioned to do this. in my opinion, twitter is in another category - device agnostic access/communications - than techmeme. they've got potential for different reasons.

cool post, scoble :)

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

Liz — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:22:43 -0000

Okay, reading my comment, I decided that I need to go on a quotes diet.

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

Liz — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:21:51 -0000

I think you shouldn't be so consumed with your social profile. Let your work speak for itself. Life isn't about (or shouldn't be about) anyone's "ranking".

It would be nice to read a blog entry that wasn't about "you".

Liz, a reader, not a "fan"

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

scott — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:03:11 -0000

You're off my leader board too. You are all over the place and I need efficiency. There is way too much noise to wade through to find any value within what you have been dishing out lately. You say that your audience is early adopters. I think you need to focus on early adopters within some specific slice(s) of the tech industry and go deep into the issues important to the people that live in those markets so that you can build an audience/community which is not so fragmented. Also, pimping whatever Winer is doing does not help your credibility.

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

Paul Montgomery — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:20:18 -0000

Criticising TechMeme for not being FriendFeed/Twitter is like criticising a librarian for not being the guy next to you at the bar.

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

Gabe — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:08:02 -0000

Hey Robert...most of my thoughts on this are written "between the lines" of your post for most readers.

But I should point out one thing: the vast majority of early adopters, executives, journalists, and "influencers" in technology are not actively monitoring FriendFeed or Twitter. You already know why: most can't deal with noise, if they've even tried FriendFeed or Twitter in the first place.

So which vanguard does FriendFeed and Twitter have a lock on? I'd say "social media" early adopters, people interested in things like twitter client comparisons, new blog widgets, and personalized aggregators. A good proportion of these are bloggers or would-be bloggers who've noticed they get reactions they wouldn't get from direct visitors to their blog. In Techmeme's view, these people are a part of the larger tech landscape, but by no means the defining group.

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

gregory — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 14:05:52 -0000

robert you are on to something .. and it is not (only) the followers and leading edge thinking that you are the conduit for, you are also documenting a shift in human evolution ... keep going, hold the camera still, modulate the voice volume, you are creating gold

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

Neil Anderson — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 11:11:14 -0000

Thanks for the list of videos! I'm off to be entertained ... er, educated.

Re: Off of the tech entertainment train

Dawn Douglass — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 08:42:43 -0000

This probably sounds shallow on my part, but I would watch more of your videos if they were embedded in your posts instead of just given as links. I've noticed that it's hard for me to resist clicking on a play button, but links don't draw me in.

Links say "If I click on this it's going to take lots of my time." An embedded video says "If I don't like it, I can always stop it."