I blog.
February 21, 2008 – 11:59 pmNow you know.
This may seem like somewhat of an odd post. If you’re reading this from the comfort of your feedreader (though “comfort” is probably more convenience as feedreaders tend to strip all the bits and pieces of my beautiful styling out of my posts *sniff*) you’re thinking “Duh. I’m reading your blog. I know you blog.”
This is for companies that need the explicit statement- see, now I’ve already admitted to blogging. If you don’t like it, don’t hire me when I graduate only to fire me later for staying on the ‘edge, honing my voice, and generally enjoying (and learning) a new medium of communication. While I’m stating things, I am also that guy in your company that will always ask the question nobody else will because they’re afraid you’ll disagree, or worse, fire them. So if you want a “yes man” or statusquo zombie, save us both some time and don’t hire me.
“What on earth would bring a post like this?” you might ask. No, I didn’t get fired. But Chez, a guy who worked for CNN until they found out he had a blog (and it was good), did. But it’s downright ridiculous for companies at this point to still be firing people for blogging, especially when they’re companies whose foundation is standing in communication (partially standing? sinking, maybe?).
I wonder if this is how people who used the telegraph felt when the phone came along. Screaming at all those who were using the phone instead of the telegraph, too afraid or stubborn to make the leap. Instead they were probably stuck in the amusing irony of shouting at those who did make that leap to the phone, and if only they had switched too, they might have been heard. Saddly, that irony may have not even occurred to the telegraph[ians].
“The network never considered for a minute that new media might behave differently than television — that the regular rules might not apply.”
Chez wrote an entire post about getting fired. The whole post is golden, driving great statements home like the quote above. Go read his post. Here are 2 more in case you’re not convinced that you should read it.
“Although the big networks recognize the need to appeal to bloggers, they don’t fear them — and that means they don’t respect them.”
“CNN fired me, and did it without even a thought to the power that I might wield as an average person with a brain, a computer, and an audience. The mainstream media doesn’t believe that new media can embarrass them, hurt them or generally hold them accountable in any way, and they’ve never been more wrong.”
We keep seeing companies “appealing” to bloggers, and you rarely see it become anything. Or, if it starts to, they kill it. You can’t just appeal. The mental framework of this medium needs to be in place. Does it really have to be forced into place by citizens of social media showing their power? Certainly we can all learn from the mistakes of other companies (Target, Dell, Walmart, etc).