Feeding The Echo Chamber
By Rob Safuto on Nov 29, 2006 in Social Media |
I got home tonight and thought to myself, “Time to feed the echo chamber.” Though you may not want to swallow the pill I’m handing over.
There are two or more sides to every story. One side says they were asked for an accomodation. One side says they were offered a favor. Another side says you shouldn’t talk about conference planning in an open forum.
Everyone’s got a right to their opinion and I’ve done nothing to prevent them from having their say. I’ve got my opinions too and here’s where you’ll get em.
There are big conference models then there are these ‘camps’ which are supposed to be different. Looks to me like the model just started sliding toward the big conference format. Sorry to spoil the party by spilling the beans.
I was at PodCamp West recently and came away with some good impressions of the format. I learned the most from the people I had never met or even heard of. And I enjoyed myself. I saw what it took in terms of administration, sanitation, technology and logistics to put such an event together. I imagine that the organizers needed every dollar donated to pull it off.
I don’t agree with special guests a financial incentive to attend these events unless the same incentives are somehow offered to everyone. No one individual is so important that their attendance makes or breaks the event. Everyone should be welcome but I don’t think that someone should be more welcome than another person. Once you’ve set that kind of expectation amongst participants that legacy gets passed down to organizers of future events. Sucks to be them
So if Rob is running an event like this I don’t offer or entertain requests for reimbursement. Luckily for everyone, I’m not the guy running PodCamp NYC. So they’re free to do as they please with respect to accomodating high wattage guests at the event.
I’ve been around, paid my dues in a number of situations and have every right to speak my mind. Call me a jackass, whatever. I’ve heard it all before. Grab the moral highground based on how things are always done. Enjoy the view.
And to those who talk about people busting their asses for social media I say this. Open your eyes and ears. There are many people who’ve been forwarding the mediums of blogging and podcasting over the last few years. Very few in that number actually get paid to do it. Some of those anonymous people would appreciate knowing they’ve gotten equal respect and treatment.
So whaddaya say we ixn-ay on the litisme-ay and recognize the contributions of the unsung leaders of the movement?
John | Nov 30, 2006 | Reply
I’m really glad I’m not in the “blogging scene”. If it distorts your sense of reality this badly, I don’t want any part of it. Quite happy to be irrelevant.
Robert Scoble is, last time I checked, a person. A human being. Who you publicy dissed without cause. You certainly haven’t denied that. You certainly haven’t said he actually deserved it.
Say idiotic nonsense about echo chambers all day long, you’re still rude and arrogant. Let your pride get involved and insist on being right, dance around the issue and pretend like it’s about some noble ideals. Good luck making that work in the real world.
Greg | Nov 30, 2006 | Reply
Fact one: You made a conclusion based on information at hand.
Fact two: Based on that conclusion, you were publicly rude and insulting to someone.
Fact three: Your conclusion was later shown to be inaccurate.
Leave the “conference model” out of it. It doesn’t have ANYTHING to do with why people are pissed at you.
People were pissed at you INITIALLY because you were publicly rude and insulting to someone based on an inaccurate conclusion you made.
The topic at hand could have been the negotiation of a nuclear disarmament treaty or comments on a hairstyle or some stupid un-conference. None of THAT matters. What matters is that you were publicly rude and insulting to someone based on an inaccurate conclusion you made.
People are pissed at you NOW because you should have just done the civilized and mature thing and said “Sorry, I fucked up, I was publicly rude and insulting to Scoble based on an inaccurate conclusion I made.”
Instead, you’re trying to justify your mistake by making it about the un-conference philosophy, trying to rationalize it by trying to obfuscate your wrong doing with claptrap about two sides to the story, and trying to shift blame to others (the “echo chamber,” the ones who “won’t swallow the pill you’re handing over”, etc.)
Blah blah blah. No one’s buying it. NONE OF THAT IS RELEVANT to the issue that has people upset with you.
Here’s the issue:
Fact one: You made a conclusion based on information at hand.
Fact two: Based on that conclusion, you were publicly rude and insulting to someone.
Fact three: Your conclusion was later shown to be inaccurate.
You fucked up. Now it’s time own your mistake. But I’m wagering you don’t have the guts to do that, because you haven’t shown any courage so far in this situation. (Actually, I’m wagering you don’t have the guts to even let this comment past your moderation.)