Posts tagged Blogging ethics
Blogging turns the notion of competition upside down
Jun 3rd
I had to laugh out loud when I took this phone call the other day. A representative from a marketing agency in New York approached me about creating a guest post on my blog. Here is how it went:
ME: So what is it exactly that your company does?
HIM: We specialize in Social Media Marketing strategy.
ME: Really. Well, that’s what I do too.
HIM: I know. I’ve looked at your website.
ME: Well, you’re actually my competitor, right?
HIM: Yes, I suppose you could say that.
ME: So let me get this straight … (laughing) You are my competitor and you’re asking me to allow you to come on to my website to promote your business and attract business away from me? On top of that, you will be planting backlinks on my blog which are aimed to give you permanent advantage over me in the search engines.
HIM: Well … Yes, that’s true.
ME: Don’t you think that is a little crazy?
Now, what may seem even crazier is that I’m going to encourage him do it. In fact I help my competitors every day. Almost every person who provides a guest post on {grow} competes with me in some way! I don’t mind. It’s a big world and we can all prosper.
But the reason I wanted to tell this story is because if any “normal” business person really looked at the “best practices” on the social web, she would think we’re a bunch of blooming idiots! And maybe we are.
A couple competitors have used my original content in their company eNewsletters. Now think about that. They are taking my content (without permission) to compete against me in the marketplace. Basically, I am writing their ads for them.
Last week a lady wrote “Dear Mr. Schaefer, I wanted to let you know that we are using your blog post for an eBook our company is creating. We’re hoping you would help us promote it.” Now wait a minute. Can you first explain who you are and why you are taking my original copywritten material for your company promotion? How do I even know I want to be associated with your company?
Isn’t this nuts? Blogging turns the notion of competition upside down!
When I mentioned this observation to the New York guy who was on the phone with me he said, “Well I guess you could consider it an honor that your competitors want to be on your blog.”
What a world. Doesn’t it seem like the traditional notion of competition has gone out the door?
Photo by inspir8tion used with permission Flickr Creative Commons.
Why Social Media Blogging is Corrupt
Mar 16th
I met a young blogger the other day who reported to me that one of his posts (attributed) had been used in the promotional client newsletter of one of the A-List bloggers, in fact probably the most famous blogger around. He was thrilled and hopeful that this fella’s vast audience might find their way to his own blog.
“Did he ask you if he could use your content?” I asked.
“No,” the young man replied.
“So a fellow blogger — and technically your direct competitor — stole your original content to use in marketing materials aimed at promoting his company and increasing his own sales?”
“Yes, I guess so,” he said with decidely less enthusiasm.
“Has he had any contact with you at all?”
“No.”
“Do you think he even knows who you are?”
“I don’t think so.”
This really happened and I see these scenarios played out almost daily.
I have been in the corporate world a long time and I have to tell you, in any business other than blogging, what happened in this situation would probably result in a court case. I didn’t name names because the practice illustrated here is commonplace among social media bloggers.
Now I know there are certain potential benefits of exposure through the article link that can help this young blogger. But the senior blogger in question should know better and be more professional than simply using another writer’s original work without even the courtesy of asking for permission to re-print.
What is it about the social web that makes people think they have the right to use the work of others without even a common “please” or “thank you?” — let alone (gasp) COMPENSATING us for our work? This is simply arrogance and greed that is out of control. They are giving their fellow professionals less credit than they would give to a $2 stock photo.
The sad part is, I think the entire social web is becoming numb to the fact that this whole system is corrupt.
It reminds me of the time I visited a developing country … a nation run by thugs. The citizens had been immersed in corruption for so long, they had forgotten what free enterprise was supposed to be like. The children looked up to and emulated the crooks because they didn’t know any other way.
A few weeks ago I wrote about the broken economics of blogging. Business “professionals” stealing content for their personal gain is another symptom of a lack of leadership in this space. It’s like some of these bloggers are school yard bullies picking though everybody’s lunch instead of acting like leaders who should be inspiring, mentoring and creating an inclusive business model.
I don’t have any problem with a news feed aggregating content and I’ve never refused somebody’s request to use my content for their own private newsletter. But it seems like reasonable business professionals would have the courtesy and good sense to at least ASK to use a writer’s work before publishing it as valued-added content for their customers. The social web has been overrun with an entitlement mentality that views any copywritten, original content as something that can be freely re-purposed for private commercial gain.
What’s your take on this? Aren’t you getting fed up with these bullying business practices … or are you comfortably numb?
Wikileaks: Truth and Consequences
Dec 12th
The Wikileaks controversy has been weighing heavily on my mind and heart. I can’t imagine a more complex or emotional web-related issue to consider.
I’m conflicted. As a former journalist I value the role of the press as a checks-and-balance in a free society. With the declining resources available through traditional news media, it’s crucial that new media models somehow fill the void. And Wikileaks has undoubtedly exposed some areas of true corruption.
I also appreciate the important and courageous role of the whistle-blower as a soldier against injustice.
But whether you consider Wikileaks and its editor Julian Assange heroic or evil, there some questions that will impact us all …
Will leaks enable peace and political reform or impede it? The prospect of being WikiLeaked will turn nations inward; open sharing of information between countries will decrease. Centralization of secrets, rather than any kind of improved transparency, will be the result of uncensored leaks. Progressive work in the name of peace just got more difficult it seems. WikiLeaks may be a temporary victory for transparency but will it result in real reform or heightened secrecy?
What ethical guidelines should be observed? The new web mandate seems to be “publish because you can.” True journalists are conditioned to live with strict codes of conduct to help guard the integrity of the institution and the fact-gathering process. Never mind civility or common sense. What about basic human morality? Even if you despised a cause or a government, could you personally make a decision to reveal information that could cost an innocent human life?
Shouldn’t some secrets remain secret? Exposing corruption is beneficial. Exposing gossip and information that simply embarrasses is sensational. Publicizing secrets that jeopardize national security could actually be corrosive to freedom, diplomacy and democracy. I know this opens up a whole new debate — who decides what should be a secret?
Isn’t morality absolute? For a moment, go back to September 11, 2001. Wherever you were in the world, you probably experienced deep sadness, shock and horror. Would you feel any differently if Wikileaks shared secrets about America’s operations against Al Quaeda on Sept. 12, 2001? Is patriotism a matter of timing? Is morality?
What happens when Wikileaks applies to all of us? It’s fine to debate these developments when they involve a third party you will never know but would you feel the same way if you and your family were caught up in the issue? The implications of uncensored publication of “secrets” is profound. It’s fashionable to criticize the U.S. government, but what happens when the leak occurs in your own company?
I’ve been in business a long time. I’ve led teams in the negotiation of multi-billion-dollar contracts and I know that working a high-pressure deal with stakes that enormous can be ugly. It involves diplomacy in every sense of the word. Sometimes we hate what our customers put us through and internal documents and recorded conversations may even reflect that sentiment. In the heat of battle, we may say things in private that would embarrass us in public.
Are internal company documents — that have nothing to do with corruption – fair game for public consumption, too? Would it be OK for me to publish private documents that would embarrass you, destroy business relationships, jeopardize your company … and maybe even end your career and family?
There is a direct parallel between this scenario and what is happening through Wikileaks today. After all, much of the material that WikiLeaks has published has had little to do with revealing “unethical behavior” in governments and corporations. It’s voyeurism.
What is this really all about any way? The first suspect arrested from the ensuing cyber-war that erupted after the arrest of Assange was a 16-year-old hacker. Was this boy a freedom fighter or is it more likely that he was just looking for any excuse to display his considerable skills to hack into a government site? Is Wikileaks an important evolution in creating institutional transparency or is it just another place for Facebook cyber-bullies to get a thrill? Is this about political reformation or global fame and fortune for Julian Assange?
What is the “check” against Wikileaks? While the threat of leaked documents might provide a check against corruption, what is the balance against a lawless Internet to wield power that might legitimately jeopardize lives and national security?
I know I haven’t provided any answers … but that’s why you’re here. Are you conflicted as I am, or do you have an idea of where this will lead? The debate is yours. All views are welcomed in the comment section …
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You’re in marketing for one reason: Grow.
Grow your company, reputation, customers, impact, profits. Grow yourself. This is a community that will help. It will stretch your mind, connect you to fascinating people, and provide some fun along the way. I am so glad you’re here.
-Mark SchaeferFollow Mark
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