(With a gentle grin aimed at Elizabeth Allbrycht.)
In order to speed up discussion while still allowing all PR and communications bloggers to have their say, I propose we create a master list of 100 wise things. This list could be housed on a central web site or wiki.
Then, whenever someone wants to make a statement about a topic that's already been covered, they just cite the number and link to the original statement.
I'll get the list started, and maybe Constantin Basturea can create some room on the New PR Wiki for the list.
The Master List
1) Stop saying PR is dead. My CEO might cut my budget again.
2) Any company that hasn't implemented a blog by December 31, 2005 at midnight will suddenly lose all ability to function. They should hire blog consultants to avoid this catastrophe. (For background material, see archival information on the Y2K crisis.)
3) Don't believe the blogs will solve all problems.
4) I'm sorry I made the comment in my previous post. The person mentioned never did what I said they did, and has every right to beat me senseless.
5) Companies should hire CEOs who understand communications instead of arrogant bastards whose sole focus is increasing shareholder value this year.
6) I'm writing a ground-breaking business book. Buy advance copies now for yourself, your aunt, your neighbour. Please!
7) Managers need to spend more time listening to employees and customers.
8) I'm at a conference and will share my thoughts once I find a WiFi connection. Dial-up sucks.
9) I want to attract more traffic to my blog, so I'm going to mention a bunch of A-List bloggers like Nick Denton, Doc Searls, Robert Scoble, Halley Suitt, B.L. Ochman, Cory Doctorow and Steve Rubel, in a Top-10 List that also mentions Paris Hilton and Brad Pitt.
10) I'll be busy doing something in the real world this week, so won't be posting much to my blog. Please don't unsubscribe. Please!
Add your suggestions for additional items on this list. With the added efficiency of just linking to a commonly-stated opinion, we can free up both the bloggers and their readers from the drudgery of having to type in and read a thought that has already been stated. Eventually, most readers will have the list memorized, and can quickly glean the gist of your day's commentary by scanning the numbers you refer to.
Update: The list is live on The New PR Wiki. Feel free to use numbered references from now on, referring to the list on the wiki. Thanks to Constantin Basturea, and all future contributors to the list!
Update 2: Phil Gomes takes a similar tack on the compulsion of bloggers to constantly post that they won't be posting much.
Tags: PR, Public Relations, Humor, Weblogs, Blogs
Here's the page:
http://www.thenewpr.com/wiki/pmwiki.php/HotIssues/LinkHere
I added a couple of new items, in order to reflect a greater diversity of opinions ;)
Posted by: Constantin Basturea | June 28, 2005 at 12:27 AM
FOFL. You made my day this morning!
Now if only I had chosen to use humor instead of grumping at people. But we are having a heat wave and I don't have AC. So I was GRUMPY instead.
Posted by: Elizabeth Albrycht | June 28, 2005 at 01:31 AM
Nice, Eric. Number 5 - superb!
And I never knew that Brad Pitt was really a blogger in disguise... ;)
Posted by: Neville Hobson | June 28, 2005 at 02:38 AM
Constantin: Thanks. I love the page on the wiki. It's already better than the original, which I guess proves the benefits of wikis. I forgot to link directly to the NewPR Wiki in the original post, so I'll go back and do that.
Elizabeth: I was hoping you wouldn't think I was taking a potshot at you. More of a pillow to the head. ;-)
Neville: I hear Brad Pitt is the sexiest man alive, and that photo proves it!
Posted by: Eric Eggertson | June 28, 2005 at 06:55 AM
Eric:
I can't believe you didn't include me in your list of A-listers on No. 9! What goes a guy have to do to get noticed around here??? :)
Good stuff ... thanks for the laugh.
Posted by: John Wagner | June 28, 2005 at 07:19 AM
Whoops ... that should say what DOES a guy have to do.
Posted by: John Wagner | June 28, 2005 at 07:21 AM
My addition?
"Mainstream journalists don't take bloggers seriously. it will be their downfall."
Posted by: ike | June 28, 2005 at 07:45 AM
As usual, Eric this post is spread with honey and readers like me tend to come fore more ...
Modest Proposal can grow into something enourmous: artists standing in line of Soviet Union proportions ;-)
As artists we gather under one roof, whatever field we are in, whatever culture we come from. We may not all be exposed to poverty or censorship, but many are. If we come together to share our vision, our passion and our problems we can change things, for the better. Do you want to connect with [Paris Hilton and] others?
http://www.artistswithoutfrontiers.com/join.html
[Do you believe your work can and should make a difference?] When success is like a coin - it has two sides
via - http://www.artistswithoutfrontiers.com/
Posted by: Jozef Imrich | June 29, 2005 at 08:06 AM
I love this list. You've done us all a great service. Now what the hell will we all write about. ROFLMAO.
B.L.
Posted by: B.L. Ochman | June 30, 2005 at 08:54 AM
#4 for me...
Posted by: Dee Rambeau | June 30, 2005 at 03:17 PM
Thanks for helping me out. I stopped by because I actually needed to cut and paste #10.
Posted by: Kevin Dugan | June 30, 2005 at 05:41 PM
This is pure genius.
Posted by: Deb | June 30, 2005 at 07:04 PM
It's the sad truth, Eric. And, while I do get a little blustery at times, I do think that some of the so-called PR bloggers hurt PR more than help it.
PR will evolve. It always does.
Oh, and thank you for not calling me an A-lister, or I would have had to come up earlier than the 2006 IABC Vancouver conference and beat you with a ringette stick (sorry, just learned about ringette from the NYT story on Tim Horton's, and all caught up in it - prior, it'd be beating you with a hockey stick).
Posted by: Jeremy Pepper | June 30, 2005 at 07:41 PM
Thanks for visiting and leaving comments, everyone. I send my missives out into the world, and quite often never hear any feedback. It's nice when something strikes a chord.
I've actually been thinking a lot lately of doing more original writing and less blogspotting. It's just hard to shake the habit when blogging about blogs yields hits and comments, while the other stuff often has no effect that's visible to me. Don't know why I should care so much about whether anyone's reading, but I do!
Posted by: Eric Eggertson | June 30, 2005 at 10:01 PM
That's so true - one small post about twinkies and bread has the most commments this week.
Blog for the people you know read your blog. Someone recently asked me who I write for - I said I write for myself, and the two people I know read my blog. And, yes, they never comment, but they are good friends who do IM me comments (and, sometimes, copy edit for me).
Posted by: Jeremy Pepper | June 30, 2005 at 10:51 PM