ManeyDigital

The most important things are not things.

2009-03-16T17:08:00.001-04:00

The most important things are not things.,
originally uploaded by Maney|Digital.

I caught a glimpse of the lid of this guy's MacBook while I was walking through the Austin Convention Center at SXSW this past weekend. Fewer truer words have been said.

The most important things are not things.

2009-03-16T11:20:00.001-04:00

The most important things are not things.,
originally uploaded by Maney|Digital.

Going F.I.S.H.'ing at My Alma Mater

2009-02-02T18:51:00.000-05:00

Late last week I had the opportunity to catch up with one of my favorite -- and most influential -- professors from Trenton State College (which is now named The College of New Jersey, but will forever be known to me as TSC). Her name is Kim Pearson (follow her on Twitter here).

As an undergrad, I took Kim's classes every chance I had. And, while I'm sure her classes were built on some level of formal curriculum, I never noticed it. How many professors turn their Professional Writing classes into full-scale PR agencies that help local non-profits? Yup, that's what I thought.

That's one of the reasons I was excited when she reached out to me on Facebook to talk about a project she's been working on. Funded by a $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation's Broadening Participation in Computing Program, Kim and her colleagues are developing a pilot program intended to increase the participation of members of underrepresented groups in the computing sciences by exposing middle school-aged students to interactive journalism. The program is called the Interactive Journalism Institute for Middle Schoolers, a partnership between faculty and students of TCNJ and Fisher Middle School in Ewing, NJ.

One of the program's first projects is called F.I.S.H. -- Fisher's Interactive Stories Here. The stories on F.I.S.H. are conceived, reported and produced by middle school students. Not college students getting ready to enter the workforce. Middle school students.

This is an important program (so much so, that I recorded a video for Kim that she put on the site). Let me repeat: This is an important program. The lines between computing and writing (to really boil the disciplines down to their basics) are no longer blurring...they've blurred. Reporters at institutions such as The New York Times are now adding cameras and microphones to their standard-issue pens and pads. Software developers are now as cognizant of how their tech will be used as they are of the ones and zeros that make the products work. Teaching children early -- before they hit high school and college, where it is too late in the learning process -- is critical.

We hear often about the need for America to re-focus on teaching science and math. The Interactive Journalism Institute for Middle Schoolers does just that...and more.

Off-Topic: My friend the ski model

2009-02-02T17:09:00.002-05:00

OK, maybe my friend Steve Keller isn't a professional ski model in the same vein as those who huck themselves off cliffs for the cameras, but he *is* the face of Steamboat on their web site, in ski mag ads and even in one of the world's greatest magazines.

Sir, your reputation precedes you

2009-01-26T07:46:00.005-05:00

First, if you're an up-and-coming communications pro (or even a weathered old geezer), you'd do well to subscribe to Rafe Needleman's "Pro PR Tips." The C|NET vet has posted more than 100 rules from inside the head of one of the tech industry's most-read journalists.

Take, for example, this one from the other day:

Tip #103: Agency, Shmagency: "I don’t care that much what agency you work for. What I care about is the company you represent."

Now, you can argue that the calling cards of a small number of agencies will open otherwise hard-to-crack editorial doors (a reflection on consistently great hiring and training than on size and perceived power). However, even though the card might be able to open the door, it's the story and personal relationship that gets your foot inside.

I've heard a lot lately about the power of personal brands. It's a discussion good PR pros should heed. It doesn't matter whether you work for IBM or Joe's PR Shop, it's your personal brand that makes you stand out.

Yeah, you. You talking about my brand?

2009-01-05T06:50:00.006-05:00

Image via WikipediaFor those who still think what happens on blogs, Twitter and other social media networks is nothing more than a marketing echo chamber, think again.

I posted an entry to this blog yesterday that included links to the great online video work Ford and GM are doing. I also included a line about "the ever-present knock of death" at the auto industry's door. While I'm no fan of the bailout -- and recognize that Ford didn't stick its hand out for public funds -- the work Scott Monty and Christopher Barger (and their respective teams) are doing is worth noting.

Now, I don't pretend that this blog gets a ton of traffic. Scoble I am not. However, no sooner did I hit post when a comment from Scott appeared to clarify Ford's position on my death-knell comment. Again, in the wide realm of blogs out there, I'm quite sure Maney|Digital is somewhat low on the totem pole of authority and impact for the automakers.

Which is why I wanted to highlight Scott's actions. Somewhere in his toolbox, Scott has a trigger to alert him to any time Ford is mentioned on the web. It doesn't matter whether it's a Scoble-sized mention or a lowly Maney|Digital-sized one. What matters is that Scott didn't let a potentially (and unintentional) negative comment about his company sit idle for others to see.

Companies which aren't monitoring what's being said about them online do so at their own peril. While the overall impact of a single negative post on a site the size of Maney|Digital probably won't make much of a difference, the cumulative effect of others seeing it, posting on it, linking to it, will.

Do you know what they are saying about your brand?

Blog Graffiti: 2009 Kickoff Edition

2009-01-04T14:04:00.002-05:00

Random thoughts to get 2009 off to a blogging good start:

Will this be the year RSS sees wide mainstream consumer adoption? Check out Louis Gray's post on the death of the bookmark for more.

Look for more widespread use of video in corporate communications efforts this year. Despite the ever-present knock of death at their door, GM's Christopher Barger and Ford's Scott Monty seem to be leading the way.

Talk about air cover: Dell's Andy Lark uncovers a flow chart of how the U.S. Air Force responds to posts and comments in the blogosphere.

According to The Peronsal Branding Blog's Dan Schwabel, who you know will be as -- if not more -- important than what you know in 2009.

Will our children know what a newspaper was? Not if the trends found in a recent study by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press continue. According to the Pew study, 59% of Americans under the age of 30 say they get the majority of their news from the Internet, up from 34% in 2007.

Meat Clouds and Serverhuggers

2008-12-24T07:29:00.004-05:00

About a week ago, I posted my roster of The 2008 Cloud Computing All-Stars (I'll be updating this shortly with new players and possibly a poll). Botchagalupe followed it up this week with his inaugural 2008 Cloudies Awards. My favorite category is his Best New Cloudy Terms (of which his top two for 2008 are Meat Cloud and Serverhuggers). Watch for Appistry (Disclosure: They are a client) to make a run at next year's Cloudies based on what they are doing to help enterprises cloud-enable their applications.

Picture This: I'm a photo contest winner

2008-12-23T08:14:00.002-05:00

About a month ago I came across a post in my RSS reader about an annual photo contest the guys at A Good Beer Blog were running. I'm an amateur photographer and, on a whim, decided to submit a couple of shots I had lying around on my hard drive. And, lo and behold, one of them was chosen as a finalist. My prize: Lew Bryson's newly-published guide to New Jersey breweries!

If you like beer, check out the blog. If you like beer and photography, check out the other finalists.

The 2008 Cloud Computing All-Stars

2008-12-16T15:11:00.004-05:00

One of the most talked about technologies of 2008 was unquestionably cloud computing (okay, maybe not unquestionably...this is the tech industry, afterall). Cloud computing -- from consumer-level apps such as Facebook to big company entries such as Microsoft's Azure -- dominated a good part of the tech conversation over the past year.

And, like most hot technologies, a number of key players emerged. While my role in cloud computing flirts primarily around the periphery (i.e., I don't write code), I am close enough to the conversation to notice which players seem to sit at the epicenter of the discussion.

Among the creme of the crop are five who I believe make up The 2008 Cloud Computing All-Star Team:

Jeff Barr (Amazon's web services god)
Michael Sheehan (GoGrid evangelist extraordinaire)
Reuven Cohen (Enomaly founder and Cloud Camp instigator using open source to make the cloud elastic)
Sam Charrington (Appistry VP using cloud application platform to put a hurt on the legacy app server market)
Chris Gladwin (CEO of Cleversafe and the guy behind one of the hottest cloud storage technologies of '08)

Which cloud computing players would you recruit for your all-star team? Let me know in the comments.

[Disclosure: Appistry is a client.]

Taking the First Step: RSS Readers

2008-12-03T02:40:00.009-05:00

ReadWriteWeb blogger Marshall Kirkpatrick quoted me in a post earlier this evening highlighting a number of social media tools those in the industry (read: early adopters, geeks) first introduce new users to:

PR pro Mike Maney says he starts with an RSS reader (specifically, NetNewsWire from Newsgator) because it's "amazing watching people immediately grok the power of the web coming to them."

If you aren't following Marshall and the gang at ReadWriteWeb, you're missing out on some of the best, most insightful reporting in technology today.

Big Sister, Little Sister

2008-11-28T09:54:00.011-05:00

Unlike her old man, my youngest daughter was blessed with a head of thick, long hair and naturally curly hair. This past Wednesday, she donated 24 inches of it to a great organization: Locks of Love.

Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that turns donated hair into high quality hair prosthetics. Their mission is to return a sense of self, confidence and normalcy to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss.

Like her big sister, Allison, Taylor's excitement grew as her hair grew closer to reaching the required eight inches for donation. Unlike her sister, who has very fine hair, Taylor was able to donate three ponytails.

Both girls, I am proud to say, made the decision to help others on their own. More importantly, both realized the positive impact their charitable acts would have on the lives of others less fortunate.

Yes, a proud day to be a father, indeed.

Turkey for Me and a Turkey for You

2008-11-27T21:30:00.004-05:00

Update: If you're having trouble with the image link below, please try this one.

Thanksgiving is a big holiday for me. It's the one holiday where family -- immediate, extended and those you pick up along the way -- get together to, well, give thanks for what we have. For me, that traditionally means tons of people crowded around a too small table with kids relegated to a makeshift table in the living room, uncles crashed on the couch and Detroit football on the television. Tradition. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Until today. This year, we broke with tradition -- and for good reason. Friends set us up with passes to the 34th Street bleachers in front of Macy's for the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. (Rick and John, thank you once again!). I posted images here.

We got an early start, lucked out with the weather and enjoyed the floats, marching bands and balloons streaming by right in front of us. The girls even got to see Miley Cyrus and Miranda Cosgrove up close.

(For the record, I was able to keep some of the tradition alive by crashing on my sister-in-law's couch after the parade -- and after some great turkey -- while the Cowboy's played on the television.)

Let the Flakes Fly

2008-11-24T19:14:00.003-05:00

What better way to get ready for the flying white stuff than with a few shots of yours truly enjoying the deep and fluffy of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Web Linkage: GM + Marquette Basketball + High School Soccer

2008-11-17T10:26:00.001-05:00

It's a big day on the web for two of my closest friends:

First out of the gate is this video on the impact of the auto industry bailout produced by GM's social media team, led by Christopher Barger.
Former Marquette basketball team manager and Cracked Sidewalks blogger Tim Blair penned this piece on the Golden Eagles for NCAA FanHouse.

Me? The best I could do this morning was rank 8th on the all-time list of scorers in Hackettstown High School soccer's history.

The Front Fell Off

2008-11-16T15:42:00.001-05:00

There's usually nothing better than a client who stays on-message. Take the spokesperson in this video, for example. Try and guess what message he wants to make sure people hear.

Repurpose with a Purpose

2008-10-30T22:15:00.006-04:00

Image by b_d_solis via FlickrOne of the things I advocate to my clients is the concept of content repurposing. To put it more simply: What else can we do with the content we have beyond its single initial purpose?

For example, in the process of drafting a press announcement, most PR pros ask subject matter experts roughly the same set of 10 questions to get to the heart of the news. They then turn that interview into a press release (I'm being parochial on purpose here). Given the tools we now have at our disposal, why couldn't we simultaneously do the following:

Capture the interview as an mp3 or on camera and post it as a pod/vidcast?
Repackage the interview into a Q&A?
Tweet good quotes as teasers?

The idea is to do more, to get more, out of the content we have and the content we generate. For more, check out this post from SHIFT PR's Todd Defren.

From the crayons of babes...

2008-10-22T19:12:00.004-04:00

I'm thinking it might not be a good thing that I watch and read the news around my children (Image courtesy of my 8-year-old daughter):

All votes are not equal, really

2008-10-11T09:18:00.002-04:00

Image via WikipediaThere are people in this country who should not be given the privilege to vote.

Today's Wall Street Journal is carrying a page one story about a trend among working class women to support Barack Obama's presidential bid. The impetus behind this shift (this demographic supported McCain until recently) is the belief that Obama will do more to help the middle class through the current economic crisis.

What's troubling is what these voters believe they have to sacrifice in their new support. A couple of highlights from the WSJ story:

"They may have to get over race."
As U.S. economic concerns intensify, ranks of blue-collar females are reconsidering everything from Sen. Obama's policies to their comfort level with his race."

I'm sorry, but if you are an American who still needs to get comfortable with someone's race, your prejudice and ignorance precludes you from casting an informed and meaningful vote.

On second thought, I'm not sorry. I'm appalled.

A Tale of Two Women (The difference between Hilary and Sarah)

2008-10-06T07:15:00.000-04:00

Image via WikipediaAt one time, there was a powerful woman running for one of the highest offices in the United States. I -- like many others -- held her up as an example of what was possible to my young daughters.

Today, there is a different woman running for one of the highest offices in the United States. I -- like many others -- hold her up as an example of all that is wrong with politics to my young daughters.

The Gray Lady Links

2008-09-14T08:22:00.002-04:00

I recently canceled delivery of the print version of The New York Times. I did so not because I stopped reading the paper, but because the paper in Web form is so much more accessible and powerful. That accessibility and power is most evident in today's column by Frank Rich. Rich supports claims in his column by generously linking to a number of past articles and outside sources.

Why is this important? Because the links allow smart readers to, in essence, fact-check Rich's claims. By including the links, Rich (and The New York Times) begin to blur the lines ever so slightly between opinion and reporting. And in so doing, begin to reclaim the power and responsibility of The Fourth Estate.

A Smashing Success for Science

2008-09-10T07:41:00.001-04:00

Geeks. Pocket protectors. Propeller heads. Today, all of the playful, derogatory descriptors go away.

Scientists -- explorers, more accurately -- fired up the Large Hadron Collider to recreate conditions of the Big Bang. Do they know what they'll find? They have ideas, but the excitement of what they don't know they'll find makes this a brave and important experiment. Teachers from kindergarten to college should take a minute today to highlight this ambitious scientific advancement, to use it as an example of why science is so vital to what makes us human, and to encourage their students to break through the boundaries of the possible to push the boundaries of what might be possible.

Isn't Al Qaeda Also on a "Task That is From God?"

2008-09-04T09:09:00.003-04:00

As if I needed another reason not to vote for McCain and Palin (courtesty of the Associated Press):

Gov. Sarah Palin told ministry students at her former church that the
United States sent troops to fight in the Iraq war on a "task that is
from God."

Listening to Our Hopes, Instead of Our Fears

2008-08-26T09:14:00.002-04:00

A great line from Michelle Obama at the Democratic National Convention last night:

"And one day, they — and your sons and daughters — will tell their own children about what we did together in this election. They'll tell them how this time, we listened to our hopes, instead of our fears. How this time, we decided to stop doubting and to start dreaming."

The difference between the Obama and McCain campaigns (and the Democratic and Republican platforms, for that matter) is not a difference of policy. It is not a difference of who is right or who is wrong on abortion. It is not a difference of who is right and who is wrong on the economy or the war or any of the other hot-button issues that divide the two parties. Michelle Obama hammers home what the real difference is in this election: a difference of hope and dreams versus fear and doubt.

And that, dear reader, is why my vote -- a vote for today and a vote for my daughters' futures -- will be cast for Barack Obama.

Why Palm Fails

2008-08-21T13:18:00.001-04:00

Palm recently released the Palm Treo Pro to a thundering wall of silence from the masses. Why? In my opinion, because no matter how great and innovative the device is, the company has become irrelevant. Palm was the only one not talking about the iPhone over the past year. I used to be a Treo fan (I think I had the only Treos that never crashed). By putting its head down and not engaging in the only conversation its peers were engaged in, Palm faded and not even an incredibly innovative device is likely to save it.

Separated at Birth: US Airways and Dominican Republic Tourism

2008-08-18T00:08:00.001-04:00

Jenn and I left last Saturday for the Dominican Republic to celebrate her 40th birthday with close friends. Friday marked the end of our vacation and, unfortunately, the beginning of a 36-hour ordeal at the hands of two organizations which, despite their chosen industries, have yet to grasp even the most rudimentary aspects of customer relations.

I was going to blog more on the incomprehensible public relations incompetence of both US Airways and those responsible for managing the Dominican Republic's tourism image, but think the story (and comment thread) running on Consumerist and the accompanying video from CBS's Philadelphia affiliate KYW-TV (which lead Friday's 11 o'clock newscast and re-ran on Saturday) speak volumes:

U.S. Airways Boots 274 Stranded Passengers From Caribbean Airport, Refuses To Pay For Hotels

US Airways continues to set a shining example of why the airline industry is in complete shambles. Its quickening demise isn't the result of economics, it's the result of complete disregard for its customers. If US Airways was a yellow labrador retriever, Pa would've had us put it out of its misery behind the shed a long time ago.

And despite the best efforts by travel agents, incidents like this -- along with a very public and apparently very real theft problem -- will make the Dominican Republic a less-than-desirable vacation destination for many travelers.

Both US Airways and the Dominican Republic lost customers this weekend. Customers they will not get back.

Momentum for mobile open source e-mail

2008-08-04T10:58:00.001-04:00

After a roughly two year stint running PR for IBM's pervasive computing/wireless business and a similar period of time working with some of the best and brightest in open source, I find posts like this one from Funambol CEO Fabrizio Capobianco encouraging:

"I read Hal's recent press release about Fusemail (another smart email provider who realized there is ton of money to be made in mobilizing their customers, behind the carriers) and the last sentence hit me:

FuseMail selected Funambol's software during the second calendar quarter of 2008, the most successful quarter in Funambol's history. Funambol completed a company-record ten sales transactions with innovative providers of email and PIM sync around the world, including several well-known service providers, online portals, such as AOL, and mobile operators. In the second quarter, the company also closed a Series B round of $12.5M in venture capital and significantly strengthened its solution by introducing important new support for BlackBerry and the iPhone 3G.

Kudos to Fabrizio, Hal and the rest of the Funambol team!

Philippe Kahn Successful in Transpac Sailing Record Attempt

2008-08-01T22:49:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to Philippe on his and Richard Clarke's successful Transpac Sailing Record. I'm by no means a close friend of Philippe's, but I have been lucky enough to have had an e-mail conversation with him (we have a mutual professional acquaintance). I'm not a sailor, but it's fun following one I know.

Lyons is right. Lying is wrong.

2008-07-28T07:26:00.001-04:00

Rule #1 in PR is don't lie. Spin? Sure, we all do it to some extent (I'd claim spin is no longer the sole domain of PR even). But never, ever lie. The truth always comes out.

The current Bush Administration is a prime example of this. Another is the current dustup around Apple's PR team trying to game the press and shareholders about their CEO's health.

I encourage you to read the posts by former Fake Steve and current Real Dan Lyons for an inside look at how both sides are playing this game. The Fourth Estate smells blood and rather than getting out of the water (or getting a bigger boat), Apple's PR team continues to chum the waters.

FTI acquires Kinesis Marketing

2008-07-25T13:00:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to Andreas Panayi and his colleagues at Kinesis Marketing on their new relationship with FTI (from PR Week):

FTI Consulting has acquired digital communications firm Kinesis Marketing. The acquisition expands FD’s digital capabilities; the firm will be rebranded as FD Kinesis and will complement FD’s established design, annual report, and alternative media services unit. Kinesis has 22 employees located in Morristown, NJ and Philadelphia, as well as consultants abroad, and a national client roster.

Andreas was one of the original driving forces in digital media way back in the pre-bubble days when he led Poppe Tyson's interactive division.

HARO: It's more than just a cool BMX bike

2008-07-17T00:01:00.001-04:00

When I was a kid I rode a HARO BMX bike. It was cool. Today, HARO is cool for another reason. In the spirit of helping reporters and improving the public relations profession, I encourage everyone to: Get Sourced. Get Quoted. Get Famous: http://www.helpareporter.com – Putting Journalists and Sources together, one quote at a time.

Anatomy of a Bee Sting

2008-07-14T22:11:00.002-04:00

About 40 minutes into a quick hour long ride this afternoon (you may need to click on the image to see it bigger):

Convergence and High Performance Computing

2008-07-13T09:45:00.001-04:00

It seems for most of my career I've been attracted to technology that, for many, would seem more like science than technology. I've been privileged to work with some of the founding father's of UNIX as they developed the Plan 9 distributed operating system. I've worked with smart people like John Patrick and Mike Nelson to promote the next generation Internet and Internet2. I've promoted high performance servers at what may rightly be called one of the original server makers, Unisys. And I've had the opportunity to be part of the Linux/open source movement through work with OSDL (now The Linux Foundation) and Sourceforge.

It is these complex, advanced technologies that drive the foundation of the services we use today -- things like TiVo, portable GPS systems, cell phones, and the powerful backbone that enables us to watch broadcast TV on our laptops. One emerging area to keep an eye on is high performance computing (quote below from a fine article by reporter Jim Romeo in LinuxWorld):

"Today, many more organizations are able to take advantage of High Performance Computing, due to the ready availability of inexpensive compute clusters powered by Linux running on off-the-shelf x86 hardware, as opposed to the proprietary hardware and software of yesterday’s supercomputers,' says Sam Charrington, Vice President of Product Management and Marketing for Appistry, Inc."

For many, convergence is the collision of telephone, television and Internet. For me, convergence is the collision of open source, server farms and F1-level networking.

A Boy Scout is Always Prepared

2008-07-05T10:12:00.001-04:00

My cousin Larry and my uncle Bill are both Eagle Scouts. I made it to the level of Life Scout (one level shy of the Eagle honor). My cousin's son, Micah, is also in the Boy Scouts. He was picnicking in Utah's Big Cottonwood Canyon yesterday when he was called up on to put the Boy Scout motto (Be Prepared) into action to help an injured hiker (on a trail where another hiker was killed earlier in the week).

Despite the very public problems the Boy Scouts face, Micah is an example of the kind of quality young men the organization produces.

The Power of Many

2008-07-04T08:27:00.001-04:00

It was really nice to see former OSDL CEO Stuart Cohen in TIME magazine this week. Stuart and the troop at Collaborative Software Initiative are doing a lot of interesting work. Even if you aren't involved in open source, it's worth taking a look at how CSI is approaching software development.

Support Saranac

2008-06-21T08:02:00.001-04:00

I've been a fan of Saranac beer for a long time. It's good brew and the company is topnotch (they once shipped a case of free beer to a friend of mine who had written them a letter asking where to find a certain style for his wedding...and personalized it by wishing him well at the wedding.

Unfortunately, the brewery took a hit somewhat recently. A fire destroyed its canning building. So, it's good to see them back up and running:

New York: Black Diamond Bock, Saranac, Utica: "
The news from Utica is good. F.X. Matt, makers of the Saranac brand, will live on after the fire that took out the canning building two weeks ago and in fact beer is still being brewed now.
The news is also good about this beer. I picked up a six at the Alex Bay Mart the other week for a pittance - made more pittanced by the wave through by the lad at the border. This beer pours a orange-chestnut with a white rim. Medium bodied with dark cherry and vanilla malt cut by tobacco hops. I had the occasion last weekend to consider this brew with a wee dram of decent bourbon, Woodford Reserve and the combo was a natural. Plenty of BAer respect."

(Via A Good Beer Blog.)

Support a great beer maker and purchase some Saranac Black Diamond Bock this weekend.

The Passion of the Community

2008-05-30T08:25:00.006-04:00

UPDATE: Added direct link to Roberto's post.

I wouldn't be surprised to see a firestorm erupt over Roberto Galoppini's open source multilevel marketing suggestions in this post by CNET blogger Matt Asay:

Users promoting the software that they're already adopting, but getting paid something for it.

One of the underlying tenets of open source is the passion of the communities that form around specific (and popular) projects. Adoption is, in large part, driven by The Breck Principle: You tell your friends, they'll tell theirs, and so on. Of course, in order for that to happen, the software needs to be well-written and useful.

Roberto floats the idea that project leaders and companies can spur greater adoption of their products by employing the basic ideals of pyramid marketing schemes. Pay your best users to promote your software within their communities, who recruit new users to do likewise, with each newer user getting a smaller promotional payout and the original evangelist making more dinero as the foundation of his or her pyramid gets bigger.

In a normal proprietary software setting, I'm not sure anyone would blink an eye at this approach. In fact, the way affiliate marketing dollars are allocated, it's basically already being done. The problem with this approach is that the money corrupts, forcing software on users at the expense of choice. The reason Dell and HP sell Windows-based systems is not because it's a better operating system (this is not to debate the merits of Windows versus Linux), but because Microsoft spends bucketloads of marketing dollars to make it fiscally irresponsible to explore other avenues. And those dollars don't stop at the computer makers. They funnel down through channels and across applications. Take Microsoft's "pyramid" marketing dollars away and I suspect the Dell and HP marketing budgets would be drastically smaller. This is not an indictment of Microsoft (nor Dell or HP). It's how they market. And there's no denying it works.

Is it a model that could work in open source? Would it create a caste system within open source between those projects that have marketing dollars and those that don't? Does it usher in a new phase in the lifecycle of open source software that puts a premium on marketing at the expense of great software?

El Toro

2008-05-24T07:22:00.002-04:00

El Toro is a roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure. It is fast. Really, really fast. It is the second-fastest wooden roller coaster in the U.S. (from whispers I heard while standing in line). And, while scary, it is nowhere near as scary as riding a seesaw in the middle of a Mexican bullring with a real el toro.

There are no coincidences in politics

2008-05-23T07:27:00.001-04:00

Update: Like I said, there are no coincidences: McCain VP Meeting a Distraction from Medical Records?

Political views aside, the "Hey, we didn't plan for it to happen on a Friday" rationale is wearing a bit thin:

The records dump comes as Americans head in to a three-day weekend,
and just days after Sen. Edward M. Kennedy was diagnosed with a grave
form of brain cancer. But Mr. Black said the campaign's communications
director and others have been working on the release "for weeks," and
is not timed to reduce the impact of whatever the records contain.

The above statement is from senior McCain adviser Charlie Black. For anyone in PR or politics, this is clearly a case of trying to bury news over a holiday weekend when nobody is watching television or reading the paper. Let's hope the mainstream reporters who get to glance at the 400 pages of records choose to report more in-depth findings once everyone is paying attention again next week.

Prepping tomorrow's PR pros

2008-05-20T22:07:00.001-04:00

Twice a year I do a guest lecture at Rutgers University for a 400-level PR class led by AT&T's former crisis communications pro, Burke "Bad News" Stinson. It's a great class, led by one of the best pros in the business. I spend two hours providing a frank, no-BS overview of the profession: what it's like, what they can expect, what I expect, and what they need to know.

Each semester I'm amazed at the number of students who aren't yet prepared for the real world of PR -- students with no journalism, no PR, no new media backgrounds. Thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster they get time with Burke before being turned loose on the industry.

So, I'm not entirely shocked to read Bill Sledzick's piece on Media Bullseye about similar findings at Kent State. While the bulk of his post is focused on the gender gap in PR (for anyone who's been in the profession for awhile, the existence of this gap isn't a shocker), the bottom section highlights the challenges the industry faces in preparing tomorrow's students to be better equipped to succeed as PR pros.

The secret to writing a good press release

2008-05-20T21:55:00.001-04:00

Years ago, as part of the vaunted AT&T Media Relations team, Jim Byrnes -- one of the best media relations pros I've ever met -- told me the secret to good press release writing: "Write for the wires. Get the news into the first two sentences and assume everything else gets cut. Write in language your grandmother can understand."

I've tried to carry Jim's wisdom throughout my career. Jon Greer gives it another shot in the arm in a post on BNET's Catching Flack blog:

...there are only really two elements that define a good press release: it needs to be brief, and it needs to contain real news.

It doesn't matter whether it's an old-style press release or one of the emerging social media versions. Good press releases have news and are to the point. Period.

I Promise to...

2008-05-20T21:38:00.001-04:00

In the wake of another blacklisting of PR agencies by reputable tech reporters, SHIFT PR's Todd Defren mapped out a list of 7 laws PR pros should follow. While the rules included in Todd's list are common practice for many in the profession, there are still too many others who need the reminder.

The PR pro promises to read several weeks’ worth of previous blog
posts and/or articles to ascertain whether their story would be a good
fit for the blog/publication.
If the PR pro ascertains that there is NOT a good fit, they will
not pitch the blogger/reporter, and promise to push back on
unreasonable client or management demands to do so.
Before pitching the blogger/reporter, the PR pro promises to
double-check their method of outreach. They will not only check
externally-developed media resources like Cision but will also review
any guidelines made publicly available by the blogger or publication.
The PR pro promises to never send a press release without being
able to demonstrate its concrete relevance to the blogger/reporter …
and will never, ever send an attachment unless it’s been requested.
As much as is possible, the PR pro will participate actively and
transparently within the communities of-interest to their clients. The
PR pro acknowledges that a “cold call” (in any form) – while sometimes
unavoidable – is considerably less effective than reaching out as a
known community member.
The PR pro promises that any correspondence – whether the initial
contact or follow-up – should contain a message customized to the
blogger/reporter’s needs and should offer value. For example, “just
checking to see if you got the press release” is not welcome or
appropriate.
The PR pro acknowledges that being ignored by the blogger/reporter
is not to be considered license for harassment. It’s more likely the
pitch was not of-interest, so any further outreach should be mindful
that the story idea has likely been quietly rejected. If the PR pro
must try again, they promise to do so by offering a different, more
creative and valuable approach to their original pitch.

Training Wheels? Who Needs 'Em!

2008-05-14T16:21:00.004-04:00

Matt Asay is fond of reminding people about the gazillion benefits of working from home near the mountains of Utah (often reminding us by posting videos from his helmet cam as he does midday cruises down the fine Utah powdered slopes).

I don't live near the Wasatch, but I do have a career that allows me the flexibility to work where I need to (have phone, have laptop, will travel). So, while it may not be ripping through the bumps while on a conference call, I'll take being around to see my five-year-old ride a two-wheeler for the first time over a time-sucking commute any day.

Measuring the Value of Influence

2008-04-25T07:32:00.003-04:00

I was quoted in an article by the Mistress of Measurement, K.D. Paine, yesterday. Katie explored measuring the impact of media coverage based on the influence of the publication. I argued -- via Twitter -- that influence is not measured in clicks or circulation, but decided by the value the audience places on the influencer (whether BusinessWeek, a blog, a comment in Twitter, etc.).

Don't Cry for Them Argentina

2008-04-15T12:24:00.004-04:00

According to this post by CNET's Matt Asay, Argentina's government is considering moving its entire information technology infrastructure to open source. There's nothing earth-shattering in Argentina's cost-savings rationale for considering open source. In fact, governments (and corporations, for that matter) adopting open source is rather ho-hum at this point.

Matt also points out that an underlying driver behind this is software piracy. Open source helps Argentina comply with proprietary software license compliance by...gasp!...doing away with the issue altogether. Read Matt's post for more on the cultural issues surrounding this.

What's happening in Argentina is an example of the problem Microsoft and other proprietary companies have gotten into. Their businesses are based on selling restrictive software and enforcing licenses through organizations like the BSA. It's a model that open source sent to the dustbin long ago. In fact, there is little doubt that their core license policing/anti-customer business model is driving sales for open source. Rather than locking customers in, it's driving them away.

Can't Wait to Read: Schlesinger on White House Speechwriters

2008-04-13T16:49:00.000-04:00

I've written my share of speeches over my career. Granted, they were for corporate executives, not for Presidents of the United States. That's why I'm excited to get my hands on a new book by Robert Schlesinger called White House Ghosts: Presidents and Their Speechwriters. According to reviewer Robert Landers, Schlesinger interviewed 90 speechwriters and White House aides, devoting a chapter to each presidency -- from FDR to GWB. Should be an interesting read.

Linkbait

2008-04-13T16:18:00.003-04:00

I'm finally getting back into the swing of posting again (Twitter has dominated my social media interaction lately). A few items that recently caught my eye:

The New York Times' Steve Heller dissects the logo created by the Martin Agency to promote a new campaign for Al Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection.
In the same Sunday edition of The Times, Dave Itzkoff profiles one of the funniest actors on network television today: Jack McBrayer (Kenneth the page from 30 Rock).
While we're at it, Charles McGrath gets down, dirty and cold with what's on tap for this season's Deadliest Catch.
Tammy La Gorce highlights New Jersey's brew pubs. The annual New Jersey Brewers' Festival used to be a tradition for me. Maybe time for a chauffered road trip to sample the state's barley and hops wares.

The House That Ruth Built

2008-04-12T20:28:00.002-04:00

My mother is a diehard, lifelong New York Yankees fan. For Mother's Day this year, we reserved tickets for an inside-the-park tour of Yankee Stadium. Good thing, too, as this is the last year the Bronx Bombers will play in the current stadium (a new stadium is being built alongside it). I captured some images of the day that you can view here.

Newsreaders vs Journalists

2008-03-24T22:30:00.001-04:00

The BBC gets it right when it describes its television anchors as newsreaders rather than journalists.

Earthquake Story Cracks Me Up

2008-03-24T22:28:00.001-04:00

CNN is reporting that a 6+ magnitude quake hit northern Nevada this morning. Reading the story, however, I have to laugh at this quote:

"We have cracks in our walls," Jane Kelso, who answered the phone at the Motel 6 in Wells, Nevada, told AP. Wells is 10 miles from the epicenter in sparsely populated eastern Nevada.

I'm thinking the reporter didn't even mention the earthquake.

The Problem with Verizon's $100 Unlimited Wireless Plan

2008-03-24T22:27:00.001-04:00

Interested in Verizon Wireless's new $100 all-you-can-eat voice plan? May want to check out this post by Silicon Alley Insider's Dan Frommer first.

Who's Who...Open Source Style

2008-03-24T22:26:00.002-04:00

Italy's Roberto Galoppini posts his thoughts from the recent Open Source Think Tank. It's great seeing the long list of open source leaders Page One PR does business with.

Roblimo Interviews New Red Hat CEO Whitehurst

2008-03-24T22:24:00.002-04:00

When Red Hat named Jim Whitehurst as its new CEO, many in the open source community wondered, "Huh?" But Whitehurst made himself available to reporters and bloggers and quickly gave everyone an inside look at who he was, what he knew and what he had planned for the open source powerhouse.

Which is why this interview by Robin 'Roblimo' Miller is so important.

The majority of Whitehurst's "rainbow tour" when he was announced was conveyed through words on paper or on a screen. Roblimo caught Whitehurst in Orland at JBoss World and put him on tape -- uncut and unplugged. The video adds to what we already know about Whitehurst, giving us a more personal connection to the man who will lead one of the industry's most visible brands...warts and all.

It's an example of how the interactivity of the Web is changing the face of journalism. Is Roblimo a broadcast reporter? I'd claim not (although I could be wrong). But it was simple enough to throw a video camera on a tripod to capture the questions he was going to ask Whitehurst anyway. And we're all the richer for him doing so.

Cmdr Taco on Digg Revolt

2008-03-24T22:23:00.002-04:00

Interesting story by New York Times reporter Brad Stone (the reporter who broke the identity of Fake Steve Jobs) on the recent uprising at Digg. Slashdot founder Rob "CmdrTaco" Malda does a standup job in the interview explaining why Digg ran into the troubles it did and why the two sites don't necessarily compete for the same audience.

Disclaimer: Slashdot is part of SourceForge, Inc., which is represented by my agency, Page One PR.

Open Source Rogue's Gallery

2008-03-24T22:23:00.000-04:00

LinuxWorld.com's Mark Hinkle pulls together a who's who of the open source movement in this list of the publication's top leaders for 2008.

The Affordable Art Class

2007-06-06T10:23:00.001-04:00

Rare are the times that a comment on a blog post makes you stop dead in your tracks. Such was the case this morning as I was getting my daily fix of Matt Asay's posts over at InfoWorld's Open Sources blog.

One of Matt's articles this morning called out the RIAA's influence peddling in Congress. Nothing earth-shattering, but informative nonetheless (he calls out his state's senator, Orrin Hatch, who received $6,000 from the RIAA...an amount I suspect is more than Hatch has made as a songwriter).

Then I started reading the post's comments. The third comment, by Peter Sysko, may be the single-most provocative comment I've yet to read in the blogosphere:

...i think its better that people in the world listen to the music that they want to listen to, rather than what they can afford.

Think about that for a second.

As a society, we've chosen to abdicate the value we place on art and culture to corporations -- lawyers, really, when you think about it in the context of the RIAA and MPAA. We've chosen to let others determine the cost of admission to our exposure to cultural advancement.

Peter's statement says as much about what's happening today in software as it does about music. Proprietary companies -- most notably Microsoft -- are the RIAA/MPAA of software, clinging to business models that look backward instead of forward and seek to levy taxes on those that dare to challenge what they view as their monopolistic right to print money. The open source movement is doing to proprietary companies what MySpace, YouTube and other social media sites have done to the RIAA/MPAA: giving artists (in this case, software developers) a foundation to communicate, collaborate and sell to their customers without the arbitrary and outdated overhead imposed by those who are unable to adapt to the changing demands of their customers.

Well said, Peter.

Pole Vaulter's Dad Gets the Shaft

2007-06-05T08:33:00.000-04:00

Scrolling through my RSS feeds this morning, I notice there's considerable buzz in the ether about 18 year old high school pole vaulter Alison Stokke. In a nutshell: she's shattering state records, happens to be photogenic, and is now plastered all over the 'net, i.e., American Idol hottie Antonella Barbra.

In one heavily-linked article, her father, defense attorney Allan Stokke, talks about how he surfs the web to protect her from potential stalkers. Well, that's all fine and good...and what most of us would do to protect our children from society's detritus if it were our daughters. However, maybe Allan Stokke should seriously reconsider resigning from his current profession (excerpted from feministing.com):

...Stokke's father is the same guy who earlier this year defended a cop who jerked off on a stripper during a routine traffic stop. “She got what she wanted,” Al Stokke said, of the stripper. “She’s an overtly sexual person.”

I can imagine the dinner conversation at the Stokke table: "Yes, honey, I realize you feel this is an invasion of your privacy and you are hurt and offended, but, you know, it's not really their fault. You are pretty and you did show the bare skin of your belly when you were breaking the records...and, I mean, c'mon, a "pole" vaulter? You pretty much deserve the attention."

As the father of two daughters, it disgust me that I'm partly defined in the same demographic as Stokke.

A Tribute to George Carlin

2007-06-05T06:49:00.000-04:00

Somebody get Reuters and its reporter, Martha Graybow, a Pulitzer. Heck, pull an old Nobel out of the closet and give it to them. They deserve it.

This morning, I was reading a story written by Graybow about the U.S. courts rejecting the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) broadcast decency limits. Basically, they said the FCC was "arbitrary and capricious" in defining (for all of us) what it thought was indecent. Well, no kidding.

But, unlike every other mainstream media outlet, Reuters had the cajones to include the verbatim words in dispute. In print. In a major media outlet. Against the wind of the puritan way most would've handled it.

And it's a good thing, too. Because you only have to read the Republican FCC Chairman's reaction to see the Crisco-lined slope this is headed:

Republican FCC Chairman Kevin Martin angrily retorted that he found it "hard to believe that the New York court would tell American families that 'shit' and 'fuck' are fine to say on broadcast television during the hours when children are most likely to be in the audience."

"If we can't restrict the use (of the two obscenities) during prime time, Hollywood will be able to say anything they want, whenever they want," Martin said in a statement.

Kudos to Reuters and Graybow.

Folliculay, Folliculah

2007-05-17T09:18:00.000-04:00

I love science. Genetics saddled me with a bad case of follicle deforestation. Rather than comb-over, I shave the dome down to the skin. However, it now looks like there may be hope on the horizon:

"Hair loss in humans might not be irreversible, suggest scientists who have helped create new hair cells on the skin of mice."

Of course, I'll probably be 115 years old by the time any of this science will bless me with a full head of hair.

Don't Tell Me He's Not Running for President

2007-05-17T09:04:00.000-04:00

A very thoughtful, calm and reasoned excerpt from Al Gore's new book, The Assault of Reason. Read it. The content is important and the writing is superb.

Old Media vs New Media: A kick in the derriere

2007-05-09T08:42:00.000-04:00

I'll admit I'm no Einstein when it comes to math. Heck, I work with words for a living. Give me letters over numbers any day.

Which means there's a better-than-good chance that what I'm about to say has no basis in reality: Richard Parsons, the head of old media establishment Time Warner, is quoted this morning saying "The notion that the new kids on the block have taken over is a false notion." He's, of course, referring to Google and YouTube.

I can't decide whether this is a quote of desperation or one of denial. Heck, it's probably a bit of both.

The reality is that, for the most part, old media really is on life support. By old media, I mean those that haven't adapted to the evolution their customers have made toward interactivity, openness and community. The old media need only look so far as Redmond and the losing battle Microsoft is waging against open source software to see how this plays out.

Which brings me back to my remedial math skills. Could Google/YouTube just make this whole old media vs new media issue a moot point by going all Gordon Gecko on Parsons's derrière?

Old media turns combative against new media | Technology | Internet | Reuters

The 4 Most Powerful Blog Posts on the Web

2007-05-08T18:16:00.000-04:00

Every once in awhile you come across a post on a blog that stops you dead in your tracks. In all of my years monitoring the news and blogs for clients, four posts have had that power over me. Two of them are heartbreaking. One is a "Field of Dreams" tribute. And one I saw today is just plain brilliant.

Luddites Be Damned!

2007-05-08T17:31:00.001-04:00

There are those who think the pervasiveness of technology in our lives is a bad thing. There are others -- a camp which I freely admit to falling into -- who believe that being always-on, always-connected is a good thing.

This really hit home for me today while I was walking through the Moscone Center in San Francisco where the JavaOne conference is being held. The organizers had set up a quasi lounge area, complete with a big screen to watch the conference keynotes, as well as the requisite multi-colored bean bag chairs. Nearly 90% of those sitting and watching the keynotes had their laptops open (Note: a *vast* majority of the laptops at the show were Powerbooks.). Some were catching up on work, some were blogging what they heard in the keynotes, others were surfing Web sites or catching up on personal e-mail.

And since when is producing, learning or communicating such a bad thing?

R.I.P.: Tom Poston

2007-05-02T07:12:00.000-04:00

A sad day in comedy: Emmy-award-winning actor and Bob Newhart sidekick Tom Poston died.

Psych 101

2007-04-27T11:28:00.000-04:00

I have to think they saw this coming:

Philadelphia authorities have closed at least 16 storefront fortune-tellers.

The Press Release: Time Not Well Spent

2007-04-25T13:02:00.001-04:00

The fine folks over at the Marketing Profs Daily blog have an informative post today listing six telltale signs a company's press release is full of BS (or, as Opie & Anthony would phrase it, "Bravo Sierra." Look it up in the Brady Bunch encyclopedia if you need to).

The list is spot-on. Too often, companies waste enormous amounts of energy and budget spinning their wheels to get a press release onto PR Newswire or BusinessWire. The press release -- whether in its traditional form or its Web 2.x form -- is a lazy pro's PR tactic (although I think the ideas behind the new media releases have some merit, not as releases, but for story support). Press releases don't drive coverage. I'd go so far as to claim that they hinder it. The time spent in approvals and re-writes is time better spent on the phone or in conversation with the media (and, yes, I count bloggers and other new media influencers in this bucket).

So, what's a company to do once it realizes the ineffectiveness of its releases? Some ideas:

Build out the story beyond the "Company x announced today..."
Interview one of the people behind the news. Capture the interview and post it as a podcast or videocast. Offer that person up to reporters. Personalize the news.
Uncover customers and other third-parties that can talk to the impact your news has on your industry (afterall, your news does have impact, correct?).
Find something provocative in the issues your announcement addresses and write an equally provocative blog post or byline on it.

I'm sure there are others. Feel free to chime in with yours in the comment section.

Must-See Photography: James Nachtwey

2007-04-25T11:49:00.000-04:00

I love photography. I've had a couple of images published (many, many years ago). I've had some that were good enough to frame and display on the walls of my home. And, despite being an eternal optimist, I know I will never be able to be the photographer James Nachtwey is. His images are haunting and powerful. So powerful is his work, that he was recently awarded a prestigious TED Prize. Well-deserved...and well worth taking time to soak in his photography.

The British Are Coming! The British Are Coming! (Let's Hope!)

2007-04-25T11:37:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I posted about the decline of American broadcast journalism, singling out Katie Couric's journalistic skill in reading words on a screen. Today, Jeff Jarvis over at BuzzMachine has an interesting post highlighting comments from the director general of the BBC on the death of the news presenter (i.e., celebrities like Couric).

Over the past year or so, I've started to rely on the BBC -- on the web and on XM Radio -- as the reasoned journalistic voice on global and political topics. Now, I'm sure they aren't perfect, but its reporting, its tone, its balance and its objectivity give it credibility that the once-watched network news shows no longer deliver (I chose "shows" because the 5, 10 and 11pm newscasts have long since crossed the line from journalism to entertainment and advertising vehicles).

Murder Inc.: City of Brotherly Hate

2007-04-24T07:07:00.001-04:00

Bruce Springsteen sings a haunting song about the demise of once-great Asbury Park called "My City of Ruins." He might as well have been writing about the city across the Delaware River: Philadelphia.

This weekend, 11 more people were murdered on the streets of Philadelphia, bringing the total number of people killed so far in 2007 to 127. At this pace, Philly is on track to overtake Camden (just across the river) as the country's murder capital.

I've lived in the suburbs of Philly for about four years now. I've gone to Philly for concerts, for dinner, to see art exhibits. I've seen some of the good that this once-great city can offer. However, all the rock stars, Superbowl and World Series rings, restaurants or world-renowned artists don't overcome the murder rap that Philly is increasingly becoming known for.

This is more than a crime problem for Mayor John Street. It is now a PR and economic crisis. Philly was on the way to a resurrection. It is time for Street, his police force and his PR counselors to act swiftly and overwhelmingly to put an end to the violence and restore confidence in Philadelpia.

America: Hooked on Newsphonics

2007-04-23T10:17:00.001-04:00

I am a news junkie. It's a mandatory trait for anyone in my profession. That said, I have stopped watching the 5pm, 10pm and 11pm "news." With all respects to Murrow and his generation, broadcast news should have its journalistic credentials yanked. It no longer meets the criteria of serious journalism (with few exceptions).

Think I'm nuts? Take a look at this quote from a column Gail Shister just posted over at Philly.com:

"On a 30-minute evening newscast, however, what's required is the ability to read the TelePrompTer and not display too much emotion."

Want to know who she's talking about? Katie Couric. Considered by too many people across America to be one of our top journalists. What's the criteria for being a reporter with a $15 million salary? To ask tough, probing questions? Nope. The criteria America holds up for its top journalists is the simple ability to read and act. I know many people whose only concept of what's happening in the world comes from 20-second segments of news read off a teleprompter.

Despite the fact that most people think of what I do as spin and anti-media, I hold journalists as having one of the most critical roles in a free, working society. They are the first and last stop in the checks-and-balances needed to keep people honest. They -- again, minus a few exceptions -- operate with a level of integrity that most of us would be challenged to equal.

Reading words from a screen while worrying about your Q score is not reporting, it's acting.

Heading 'em off at the pass

2007-04-04T07:38:00.000-04:00

BuzzMachine's Jeff Jarvis is, by most accounts, not one of Dell's biggest supporters. You could probably even make a rightful claim that he's been the single-most hit on their reputation over the past year (actually, they've delivered the single-most hits to their reputation, but Jeff's been the leading voice on their woes).

So, when he blogged that he was heading to their neck of the woods, Dell's chief blogger, Lionel Menchaca, stuck his head into the lion's den, inviting Jeff to meet him and a few other Dell folks for drinks.

A ballsy move, to be sure. It was also a very smart move.

Instead of avoiding their "enemy," Dell's PR team faced them head-on. I imagine the internal debate went something like this:

PR Guy #1: "Dude, Jarvis is coming to Texas next week."

PR Guy #2: "The guy hates us and makes our life a living hell, but he's got more influence than a Texan President and seems pretty cool. Bet he'd be fun to have a beer with."

PR Guy #1: "Dude, we should invite him to drink with us."

PR Guy #3: "Woah, guys, I don't get a good feeling about this. What if he blogs about it? What if he still really, really hates us?"

PR Guy #1: "He can't hate us any more than he does now. He'll definitely blog about it. But we've got nothing to lose. Might as well embrace him, show some honesty, get some real face-to-face feedback, and live this transparency stuff we keep talking about."

PR Guy #2: "Just don't talk about the accounting scandals."

One of the things any good PR team does is counsel clients on doing the right thing. Not only did Menchaca counsel correctly, but he executed on it. And Jarvis showed he's a stand-up guy by accepting Menchaca's invitation.

Happy Birthday To Me...Chicago Style!

2007-03-28T08:22:00.000-04:00

I am lucky to have some really good, really close friends. I say lucky because three of them yesterday surprised me with an overnight delivery of deep dish pizza and cheesecake from one of the three most-awesome'ist pizza joints on the planet: Lou Malnotti's in Chicago, Illinois (the other two are Benny Tudino's in Hoboken, New Jersey, and Mama's in Hackettstown, New Jersey). Now I have to decide whether to gorge and eat them all in one meal or space them out to savor their deep dishy goodness.

Better Than Bowling a Perfect Game

2007-03-19T10:47:00.000-04:00

My friend Jeff would tell you he was just doing his job...luckily for patrons of this bowling alley, he does his job very well.

The Apple of My iEye

2007-03-09T07:41:00.000-05:00

This is what real PR pros do.

History vs Today and the Future

2007-03-05T22:38:00.000-05:00

The Financial Times' John Gapper reports tonight on advance wording in a speech that Microsoft associate general counsel Tom Rubin will give tomorrow. In his remarks, Rubin will take a shot at what Microsoft views as Google's/YouTube's
disregard for copyright rules.

I'm not a lawyer (in fact, in most people's minds I'm only half a rung up the ladder as a PR person), so I won't pretend to comment on whether Rubin has a legal leg to stand on. I do, however, believe that Rubin and others (RIAA/MPAA and proprietary software vendors are you listening?) are stuck in neutral while their customers and competitors move forward like a Porsche on a straightaway.

Microsoft and the old media guard are clinging to a copyright fight that is stuck in yesterday's business models. They've refused to adapt to the tenets of business: listening to the market and their customers. Instead of fighting for history, they should be working with their customers -- and, more importantly, their customers' customers -- to map out a better future.

Total Eclipse of the...

2007-03-04T18:32:00.000-05:00

I took a quick glance out of the back window of my house at around 7pm last night and caught the last moments of the lunar eclipse. Shot with a Canon 10D, lens extended to 250mm, f4 at just a shade longer than half a second (handheld, lens resting on my arm).

Living La Vino Loca

2007-03-01T08:42:00.000-05:00

Dutch researchers say drinking a half glass of wine a day may increase life expectancy by 3.8 years. If true, I should live to the ripe old age of 185.

Hiring Great People

2007-03-01T08:37:00.000-05:00

I just read an interesting post by Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes giving recruiting/hiring tips for start-ups. His approach is simple and spot-on. I especially like this tip:

Do you want him on your team? This is the number one question we ask our interviewers. Not do you think this person should work for the company, do you think they're good but do you want them on your team. Is working closely with them for the next year something you'd want to do?

We follow a very similar philosophy at our four-year-old startup, Page One PR. Great companies are built on great teams...and great teams are built with great people. Not good people, great people (hint: check the link).

"Hello, Geraldo? It's Me, James."

2007-02-26T15:52:00.000-05:00

The filmmaker James Cameron claims to have found the lost tomb of Christ. Obviously, he's taking some heat from Christians who won't let a little bit of science get in the way of a good story. Personally, I like the not-too-subtle sarcasm in this quote from Cameron's cohort, director Simcha Jacobovici:

"'But they're not necessarily the implications people think they are. For example, some believers are going to say, well this challenges the resurrection. I don't know why, if Jesus rose from one tomb, he couldn't have risen from the other tomb,' Jacobovici told 'Today.'"

Things That Make You Go Hmmm...

2007-02-26T15:13:00.000-05:00

It looks like one of the culprits behind the recent JetBlue fiasco was a faulty computer system (one built on a mix of Microsoft and SAP proprietary technologies). I'm not saying open source software would have been glitch-free either, but I do wonder whether the open source community could've assembled -- like an IT S.W.A.T. team -- to get the airline back up-and-running quicker.

David Puts the Hurt on Goliath (Again)

2007-02-26T09:19:00.000-05:00

Open source continues to chip away at proprietary software's position in the enterprise. This morning, Open-Xchange (a Page One PR client) announced that 1&1 Internet will host one million e-mail accounts using Open-Xchange's open source software.

Open Source: Pro-choice Versus Anti-Evolution

2007-02-25T22:51:00.000-05:00

An interesting catch by Dave Rosenberg over at the Open Sources blog on SAP's newest software offering. It's a vivid example of why I joined Page One PR: open source software, heck, the open source business model, is obliterating the old guard of technology. Today, there are two kinds of proprietary software companies: those, like IBM, that embrace open source; and those, like SAP and Microsoft, that cling to business models that are no longer relevant to a growing number of their customers.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

2007-02-18T14:37:00.000-05:00

OK, more like the dyslexic version: hair yesterday, gone today. But it's looking more and more like I'll have an excuse to use a comb again (and not for a comb-over): check out this new product I found on Luxist.

Old Enough to Know Better

2007-02-15T13:54:00.000-05:00

I'm old enough to know better, but tonight I'm going to play a pick-up hockey game. It'll be my fourth time this year (the weather's been cooperating despite global warming). Here's where we play:

The rink is in my friend Kevin's yard. It is roughly 55' x 120' and lit with two 1,000 watt halogen work lights. The curved driveway will make it easier for the ambulance to cart me away.

When I Grow Up

2007-02-15T08:21:00.000-05:00

When I grow up, I want to be Park B. Smith. Or his adopted grandson. Or his friend. Or whatever else it takes to get a tour (and tasting!) of his 8,000 square foot, 65,000 bottle wine cellar.

Patently Absurd

2007-02-13T14:57:00.000-05:00

The author, Michael Crichton, writes scary thrillers about things that are all too real. But nothing -- nothing -- in his vast library of published work is as scary or real as the op-ed (free registration required) he wrote in today's New York Times:

When SARS was spreading across the globe, medical researchers hesitated to study it — because of patent concerns. There is no clearer indication that gene patents block innovation, inhibit research and put us all at risk.

Yeah, you read that right. The patent system is so unbelievably, disgracefully broken that doctors and companies can patent the very genes in your body. Even more appalling, the current patent system actually encourages the research and development of new diseases and gene mutations for profit.

Two congressmen -- Xavier Becerra, a Democrat of California, and Dave Weldon, a Republican of Florida -- are doing what they can to ban the practice of patenting genes found in nature, although I suspect the absurdly high levels of special interest involvement on this issue will make their success very difficult.

Please write to your congressman and tell them you want them to put their support -- your support -- behind the Becerra/Weldon Genomic Research and Accessibility Act.

Gadgets and Gizmos

2007-02-06T08:28:00.000-05:00

Computing

My primary day-to-day computer is a 17" PowerBook G4. I'm a Mac Switcher and can't ever see myself going back to the Dark Side of Windows. Everything you see in the ads and everything you hear is true: Macs just work.
I also have a 20" iMac G5 that I use for photo and video editing. Apple really does some amazing work on electronic design.
Keeping with the Apple theme, let's talk music. And video. The 30gb video iPod was a gift from my wife last Father's Day. Not only is it a great companion when I'm flying, but it is also really cool to be able to plug it into friends' TVs to watch home videos and movies I've synched to it.
Maxtor and LaClie back-up drives. You just never know.

Mobile

I believe in the Palm operating system. I tried to give up my Treo about a year ago, but just couldn't live without it. I currently carry the Treo 700p around. It's amazing how mobile and connected it makes you. It's liberating.
While I'm not a fanboy of Verizon's U.S.-centric network, I do like their high-speed wireless EVDO network. No cards for me since I can use Bluetooth to connect to the Internet from my PowerBook through the Treo.

Applications

Adium. The #1 app on my system. It integrates all of my IM accounts into one big, simple list.
Mail.app. Simple and it works.
iCal and a small little app called Actiontastic that makes adding to-do's quick and easy.
QuickSilver. I can't describe what it does or how it does it, so just check it out. It'll grow on you and you'll wonder how you lived without it. Integrates with Actiontastic and iCal.
Camino. Web browser for the Mac.
Word and Excel. I try to avoid PowerPoint at all costs.
Textedit. No formatting, no BS...just plain, simple, clean text.
Photoshop CS.
GarageBand. It makes a great little amp with sound effect boxes for my Takamine G Series guitar.

Camera

A Canon 10D I bought off of eBay. It was a pro photographer's back-up camera.
Lenses include a 28-70mm Canon EF-L at f2.8 and a 135-300 Canon USM at f3.5.
Flash is a Canon Speedlite 550EX.

Extreme Makeover DC Style

2006-08-01T07:04:00.001-04:00

According to a story by John McKinnon in this morning's The Wall Street Journal, White House press secretary Tony Snow is swapping the simple, utilitarian White House seal, American flag and blue curtain for a modern, techno video wall on the set of his daily briefings. As much as I agree with Mr. Snow about the need to keep pace with the tools for getting a message out, I have to wonder if this is going to be remembered as the day the press corps was eliminated from the American system of checks-and-balances, making it easier for this and future administrations to avoid the true role of the daily press briefing: allowing the American people -- through their representatives in the press -- to question its government leaders.

A Swell Time

2006-07-24T23:42:00.000-04:00

What you see here is Los Arcos shot from a small skiff during a family trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It is the very southernmost tip of of the Baja penninsula, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez and gets its name from the arched rock in the center of the image. You can see the size of the swell by the markings on the rock wall to the right of the picture. What you don't see just off the left side of the frame is a rock outcropping loaded with about 25 sea lions basking in the sun.

A Tale of Two Homes

2006-07-24T23:41:00.000-04:00

Please click on over to The Chronic Curmudgeon to read his post titled "Fortune." Powerful writing based on a powerful and humbling experience that will make you reassess the value you place on your freedom of speech.

The Karaoke Kid

2006-07-20T23:23:00.000-04:00

This is a shot I caught one day during a family vacation at Baltimore's Inner Harbor. We were at the science museum and my oldest daughter was on stage having some fun with the karaoke machine. I quietly climbed up the back stairs to the balcony of the stage and caught this shot. It was manipulated a bit in Photoshop (added a layer with some blur-multiply, but other than that, nothing else).

Anchored in Kauai

2006-07-17T11:23:00.000-04:00

Strapped in and hanging half a cheek out of a small helicopter over the island of Kauai. If you look closely, you can see the coral and sand beneath the sailboat anchored in this cove.

Acoustic in Hanalei

2006-07-16T13:24:00.000-04:00

Jack Johnson? Maybe not, but still pretty cool. We went to the Hawaiian island of Kauai just about a year ago for our ten year wedding anniversary. After dinner one night, we were walking around the surf town of Hanalei and sat down to listen to this guy play some acoustic guitar in the main square (which, quite frankly, is the only square in Hanalei).

Any Port In A PR Storm

2006-02-21T17:12:00.000-05:00

Leaving all political views aside for the moment, has President Bush chosen to pursue a strategy that is the polar opposite of even the most basic of PR strategies? The AP has the latest Presidential PR miscue in the fight to give control of U.S. ports to a UAE-based company. No matter how sound his business decision might be, he has to know it cannot outweigh the political price he's paying.

Please Lock Your Tray Tables And Close Your IM Sessions

2006-02-19T21:20:00.000-05:00

I got a ping on my instant messenger this past Saturday morning. It was John Patrick, a clear member of the digerati and one of the best clients I've ever had as a PR person. However, it wasn't just any IM. It was John IM'img me from about 40,000 feet somewhere over the Atlantic. He was connected through the plane's in-flight broadband wi-fi network. Like John says in his keynote speeches, we've only seen about 10% of what this Internet thing can do (and we can do with it). Hang onto your seats kids!

I'll Have A Double Cheeseburger With My Health Benefits, Please

2006-02-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

Did the Bush administration fire all of its PR counselors? It sure looks like it given their recent round of media missteps. Adding to the stumbles is yesterday's stop in Dublin, Ohio, where the President outlined his plan to expand health savings accounts. And where better to discuss health? Why, the corporate headquarters of fast-food giant Wendy's, of course.

Something Bad Must Be In The Texas Water

2006-02-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

What is it about Texans and common sense lately? This past week, the Bush administration gave everyone a primer on what happens when you try to hide bad news. And now Texas-based RadioShack is in the barrel [free registration required] for trying to avoid the issue of its CEO falsifying his educational background.

I'm just going to assume that there's a crisis communications playbook from the 1950s that everyone in Texas is working off of. It's the only way to explain the head-in-the-sand denial that companies are operating in a more fluid, more transparent environment today (an environment we can thank another group of Texans for: the boys of Enron).

A Missed Shot

2006-02-16T01:05:00.000-05:00

In the PR fiasco that was the Bush administration's handling of Vice President Dick Cheney's hunting accident in Texas this week, did they miss an enormous opportunity to score some points with the media and the American public -- two constituencies that have grown increasingly hostile toward this administration?

Here's the thinking: The Veep accidentally shot his friend and hunting partner. The Veep attempted to avoid the press (most likely against the counsel of his press secretary...a lesson to be learned for today's CEOs). The press hammered poor Scott McClellan, who obviously is growing frustrated with the Bush administration's inability to grasp the basics of public relations. No one more so than NBC's David Gregory. Public pressure forced the VP out of his bunker to address the situation. The White House chose to use Fox News as the sole vehicle for the VP's interview on the subject.

And that is where they missed a golden opportunity.

Fox News is forever tainted with a perception of bias to the conservatives. Putting the VP on Fox gives the impression to many Americans that the tough questions won't get asked and that, perhaps, there are questions the administration doesn't want asked.

Instead, the White House should have given the exclusive to NBC's Gregory, the man who ended up in a heated exchange with McClellan over continued stonewalling by the administration. By doing so, the American public would have seen a Vice President who doesn't back away from tough issues and one who has respect for the checks-and-balances inherent in a free press. And that perception would have had a halo effect on the President at a time when he and those around him badly need it.

But they didn't. And they missed a huge chance to put some points in the win column.

Just One Of Those Days

2006-02-14T07:01:00.000-05:00

White House press secretary Scott McClellan had one of those days yesterday. By one of those days, I mean the kind where a PR professional knows he's/she's going to get asked challenging questions. McClellan's day at the podium responding to Vice President Dick Cheney's accidental shooting of a fellow hunter was definitely one of those days.

Watching from the sidelines, I think McClellan will be remembered as one of the better presidential press secretaries. I say this because (a) he's had to face some of the world's top reporters often with limited or incorrect information -- and fought his "clients" to do the right thing, and (b) because of classy exchanges like yesterday's with NBC's David Gregory:

"'David's a good guy and a good reporter,' McClellan added. He said that yesterday was 'one of those days where I knew exactly what to expect.'"

McClellan took his hits and upheld his respect for the important role journalists play in a free democracy. It is that thick skin and ability to see the bigger picture that, in my mind, makes McClellan (and people like him) professionals.

Putting Penn To Paper

2006-02-02T15:32:00.001-05:00

Most people know John Krakauer as the author of "Into Thin Air," the book he wrote about the ill-fated Everest expedition (I had a chance to meet Krakauer in person at a book signing in northern New Jersey after "Into Thin Air" was published). I've made it a point to read just about anything he writes...he writes in a seasoned journalistic style and really brings you into the story.

One of the most haunting stories he covered was captured in his book "Into the Wild." Now, word comes out that Sean Penn is turning it into a feature film. Penn is to acting what Krakauer is to writing: an example of an artist consistently at the top of his game (Katrina humanitarian photo-ops aside).

I'll go out on a limb and predict that Krakauer's story, as interpreted and directed by Penn, will see its name on the Academy's ballots next year. I can't predict which categories it will be nominated for (and it may not even win), but I do believe that it is the type of story that could give Penn the material for one of his best works.