The Gutenberg (ex)Press

Why Your Business Should Blog… OR, Why Lame Bloggers Really Suck!

It seems that Richard Zwicky has been listening to Blog Bloke. Somehow, some way the Bloke’s comparison of Weblog Technology to the “Gutenberg Press” ended up in his recent post. But what really put the kibosh on this episode was the timing of it all.Case in point. Richard refers to a “conversation” with a mysterious group of business people on or about the same time period (October of this year) the Bloke had lectured on the same topic (Blogging and RSS technology) to a group of business people where, (coincidentally) Richard also hails from (Victoria BC).In fact, he seems to quote the Bloke so accurately that he may as well have torn a page right out of my speech notes. To prove my point, on or about that same time period I had also written several posts using the exact same Gutenberg comparison. Just another coincidence?

These were written before Richard’s post that is dated November 22nd, so there is no question that the Bloke was the first to coin the phrase. Need more evidence? Well I’m certain I could muster up some witnesses if need be.

Now this was growing into one heck of a coincidence and it got the Bloke a-thinkin’. Could it be this was more than just happenstance? They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, BUT the rule of thumb is if you want to play the blog game then you should know it is generally frowned upon for not giving credit where credit is due.

Quoting Richard (nudge, nudge, wink, wink at the SearchEngineJournal:

“Then Gutenberg came along, and revolutionized the publishing industry by making it possible to mass produce their work… (editor’s note: now why does that sound so familiar?)… if you plan on starting one for your business, below are some easy steps to follow:

1. Keep it up to date, a blog which people will consider
relevant should be updated every few days. Concentrate
on providing the most current information on issues
facing your industry, or information of interest to your
marketplace at large. Also remember to post any breaking
news you come across as soon as you find it.

2. Ask for Feedback: Successful blogs encourage reader
participation. If you are afraid of criticism, or don’t
want to host a debate forum on your ideas, or your
company policies, stick to publishing informative
articles on your website.

3. Link to numerous outside resources and to other weblogs
with like content. It shows your readers that you are
keeping up to date on what is going on elsewhere too.

4. Keep it Simple, use very few graphics, and simple color
schemes. Focus on the text; that’s why people come and
read your content anyhow. If you discuss many topics,
use categorical sections, and keep archives of older
material.

5. Remember, you too were clueless about blogs, possibly
not all too long ago. Many of your readers are probably
clueless regarding blogs, XML, RSS. In fact, many may
not know when they are even reading a blog.

6. Be Patient, expect a small readership initially, and
allow your audience to grow organically. The better the
content you provide, the quicker your audience will grow.”

7. Ok, now that is good basic advice, BUT Blog Bloke would like to add a seventh point, which is perhaps the most important of all.

This post stands as a testament to ALL concerned who may think that it is OK to take credit for some else’s work. It is bad blogging etiquette (not to mention a violation of copyright law) to not provide a link to your references and give credit to the original author, because passing off someone else’s intellectual property as your own really, (really) SUCKS!

“`
Update: I’ve contacted Richard via email who professes innocence of the matter. I’ve also invited him to post a comment here for rebuttal to prove me wrong if he so chooses. He recommended that the Bloke remove this post but the Bloke believes it should remain as a lesson to a problem that is all too prevalent in the Blogosphere, regardless of who may or may not be in the wrong.

The Bloke is currently working on an ebook on this very topic, and the main reason why I made an issue out of it. Nor do I go around making frivolous accusations unless there is substantial evidence requiring an investigation. And ya gotta admit that on the face of it the prima facie evidence was overwhelming. So if you think I’ve wronged you brother I’m sorry, but unfortunately there were too many loose ends and the facts just didn’t add up.

It is the Bloke’s sincere desire to want to give Richard the benefit of the doubt, which is why after writing this post I contacted him directly to give him an opportunity for his version of the events. In fact, I have since edited this post and toned it down considerably as a demonstration of my good faith. The evidence has been presented as the Bloke saw it and is more than fair and balanced.

The Bloke has personally struggled with trying to find a win/win proposition for both sides to save face. If somehow on the perchance that I am proved wrong and we are indeed of a like-mind at the same time and place (albeit the odds would be astronomical), well… then you will find me a decent person and the first to admit a mistake and apologize.

The law places the onus on we individuals to police our intellectual property, and when a potential violation presents itself the law obliges that we investigate. That is precisely what the Bloke has done, and it appears that we will never know for certain what really happened. You can decide for yourself.

BTW, please remember - if y’all like something the Bloke has said, kindly link to me. Thanks, and nuff said.