This is related to the story below. After his first rant, Scoble goes on another one wondering why people aren’t linking to this stuff - much of which is a lot of high quality video footage of startup CEOs. I’m not sure what the answer to that is, although I am going to be paying more attention to his videos and linking where appropriate.
But he also let loose a barrage that I see quite often, but never in public like that. Bloggers scream about links every day in emails and IMs back and forth. Sometimes it’s more subtle, like receiving a nice email suggesting a link (I actually find a lot of good stuff that way), but if someone writes about something AFTER another blogger does and doesn’t give credit, all hell can break loose and often does. I’ve just never seen it happen publicly.
For Robert to do this out in the open makes it look like he’s just complaining. But what he’s saying is good for the blogging community. Engadget is no longer really a blog. They still look like a blog, but they’re bigger than a lot of mainstream media businesses. And Robert is asking them which direction they are planning on going now that they’re so big. Will they remain part of the blogging community, or adopt the stand alone silo habits of old media.
There are informal rules that bloggers have adopted and that aren’t usually broken. A story can be ignored, but if you write about something you found through another blog, a link should be given. Robert is stating a pretty good case that Engadget should have linked to him. They’re saying there was no value in it. Robert says otherwise.
Good drama.
In my opinion, as news sites like Engadget grow, they will start exhibiting the habits of older media. The issue is how many bloggers can they look at for content? Since there are millions of bloggers out there and probably thousands which are reasonably good, their limited resources make it necessary to filter their “reading list” or “news sources” to A-list bloggers.
They may also start becoming reactive to certain news becoming popular after it gathers a certain threshold of incoming links. When a news blogger has a smaller audience, they can link to any content they find interesting. As they grow bigger, there is a need to satisfy their audience and the audience’s perceived interests.
Neither are the blogs with no comments They are not blogs, there is no conversation.
TechCrunch has roughly the same ranking as Engadget over on Alexa. Are those numbers skewed, or would you say they’re pretty accurate? I’m sure TechCrunch wasn’t 10M big on iPhone day, but when it comes to getting details about startups or anticipated acquisitions, I’m sure you get your share.
Krishna: that’s bu@@s@@t. Here, let me copy something from my Google Reader to demonstrate just how wrong you are:
+++++
From your 504 subscriptions, over the last 30 days you read 26,308 items, starred 0 items, and shared 1,473 items.
+++++
Anyone can also use blog search engines like Technorati and Google’s Blog Search http://blogsearch.google.com to find new blogs that are writing about something.
Instead the big sites are getting lazy and expecting YOU to email them news and beg for links. I won’t do it.
They are opening up an opportunity by their laziness to new sites that’ll work harder for their readers.
Funny that Engadget got there by outworking CNET. Now they are demonstrating, through their news judgment, that there’s an opportunity for other people to come in and take their leadership position away.
It is funny you write that, Robert, because I think you are an exceptional case in terms of reading blogs. I did read your article on that and commented it on http://krishami.blogspot.com/2007/01/high-volume-of-blog-reading.html.
I don’t think everybody can be like you. But you have a point that maybe sites like Engadget should try to attempt what you are doing. Maybe they should share the workload.
Good to see a blogoshytestorm that doesn’t involve you or Dave Winer, Mike.
Mike - it is good drama but the acting needs work. As I said in a comment on Robert’s second post, he really needs to think things through and apply a bit more editing before hitting the publish button. It always frustrates me when a good point gets diluted or neutered because hyperbole gets substituted for accuracy. Under the bus, over the top, or out in orbit – wherever it is Robert’s thrown/gone/launched himself this time, there is substance and merit to thinking and talking through these evolutionary changes and their implications.
I wonder if it ever occurred to Scoble that the reason people don’t link to his videos is because they are bad.
Regarding my videos being “bad.”
OK, I’ll bite.
Where’s a better video of the 45nm Intel fab?
Where’s a better video interview of the people who built it?
Where’s a better video explanation of what the new technology does and how it let Intel build a new series of chips that’ll run our computers (Google just announced it is switching back to Intel)?
And, where’s your videos? YouTube means you can post your own “bad” videos now without any cost. Oh, and where’s your decent critique so I can improve future videos?
Now I understand why Mike Arrington complains about his commenters from time to time.
Well, you know what they say. Rule #1 of blogging is don’t blog while angry…
Scoble - why does somebody have to post their own videos before being able to critique yours? Maybe ‘Robert’ has no interest in publishing. That’s like saying readers can’t write novel reviews unless they’ve written a novel.
TDavid,
You’ve not seen Scoble in full-on whine mode. There’s not a lot of rational thought. If you’ve ever seen a two-year old kicking and screaming because he couldn’t get a cookie, it’s about the same level of intelligent thought, although the two year old wins points for having a concrete issue.
interesting - mike lost his cool a few months ago and deleted it - now he posts about another losing his cool?
interesting to say the least!
Being a Microsoft insider, I know Robert. The outside perception versus the inside reality couldn’t be different. On the outside, people applauded Robert for him “exposing” Microsoft. On the inside, he was a low leve evangelist looking for his “in”. He never made it up the ranks for a simple reason: he is not bright; in fact, he was one of the lowest ranked of the Developer Marketing/Evangelism core.
His ideas are usually off, he isn’t thoughtful, he doesn’t understand customers (both enterprise users and consumers).
What I find interesting here is that he is using marketing to make people believe he is a valley insider. He isn’t. Go talk to any of the VCs, they laugh at him. Go talk to any of the big player companies, the grin and are polite, but they laugh and laugh.
It is time for the “scobelizer” to slowly wither away … just like Crocs were a fad or how Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles were once cool. Just go away silently and be forgotten.
His blog isn’t worth reading, he has no power or influence. Just another whinner that wants to be popular.
Scoble isn’t bright? I’ve known him for a year and a half and I think he’s brilliant. Just because he’s affable doesn’t mean he’s dull witted. He was also the only human face at Microsoft for a long time, and did much to help their reputation. I’d work with or for Scoble any day.
>He was also the only human face at Microsoft for a long time, and did much to help their reputation.
Only human face of Microsoft? There were 3000 people at Microsoft blogging when Scoble left and hundreds before he began. More like he was the only face of Microsoft that the Silicon Valley crowd (e.g. TechCrunch) liked because he catered to them.
No offense to Robert since he did do a lot for Microsoft which probably wasn’t valued as highly as it should have been.
Wow, Mike, I appreciate that a lot and send the same back to you!
TDavid: >Scoble - why does somebody have to post their own videos before being able to critique yours?
That wasn’t a critique. It was a drive-by-shooting meant to injure. A real critique would give some reasoning and rationale. Something like “I don’t like your videos because your audio often is too loud when you have that annoying laugh, and two soft when you don’t mic your subjects properly.”
A critique is something you can learn from. The post that “Robert” made above is nothing but a molotov cocktail through my front window. OK, my house is burning, but I didn’t learn anything and neither did you.
Dare’s right. I don’t deserve being called “only public face.” I did, however, take risks most of the others weren’t willing to take. There were 83 bloggers at Microsoft when I started working there, by the way.
Orion: actually, before I left Microsoft I got a major promotion to “strategist” — they tried desperately to keep me. Maybe you should talk with my boss, Jeff Sandquist, about how I was regarded. But, then, you aren’t even willing to sign your name so that demonstrates what kind of person you regard yourself as.
I doubt it ever occured to Robert that it is possibly easier to read the information about Intel than put aside all that time to sit down and watch a video? Personally one of the reasons I prefer podcasts to video is that I don’t have to sit at a screen to obtain information.
It’s either that or his laugh has got worse
Dare - After your stunt with the TechCrunch wikipedia entry I am amazed that you would show up here again. How about if you agree to never come back here again? Thanks.
Ross: I transcribed the Intel video in question on my blog and put the most pertinent facts there. So, even if you’re in a rush and only wanted the facts you could have gotten them on my blog.
Oh, and can you tell me in 10,000 words or less what the next Halo 3 looks like and what’s cool about it? I doubt it will be as good as even a few seconds of video.
Some things are visual.
I wonder if people write the “Lost” or “Battlestar Galactica” crews and say “this video thing is lame, can you write a blog post instead?”
Sounds like some people can’t get over things. Scoble made a mistake… That’s a non-issue and puts him in the same category as the other +5 billion people on this planet.
Did he admit that he might have went overboard (or underboard, in the case of the bus ;-))? He sure did. Should we still be hanging him for it? Definitely not. His rant, IMO, wasn’t all that uncalled for in the first place. Out of line? Perhaps… But he admitted to that.
Why is this still even an issue?
BTW… is it me, or are there too many Robert’s on this board??
Banning me from commenting on your blog? That seems pretty childish. Then again, so would trying to get me in trouble at work for what was an honest mistake after I apologized.
Unfortunately, TechCrunch is too powerful to tangle with and I don’t want to lose my job so consider me banned from your websites.
Have a nice weekend.
There’s some irony in your post… you state that Engadget really isn’t a blog anymore because of its growth. However, you don’t mention how they grew. Content? Absolutely! Links and support from other bloggers? Absolutely. Funny how that’s the first thing these big guys forget, though, isn’t it?
I don’t think Robert’s rant is selfish at all… he’s simply being a good watchdog since he has the bully pulpit to do it.
This is good drama. Robert whines; Arrington comments; Dare leaves a comment; Arrington flashes back and then bans him. Where else can I see this back and forth? Oh ya, my 9 year old daughter’s cheerleading squad. Main stream media (Soap Opera Digest aside) has nothing to worry about yet.
Orion Andrew was wrong about at least one thing. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are about to release a new movie (I hear Master Splinter is producing it himself), and I bet they are once again going to be a big thing.
http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/teenagemutantninjaturtles/hd/
For the record, I don’t know Scoble, but he seems intelligent enough in his posts.
One of the biggest problems I have with blogs are blogs that don’t do appropriate due diligence before publishing. As blogs grow, they have a responsibility to do an appropriate amount of research before posting to make sure their content is accurate. Some blogs on your network have this problem to be honest.
That said - such an editorial process takes time and means you’re not going to be the first one off the press. It’s a catch 22 and I don’t think you can be both. I respect the fact that Engadget wants to go through a rigorous editorial process, which means their news may come out later albeit more accurate and more professional (in theory).
I can’t comment on where they got / get their news from. That comes back to ethics.
Robert: “Oh, and can you tell me in 10,000 words or less what the next Halo 3 looks like and what’s cool about it? ”
Halo 2 with better graphics. Nothing is cool about it, it is YAFPS (Yet Another First Person Shooter) with the same game mechanics and not an ounce of anything new and innovative. And no, new weapons and crap like that does not make it new and different.
Which is why I *still* don’t own a 360 (but I do own a Wii).
Awesome the tech blogosphere is sounding like gamer forums. BAN HIM BAN SOMEONE you intellectual griefers! Beware the flying phalluses!
Annnnnd now if I was only kidding. Heh. I mean, lulz.
Well he did ask. He was trying to make a point that you can’t easily describe something visually, and it is often better to watch a video - ignoring my point that video restricts the number of places you can view it by .. well requiring a screen. I’d accuse him of instigating a blog-o-riot in order to increase page hits - but that’d be crass of me, so I won’t.