Cooties, Terriorists & Blogs
"Viruses, worms, Trojan horses, Remote Access Trojans, hackers, organized crime, terrorists, and others continue to make the Internet a dangerous place due to fraud, extortion, denials of service, identity theft, espionage, and other crimes. Now, blogging is emerging as a threat to the Internet user community."
November 11, 2004, Fisk Bait, Posted by Michael O'Connor Clarke - "What fresh hell is this? A news release hit the wires today from Dublin-based Research and Markets . Here’s a tiny sample: "Companies Need to Raise Employee Awareness Regarding Blogging and Associated Threats … Blogging is rapidly emerging as a threat to Internet users.""
Blogs are like terrorists? Like viruses? Sorry. My flabber is too gasted to permit any kind of rational response here."
BTW The report Mike refers to cost $1500. The unfounded lameness continues with a new report form eMarketer.
Steve does a great job of pointing out the what eMarketer neglected to talk about. Let the Blog Bashing Begin from Steve Rubel, Micro Persuasion "Pete Blackshaw predicted this would happen and he was right. A blog bashing movement is underway. In a new report, eMarketer is questioning whether businesses will ever blog. They're following the effervescent Nick Denton. He got the ball rolling with his "Up with People-like" quotes in Sunday's New York Times."
Every day I learn new ideas from blogs. The idea that blogs are dangerous is only reinforcing that blogs are a force to be reckoned with, so to speak. Blogs are not a trend - at least not one that is going to go away. Anymore than Rock and Roll is temporary insanity. Hey, hey, my my.
Do you think it's possible to stop the tsunami-like wave of transparency, of everyman having a chance to be heard and taking it? I don't think so! If you're smart, you will embrace it. That is what we are doing with Ideascape; helping businesses embrace and employ this and other emerging technologies to not only keep their businesses on the edge but to use it to their advantage.
These reports are silly at best, a little damaging at worst for those that don't accept the reality. Hell, we sell enterprise blogging systems to big companies. You won't see their blogs since most of them are being implemented internally at first. I tell you, even the execs are having a blast using them. As they gain confidence in the idea of blogging, you'll see a whole new wave of blogs.
Sure, you can believe the doomsayers and do nothing. And you can believe your bottom line will stay the same as well.