the nikhilb.in sites »
the evening telegram
eight years later (coming soon)
About
RSS
Twitter
Last.fm
 

Archives

how merlin mann made me feel better about my cynicism

I work very closely with social media in my job, but I might be one of the most cynical in my organization about its uses and merits. I’ve been working on being less of a jerk about the OMGWEB2.0WTFBBQ bandwagon, but Merlin Mann says it much better than I ever could in his excellent SxSW rant-duet with John Gruber:

Merlin Mann: Or, like, and my rant?—?and I’m sorry, I’m not gonna shut up about this?—?I’m so tired of every social media douche going “Zappo’s is on Twitter!”. And you’re like, “Yeah, they’re on Twitter; after putting millions of dollars into customer support.” It’s like, getting an account on Twitter does not make you Zappo’s. Having the resources behind serving the shit out of your audience makes you Zappo’s. And it doesn’t happen overnight, with a login and an email that you click on a link. So anyway; not to go on a rant.

John Gruber: Have you ever read… ’cause you know, Comcast is on Twitter.

. . .and. . .

Merlin Mann: So people think “Oh, you’re so down on social media. Why are you such a jerk?”. And I’m like, “‘Cause social media, when it’s really social media, is not about what you have to say; it’s having a tolerance for what people have to say about you.”?—?which is so different from posting about your great run. Social media is when they say “You’re a jackass. Stop talking about your run.” That’s social media. And that’s the conversation.

And one wonders if even social media experts understand that.

links for 2009-03-26

links for 2009-03-25

meshugene men

Promo for the Purim show at 92Y Tribeca*, via Design Observer:

*-I’ve never understood why they keep the 92Y branding. Tribeca is nowhere near 92nd. The geographic center in my brain hurts.

links for 2009-03-14

  • Obama's Poll Numbers Are Falling to Earth – WSJ.com
    Obama's approval ratings are now below Bush the Younger's at this time, he's lost his crossover support, and a plurality now oppose his budget. That's an incredible amount of political capital to squander in fifty days.
    (tags: politics)
  • WSJ: Who Pays for Cap and Trade? — II
    Pro-cap-and-trade economists Dallas Burtraw and Richard Sweeney write a 2008 paper pointing out the disparate effects of cap-and-trade pollution regulation on the poor and on economically depressed regions of the country, but press ahead anyway. The WSJ catches them on it. Burtraw and Sweeney's response? "The Wall Street Journal is an idiot." Great, questionable grammar _and_ rhetoric. Good job, global warmists.
    (tags: economics environment global_warmism stupidity)

links for 2009-03-04

not getting any tamer

One might wonder whether NY conservablogger Karol Sheinin is losing her snarky edge, what with her impending wedding and all. I submit this is not the case:
NY Mag:

The true legacy of Governor Eliot Spitzer is Governor David Paterson.

Karol:

Actually, no, it’s getting caught with hookers.

links for 2009-03-03