Stagnation & Self-Righteousness
We’re a funny bunch in social media.
We bitch and complain that the medium we’re practicing in doesn’t get taken seriously as a medium, and that many businesses are still way behind when it comes to adopting.
We call brands out – companies and individuals – because they don’t do something the way we feel it should or could have been done.
We regale folks with the notion that social media will change the way we do things forever, but then cloud the issue by not explaining in any kind of talk our customers and clients understand.
And then we wonder why social media – for all its great statistics and success stories – is still the baby when it comes to other forms of media.
So let’s loosen up. Let’s agree that we’re not in a perfect world where everyone will “do the right thing”. Let’s quit the bitching and the pointing fingers, and instead point ideas in the same direction instead. Let’s give things a chance before we lynch mob them into submission.
Let’s see opinions for what they are and stop calling critics haters. Let’s move from the same soundbites to actually making sounds through actions.
I’ve been guilty of it in the past. I possibly still am on the odd occasion. But I’m trying not to be.
If you’re guilty of it too, want to try and not be with me?
photo credit: steve-and-diane
40 Responses to “Stagnation & Self-Righteousness”
Isn’t a slow clap a sign of displeasure?
Hardly!
Observe…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM0dbwDc2FE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31M_MdSVxV8
Andrew Weaver recently posted…. The Sound of Settling
Haha, awesome clips, mate.
You know, when I started watching the first one, I thought it was going to be from Lucas, with Corey Haim.
Yeah! What he said! Let’s lynch the critics, the degnerate little bas…wait, what? Whaddya mean, “Not in the spirit of the post?”
Le sigh…
No, seriously: Being an armchair critic is easy. Any jackass with a Twitter account thinks he’s a social media consultant, as funny as Conan O’Brien, and worthy of attention.
Now DOING something? That’s good stuff. Critics are everywhere, and of little import. Men of action (and women!) get to shape the world.
Scott Hepburn recently posted…. 6 Easy Ways to Integrate Email and Social MediaNot sure I’d agree with the “critics are of little import” approach, mate. If it’s constructive and helps improvement, then I’m all for that – it’s how we grow.
Simply slapping down for the sake of it, though, or making blanket statements? Now that seems counter-productive.
I’m with Andrew.
Excellent, excellent, Danny. Couldn’t agree more. This is exactly why I’ve respected you from day one and applauded the work you do. Because you are the definition of community.
Thanks buddy.
Tim Jahn recently posted…. The Paralysis Of The BIG Idea And How To Overcome ItHey there mate,
Cheers fella – I actually learn a great amount from you with your feisty yet bang-on approach.
“feisty yet bang-on approach.”
Ha! You mean you learn what NOT to do?
Tim Jahn recently posted…. The Paralysis Of The BIG Idea And How To Overcome It
Can we still make fun of stupid people?
Tyler Hurst recently posted…. Click this and you’ll make me more influential or somethingNo. Unless it’s Perez Hilton…
Nicely said Danny. I am always astounded by the number of people talking about social media from the angle of “expert”.
Ridiculing those that aren’t using it, telling people their business is doomed without it and proclaiming one method is the only way to do business right…
Only 4 years ago, most people didn’t know what Facebook was. That is about the length of the average University or College Degree. I know I wouldn’t consider anyone an expert right out of their schooling so why are we so quick to point fingers and judge people with our own limited experience?
JayTurn recently posted…. Start online business Can anyone do itI think you can definitely have differing levels of expertise, Jay. But it’s like anything that’s always fluid as either a platform or service – can you really be an expert when even the builders of it are amazed at the directions it’s taken?
Well said mate.
JayTurn recently posted…. Start online business Can anyone do it
i concur.
imagine if all the energy that is expended bitching and moaning, hate this, fail that, were instead to be channelled into something more productive, like raising their own game or serving others in a supportive way.
anything and everything would be possible.
mike ashworth recently posted…. Romans 12-20 the full filmIsn’t that too much common sense their, Mike?
..and while we’re at it, can we stop doing that to each other as well.. if I have to read one more rant by a social media “expert” calling out the “so called social media gurus”.. I swear I’ll change my name to.. ermm.. uuhh.. what can I change my name to??
@Arthur I can see where you are coming from but using the term “expert” so lightly is a slap in the face to many industries.
Maybe it is just me but I think people who have built up an expertise any field over ten plus years deserve more respect. As we claim someone to be an expert in a field they have explored for two years, the quality of the term expert is watered down when it is used to describe those that have devoted a lifetime to a particular field.
Having this loose approach to the definition of expert hurts the industry and is probably why it lacks the credibility that the PR industry enjoys.
JayTurn recently posted…. Start online business Can anyone do itHey there Arthur,
I don’t think questioning views and opinions are a problem. After all, who’s to say we know all there is on a topic over someone else? So if a “guru” (never did like that word) has written or said something that is obvious crud, then yes, questioning and countering should happen.
However, there is a difference between honest opinion and questioning and ulterior motives, for sure.
Amen! Preach, Danny!
Who in their right mind expects businesses to ‘understand’ all of this when the industry itself doesn’t agree on very much?
Kinda silly to complain about everyone when, as Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits once sang,
“When you point your finger cuz your plan fell through, you got three more fingers pointin’ back at you, yea.”
I agree, Danny. Let’s work on helping each other understand this more. There is plenty of room for everybody. Also, by letting the ‘industry’ be dominated by a few extra big and loud voices we are really not doing much of a service to those who truly need help. Variety of views and opinions will be essential moving forward.
Thanks again Danny for making me think.
It kinda reminds me of having a strategy meeting, and you have PR on the one side and marketing on the other.
Essentially, both channels are wanting the same thing, but each wants to be the one that brings it to the table, so then we have nothing but two bickering sides, while the company suffers.
Funny how there’s not a lot of difference in the spelling of “dictators” and “detractors” as well. Hmmm…
But bitching and moaning is so much. haha no but seriously…very nicely said Danny.
I often get frustrated at the fear associated with jumping into the social web. These fearful companies either shit themselves and back out or they shoot themselves in the foot by not opening up enough…when this happens I get so frustrated that I social media doesn’t have the credibility that PR industry does. I often think to myself: if only social media had this credibility these companies wouldn’t be so dam fearful.
But I guess like you’ve said, if we focus on the positive then positive things will come to be. So I guess the solution to this credibility issue is for us all to conduct ourselves (use our actions) in a manner that is worthy of such credibility as that of PR and advertising…then one day, maybe, just maybe, it will be!
Thanks for the inspiration Danny
Sam Schuurman recently posted…. All The Resource You Need To Start A Pimping Business Facebook PageThing is, Sam, you can still critique and disagree and help a platform become credible. But then that’s not nearly half as much fun for some folks…
You remind me why I’m happy to be a part of your tribe, Danny, knowing your presence keeps it from becoming a ‘mob.’ Kudos.
Thanks for being here, Rayna – always a pleasure when you’re around, either here, Twitter or Facebook. Cheers!
Hey Danny,
I always try to remember that usually there is a kernal of truth in every joke and criticism. If I take it personal, I will never get very far, but if I get out of my own way, I just see it as results and results should be tinkered with for sure.
It’s still personal, otherwise it would be meaningless, but the way I take it personal changes. I take progress and my goals as personal and see the critics as making my product or industry better.
Until a law has been tried and tested in the courts, you never really know if it is constitutional or not. The social media industry trying to escape this part of the growth process is like a writer trying to escape his editor, only to release a lousy article.
Thanks for reminding us that responding to criticism with criticism is just plain easy, but easy doesn’t mean effective. It certainly is the opposite of proactive.
Jeremie Brecheisen recently posted…. More on Chinese Translation Websites“What doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger.”
I think too many folks often take criticism as a personal attack when, in business especially, it’s the company you represent that’s coming under fire.
If we can separate personal criticism from personal advice (as you mention) then we’re halfway there
Danny –
I just wanted to say I still love you and your outfit is fabulous.
XOXOXO,
Perez
Perez Hilton recently posted…. Creating a content marketing plan — without any contentYou look very much like a smart marketing guy I know, Perez. But thanks for the hugs
Thanks Danny, as someone who was very very patient and very kind to me when I was starting out, I can vouch, you practice what you are preaching here! Especially when my opinions were stupid (which is often
)
Michael Schechter recently posted…. Strategy Equals CurrencyPleasure to help, fella (and besides, you “paid” that back ten-fold with your own great support and friendship).
And in a high, yet to be paid bar tab
“Let’s quit the bitching and the pointing fingers, and instead point ideas in the same direction instead.”
My dad always said – “If you don’t have a solution to the problem, shut your mouth until you find one.”
Wisdom from the both of you.
Frank Dickinson recently posted…. Why Do You BlogCheers bud – your dad sounds like someone that’d be a great beer buddy.
What happens in social media reminds me of something I read a long time ago about the lifecycle of an email list. I feel like there are people online who think they know how things should be done and are going to pound that nail until everyone does things their way.
But, I’ve always said that there are “RULES” and then there are “rules” and how you choose to use social media personally or for your business are going to vary greatly depending on where you live, your industry and your personality. As people, you get the most traction if you are personable, available, consistent and promote others more than yourself. As businesses, your mileage can vary greatly depending on your audience and what your objectives are in the social media space.
Sue Anne Reed recently posted…. The importance of blog design – blogchat recap 06-13-10Well said Danny!
When we see mistakes being made I think we can examine them from an educational perspective to see what can be learned and how we might make things better, but we don’t need to mock or ridicule others to do that. As many have said we’re all still learning, no matter how long we’ve been working with social media. If we can work together and share best practices and advice rather than pointing fingers we can all gain knowledge and improve our strategies. This also helps our collective reputations more than does name calling.
I also think that many of the mistakes that may seem so obviously stupid to us are often the missteps of the beginner who is just finding his or her footing. I expect we all stumbled a bit when starting out. (And will stumble more as we continue to learn.)
The knowledge that we take for granted now wasn’t always in our heads. It came with time and practice.
I was reminded of this last fall when giving a presentation on social media to a group outside of our industry. Very few in the crowd were even on Facebook let alone writing blogs. We talk amongst ourselves so often in this industry that we forget that we’ve acquired knowledge over time that others may not yet have. So we can’t really blame them for not knowing the things that we have learned over the course of the past several years. What we can do instead is point them to resources and information that will guide them in the right direction.
Heidi Cool recently posted…. Content Curation- Learning from others and sharing their knowledgeThose are words of wisdom right there Heidi. I often wonder if we are not speaking the language of our clients at times because we forget many people are not actively involved in social media and online business in general.
JayTurn recently posted…. How many hours does it take to run a small business website
Vast difference between critics and haters. They do deserve to have different names.
For instance, pretty much every comment you’ve left on my blog for the last several weeks has been contrary to my post. I’ve been eager to write, “The sky is blue” to see if you’ll go red or orange. : )
Contrarians are interesting types. You’re doing a wonderful job of helping others take a different approach and that’s great. It’s good that you’ve got different views than me and that you voice them. By all means.
It’s when people go right down to the “you’re wrong and I’m right” that I get a little frustrated. Movie reviewers do that often.
Do I do it? Sometimes. I think we all do. We fall into it.
But is there a difference between critics who are adding value to the landscape versus critics who just want to be contrary? Oh, I’d say so.
Chris Brogan recently posted…. Go Map YourselfHi there Chris,
Cheers for stopping by. I guess I picked out that post (and used the term “critics/haters”) since that’s how the post came across. Then follow-up comments and tweets about critics being non-creators kinda added to that take. But I agree, there’s a difference in approach between the two usually.
It’s interesting about the comments – in a way, aren’t all our points of view contrary to others? We either agree or disagree on a viewpoint; non-agreement just means we have a contrary point of view?
The point you make about the sky is perfect; that would be disagreeing for disagreement’s sake. I’d like to think that my comments (or anyone else’s) that have a different slant are just that; a different slant, hence questions about the post or viewpoint.
(Doing a quick check in the Disqus dashboard would seem to confirm – two comments about personal and business use of Foursquare being tied together; query on junk definition; asking about an update to an earlier post on LinkedIn; offering a take on offering advice when not sure about the answer; and why I would rather give no recommendation on LinkedIn as opposed to one with a small bit of negativity. And yes, a slightly cheeky one about self-promotion – my bad).
I completely agree with you re. the adding value. That’s the beauty of open-ended blog posts like yours that often end with questions; it invites the extra value in from the other readers and commenters.
But I’d also say that offering reasons why a viewpoint isn’t agreed with (and including examples) is a little different from being contrary.
I’ll start the slow clap… *clap*…. *clap*…. *clap*….
Bravo, sir. Bravo.
Andrew Weaver recently posted…. The Sound of Settling