Web 2.0 Comes Out Into The Real World

A trend is starting in web 2.0: people are coming out into the daylight!

Online-only performance troupe Second Front is doing a performance in front of an audience! (It's streaming online too, of course.)

LOLCats is having a real-live auction! Funds go to help reading efforts, which will of course be undercut by LOLCats own cat-language blog.

What next, an impromptu Axiom bloggers forum in Bloomington? Who knows?

Russia to Internet: No Free Speech For You!

Why hasn't Google taken over Russia yet? Apparently before Google can acquire "Begun", the Russian advertising internet start-up, they have to release a list of their employees to Russia's anti-trust authority. Basically, they have to make sure that there are no liberals or Jews on the board.

This can be a reminder to all of us Americans that we're really fortunate to live in a place where free speech and free market economics are happening. Even in a downturn, I'd rather be on this side of things! (Valleywag)

Not Another Web 2.0 Forum: BroBible

Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace are being copy-catted by smaller forums for specific groups. We wrote earlier about the Christian twitter, there's also twitter moms and now BroBible. BroBible is a webspace for bros to post videos, share thoughts, stories and advice.

I signed up with a fake name and checked it out; while it's definitely not my scene (don't go in if you're a girl, seriously!) I can see how it would be a good place if you want to hear crazy stories about getting trashed or whatever these guys do. There's also a lot of info on politics and economics, if that's of interest.

Tucker Max has some competition on his hands!

Maple Story Murder

Hold on tight for the blockbuster movie thriller of the year based on a true story- Maple Story Murder! A Japanese women has a perfect life - she's has the house of her dreams, she works the ideal job, and just married the man of her dreams. But, her husband arrives home one evening, with some bad news - he wants a divorce. A small flicker of anger is ignited, sending wife and husband into a web of lies, spying, and murder. You will never be prepared for the twist that lies ahead as the wife discovers that she's been living her life inside a computer-generated alternate reality and now must face her virtual choices in the real world!

Yes, I said based on a true story and no, the movie is not real. Real life is sometimes more bizarre than a movie.

Be Nice Or I'll Sue You

UK citizen, Chris Read, is facing legal action after leaving negative feedback on eBay. Chris purchased a phone from the auction site, but when receiving the phone it was the wrong model and wasn't in the "good" condition described by the seller (scratched and chipped). After leaving an honest and non-threatening feedback response, Chris was contacted by the seller with a legal notice threatening a court case for libel. While the buyer's comments were honest, the seller claimed that he was hurting the store's reputation and its ability to trade and make money.

Obviously, the seller handled this wrong. Instead of blowing up at the honest buyer when they were the ones at fault, maybe the seller could have used the mistake to go out of their way to fix the problem. A few years ago, I bought a CD online (Amazon I think) and received the wrong edition compared to the one advertised. I sent a message to the seller, who immediately apologized for the problem, and refunded me for the purchase, but let me keep the album for free. Sure, it wasn't the exact product I wanted, but I was satisfied by how the seller handled and made right the mistake.

There may be two lessons to learn here. 1.) We have a choice how we handle feedback. How we react can isolate our customer further, help us improve our product, or even surprise them in a good way that would make them want to tell their friends. Everyone knows that bad service is passed along seven times more than good, but never underestimate the power of surprisingly good service. 2.) The market is free to comment on your performance. It is important to let ridiculous and unfounded claims blow over. Truthful comments - especially when negative - will provide the greatest and most valuable insight to your brand, but only when handled properly.

Why is Seth Godin not on Twitter?

I've always wondered this. Twitter is a great site to be on for marketers to gather and share information, so I've wondered why one of the most notable marketers was missing from the site.. Well, Seth Godin answered this question in his blog today:

If you have a presence on twitter, squidoo, blogs, facebook, myspace, linkedin and 20 other sites, the chances of finding critical mass at any of them is close to zero. But if you dominate, if you're the goto person, the king of your hill, magical things happen. One follower in each of twenty places is worthless. Twenty connected followers in one place is a tribe. It's the foundation for building something that matters.

This is why I don't have a podcast, a video channel, any activity to speak of on Facebook. It's why I don't use Twitter or travel the country visiting bookstores. There are many places to be, and it's tempting to act like those non-profits and race after the next one. But it doesn't work.

Basically, since he can't devote enough time to be a heavy user on Twitter, he is staying off the site. His recommendation is: if you can't dominate a site, stay off it. Don't spread yourself thin with 20 different posts among 20 different sites. Only join networks where you can invest time into. What do you think?