« The Fujifilm Blimp Captain Is Blogging | Main | The Speaker of the House is Blogging »

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Forbes Cover Story Blows It, Calling Bloggers Lynch Mobs

Earlier tonight I was on a four-minute segment on CNBC that largely focused on Forbes' new cover story - Attack of the Blogs. Registration is required or the bugmenot login/password "forbesdontbug" worked for me. The article's author, Daniel Lyons, was in our interview group.

The gist of Lyons' soon-to-be maligned story is that blogs are “the prized platform of an online lynch mob spouting liberty but spewing lies, libel and invective.”

If that's not bad enough they also squarely put the blame here on Google and Yahoo as our “potent allies.” It's so ridiculous that two companies that have done so much to democratize media are being chastised for it.

Forbes 80 100Forbes, I am very disappointed that you chose to take such an unbalanced POV when BusinessWeek and Fortune told us both sides of the story. With all respect to Lyons and the magazine's editors, bloggers are not Corporate America's Boogeyman. They can be a company's greatest allies and evangelists if AND only IF we take the time to take them seriously and engage them in dialogue. Instead of telling us about both opportunities and threats, you paint the blogosphere as the Wicked Witch of the West. With a a few hours of reading excerpts of the forthcoming book on business blogging, Naked Conversations, you would have seen both sides of the story.

My message to Corporate America is simple. Don't listen to Forbes. Take a look around the blogosphere for yourself and you will find real humans - good, bad and ugly. What do you know? It's just like in the meatspace. There are some who mean well, others who are more nefarious. And all want to be heard. Listen to them. Work with them. Live with them and get over this fear mongering because they're here to stay. And some companies -probably your competitors unless you act - will prevail by treating them with respect and engaging them in genuine unfiltered conversations.

Technorati Tags: , , ,

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/12807/3466826

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Forbes Cover Story Blows It, Calling Bloggers Lynch Mobs:

» They dont like it up em from Owen's musings
Forbes magazine has an article (free registration) complaining that bloggers bash brands. No target is too mighty. It has some lousy advice for companies on how to defend themselves. ... [Read More]

» Warning: This Post May Contain Lies, Libel and Invective from Below the Fold
I’ve been busy of late with that dreadful thing called work, so detailed and more thoughtful comments about Steve Rubel’s Forbes cover story post, and the story itself, will have to wait. Nevertheless, I love what Steve says about the [Read More]

» Forbes says bloggers are 'lynch mob' from AccMan Pro
With so much blog fever going around, it is easy to be lulled into thinking this is some sort of promised land. It isn't. Forbes, (you'll need to register - it's free) in a very one-sided article describes blogs as:the prized platform of an online lync... [Read More]

» Forbes says bloggers are 'lynch mob' from AccMan Pro
With so much blog fever going around, it is easy to be lulled into thinking this is some sort of promised land. It isn't. Forbes, (you'll need to register - it's free) in a very one-sided article describes blogs as:the prized platform of an online lync... [Read More]

» Shallow journalism at Forbes magazine from NevOn
When you see a business magazine story about blogs with the title "Attack of The Blogs!," you should know what to expect. A cover story in the latest edition of Forbes magazine doesn't disappoint as this paragraph indicates: [...] Blogs [Read More]

» Attack of the Magazines from Chris Pirillo
After talking to a few random people, I figured out the following: Some magazines now ... [Read More]

» Sad Sad Forbes from Jaffe Juice
Mighty Mouse sounds off on CNBC last night and on his blog against the ridiculous cover story in Forbes titled, Attack of the blogs (extra points from Rubel for providing the bugmenot user name and password of forbesdontbug to bypass [Read More]

» Attack of the Killer Blogs! from La Shawn Barber's Corner
Bloggers are more of a threat than people realize, and they are only going to get more toxic. This is the new reality. Peter Blackshaw, Intelliseek Forbess cover story (try BugMeNot to bypass reg.) makes a few good points about blogs a... [Read More]

» Dont Fear The Bloggers from The Language Artist
Bloggers are more of a threat than people realize, and they are only going to get more toxic. This is the new reality. Peter Blackshaw, Intelliseek (which has a blog !) Steve Rubel is right. Forbes blows it. According to a rather alarmist co... [Read More]

» Blogs, seus maus! from A t r i u m - media e cidadania
051114_Forbes By a t r i u m. A revista norte-americana Forbes, certamente na expectativa de aumentar as suas vendas, faz do ataque aos blogs tema de capa e de trabalho detalhado no interior. O texto principal (acesso restrito... [Read More]

» Oh Those EVIL Bloggers from achievable ends
Forbes Launches Blog Attack Forbes writer, Daniel Lyon, lashes out at the blogosphere as "the prized platform of an online lynch mob spouting liberty but spewing lies, libel and invective." You'll soon find this quote right beside the dictionary [Read More]

» Bloggers Form Lynch Mobs, Prove Forbes Right from POP! PR Jots
When I was younger, I loved the cheesy "When Animals Attack!" television shows that were the standard fare on FOX. Well, sometimes Bloggers can act like animals, attacking others when their young (the Blogs) are attacked. [Read More]

» Forbes Calls Bloggers Dangerous. from The Jawa Report
It’s official blogs have graduated from the interesting oddity of the day to a real threat to established power. The first indication is Denny Hastert has started a blog. Now Forbes Magazine has taken notice. Yes blogger power is uncontrolled,... [Read More]

» Forbes: Blogs are Dangerous from Myopic Zeal
Forbes has run an alarmist cover story titled Attack of the Blogs. LaShawn opines: A blog swarm can be a stinging gadfly, a much-dreaded possibility, or someone’s worst nightmare, but in my opinion, blogging is free expression at its... [Read More]

» Screw you Forbes from Inside Larry's head
Dear editors of Forbes; Go #)*(&@##*)@&@! yourselves. Anyway, I would like to say first to the fun folks at Forbes I didn’t register to read the article where you’ve slammed my hobby. Now Forbes Starts off this article on how bloggers are a ... [Read More]

» Forbes Attacks Blogs from The Dread Pundit Bluto
Mr. Lyons, blogs don't slander people, people slander people. [Read More]

» Forbes Attacks Blogs from The Dread Pundit Bluto
Mr. Lyons, blogs don't slander people, people slander people. [Read More]

» Forbes Cover Story on Blogging from act2
Forbes Cover Story on Blogging [Read More]

» Wow, Nice one Forbes from CrunchNotes
A lot of people are reading the Forbes article that attacks bloggers. Its the most written about story right now on the Meme, too. Registration is required for the story (note Steve Rubel gives the bugmenot login/password forbesdontbug... [Read More]

» Pot. Kettle. Black. from Rough Type: Nicholas Carr's Blog
Bloggers haven't been shy about pointing out the flaws of traditional print and broadcast journalism - what they often call the "mainstream media." Up until now, the criticism has been mostly a one-way street. The articles about blogging in traditional... [Read More]

» Forbes Cover Story Ignores Business Blogging Benefits from BusinessBlogWire.com
The newest Forbes cover story, Attack of the Blogs by Daniel Lyons, is causing a huge stir among business bloggers by portraying the blogosphere as a haven of lawless, greedy, vicious liars and gossipers. If you have a corporate blog... [Read More]

» PodTech Exclusive: Steve Forbes, CEO Editor in Chief, Forbes Inc. from Silicon Valley, Technology, & Media Podcast
Steve Forbes first ever podcast in a PodTech exclusive. I travelled to New York City to sit down with Steve in his office to talk about politics, world economics, blogs, podcasts, and social media. This interview is timely given the recent c... [Read More]

» It's not me, right? It's you. from LeaderNotes.com
Is it any surprise that the guys that dog the use of blogs are the traditional media? Or that to read this story online you have to be a Forbes member or subscriber? [Read More]

» How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Forbes from http://www.ideagrove.com/blog/index.html#112938568736465461
After all, if we marketers have learned anything over the past few years, it's that generating a fear of "evil-doers" is an excellent call to action. [Read More]

» Blog TRO Could Go to Supreme Court from Pinoy Tech Blog - The Philippines' Premier Technology Blog
PCIJ could defend a blog post at the Supreme Court. ... [Read More]

» STEVE FORBES INTERVIEW BY JOHN FURRIER... "ATTACK OF THE BLOGS" ISSUE from Junto Boyz
John is definitely on a roll. He is kicking ass and taking all names with his new venture, Podtech.net. He just did a great interview with Steve Forbes, which is titled at AlwaysOn as "The Flat Tax in a Flat World." [Read More]

» Pot. Kettle. Black. from Rough Type: Nicholas Carr's Blog
Bloggers haven't been shy about pointing out the flaws of traditional print and broadcast journalism - what they often call the "mainstream media." Up until now, the criticism has been mostly a one-way street. The articles about blogging in traditional... [Read More]

Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

This is an important story, but I think it is extremely important to point out the worst part of the Forbest article - the malicious suggestions on how to get bloggers removed from the internet, how to attack their reputations and in the courts, etc. This was utterly beyond the pale, outrageous.
http://www.itshouldbenoted.com/weblog/2005/10/forbes_magazine.html

I think this analysis misses a key point. There is no doubt that certain people behave in a less than ethical way.

It's also true people make mistakes. I think you'd agree your 6A service post might not have been totally balanced. I've done it myself. Because I have a specific view of the world I wish to 'sell' and don't find alternative views easy to stomach. Do any of us?

It's important blog bullies are not ignored in any discussion about blogging - especially at the business level. Ignoring it is a deal killer if I ever saw one.

It seemed most appropriate to respond to the Forbes article by starting a new blog, Forbes Sucks, at http://forbessucks.blogspot.com.

Visit. Comment. I'll be adding more soon, especially regarding the author's sordid history with Groklaw.

What I don't quite understand is how they justify writing something so one sided and in an attacking tone that is exactly the same as the one they're trying to expose as ultimately wrong. How are they any better than bloggers they are writing about?
Where's the responsible journalism part in their work?
Kicking up dust because someone stepped on their (or friends) toes?
It's just silly...

Though it tars with far too big a brush, the articles does have a point: part of the problem is the anonymity of some bloggers, compounded by the willingness (even eagerness) of some other bloggers to spread whatever they read without verification. As described in the article, "Nick Tracy" was spreading slander under a pseudonym. If the bloggers who repeated his stories wish to attain the status of "citizen journalists," they should have behaved like journalists and checked their sources.

Steve - great showing on CNBC last night, but wear a tie next time...you don't want to be showed up by that stiff suit from Forbes, now do you? Seriously, you did great. I was proud.

On another note, please keep wind of the blogosphere's reaction to this...via level of conversation/buzz/chatter/pulse etc.

Lyons was caught redhanded publishing propaganda supporting the SCO Group's shakedown attempt of IBM and the Linux community. He must have gotten angry about how that con has gone and how the anti-SCOG bloggers continue to bash him.

This article is a cry of anguish from someone who has done serious damage to their own reputation. The bloggers had the audacity to point out his misdeeds.

Characterizing any one blog, or some, or all blogs as A or B is simply asinine. Weblogs may be universally disseminated, but readers are entirely capable of determining whether any given writer has credibility, interest, or any other so-called journalistic quality. It is emphatically not up to Forbes or any other "credentialed" media entity to approve or disapprove bloggers' contributions as such. If you object to any on-line effort, by all means criticize or dispute the entry-- but if Forbes as "The Press" considers itself as some guardian angel of truth, virtue, and the American Way, its exemplars simply are damn-fools.

Obviously there is a psychological component to such rants. Poor babies! But we really would have thought that Forbes as a business publication might be a bit more sentient in displaying prejudices.

Sorry-- here I am again. Commenters raise questions of bloggers' anonymity, and it's a valid point. But especially in heavy-handed Statist contexts, political commentary virtually requires that posters escape Gestapo/NKVD surveillance. But in any case, one always comes back to whether a blogger --anonymous or identified-- is worth the minimal time and effort to appraise. I personally will be the judge of that; I do not need any intermediary shielding me from the unfortunate consequences of my own choice; and if anyone asserts that their censorship is for "public good", why, I'll just turn right around and censor THEM. We are not talking obscenity, pornography, incitement to violence here, else why is Daily Kos still up? As an ex-officer in crypto-intelligence, I guarantee that useful information is a matter of context, perspective, and interpretation-- always. Purposely restricting inputs is the kiss of death. How can Forbes not know that this is Wall Street, through and through? What are they thinking? Apparently, they're not thinking much at all, and if Forbes was a blog it would be permanently deleted from my Bookmarks as of now.

Deirdre' is right. The article makes several valid points.
Blogs are a megaphone open to all. Frauds, imbeciles, con men, and creeps of every persuasion are amplified in blogs and blog comments.
This is made worse by the overarching desire (almost manic) of blogs themselves to get noticed, to rate highly and get links. Sensationalism wins, fairplay and thoughtfulness lose... just like it does in the article itself.

Steve

I thought that the main thrust of the article was that the lack of accountability combined with the growing influence of blogs creates a potentially dangerous mix as highlighted by the examples cited.

Do you agree that power/influence without accountability is a dangerous mix?

I think this was a very irresponsible article and companies that permit themselves to be guided by it will get into big trouble.

The Forbes article is the best example of what they are complaining about. It's the Pot describing their perspective of the Kettle.

As one of the bloggers who is attacked in this article, let me thank you for offering "fair and balanced" perspective on it. The incident described regarding my blog has a lot more texture to it -- the analyst firm in question posted anonymous comments on my site (traced back to their IP address), sent anonymous notes to corporations to try to cause harm to myself and my readers. Still, my blog, and my business, are stronger than ever now -- certainly better off than when this incident occured. I believe there's a correlation.

More at http://www.edbrill.com/ebrill/edbrill.nsf/dx/forbes-attack-of-the-blogs

Pure unadulterated Vitriol.

The extend of generalisation of all blogs to be malafide is unimaginable!

Any power worthy of respect is feared by the ignorant.

I'm just waiting for somebody to DDOS Forbes.com.

Too bad Forbes already bought ForbesSucks.com way back in 2002.

On Monday I will be posting a podcast on PodTech.net with Forbes president Steve Forbes where Steve talks about the benefits of social media (blogging and podcasting). It will be interesting to see how the writer response when his boss basically says the opposite of his story. Look for the podcast on Monday morning.

John Furrier
PodTech.net - InfoTalk
www.PodTech.net

I documented the story that Forbes is referring to: http://wiki.vowe.org/RadicatiGroup It is more than a year old.

Y'know, I run this little directory called blogs4God. There we have listed about 400 blogs by people who talk about politics, polity, apologetics and technology.

Not a single one of them discusses corporations other than the occasional rant about how bad the service is at one of their local dives or by some drifty online service.

Which is why I simply made a parody of their cover - which is about all this cover story deserved.

Dump Forbes. That publication is so stupid and wrong about everything all the time, from what I keep seeing.

Forbes is sick and dying.

Like the entire MSM, no credibility anymore, as the polls indicate.

Shoddy journalism, blogopathic idiots strike again.

It's the stinking rotting corpse of the MSM vomiting hate all over the place.

I dance on the grave of the MSM.

I don't think Forbes has had this many people talking about it since Steve was running for president. Somewhere up (or down) there, Malcolm is revving his Harley and smiling.

Oh, puh-lease! The only people who care what Forbes thinks are... DWMs... dead white males. The rest of us are blogging.

I dont think Forbes knows anything about google or blogging in general, they need to go do some more active research and write a new article about the blogosphere.

The comments to this entry are closed.

My Photo

Search


Subscribe

My Lifestream

Contact Me

Recent Comments

Miscellany