Well, it seems like there’s a good reason why theMulife has been a little barren over the past few days — Muhammad Saleem, one of the formost voices on social bookmarking, is joining Pronet Advertising for a regular column.  He also blogs at 901am.com with Dave Krug and Thord Hedengren, and runs Socially Given, a charity driven blognetwork that donates its ad revenue to charity.  In fact, they donated almost $300 to different charities in only a couple weeks of being around.

Best of luck to Muhammad — I always find his observations sharp and topical on social bookmarking, and it’ll be interesting to see what he brings to the Pronet.

So, at some point or another, most people who know that I blog AND that I am a resident in Medicine will often ask why I blog about the stuff I do, or perhaps, why I *don’t* blog about medical stuff. Since its up on Crunchnotes, I thought I might as well just blog about it right now.

I blog about tech related matters, journalism, marketing, web2.0 matters, design and other miscellania because its interesting to me. In fact, I’d like to think that I’m a guy who’s got lots of interests, and while Medicine is one of them, its not all of them.

Blogging tickles my brain in a way that is difficult to express in Medicine. It allows an outlet for creativity, analysis and opinion in a frank and honest (and sometimes snarky) way about topics that I have a fascination about.

Medicine means something different for me entirely. Although there is always the academic and intellectual challenge of it all, I find that the most rewarding parts of it are the ways that it allows me to connect with patients. Its not always easy, but when I get a chance to reflect on things, its the thing I really find worthwhile.

While I’m on the topic, this past month, there was a rare intersection of blogging and Medicine that I came upon, as I ran into a blog of a patient I was taking care of that was being done while I was actually care of the patient!

You know, we always harp upon blogs being about “conversations”, and how important it was to have “comments”, and certainly I’ve been a shrill voice in that dialogue as well.

Anyway, I retract that now.

This past month I was working on the ward of a Palliative Care service, where we helped people with the symptoms of cancer, so that they enjoy the time they have left with their friends and family.

Josh was one of my patients. He is dying of leukemia.

Josh’s family maintains a blog at joshuasprogress.blogspot.com, whose origins were primarily to keep the small town they hailed from in touch with his progress. Only recently have they opened it up to the public, and with it, we were able to get a glimpse into what living with a terminal illness is like for Josh and his family.

It opened up a side to him that I was never fully able to appreciate as we were so focused on his symptomatology. And it was so rare to get an almost “live” report on how things were doing from his end of things. We’d try something one day in response to how he was doing, and later in the day, you could tell what his and his family’s opinions really were on our efforts.

It was both refreshing and humbling at the same time.

I don’t think many patients or families could essentially “live-blog” this stage of a patient’s journey with Cancer. I think it may have to do with a combination of things, but probably the most important was the fact that they had lived with cancer so long that they had become accustomed to it. More than that, though, it seemed like both Josh and his parents had come to gain a measure of peace in accepting what the outcome of his illness was — and they worked with us to make sure that Josh still had a measure of control over whatever time was left in a way that he felt was important.

Josh’s blog doesn’t have comments.

I’m not sure if they’re really all that necessary.

Josh’s blog is a rare and unique glimpse into how a patient and a family deal with all of the issues around cancer, particularly at this late stage. I don’t know of many families that would be able to blog about an illness during the illness itself. But I think that perhaps one of our hospital chaplains described it best, when she described Josh and their family’s sense of peace as a state of “grace”.

You know, blogs are all kinds of things to all kinds of people. Most of the time they ARE conversations. And sometimes its appropriate that we don’t blather on, but simply listen what people have to say, because its that important.

• Mark Cuban: BitTorrent is Doomed
  Mark Cuban is an entertaining guy. But the things he says sometimes just sound so stupid! TorrentFreak summarizes the thoughts of a nation re: P2P and Mark’s latest ramblings.
  (tags: news p2p bittorrent markcuban torrentfreak)

So, in contrast to many bloggers I know, I don’t use Apple. I use Microsoft. I like it for a variety of reasons. I have even described myself as a bit of a fan. But when I heard about Microsof’s latest PR astroturfing blunder, even I had a hard time suspending my disbelief. For pete’s sake, if you’re going to astroturf, at least do it right!

The controversy lies in Microsoft paying a non-Microsoft employee to “correct” Wikipedia entries on some standards-related stuff (that I can barely make out without passing into a stuporous coma). Problem? Said non-Microsoftie decided to blog about it. And, it gets to the press. And Reuters picks it up. Then it gets Slash-dotted. Cue blogger moral outrage right about … wait for it … right about … *now*.

What I don’t understand (and yes, its easy to pontificate in hindsight — but that’s the beauty of blogging) is how Microsoft could have gotten it so wrong in the first place. Like I said — if you’re going to astroturf, do it right! Heck, Microsoft’s real sin is NOT that they were trying to manipulate Wikipedia. I’m sorry to shock anyone’s sensibilities out there, but here’s a clue for you: Other tech companies with standards related issues are ALSO altering Wikipedia. The difference is that they’re doing it discretely.

I am not pretending to know the ins and outs of how Wikipedia works, or how it is able to prevent gaming. Nevertheless, I certainly do agree with an AP article which states that it probably would have been better to hire an external source to write some sort of whitepaper validating their position … and then getting the appropriate Wikipedia entry to link to that

Or, barring that — just doing it right the first time. And maybe get your next blogger to sign an NDA clause of some kind.

[Of course my own attitudes haven’t changed; I find the idea of Big Business manipulating social media abhorrent, still. I’m just surprised how silly and stupid Microsoft can be]

tip: Kris Karkoski

So, Steve Rubel thinks we should retire “social media” from the usual tech lexicon. Right. Might as well say “netcast” as opposed to “podcast” (yes, Leo — I’m talkin’ to you); there might be a rationale behind, but you know what? Its just not going to happen.

However, unlike the “netcast” proposed name change, where things won’t happen because the weight of the world already recognizes and knows the term “podcasts” — “social media” won’t be retired for the exact opposite reason.

Rubel says this:

The problem with all of these balkanized phrases is that they connote that the content created by digitally empowered individuals is somehow bush league. It’s like we’re a separate entity from the rest of the so-called “mainstream” journalists, filmmakers, photographers, etc. who do what we do and get paid more for it. We sit in a special dish like leftover meatloaf so we need a special name. If you use these phrases you’re unintentionally perpetuating that myth.

The real problem is that when you’re so thick in the middle of a topic you have a hard time hearing and seeing what non-early adopters have a hard time grappling with. Sure, I’d love to think that ’social media’ in all its forms has penetrated public consciousness and achieved a certain level of respectability amongst the lay public. But guess what?

It hasn’t.

I’d love to think that the “balkanization” of content isn’t necessary, because I DO believe that bloggers and other social media creators create good (and sometimes great stuff). But I don’t kid myself into thinking that its so mainstream that it isn’t deserving of a label.

Here’s a perfect example.

Ask yourself how “blogging” was covered or described in your favourite mainstream publication or television of choice. Its still treated in introductory terms, and even though there might be a respect for how blogging is changing the [insert industry of choice] landscape, “blogging” is still treated as news in and of itself. Something that has become so pedestrian as to escape the shackles of its own labels and definitions doesn’t get this kind of focus from the mainstream media and treated as “new”.

Or how about this.

There’s a Canadian politician — his name is Garth Turner. He was recently booted out of his party for comments on his blog. When it was happening, it was all over the local media. What was really striking to me was how “blogging” was perceived by the local and national media — as an oddity, and something in the purview of geeks that, sometimes, was deserving of snickering and derision.

That’s right.
When a local radio show was covering how he had left the caucus and was “live” in the House of Commons, they were snickering about how he was live-blogging a particular set of proceedings.

Blogging is one aspect of social media, but in spite of it being probably one of the most prominent elements of it, it still doesn’t get the same regard and respect as other forms of media do. Am I surprised about it? No, because I think its so nascent. What is surprising is Steve Rubel’s assertion that social media has “arrived” — so much so that it isn’t deserving of a special label, because that some how marginalizes the medium.

Well, you know what? The medium is going to get marginalized whether it has a label or not. And I say, perhaps like other groups that have been marginalized in some sort, to wear the labels proudly. Its time to go Paula Abdul, and “make it our own”.

Social Media has arrived, its here to stay. Get used to it.
(repeat while chanting).

And by “me”, I am using, of course the Royal “Me” — meaning everyone who is working behind the scenes at the BlogHerald, including Mark (head heraldo), Abe Olandres, and J. Angelo Racoma.

Yes, its funny how far things have gone with my blogging hobby. It seems like I’m no longer in the space where I’d be overjoyed that someone (anyone) linked to me … and now find that I’m managing a growing stable of bloggers, and interacting daily with folks who are busting their butts trying to make one of the most venerable blogging brands “work”.

The title of “Assistant Editor” certainly implies as much, but yes, its funny that I am now “middle management”.

And what’s also funny, but in sort of a non ha-ha way, is how much “managing” eats out of your available time, where I’d otherwise be content to blog in my own snarky, run-on sentence kind-of way. Chatting it up with friends and contacts. Answering emails by the bail (and bale)-ful. And dousing out fires where I see them.

Case in point:

Lorelle VanFossen, in case you hadn’t heard, has joined our little family at the BlogHerald, and I couldn’t be more pleased. Not with myself of course, as it was J. Angelo Racoma who did the “getting” (and deserves big props for that).

Just pleased in general, rather.

I have been a huge fan of her work, and for the uninitiated, Lorelle’s blog is absolutely required reading on Wordpress. Seeing as we all have some kind of Wordpress set up, yes, that means its pretty much required reading for everyone. How to set things up, getting into the nitty gritty of installing stuff, hacking stuff, and pretty much understanding stuff — Lorelle is where its at.

However, one of the great intangibles about her working with us is how she’s bringing keen professional eye to all the things we’re doing and not doing. Getting an understanding for contracts, rights, and copyrights are things we’re still grappling with as evolving publishing entity. But, I think its something that’s long over due — and a measure of how much trust and faith our bloggers have in us to pretty much blog as they have. We’re doing what we can to earn that trust.

Another thing is our design. I love Chris Pearson. I love Pearsonified. But I think a new turn in the BlogHerald deserves a new theme — and its coming, believe me (just don’t ask when!). Lorelle has also taken a keen eye to how things are design, accessibility and standards-wise to us as well, and with all due respect to Chris’s work we’re making a few small adjustments in those latter respects.

However, things aren’t always coming up roses.

This past weekend, Dave Krug felt slighted when a post on 901am’s launch magically disappeared — thinking that it was in poor conduct, as 901am and the BlogHerald live in the same space (if not in the same neighborhood). He decided to blog about it on 901am as well as the BlogHerald.

Long story short: I am happy to say that I respected Dave Krug before, and I am happy to say that I still respect the man and consider him a friend in the business. It speaks to the importance of instant messaging that we were able to talk about it and hash out our differences. For those interested, we’re not really sure what happened to the 901am post, but it wasn’t taken down in malice. Nor were any other comments mentioned in malice. But I was happy to make things right as fast as I could. And I was thrilled that, at a moment of serendipity, Mark Saunders, the Capo Di Capo, was online at the same time — but in Sri Lanka at around 0300h local time. We were all on the same page, and it looks like we were all able to sort it out in a gentlemanly fashion.

As a spin off of that incident, Duncan Reily Riley got riled up (sorry Duncan, I couldn’t help it) because a link was removed in a housekeeping design issue. Basically we decided to clean up the author list as it was getting large and unwieldy, and removed his and Matt (Matt Craven’s) name from that list as they were from the “old guard”.

Duncan had a legitimate point though: his posts (all 3500+) of them are the foundation of the BlogHerald, and not recognizing them OR the man who created the institution was wrong.

At any rate, I apologized on 901am as well as Duncan’s own blog. He hasn’t replied or acknowedged it on either forum — and that’s his prerogative, I suppose. We have separate links for Matt and Duncan underneath the “About” section in the footer, and will have a separate “legacy” section, we hope in our new theme for their contributions. We hope we did right in a quick enough fashion, and we will strive to continue doing what’s right when something wrong has occurred.

And at the end of the day, that’s what we’re really all trying to do — and by “we”, I don’t just mean Abe, j. Angelo and Mark. I mean all of the bloggers, all of whom are richly talented, and of whom I am humbled and honored to work with and be associated with.

We’re trying to create something at the BlogHerald that is new, interesting and exciting — and we’re going to make mistakes along the way. But we’re not out to do anyone wrong — even, nay, especially, our distinguished competition. We know its up to us to make a name for ourselves, and we hope by creating a stable of great and honest bloggers we’re taking the first steps to doing so.

So yes — that’s why I haven’t been blogging for the past few days. ;)

If you haven’t checked out the BlogHerald recently, go on and do so. That’s where I spend as much as time as I do here, and let me know how things are going. We can only make it better together, and please — be as brutally honest as you like. With all the events of late, I’m getting a thicker, crustier, skin as the hours and days go by. :)

• The Power of Food Blogging
  Actually, the power of blogging period — especially as how it applies to reporting on restaurants. Note to self: bring camera and notepad next time I visit North 44 …
  (tags: seriouseats restaurant food blogging)
• Avoiding a “Firememe” — A PR Conflagration (But, Not In A Good Way)
  Well, I’ve never heard it being described as such, but a “fire” meme is as good as any to describe a PR nightmare, given wings. And tinder. And a flamethrower. Some tips on how to avoid it, for PR fans out there.
  (tags: overtonecomm firememe management crisis PR)