Comments on: … And Why It Actually Kind of Sucks To Meet Bloggers In Person http://www.deepjiveinterests.com/2007/06/17/and-why-it-actually-kind-of-sucks-to-meet-bloggers-in-person/ Thoughts on Web 2.0, Social Media, Marketing. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:17:06 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Deep Jive Interests » BlogWars Are Easily Defused When Meeting In Person http://www.deepjiveinterests.com/2007/06/17/and-why-it-actually-kind-of-sucks-to-meet-bloggers-in-person/comment-page-1/#comment-58371 Deep Jive Interests » BlogWars Are Easily Defused When Meeting In Person Wed, 01 Aug 2007 21:09:33 +0000 http://www.deepjiveinterests.com/2007/06/17/and-why-it-actually-kind-of-sucks-to-meet-bloggers-in-person/#comment-58371 [...] BlogWars Are Easily Defused When Meeting In Person August 1st, 2007 at 5:09 pm Looks like Arrington and Scoble have buried the hatchet, over their recent tiff regarding PodTech.  Blogwars are boring, I know, but its so funny how easily these things are defused when people actually meet people in person. [...] [...] BlogWars Are Easily Defused When Meeting In Person August 1st, 2007 at 5:09 pm Looks like Arrington and Scoble have buried the hatchet, over their recent tiff regarding PodTech.  Blogwars are boring, I know, but its so funny how easily these things are defused when people actually meet people in person. [...]

]]> By: Ted Murphy http://www.deepjiveinterests.com/2007/06/17/and-why-it-actually-kind-of-sucks-to-meet-bloggers-in-person/comment-page-1/#comment-48653 Ted Murphy Mon, 25 Jun 2007 18:08:55 +0000 http://www.deepjiveinterests.com/2007/06/17/and-why-it-actually-kind-of-sucks-to-meet-bloggers-in-person/#comment-48653 Tony, Great post. I love meeting bloggers in person, good bad or otherwise. I'm happy that I had the chance to meet you and so many other passionate bloggers at MESH. Will you be going to Blog World Expo in Vegas? Tony,
Great post. I love meeting bloggers in person, good bad or otherwise. I’m happy that I had the chance to meet you and so many other passionate bloggers at MESH. Will you be going to Blog World Expo in Vegas?

]]> By: Dave J. (Scoop0901) http://www.deepjiveinterests.com/2007/06/17/and-why-it-actually-kind-of-sucks-to-meet-bloggers-in-person/comment-page-1/#comment-47583 Dave J. (Scoop0901) Thu, 21 Jun 2007 08:58:23 +0000 http://www.deepjiveinterests.com/2007/06/17/and-why-it-actually-kind-of-sucks-to-meet-bloggers-in-person/#comment-47583 I got a great laugh out of this post, actually, so, for that, thanks! Why did I get a laugh? Because it takes me back years. Actually, it takes me back over two decades, to the time when I began writing professionally. Because of your post, I had reflections of meeting several people. The burning torches mounted on either side of my desk, providing light for my old Underwood manual typewriter, were going to be the means for toasting two people, and the other odd collection of objects on my desk were carefully being considered for use. After meeting the people, well, they were "nice," which made it hard for me to really write objectively about them. <strong>(Enter the Dutch Uncle editor)</strong> After a stern talk from an editor who could well have been my grandfather, telling me how it was my job to separate personal from professional and to tear the "he is nice as a person" part of the turkey from the "he is stealing from the city's treasury" bones, well, that "likeness" factor went right down the tubes. No, it wasn't an easy thing, at first, separating the personal side of things from the professional side of things, but after a little practice (being called, yelled at, screamed at, insulted to no end, and threatened a few times), it came like a flick of a switch. Walk into the newsroom and there were no personal relationships. Walk out of the newsroom and I wore a hat if I was "on-the-job" or a polo shirt if I was "off-the-clock." After people I reported on got used to me, they had the same kind of relationship with me: a love-hate relationship. They hated me for some of the things I wrote, but as a person, I was okay to be seen with in public. Maybe that was when I was buying the next round ... or was it when I wore a bag over my head? Either way, they learned that I was always fair in my writing, and even at times when they were pulled very slowly across the coals, they knew I was fair and presented all sides, not just one or two sides. It's great to like a person, but if you are writing about the person for a living, you have to be able to flip off that proverbial switch. Thanks for the laugh. Reflecting on things like that often bring a new perspective to age. Or is it that age brings a new perspective on old things? Either way: the laugh was good. I got a great laugh out of this post, actually, so, for that, thanks!

Why did I get a laugh? Because it takes me back years. Actually, it takes me back over two decades, to the time when I began writing professionally.

Because of your post, I had reflections of meeting several people. The burning torches mounted on either side of my desk, providing light for my old Underwood manual typewriter, were going to be the means for toasting two people, and the other odd collection of objects on my desk were carefully being considered for use.

After meeting the people, well, they were “nice,” which made it hard for me to really write objectively about them.

(Enter the Dutch Uncle editor)

After a stern talk from an editor who could well have been my grandfather, telling me how it was my job to separate personal from professional and to tear the “he is nice as a person” part of the turkey from the “he is stealing from the city’s treasury” bones, well, that “likeness” factor went right down the tubes.

No, it wasn’t an easy thing, at first, separating the personal side of things from the professional side of things, but after a little practice (being called, yelled at, screamed at, insulted to no end, and threatened a few times), it came like a flick of a switch. Walk into the newsroom and there were no personal relationships. Walk out of the newsroom and I wore a hat if I was “on-the-job” or a polo shirt if I was “off-the-clock.”

After people I reported on got used to me, they had the same kind of relationship with me: a love-hate relationship. They hated me for some of the things I wrote, but as a person, I was okay to be seen with in public. Maybe that was when I was buying the next round … or was it when I wore a bag over my head?

Either way, they learned that I was always fair in my writing, and even at times when they were pulled very slowly across the coals, they knew I was fair and presented all sides, not just one or two sides.

It’s great to like a person, but if you are writing about the person for a living, you have to be able to flip off that proverbial switch.

Thanks for the laugh. Reflecting on things like that often bring a new perspective to age. Or is it that age brings a new perspective on old things? Either way: the laugh was good.

]]> By: Gary http://www.deepjiveinterests.com/2007/06/17/and-why-it-actually-kind-of-sucks-to-meet-bloggers-in-person/comment-page-1/#comment-47441 Gary Wed, 20 Jun 2007 17:11:40 +0000 http://www.deepjiveinterests.com/2007/06/17/and-why-it-actually-kind-of-sucks-to-meet-bloggers-in-person/#comment-47441 "reasonably normal" I'll assume you aren't talking about me then ;) “reasonably normal”

I’ll assume you aren’t talking about me then ;)

]]> By: Tamar Weinberg http://www.deepjiveinterests.com/2007/06/17/and-why-it-actually-kind-of-sucks-to-meet-bloggers-in-person/comment-page-1/#comment-47040 Tamar Weinberg Tue, 19 Jun 2007 04:15:51 +0000 http://www.deepjiveinterests.com/2007/06/17/and-why-it-actually-kind-of-sucks-to-meet-bloggers-in-person/#comment-47040 Yeah, I totally hear you, Tony. I would not expect you to remove it under any circumstances anyway. It contributed to my growth. :) Thanks for the insights. Yeah, I totally hear you, Tony. I would not expect you to remove it under any circumstances anyway. It contributed to my growth. :) Thanks for the insights.

]]> By: Tony Hung http://www.deepjiveinterests.com/2007/06/17/and-why-it-actually-kind-of-sucks-to-meet-bloggers-in-person/comment-page-1/#comment-47022 Tony Hung Tue, 19 Jun 2007 02:53:30 +0000 http://www.deepjiveinterests.com/2007/06/17/and-why-it-actually-kind-of-sucks-to-meet-bloggers-in-person/#comment-47022 Tamar -- no, I won't remove that post, because a) its still true and b) its always nice to see how far you've come since that post. ;) Tamar — no, I won’t remove that post, because a) its still true and b) its always nice to see how far you’ve come since that post. ;)

]]> By: Tony Hung http://www.deepjiveinterests.com/2007/06/17/and-why-it-actually-kind-of-sucks-to-meet-bloggers-in-person/comment-page-1/#comment-47021 Tony Hung Tue, 19 Jun 2007 02:48:28 +0000 http://www.deepjiveinterests.com/2007/06/17/and-why-it-actually-kind-of-sucks-to-meet-bloggers-in-person/#comment-47021 Dan -- I think there's truth to both the pre/post Mesh reactions, and no, I don't actually think that meeting people will necessarily lead to more accuracy and less sensational writing. Heck, look at Mike Arrington, right? :) Dan — I think there’s truth to both the pre/post Mesh reactions, and no, I don’t actually think that meeting people will necessarily lead to more accuracy and less sensational writing.

Heck, look at Mike Arrington, right? :)

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