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Let's get real about being "real" on blogs

April 2, 2005 By 7 Comments
It bugs me when folks start limiting something according to their
own rules.  So blogging is supposed to be about being authentic,
being real, passing on information, and–oh yeah–fun.  So one of
my friend Toby's clients started a cool blog–Gourmet Station Blog. 
Now this blog is written by T. Alexander–interestingly is also my
son's name–T. Alexander is a character who has been a facet of this
company's newsletters for a while.  Makes sense that T. Alexander
should blog.  The owners of the company made it really clear in
the first post and in the about us that T. Alexander
is fiction.  He's a character, he's an embodiment of the whole store, all the employees.  Now some folks have been less than charitable about this–The TrueTalk Blog- Let's Pretend! -gapingvoid- “beyond lame” goes upscale -BLOGthenticity » Meet T. A. at Gourmet Station Blog. 
This makes no sense and, I think, limits the Blogosphere.  What
about pseudonyms?  Why not put on a persona to write?  What
if, for example, Janet Evanovich, wanted her
character Stephanie Plum to blog as part of a book promotion?  I
think that would be a hoot.  Sure, more folks might know that ol'
Steph is a character and not “real”, but still…
 
Blogs
are about authenticity and information.  They are also fun and
cool.  This isn't a “fake blog” it's a character blog.  The
owners are up front about this.  This isn't even like that french
fry blog.  T. Alexander sounds like someone who I'd like to have
sitting on my deck sipping chilled chardonnay on a summer evening
munching on appies.
 
So, I don't think that
the Gourmet Station folks got bad advice.  I think that this is
fun thing.  Let's take some time to get to know T.
Alexander.  Who knows, we might pick up a cool recipe or
two.  Heck, we might even laugh.  Naw, can't have that. 
Not on the Blogosphere ;-) .
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  • Anonymous

    Tris, I like parts of the site. The layout and design is beautiful. It fits the idea behind the company.
    My only criticism would be (and was at BLOGthenticity.com) that the site is saying it is a blog and that will just get you in trouble in a culture that 'has' started to define itself.
    There are two ways to easily avoid the inevitable criticisms (and I'm sorry that my post started it, but really – it was inevitable).
    (1) Use real people to do the writing. Trying to apply pen names or pseudonyms to a medium that does not like them is a mistake. The attempt to use that tactic was going to backfire. You're trying to compare apples and oranges. Companies – know your audience and environment.. First rule. Always the first rule.
    (2) Just don't call it a blog. That simple. Now, this way won't be as effective (in my opinion) to boost the site's appeal. But, this tack may have avoided the inevitable critiques. I can't promise this would have worked because (called a blog or not) anyone that drops by will see post and comments. That will scream 'blog' to them. When they discover it is fictional – well, I think we've already seen the inevitable outcome.
    T.A. is not “in keeping with the culture of the blogosphere” at all. That'ls the problem. Let Donna Lynes-Miller do the writing. She's doing a great job of finding posts/comments about T.A. and responding. (A good idea and tactic, by the way.)
    Still, I wish them the best. I'm betting the food tastes good.

  • Anonymous

    Tris, I like parts of the site. The layout and design is beautiful. It fits the idea behind the company.
    My only criticism would be (and was at BLOGthenticity.com) that the site is saying it is a blog and that will just get you in trouble in a culture that 'has' started to define itself.
    There are two ways to easily avoid the inevitable criticisms (and I'm sorry that my post started it, but really – it was inevitable).
    (1) Use real people to do the writing. Trying to apply pen names or pseudonyms to a medium that does not like them is a mistake. The attempt to use that tactic was going to backfire. You're trying to compare apples and oranges. Companies – know your audience and environment.. First rule. Always the first rule.
    (2) Just don't call it a blog. That simple. Now, this way won't be as effective (in my opinion) to boost the site's appeal. But, this tack may have avoided the inevitable critiques. I can't promise this would have worked because (called a blog or not) anyone that drops by will see post and comments. That will scream 'blog' to them. When they discover it is fictional – well, I think we've already seen the inevitable outcome.
    T.A. is not “in keeping with the culture of the blogosphere” at all. That'ls the problem. Let Donna Lynes-Miller do the writing. She's doing a great job of finding posts/comments about T.A. and responding. (A good idea and tactic, by the way.)
    Still, I wish them the best. I'm betting the food tastes good.

  • Anonymous

    Robert,
    First off, thank you for taking the time to comment. This is what the blogosphere is all about. Discussion, dialogue, sharing ideas.
    I think, respectfully and not to duck out of the discussion, that we might just have to agree to disagree. Well except on the design and layout, which is super, I agree.
    See, I see that the culture of the blogosphere has room for a character blog. I think Donna, et al. have a lot of fun being T. Alexander. Maybe T.A. is their alter ego, letting them say things that they normally wouldn't. I'm sure Donna will “guest blog” on the site from time to time. The idea of the blog, as I understand it, is not to give a behind the scenes view of the store, but to take T.A. from their newsletter and onto the screen.
    So perhaps it shouldn't be called a blog, maybe a character blog. The important thing is that the technology lets this small business owner have a really cool website that she can update herself. In my work as a blog consultant I'm doing the same thing and am in the process of setting up a site for a friend based on a blog. So she'll have an easy to update, cool looking, RSS-enabled, search engine friendly website.
    Robert, thanks again for adding to the discussion.

  • Anonymous

    Robert,
    First off, thank you for taking the time to comment. This is what the blogosphere is all about. Discussion, dialogue, sharing ideas.
    I think, respectfully and not to duck out of the discussion, that we might just have to agree to disagree. Well except on the design and layout, which is super, I agree.
    See, I see that the culture of the blogosphere has room for a character blog. I think Donna, et al. have a lot of fun being T. Alexander. Maybe T.A. is their alter ego, letting them say things that they normally wouldn't. I'm sure Donna will “guest blog” on the site from time to time. The idea of the blog, as I understand it, is not to give a behind the scenes view of the store, but to take T.A. from their newsletter and onto the screen.
    So perhaps it shouldn't be called a blog, maybe a character blog. The important thing is that the technology lets this small business owner have a really cool website that she can update herself. In my work as a blog consultant I'm doing the same thing and am in the process of setting up a site for a friend based on a blog. So she'll have an easy to update, cool looking, RSS-enabled, search engine friendly website.
    Robert, thanks again for adding to the discussion.

  • Anonymous

    Tris -
    Wanted to publicly thank you for your friendship and support, as well as, your eloquent discussion of the issues.
    I appreciate you keeping the doors open for conversation, debate and exchange of ideas. In this emerging field, it is critical for us to work together to learn and to grow in order to establish this exciting new channel as a viable marketing/business strategy.
    My hope is that our dialogues will be based on honorable intensions that help rather than hurt and include sound research if and when we disagree with each other.
    Toby

  • Anonymous

    Tris -
    Wanted to publicly thank you for your friendship and support, as well as, your eloquent discussion of the issues.
    I appreciate you keeping the doors open for conversation, debate and exchange of ideas. In this emerging field, it is critical for us to work together to learn and to grow in order to establish this exciting new channel as a viable marketing/business strategy.
    My hope is that our dialogues will be based on honorable intensions that help rather than hurt and include sound research if and when we disagree with each other.
    Toby

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