The thing is, people seem to be getting burned out on social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, but I have been running into non-techie folks who are starting blogs and loving it.
Think about it – if you haven’t “gotten around to it†in the last six months … what makes you think you’ll do it in the next six months? It’s not as if time is going to magically free itself up.
As much as we complain about how expensive things are getting, we’re surrounded by forces that are making them cheaper. Forty years ago, the principal nutritional problem in America was hunger; now it’s obesity, for which we have the Green Revolution to thank. Forty years ago, charity was dominated by clothing drives for the poor. Now you can get a T-shirt for less than the price of a cup of coffee, thanks to China and global sourcing. So too for toys, gadgets, and commodities of every sort. Even cocaine has pretty much never been cheaper (globalization works in mysterious ways).
Anyone here from PayPerPost? You need to kill yourself. I’m kidding. Well, I wouldn’t mind it if you did.
A lot of buzz over that last quote. Not only did he say that, he also called affiliate marketers spammers. While he may have gotten quite a few backlinks and traffic from it, he also lost a little respect from others judging by what I’ve been reading.
I really like Dave’s quote. I’m bad about saying I’ll get around to it someday:(
@ Lori – That’s pure Jason all the way. He doesn’t care about backlinks and traffic. He’s a shit-disturber extraordinaire who is constantly talking trash and polarizing people. But he’s also always trying to improve upon existing web services. His whole point with Mahalo is curated, spam-free search/info. A noble idea, but we’ll see if it’s sustainable as a business.
Thanks for posting that quote of mine…it’ll be interesting to see if the Facebook buzz starts dying down. Just heard on NPR that Mark Zuckerberg is on Forbes’ list of richest people. It will be interesting to see if that wealth lasts.
@ James – I think what your experience also shows us is that the gap between the ultra-geeks and everyone else is widening. Thanks for stopping by!
Wow, I’m quotable! Thanks, Michael.
Calacanis should kill himself. No really…I’m serious. Well…yeah no I’m completely serious.
Scott –
I disagree. Is Calacanis full of himself and an instigator of arguments? Absolutely. But he does raise awareness of a few pretty important points as he does so.
The best approach when listening to people who are seemingly jerks is to ask yourself “what’s some nugget of useful information I can pull out of this experience?”
There’s always something to be learned from people who think they know everything
@ Scott – LOL
@ Dave – Calacanis is one of those people who is often irritatingly half right and half wrong about stuff in a mixed up way that is very exasperating.
@Michael –
I agree 100%. I’m not a fan of his at all, but I find it a lot less stressful to focus on the learning when I can’t do the “liking.”
@Dave
Obviously Jason Calacanis is a smart guy. He started one of the most successful blog networks out there. He’s got to be an amazing businessman. But I lose absolutely all respect for someone when they say something as insensitive as that.
A friend of mine committed suicide last year. I hate to pull that card, but it strikes a nerve when some ass hole says that about people who are just trying to make a living and who, in all truth, help a lot of other people make a living as well.
@Scott –
I hear you. It stings me, too, when someone says something they think will be funny or witty without thinking about how it will hurt someone who has actually had the experience. I won’t go into details, but I know where you’re coming from.
@Scott and Dave – Yes, that is an important point. I used to describe things or people I thought were stupid as retarded. Very insensitive of me, and now I try not to. The problem with humor of any kind is that someone will not find it funny for whatever reason. Some people think extreme violence is funny, and I just don’t. I don’t get that AT ALL. But that’s me.
Jason is out to polarize people. He leaves a wake and gets people riled up. He’s the center of attention. He does this so naturally, it’s like magic. I admire it in a strange way, perhaps because I’m nothing like that.
@ Michael
I do the exact same thing (using retarded), so I guess I’m a bit of a hypocrite. It’s a shame because Jason’s tactics are incredibly effective and being a blogger myself, sometimes you have no choice but to try and piss people off. That’s what people talk about. No one mentions you if you’re nice.
@ Scott – Good point. It’s true, but not exclusively. Maki from Dosh Dosh doesn’t act like Jason, but everyone respects him and they do talk about him because of the incredible value he provides. It’s that middle ground where people do not notice you. I wonder if it’s possible to do both?
There’s a difference between being controversial and being an insensitive jerk. The latter need to shut up or die. :p