My accounting readers are trying to understand what this Web 2.0 stuff means. So are a lot of people. Read on and you’ll see what the media makes of it:
Tom Raftery – who I know is a decent man, has had a ‘cease and desist‘ order slapped on him by O’Reilly/CMP Media. Tom made the seemingly fatal mistake of naming a small half day conference due to be held 8th June in Cork ‘Web 2.0.’
CMP is attempting to get a ‘service mark’ for this generic name in both the EU and US. Note: they don’t have this name registered – yet. Note: Ireland isn’t the 51st state – not last time I checked.
Then to add insult to injury, CMP relents but asks him to sign a document saying he will never, ever ’til the sun don’t rise use the name in respect of future conferences. Tom is gamefully resisting. Good for you Tom. If nothing else, it’s guaranteed to sell out his not-for-profit event.
Why are CMP putting up a stink? Conferences are an extremely lucrative sideline for media organisations and in slapping the ‘Web 2.0′ moniker on a couple of these shindigs, CMP seems to think that Tom’s event puts its brand is at risk. I’ve got a message for CMP – you’ve just torpedoed the brand because most of those who turn up to these things are geeks who closely follow events in the blogopshere. They are not happy.
The blogerati are up in arms about this on a growing list at tech.meme. The only one that doesn’t seem to grasp the stupidity of this ham-fisted action is self-confessed O’Reilly Media apologist Nick Carr, who thinks IT doesn’t matter anyway. Shel Israel, who is speaking at the event, draws the excellent comparison with the late Lenny Bruce, whose colourful language during his one man shows was the subject of similar action.
This surely must go down as a strong candidate for top billing at wankr.com. I have a list of others who would run a close second.
Seriously though. If you want an example of the power shift between old style media and this medium, you’ve got it. If you have a reputation to defend, think carefully. If you are spending money advertising with mainstream media, you might want to think again. If you’re advising clients about marketing strategies, you might want to think again. Next time you’re thinking about attending a paid conference, think about the motivation behind it, the people who are ‘sponsoring’ it and the influence they really have.
As an aside – I cannot imagine the irregular bloggerhood (great term Jeff) ever getting into this kind of crap. And yes Jeff – it sucks.
Technorati Tags: SAPPHIRE06, web 2.0
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As another finance person who blogs, this sounds like a clarion call! Get the calculators greased n cleaned boys! We are coming and woe betide the conference organiser who puts on an event to mask an alterior motive.
We will pelt him/her with our Casios!