Hey....I am the fake Leo, am I'm sorry. I didn't know that it would cause commotion like it has. I never expected anyone to really believe it. I thought it would be like Darth Vader, or Luke Skywalker--just an impersonation. I'm sorry for what I've done, and I am now sending Leo the password to the "leolaporte" account so he could do whatever he wants with it...
Well done definetheline. You made a mistake and have fallen on your sword. You really could have been a jerk if you'd wanted but it looks like you are doing the honorable thing. Just don't bleed on the carpet.
What makes these so called A-Listers any better than the rest of us? They are not gods, so please quit kissing their asses! Almost all of the so called A-Listers of the web (Leo Laporte, Kevin Rose, Chris Pirillo, etc.) were able to use Tech TV as a platform to launch their careers - a luxury most of us don't have.
I'd have a lot more respect if they would return the favor to US by plugging OUR stuff from time to time. The way it is now it's just a one way conversation. After all, without us they would be NOTHING!
@mahke: Yes, I'm losing it... smoked too much crack last night I guess. I will give them credit for plugging stuff on N@N on occasion, but the odds of getting your stuff plugged is pretty low. Perhaps they should have a seperate site where all of the listeners can have a fair shot of getting their stuff seen?
The first rule of discussions online is not to use words that may cause offence. "Jerk" although used in an offhand manner may be taken the wrong way and result in a little flame war as we've seen here.
A listers are A listers because they have put in an extraordinary effort into making a product that people want to listen to. That is why they get so much respect from the online community.
Manatee, be a little more subtle. By it's very nature the world wide web and it's infrastructure are based on viral advertising. Create a product that people see and enjoy and they'll advertise it.
I'm sorry for my venting - I think the big deal about you leaving Twitter has to do with how often you talked it up so much in the past... and then ditched it like a piece of smelly garbage. If anyone else changed from Twitter to Jaiku it's no big deal... but if you switch then everyone leaves and follows you to the new site without question. They would leave Twitter or any other site and follow you to the new one no matter how well it performed. Sigh... over and out.... going back to Twitter.
@warza: Well said... I agree, but many of us have put an extraordinary amount of effort and time into projects and never seem to get a big break.
I just think if I was in the position of some of these "A-Listers" such as Scobel, Leo, etc. I'd give a little love to the people that helped get them there. But like you say if it isn't good enough then you probably need to rework it.
Funny--I just had a little rant on my blog a week ago bemoaning how annoying it was that people were sticking to Twitter "because all my friends are on it" instead of moving to Jaiku, which, they would admit, has better features. If it takes an A-lister to move the sheep, so be it.
ugh... why is it those who rant about why there is no "A-list" and why one would be stupid, the most annoying? Really, most people just don't pay attention to it. Besides, what A-list is Leo on the podcaster list? So? He produces a ton of content each week, if you want to believe in a list then I think Leo would at least be one of the opt podcasters, if not the top, just by volume alone.
@StrikerF35. Personally I had put Leo's rss feed from twitter in my Google Reader and had been following what he posted, but after he signed up for Jaiku, I wanted to comment so I signed up and have loved it so far. I never signed up for twitter, never felt the need even if Leo did. Social Networking is all about where your friends are at. A lot of times it does take the bigger names moving to make it okay for others all at once to make the switch.
Er..no offense meant to Leo or the people who read him and other big tech bloggers, but I think they mainly function as aggregators/filters for those who don't have the time to follow up on the newest stuff being talked about in smaller blogs and communities around the web. As they funnel content for the majority of web users, they have de facto power to put the final seal of approval on this start-up or that one, which can of course be intensely frustrating for developers. Not only do you have to put together a great site, you also have to wave and scream in a crowd to get the attention of these select few. Which may not come naturally to your average geek. There is no clear solution to this, though, because as long as people have limited time, someone must gather content for them. The most efficient gatherers will get the most attention, and lo, the A-list is formed.
If you exist as a content producer to get popular, then you're not going to. if you exist to do good work and share it with others, you'll be surprised at how many folks notice and contribute. However, you won't care so much how many folks are paying attention -- because you got into publishing because you were interested in the publishing part -- not the pseudo-popularity contest.
Folks get popular. If they do good work, they stay that way. Call them the A-List or the Happy Friends Club -- you choose -- doesn't much matter.
You hit the nail on the head spongefile. My job is to find cool stuff and tell people about it. And to help them understand and integrate technology into their lives.
I think a good example of abuse of power is with Digg. I use to be a system that worked, but now it is quite obvious that a select handful of users control the content that goes on the front page. Someone even said on (I think) the most recent TWiT that Digg is a cartel.
As an F lister you can create the most awesome product/service and it can be extremely difficult to get the word out - as an A lister it's a piece of cake.
I think I'm mainly tired of the corruption with Digg, how Calacanis brags all the time, etc. Ok, time to check to see if my Unicorn icon has updated on Jaiku
Everything has a life...know the saying "today's cock of the ids tomorrows feather duster"...just enjoy what you enjoy for as long as you can...if notoriety is what you're after keep at it..there's plenty of space in the WWW for everyone...I still cant believe they canned Gilligan though...
you still don't get it do you, those "a-listers" are 95% of the time producers of great content and they have a following because people like what they do, those "d-listers" (the list actually ends at d) either don't try hard enough or they just suck, and you don't get popular or get a following by sucking.
bengold: You actually have it backwards. You get popular BY sucking (A Listers) you know whats.
Much of the content from A-listers is not that much better or different than content from us lowly G listers. The difference is they have the connections and high traffic vehicles to give their content a boost. Using Digg as an example you are going to see a lot more front page stories from blogs such as TechCrunch because they have a massive fan base digging their stories.
I'd bet money that TechCrunch could write an article titled My Grandma's Chocolate Chip Cookies and it would get to the home page on digg ONLY because it is from TechCrunch. ;)
It's an interesting question (which we spent some time on on TWiT 92). Does good content rise to the top? Is it enough to make good content - will people discover it? The Tiki Bar guys seemed to think so. I'm not so sure - I think a lot of good content doesn't get discovered, but I do know that that's one of the great joys in my job, discovering something new and cool (like Jaiku) and sharing it with people.
Services and content are two different things. From what I've heard recently Laporte focuses more on tools and services that make everyday life easier.
If you're looking for someone that's sifting through content then Dvorak or stumbleupon may be better options.
@bengold: I would love for TechCrunch to do an experiment... write a really horrible article and see how popular it gets in some of the various social bookmarking sites... :)
On another note a lot of blogs such as Engadget do nothing more than reword/summarize the hard work of others... and then engadget gets all the credit!
But I want to see Grandmother's cookie recipe. You never can tell what's going to click with people. I think in some cases good material can and does rise to the top through viral means - but bad material can be barfed to the top over and over again and obscure the picture. On the other hand - if you are immersed in technology you get a sense of what is good, and what is bad after a while and can sort accordingly.
Personally I think good content will only rise to a certain level. To move into a bigger stream you need to get some sort of promotional push, whether you get out there and flog it yourself or you're lucky enough to get a mention on TWiT or other high-profile tech news dissemination services. There are always exceptions but I don't think anyone can take it as a given that "if you produce it, they will come". Didn't the Tiki Bar guys suggest doing low-level, relevant promotion eg sites that share your interest, get involved with their site and then promote your own in a light-handed "you might also be interested in ........ , let me know what you think".
The best way to attain visibility is to create compelling content. If you're writing about an ancient civilization then make sure all the information you're writing is interesting. Over time universities and a variety of prestigious sites will link to your content. As you create a number of good articles you will improve your reputation and thus generate buzz around your website, hence generating a broader audience.
31 comments so far
First JERK, now BOZO? C'mon Leo... is name calling really necessary? What do you expect for leaving Twitter after plugging it for so long?
2 years, 8 months ago by manatee
Calm down manatee =)
2 years, 8 months ago by shooby
Pot Kettle
2 years, 8 months ago by cactusnic
Hey....I am the fake Leo, am I'm sorry. I didn't know that it would cause commotion like it has. I never expected anyone to really believe it. I thought it would be like Darth Vader, or Luke Skywalker--just an impersonation. I'm sorry for what I've done, and I am now sending Leo the password to the "leolaporte" account so he could do whatever he wants with it...
2 years, 8 months ago by definetheline
Well done definetheline. You made a mistake and have fallen on your sword. You really could have been a jerk if you'd wanted but it looks like you are doing the honorable thing. Just don't bleed on the carpet.
2 years, 8 months ago by cactusnic
What makes these so called A-Listers any better than the rest of us? They are not gods, so please quit kissing their asses! Almost all of the so called A-Listers of the web (Leo Laporte, Kevin Rose, Chris Pirillo, etc.) were able to use Tech TV as a platform to launch their careers - a luxury most of us don't have.
I'd have a lot more respect if they would return the favor to US by plugging OUR stuff from time to time. The way it is now it's just a one way conversation. After all, without us they would be NOTHING!
2 years, 8 months ago by manatee
Sorry manatee. What would you like me to plug?
2 years, 8 months ago by ChiefTWiT
@mahke: Yes, I'm losing it... smoked too much crack last night I guess. I will give them credit for plugging stuff on N@N on occasion, but the odds of getting your stuff plugged is pretty low. Perhaps they should have a seperate site where all of the listeners can have a fair shot of getting their stuff seen?
2 years, 8 months ago by manatee
The first rule of discussions online is not to use words that may cause offence. "Jerk" although used in an offhand manner may be taken the wrong way and result in a little flame war as we've seen here.
A listers are A listers because they have put in an extraordinary effort into making a product that people want to listen to. That is why they get so much respect from the online community.
Manatee, be a little more subtle. By it's very nature the world wide web and it's infrastructure are based on viral advertising. Create a product that people see and enjoy and they'll advertise it.
2 years, 8 months ago by warza
@ChiefTWiT: go ahead and plug http://www.redcross.org if u like ;)
I'm sorry for my venting - I think the big deal about you leaving Twitter has to do with how often you talked it up so much in the past... and then ditched it like a piece of smelly garbage. If anyone else changed from Twitter to Jaiku it's no big deal... but if you switch then everyone leaves and follows you to the new site without question. They would leave Twitter or any other site and follow you to the new one no matter how well it performed. Sigh... over and out.... going back to Twitter.
2 years, 8 months ago by manatee
@warza: Well said... I agree, but many of us have put an extraordinary amount of effort and time into projects and never seem to get a big break.
I just think if I was in the position of some of these "A-Listers" such as Scobel, Leo, etc. I'd give a little love to the people that helped get them there. But like you say if it isn't good enough then you probably need to rework it.
2 years, 8 months ago by manatee
Funny--I just had a little rant on my blog a week ago bemoaning how annoying it was that people were sticking to Twitter "because all my friends are on it" instead of moving to Jaiku, which, they would admit, has better features. If it takes an A-lister to move the sheep, so be it.
2 years, 8 months ago by spongefile
I think if you want to complain about sites getting coverage they don't deserve, MySpace is a better target.
2 years, 8 months ago by spongefile
@spongefile. Of course. It's the geocities of the new new decade ;-)
2 years, 8 months ago by warza
ugh... why is it those who rant about why there is no "A-list" and why one would be stupid, the most annoying? Really, most people just don't pay attention to it. Besides, what A-list is Leo on the podcaster list? So? He produces a ton of content each week, if you want to believe in a list then I think Leo would at least be one of the opt podcasters, if not the top, just by volume alone.
2 years, 8 months ago by bengold
@StrikerF35. Personally I had put Leo's rss feed from twitter in my Google Reader and had been following what he posted, but after he signed up for Jaiku, I wanted to comment so I signed up and have loved it so far. I never signed up for twitter, never felt the need even if Leo did. Social Networking is all about where your friends are at. A lot of times it does take the bigger names moving to make it okay for others all at once to make the switch.
2 years, 8 months ago by GregMS
Er..no offense meant to Leo or the people who read him and other big tech bloggers, but I think they mainly function as aggregators/filters for those who don't have the time to follow up on the newest stuff being talked about in smaller blogs and communities around the web. As they funnel content for the majority of web users, they have de facto power to put the final seal of approval on this start-up or that one, which can of course be intensely frustrating for developers. Not only do you have to put together a great site, you also have to wave and scream in a crowd to get the attention of these select few. Which may not come naturally to your average geek. There is no clear solution to this, though, because as long as people have limited time, someone must gather content for them. The most efficient gatherers will get the most attention, and lo, the A-list is formed.
2 years, 8 months ago by spongefile
If you exist as a content producer to get popular, then you're not going to. if you exist to do good work and share it with others, you'll be surprised at how many folks notice and contribute. However, you won't care so much how many folks are paying attention -- because you got into publishing because you were interested in the publishing part -- not the pseudo-popularity contest. Folks get popular. If they do good work, they stay that way. Call them the A-List or the Happy Friends Club -- you choose -- doesn't much matter.
2 years, 8 months ago by budtheteacher
You hit the nail on the head spongefile. My job is to find cool stuff and tell people about it. And to help them understand and integrate technology into their lives.
2 years, 8 months ago by ChiefTWiT
I think a good example of abuse of power is with Digg. I use to be a system that worked, but now it is quite obvious that a select handful of users control the content that goes on the front page. Someone even said on (I think) the most recent TWiT that Digg is a cartel.
As an F lister you can create the most awesome product/service and it can be extremely difficult to get the word out - as an A lister it's a piece of cake.
I think I'm mainly tired of the corruption with Digg, how Calacanis brags all the time, etc. Ok, time to check to see if my Unicorn icon has updated on Jaiku
2 years, 8 months ago by manatee
Everything has a life...know the saying "today's cock of the ids tomorrows feather duster"...just enjoy what you enjoy for as long as you can...if notoriety is what you're after keep at it..there's plenty of space in the WWW for everyone...I still cant believe they canned Gilligan though...
2 years, 8 months ago by AusiMik
you still don't get it do you, those "a-listers" are 95% of the time producers of great content and they have a following because people like what they do, those "d-listers" (the list actually ends at d) either don't try hard enough or they just suck, and you don't get popular or get a following by sucking.
2 years, 8 months ago by bengold
bengold: You actually have it backwards. You get popular BY sucking (A Listers) you know whats.
Much of the content from A-listers is not that much better or different than content from us lowly G listers. The difference is they have the connections and high traffic vehicles to give their content a boost. Using Digg as an example you are going to see a lot more front page stories from blogs such as TechCrunch because they have a massive fan base digging their stories.
I'd bet money that TechCrunch could write an article titled My Grandma's Chocolate Chip Cookies and it would get to the home page on digg ONLY because it is from TechCrunch. ;)
2 years, 8 months ago by manatee
@manatee: I'm not one to mess with on this subject, I used to (and to some extent still do) write about this crap.
And you're wrong about TechCrunch, all I have to say is Michael Arrington.
2 years, 8 months ago by bengold
It's an interesting question (which we spent some time on on TWiT 92). Does good content rise to the top? Is it enough to make good content - will people discover it? The Tiki Bar guys seemed to think so. I'm not so sure - I think a lot of good content doesn't get discovered, but I do know that that's one of the great joys in my job, discovering something new and cool (like Jaiku) and sharing it with people.
2 years, 8 months ago by ChiefTWiT
Services and content are two different things. From what I've heard recently Laporte focuses more on tools and services that make everyday life easier.
If you're looking for someone that's sifting through content then Dvorak or stumbleupon may be better options.
2 years, 8 months ago by warza
@bengold: I would love for TechCrunch to do an experiment... write a really horrible article and see how popular it gets in some of the various social bookmarking sites... :)
On another note a lot of blogs such as Engadget do nothing more than reword/summarize the hard work of others... and then engadget gets all the credit!
:(
2 years, 8 months ago by manatee
But I want to see Grandmother's cookie recipe. You never can tell what's going to click with people. I think in some cases good material can and does rise to the top through viral means - but bad material can be barfed to the top over and over again and obscure the picture. On the other hand - if you are immersed in technology you get a sense of what is good, and what is bad after a while and can sort accordingly.
2 years, 8 months ago by merwolf01
INTERNETS. SERIOUS BUSINESS.
2 years, 8 months ago by jason
Personally I think good content will only rise to a certain level. To move into a bigger stream you need to get some sort of promotional push, whether you get out there and flog it yourself or you're lucky enough to get a mention on TWiT or other high-profile tech news dissemination services. There are always exceptions but I don't think anyone can take it as a given that "if you produce it, they will come". Didn't the Tiki Bar guys suggest doing low-level, relevant promotion eg sites that share your interest, get involved with their site and then promote your own in a light-handed "you might also be interested in ........ , let me know what you think".
2 years, 8 months ago by smperris
The best way to attain visibility is to create compelling content. If you're writing about an ancient civilization then make sure all the information you're writing is interesting. Over time universities and a variety of prestigious sites will link to your content. As you create a number of good articles you will improve your reputation and thus generate buzz around your website, hence generating a broader audience.
2 years, 8 months ago by warza