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  1. #1
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    As a Wired online article and Megnut.com blogger Meg Hourihan pointed out, the affiliation of Macromedia's blogs with the company was a little vague and possibly misleading. You can kind of figure out that the Macromedia blogs are corporate-sponsored, but there should be fuller disclosure.

    Macromedia's bloggers want to have it both ways. They don't want to be seen as shills. At the same time, they are loath to bite the hand that feeds them. As one Macromedia manager told me, he would never criticize the company or tout a competitor's products on his blog, "or I'd probably be fired."
    source: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...65_paul27.html

    What do you think about this? In particular Macromedia making it a requirement that their employee's start up a Blog.

    I mean it's not a big deal but I've always thought of Blogs as more of a personal thing - where people can freely express their opinions on certain subjects that interest them. Not really a corporate marketing/promotional tool.

    I guess it's a good marketing strategy by Macromedia - but it sort of borders on not really ethical? I guess it's like guerilla marketing or something.

    I have just noticed all of the Blogs etc that all the Macromedia employees have been putting up lately (most of whom I didn't even know where employees at first - and only found that out after looking a bit deeper) - and I thought it was actually because they where interested in doing it for a personal reason.

    I think i see um as "shills" or whatever that means.

    Anyways..





  2. #2
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    The Minister of No Crap

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    I see it as a great marketing strategy. A lot of Flash community sites are featuring stories from these blogs. Macromedia is making a stronger effort be involved with the Flash Community and keep them informed.

    I had no idea that the employees were required to start blogs. That's pretty interesting. I'm not sure what I think about that yet.

    -scott

  3. #3
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    Brings me back to Junior High. We were forced to keep a "journal" which our teacher "never read".

    I always thought it would be cool to work for MM, but it sounds like a bunch of enthusiastic camp counsellors have taken over Human Resources. Is this supposed to bond employees for the rest of their lives or something?

  4. #4
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    Not sure.

    But I have to Admit - I do read them sometimes and actually find them somewhat interesting. At first as you can see by my post I was a little bit unsure of What to think about them (and I guess still am).

    But overall their not all that bad:

    http://jdmx.blogspot.com/
    http://vvmx.blogspot.com/
    http://btartar.blogspot.com/
    http://radio.weblogs.com/0106797/

    I think you just have to remember that they are basically Macromedia Advertisments - but none the less they have some good info once in a while.

  5. #5
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    [QUOTE]Originally posted by snowdude
    What do you think about this? In particular Macromedia making it a requirement that their employee's start up a Blog.
    Nowhere does the article say that. Why are you saying it? I don't think this is true at all.

  6. #6
    Senior Member Hellsbellboy's Avatar
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    what's a blog?

  7. #7
    Monkey Wrangler monsterfx's Avatar
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    hellsbellboy,

    Web Log. Kind of like a diary/personal journal on the web.

    more info: http://www.blogger.com/

    -monster.

  8. #8
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    we were not required to start blogs (i have no idea where you got that). in fact, the community managers started it on their initiative (led by john dowdell).

    check out this post i made with a list of all of the resources on flash components:

    http://radio.weblogs.com/0106797/2002/06/05.html#a124

    notice that most of the links are to non-macromedia resources. Before the weblogs, i would have written this for the macromedia website, and it would have taken a couple of weeks to get it live. with the weblog, i could put it together and post it instatly. plus, if there is an error or i left some info out, i can update it immediately. all in all, the info gets to the community faster.

    they are not advertisements for a product, but a way for us to more effectively communicate with the community. before, if there was info we wanted to get out, i would have to post it to tons of forums and mailing lists, and then respnd to the same questions over and over. now i can post it to my weblog, have the other flash weblogs and community sites pick it up. if i need to update or add information, i only have to add it in one place.

    mike chambers

    mesh@macromedia.com

  9. #9
    Senior Member Hellsbellboy's Avatar
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    Originally posted by monsterfx
    hellsbellboy,

    Web Log. Kind of like a diary/personal journal on the web.

    more info: http://www.blogger.com/

    -monster.
    thank you monster.

  10. #10
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    Originally posted by snowdude
    What do you think about this? In particular Macromedia making it a requirement that their employee's start up a Blog.
    we were not required to start weblogs. where did you get that?

    I have just noticed all of the Blogs etc that all the Macromedia employees have been putting up lately (most of whom I didn't even know where employees at first - and only found that out after looking a bit deeper)
    http://radio.weblogs.com/0106797/2002/05/28.html#a107

    - and I thought it was actually because they where interested in doing it for a personal reason.
    i don't see anything on there that suggests that we are not doing these because we personally want to.

    mike chambers

    mesh@macromedia.com

  11. #11
    Moderator CNO's Avatar
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    I've got to say that it has become a daily routine of mine to read a handful of these blogs (MM community leaders and non), and one of the nice things about the CL blogs is that they are generally focused (not sure if Mike is going to start posting bad poetry or about what he had for lunch anytime soon ), and have a lot of good information quicker, given their proximity to the source.

    Reading Mike's blog, it's obvious that he's a coder first, MM employee second. JD generally gives me a feeling of a "bigger picture" outlook on the community and the products.

    Of course, as I did with JDB's blog when he took a swipe at Flashkit, I have to post a reciprocal link to JD's blog today : http://jdmx.blogspot.com/ , as he has commented on this thread. And naturally, I have to refute his last comment - in web communities, the members often use aliases for posts. And if JD took the time to check the profile of the user he refers to, not only would he have found some profile details, but also a picture and personal site of a "real person" behind the post.

    Seems like a case of a community director biting the hand that feeds them - I wouldn't want to submit a feedback mail about design to someone who might come back and disregard my input because I didn't sign the e-mail with my full name.

  12. #12
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    Originally posted by CNO

    Seems like a case of a community director biting the hand that feeds them - I wouldn't want to submit a feedback mail about design to someone who might come back and disregard my input because I didn't sign the e-mail with my full name.
    i think it was more of john responding to being called a "shill" by someone who doesn't appear to know all of the facts about the situation.

    mike chambers

    mesh@macromedia.com

  13. #13
    Moderator CNO's Avatar
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    [QUOTE]Originally posted by MikeChambers
    Originally posted by CNO
    i think it was more of john responding to being called a "shill" by someone who doesn't appear to know all of the facts about the situation.

    mike chambers

    mesh@macromedia.com
    But that isn't who he chose to quote. He pulled out the comment that seemed like a valid enough and justified response.

    Responding to a baseless claim is one thing. Dismissing the members of a community is another.

  14. #14
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    Hey I don't even know what a "Shill" is.

    Was just quoting it from:

    Macromedia's bloggers want to have it both ways. They don't want to be seen as shills. At the same time, they are loath to bite the hand that feeds them. As one Macromedia manager told me, he would never criticize the company or tout a competitor's products on his blog, "or I'd probably be fired."
    The article. - also:

    But corporate blogs should provide full disclosure of their vested interests. Let the reader decide. That way, everybody wins.
    http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...65_paul27.html [mod edit... fixed url link]

    Personally I've started to like reading them. Was a bit weirded out when I found they where just Corporate sponsered Blogs though..
    [Edited by JabezStone on 06-16-2002 at 11:45 PM]

  15. #15
    Gross Pecululatarian Ed Mack's Avatar
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    The whole biting the hand / quoting thing (just identifying for other members) was:

    FlashKit on Macromedia blogs: I found the link in my referrer logs. I wish people would read before forming an opinion, much less publishing an opinion. I started this blog out of my own volition. I did check with other folks in the shop first, and nobody said "Don't do it". More info is in the archives here...

    "Brings me back to Junior High... I always thought it would be cool to work for MM, but it sounds like a bunch of enthusiastic camp counsellors have taken over Human Resources." This was written by someone who identifies themself publicly as "Anna Banana". Online rule-of-thumb: If someone won't claim ownership of their words, this is often an indication of those words' value.

    And, I have NO idea what a shill is

  16. #16
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    Huh? If you want my real name, I'll gladly give it if you ask, but I don't think it's appropriate to put me down because I use a nickname on forums...

    Sorry, I was wrong too (like some other people who posted opinions under assumed names), I was under the impression from reading earlier posts that they were required to post blogs. I don't know why you chose me specifically.

    Sheesh! RrrrOowr!

    [Edited by Anna Banana on 06-14-2002 at 08:29 PM]

  17. #17
    Senior Member Hellsbellboy's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Anna Banana
    Huh? If you want my real name, I'll gladly give it if you ask, but I don't think it's appropriate to put me down because I use a nickname on forums...

    Sorry, I was wrong too (like some other people who posted opinions under assumed names), I was under the impression from reading earlier posts that they were required to post blogs. I don't know why you chose me specifically.

    Sheesh! RrrrOowr!

    [Edited by Anna Banana on 06-14-2002 at 08:29 PM]
    ok what's ur name? hehe what's ur phone number so I can confirm it?


    oh geez.. bad joke for me.. sorry.. going to bed.

  18. #18
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    Haha, that should have been expected...


  19. #19
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    "Brings me back to Junior High... I always thought it would be cool to work for MM, but it sounds like a bunch of enthusiastic camp counsellors have taken over Human Resources."
    I was laughing (Anna Banana's comments) - I think they shoulda been picking on me though.. Sorry about that.

    I can't believe the comment got published in his Blog though, seemed like a little too direct a comment. I think I got a little carried away when I said it was required - but that was what I thought when I read over that article - even now I'm not sure what the case is, not that it matters either way. I still read them over once in a while.

    - This is the second arguement I've started with MM this week - wow, first 2 ever and in one week (Mike knows what I'm talkin about - "Flash remoting - what a Shill lol" should've followed that one up). It's gotta be some kind of good publicity for them though (at least some more people know about them).

  20. #20
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    Haha, no no, don't worry about it...I think lately people have been assuming too much that everyone under 100 posts is also under 15. It really was just a lighthearted comment, not an attack on MM, and I didn't intend it to be any sort of bold statement. Thanks for getting it anyway!

    It just reminded me!

    Anyway, glad that MM isn't forcing blogging on anyone, all cleared up...on with the thread.

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