Scoble has balls
Web 2.0 February 3rd, 2007
Robert Scoble announces that he’s become a paid shill for PayPerPost. Credit where it’s due, Scoble has balls…and a whole pile of guts in between. His reasoning is that they’re paying, it’s capitalism at work and he does this sort of thing, which is fair enough, but talk about putting the cat amongst the pigeons, a baby into a tank of sharks or Steve Irwin into a school of stingrays. Even some of his best mates have come out against him, notable so far his co-author Shel Israel, who writes this in the comments:
“I am personally dosappointed [sic] that you have chosen to do this. To me Pay for Post represents everything that the book you and I wrote opposes. I wish you would change your mind. This will not help your reputation…One more thought, Robert. You taught me the standards for blogging that I adhere to. It is what you taught me that makes me so passionately oppose Pay per Post, who have shown themselves to be the sidewalk hookers of the blogosphere. Robert, I really hope you cancel. In the long run, you will be doing PodTech a service”.
No doubt that others will have more to say about this in the coming days, particularly given the recent Pogrom against the service by the likes of Jason Calacanis, Jeff Jarvis and others.
For Australians, to the tune of the famous XXXX commercial:
“I can feel a lynching, coming on….I can feel a lynching, coming on. They’ve got the taste for it, love to hate for it, I can feel a lynching, coming on.”
Good luck Scoble, you’re going to need it.
Update: looks like I’m on the banned list on Scoble’s blog, because despite other people linking to the story via this post, I’m not in his trackback list, and yet they are (and WP confirms the trackback was automatically sent) (magically just appeared). Some interesting comments though, Scoble, if you thought the last two weeks were bad, you ain’t seen nothing yet!
Mujibur:
“this just further confirms what many of us have been saying for a long time. Robert is simply a paid mouthpiece. This isn’t about conversation, it’s about the almighty buck”
I’d say to Mujibur, Scoble is entitled to whore his presence, and let no other whores cast the first stone. I have a price as well…indeed I’m far, far more cheap and hence I’ve got no intention of throwing stones, however this is an interesting move by Scoble as noted above, in light of the pogrom against PayPerPost…and I’d note to others the use of this word, progrom…look it up 
Disclaimer: I have an account with PayPerPost which I’ve never used, signed up when the service first started so I could take a look. I’m not against PayPerPost as a model, it’s not my cup of tea but I’m not everyone. My previous thoughts on PayPerPost can be found here.
Tags: Robert Scoble, Payperpost
Comments
Trackbacks
- Friday Drunkblogging: Let the Links Begin - from The Zero Boss by Jay Andrew Allen
- Scoble and PayPerPost: Disclosure Is Healthy » Webomatica
- Robert: Disclose that bag of pretzels too » mathewingram.com/work
- Chip Griffin: Pardon the Disruption
- The Blog Columnist » Is Scoble losing his credibility in the blogosphere?
- WinExtra » Robert Scoble please quit ruining my quiet weekends
- Blog World Expo Blog » PayPerPost to host blogging conference PostiCon…. Controversy follows
February 3rd, 2007 at 9:35 am
Mmmm, XXXX.
February 3rd, 2007 at 9:41 am
after the jay cal open letter last week to scoble “we aint friends u and more u n me no more no more…. until the next deal and u apologise” .. scoble hadnt pissed off enough people.. now this.. makes me laugh.. this is what happens when revenge of the nerds happens, and they choose to.. welcome to hollywood….
February 3rd, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Duncan,
You have quoted me accurately, typo and all. But please do not include me if you are lighting torches and sharpening stakes to lynch Robert Scoble. He is my friend and remains so. He also has defined the rules for blogging and has taught all of us in so doing. He reminds me however of Babe Ruth. When he isn’t hitting home runs, he is striking out. Robert is wrong in this one and I felt passionate enough about it to speak out. I have done so in the past and I will probably do so again. But do not include me in the pack of little dogs that keep nipping at Robert’s buttocks no matter what he does or says.
February 3rd, 2007 at 1:50 pm
“Robert is wrong in this one and I felt passionate enough about it to speak out.”
Actually Shel the ‘pack of dogs’ used to include me, but why do you have the right (friend or not) to tell everyone that Robert is wrong? You may disagree with him but that doesn’t make what he’s doing wrong. He’s doing what’s best for him at this time. Friends privately tell each other when they think the other has screwed up, but to the whole world they stick by their mates. Did you really expect not to have your public words used in contexts you personally weren’t happy about?
Anyway, reading Duncan’s post it doesn’t imply (to me at least) that you’re in that ‘pack of dogs’. Maybe you’re just paranoid?
February 3rd, 2007 at 3:53 pm
It’s a tough world out there without the umbrella of a mega-corp like Microsoft. Did anyone seriously believe his modus operandi wouldn’t change when he cut loose?
As Duncan imples, he’s one of the sharks now, not bait in a submerged cage with a camera attached.
February 3rd, 2007 at 8:27 pm
You have some things wrong.
1) I am being paid to speak at the PayPerPost conference. I have NOT been told what to say. I have NOT been told to say only positive things. I have NOT been told to say ANYTHING on PayPerPost’s behalf.
2) You have not disclosed that you think I am stealing content on my link blog and that we have had violent disagreements in the past.
3) You have not given any context. PayPerPost pays people to attack me. I dislike PayPerPost’s goals a lot and am not changing my opinions of PayPerPost just because they are paying us a tiny sum of money (far smaller than what Seagate is paying to sponsor my show, and a tiny fraction of what I was paid at Microsoft). I also don’t agree with PayPerPost’s disclosure policies.
4) I am not going to be speaking out on PayPerPost’s behalf, nor have they asked me to. They simply wanted me to speak on whatever I would like to their audience.
5) If you don’t like what a company is doing, are you going to get better results by throwing rocks through its front window or sitting down with them and trying to change its behavior?
6) If you feel a “lynching” coming on, don’t you have a responsibility to add clarity and calmness to the discussion? It sure looks like you are handing out rope. On the ethical scale corporate shills come above lynchers.
February 3rd, 2007 at 9:47 pm
UPDATE: PodTech has decided not to accept speaker honorariums (from anyone). I will still be giving the speech at the PayPerPost sponsored conference. But they will only be covering travel fees. Just like most other conferences that have me speak.
February 5th, 2007 at 3:45 am
Scoble
WTF on the disclosure/ your link blog thing? I don’t need to disclose anything in that regards, they are two separate issues, so I’ve got an issue with your link blog, and the fact you’ve given every single spam blogger out there a certifiable, trademarkable “Scoble defense”…what exactly has this got to do with this? that’s one different issue, and if you think I’m some how out to get you, you’re deeply mistaken and you need a big dose of grow the f*ck up. As for “violent”, WTF x 100? I’ve never met you in person, so there’s ZERO violence, sure we’ve had a strong disagreement on your spam/ link blog, but violent? Scoble, take some chill pills mate.
I always try to play the issue, not the man, if you need me to spell it out, 95%, if not more of what you do and write is great stuff, and as someone who has been around since pretty much day 1, I have, and still hold a great deal of respect for you, but I do reserve the right to disagree with some of the things you do, particularly of late. PayPerPost may not be controlling the things coming out of your mouth, but you’ve lent your credibility to them, indeed, given the controversy this has caused, dare one say you’ve transferred a chunk of it to them. It’s a brilliant move on PPP’s behalf, but not a strong one on yours. It will also be interesting to see what sort of reaction you get at the conference, some of the “posties” are angry about you speaking as well.