Talk2Us Director, Linda Hamman, wrote an emotional opinion piece on the Talk2Us press office over at Bizcommunity. This article entitled Web2.0 – A marketing boon or a platform too far? which Your Web AddiCT was alerted to via Skype by another professional in the New Media Space, Melissa Attree got me thinking.
Let’s quote Linda Hamman’s article quickly…
I would like to contribute to the emerging debate around the so-called Web2.0 Revolution. It is heralded as a platform for interaction and social networking, where anyone with an Internet connection can now be a publisher, a journalist or an advertiser.
Sure, some remarkable journalists, publishers, critics, advertisers, entertainers et al. may well emerge from the accumulative sprawl of blogging, Facebook, etc. But let us not forget the global welter of unsound, uninformed and/or boring and unsolicited opinions scrambling for dubious, egotistical, ephemeral fame, demeaning the value of authentic communication.
Web2.0 was one of the subjects featured in the most recent edition of Carte Blanche, and to hear a comment from one of the participants, Fariq Philips, that online communication has become ‘more natural than talking’ is frankly, ominous, if the statement is more than a personal opinion.
Good Carte Blanche editing made it appear that way, soon after saying that I also stated even though technology makes it possible to communicate with anyone, anywhere, at any time I still prefer Face-to-Face communication over tech. This is where Linda Hamman & I agree. You will notice that line wasn’t included in the Carte Blanche segment? I wonder why? We’ll never know really will we Dave? 
Uninformed, unsound.. what about unresearched Linda Hamman? I am not Fariq Philips, even joined a Facebook group called People Who Always Have To Spell Their Names For Other People, a quick Google reveals:
Anyhow, I’ve got some SEO to do at the QuirkStation.
I wonder what publishing this article will do to Talks2Us and Linda Hamman’s Online Reputation? I have been using an awesome Online Reputation Management tool for the past 9 months, can’t wait to show it to you. It’s launching any day now.
The Lessons from this experience: Do not only setup Google Alerts for your name, make sure to include the typos too. I wonder if Linda Hamman has a Google alert for the Talks2Us company name or even the typo Lynda Haman?
-end of part 2-
Linda Hamman please Talk2Us. In case you didn’t know didn’t know, you are able to comment below.
Have you read these yet?
Carte Blanche Q&A
See the Carte Blanche show on Web 2.0 last night?
Carte Blanche Web 2.0 – what they didn’t show (part 1 of a few)
Carte Blanche – Web 2.0 – Latest Updates
Springleaping lessons from the Carte Blanche Web2.0 segment
I thought perhaps Fariq was your evil twin
Congrats you own her serps already –
http://www.google.co.za/search?q=linda+hamman
Thats three Carte Blanche posts in a few days – Im guessing you want to rank for the “Carte Blanche” Google serps??
Go top 5 -
http://www.google.co.za/search?q=carte+blanche
Or did she link bait you? Name miss spelling will get bloggers talking. Thats a press office page
I heard a brilliant quote the other day:
“technology brings those who are far apart closer, but takes those who are close further away”.
What do you think?
@Jo – I’m an only child
@charl – Have not looked at SERPs for Carte Blanche nefore you mentioned it. I’m posting often because theres alot to say about it.
@dave – Agreed.
She’s got some good arguments, but I’m afraid to say that I think she misses the point of it all as with so many people not completely understanding the revolution. I almost get the idea that these folks are scared of the “new” and instead of researching it and making an informed conclusion, they slate it. Shame.
BTW, I have not had the chance, but good job done @rafiq and @daved. Enjoyed the CB piece, despite all the woohaa.
Fariq? Who the hell is Fariq? …she said this,”7% is attributed to the actual words you use” …, I got news for you honey, that 7% is all that I need. Just last week I closed a R100 000 deal over skype, an I’ve seen others close even bigger deals that that. So RE-THINK, and
I’ll buy you a Web 2.0 T-Shirt for your bday
Rafiq, I missed the Carte Blanche thing, and although she is right in the letter (except for that massive faux pas in misspelling your name!), I think she is wrong in spirit. But I don’t think we should care. Nobody needs to jump to the defense of the thousands of bloggers and other Web 2.0 people who write twaddle. Nor do we need to defend Web 2.0 in any way, unless our right to freedom of speech or freedom of association is infringed by people trying to close down our media, and that’s not what this is about. People who are trying to sell Web 2.0 knowledge and services probably feel a bit miffed when the source of their income is undermined by the statements of others who think that such things are not really important or useful; the rest of us just use these media regardless of what those who don’t have to say about it. SEO and social media work for me. My entire income is incredibly dependent on SEO — and I don’t even make my money from selling my knowledge about SEO, because getting to the top of Google is what has made me successful at selling my services. I don’t bother to try to convince other people that all these things are useful tools, unless they are relatives or friends who want to know more. I don’t care if certain journalists don’t want to learn the value of these things. It’s their loss, not mine.
I think Tania makes an excellent point. It doesn’t really matter what other people think about web 2.0 – it works for those for whom it works.
Change, at best, is uncomfortable for most people. Web 2.0 has certainly brought about some significant changes to the way people communicate. Some people love it, need it, make money off it; while others feel uncomfortable, scared or bewildered by the change, or the rate of change.
The more you put resistance up to something, the more you feel the pressure of it.
The older generation wasn’t brought up with this new way of communicating, so its a big change for them, and some of the older generation may not be comfortable with it, and others will take to it with great optimism.
Linda Hamman has expressed her opinion on the subject, and I Respect that. But frankly The statement “online communication has become ‘more natural than talking’ ” Is quite true in the urban youth generation. You can say things over MXit or by sms that you wouldn’t say face to face, I’ve been using the internet since i was 8, And i would say that roughly 80% of my communication is via the internet, or MXit.
Up coming generations will use it more and more, and that “7%” is gonna go up alot, very soon.
In my opinion, your part of the “Old School” generation, and because you haven’t grown up with this revolution your not taking to it with the greatest of optimism….
Yeah, face to face will always be the best way to communicate, but technology is bringing people all over the world together…
some people might also think its taking people who are close, further away…..