Speak up! Shall I be a curmudgeon?

So, it seems as though I’ve fallen into that blogging slump. This is the point in a blogs life where you’ll see a post (just like this one) that says “sorry I haven’t posted in a while I’ve been busy”.   That post is usually followed immediately by another one 6 months later saying “I guess this blogging thing isn’t working out”.

Well, I have been really busy and the holidays took a bite out of my free time.   But the real reason I haven’t been blogging lately is that I promised that this blog wouldn’t be a negative one.  It wouldn’t be a place where I diss Yahoo or its competitors.   But lately, all thoughts popping into my head have been a bit on the negative side.   Here are some subjects for posts that I wanted to write, but didn’t:

  • Upon the launch of Google’s Mobile Homepage their Product Manager can’t find anything good to say about his own product, so he disses Yahoo and just makes shit up.   Be proud of your own damn product, talk about that! He mentioned the word Yahoo in the press more than his own company.  And the press/analysts ate it up without checking the facts.
  • Google takes a faux stand – The DOJ enforced subpeonas for search records. Most search engines complied with the court order. Google didn’t. Their excuse: it’s proprietary info for their company.  The press (not Google) calls it protecting privacy.  Search engines gave up info WITHOUT user info – no privacy violation here, move on.   BTW, have you ever been to google’s lobby? They project what people are searching on the wall.   The DOJ just wanted that.  Maybe the DOJ should go sit in Google’s lobby for a few hours.
  • Real Player needs to rethink their music service – I won $15 of free music on Real’s music service.   Cool!   So, I download the service.   2 days later I finally worked through all my installation issues.   Then I go to use the service.   Gosh, maybe I’ll just give up that $15.   The process is far from seamless.   Even though I don’t think iTunes is awesome, they clearly got the easy to buy thing down.  Real isn’t even close.

I also have a bunch of more positive and/or constructive blog posts in my head now, so I plan to start blogging again.    But I need your comments.  Do I allow myself to rant on this blog – do I write those posts above?  You tell me, post a comment!

11 thoughts on “Speak up! Shall I be a curmudgeon?”

  1. I love the faux privacy stand bit, I had been thinking the same thing about the lobby. why does all of the press around this repeat google’s mis-characterization of the request. I might as well refuse to show up to work next week because I refuse to compromise the privacy of the citizens of Moldavia.

  2. rant on, buddy! (1) check facts; (2) rant all you like. don’t forget step (1) though, other ranters sometimes do. bad memes travel quicker thru the blogosphere.

  3. Hi Scott,
    I am a master student doing my thesis about corporate blogs. While I am doing a content analysis among CEO’s blogs, I find your blog is really enjoyable to read whereas some of CEO’s blogs are really bored and speak in an newsletter tone.
    So I just want to leave a comment for you. From a reader’s pointe of view, plain talk attracts my attention more. Maybe sometimes angry scott is not bad :p

    I think I will be one of your blog readers, even after I finish my thesis!

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