Saturday, July 04, 2009
22 comments:
Jim says: "Proceed with caution; this is a free-for-all comment zone. I try to correct or clarify incorrect information. But I can't catch everything. Please keep your posts focused on Gannett and media-related subjects. Note that I occasionally review comments in advance, to reject inappropriate ones. And I ignore hostile posters, and recommend you do, too."
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I see that Al Neuharth is now offering advice to ailing Chairman and CEO Craig Dubow. From Big Al's weekly USA Today column yesterday, the final graph:
ReplyDelete"The fewer drugs you or your doctor experiment with, the better. An inexpensive and easy-to-take aspirin a day may keep many headaches, heartaches and other pains away."
I wonder if Al took prescription drugs regularly back in the 1980s? Speed and barbiturates were commonly used and prescribed for high flying executives like himself. He doesn't mention whether he had a problem with prescription medicines in his past.
ReplyDeleteToo late - the damage is done.
ReplyDeleteI say this only as a longtime participant -- and observer -- of online behavior:
ReplyDeleteThe more someone says they are leaving a message board or blog, especially when it is repeated and restated and re-explained and justified, the more certain is the person won't leave at all.
Jim already is hinting that he'll be posting at the other Gannett blog, his Ibiza blog, and Twittering, and Facebooking (Facing?), and who knows what else. It all feels very cumbersome, very itinerant, and in the end he'll be posting, tweeting and staying in the conversation and we think Sparky will hardly see a difference post-July 10.
Which is why it makes far more sense to simply find a new rhythm here, learn how to freeze out the crazies on both sides and keep the Gannett Blog going.
Mental health comes in many firms, and Jim severely underestimates the withdrawal he is going to suffer on Zjuly 11, July 12 and beyond.
If he tries to fill that by occasional Gannett posts at Ibiza, that blog will quickly be overwhelmed -- Gannett Blog with a new name. If he becomes a recurring presence at the other Gannett message board, he will overwhelm it and become Gannett Blog on a new home. And if he only occasionally tried to weigh on through Twitter or Facebook, those will become "celebrity" networks needing all the time and crowd control he already does here.
Jim has two choices: Total cold turkey and walk away from Gannett as it continues to implode, possibly changes leadership, embarks on new ideas or stumbled with old ones. Can Jim stay silent? We doubt it.
His second choice is to scale back, comment in different places as "appropriate," but we think that will easily become 24/7 in new forms. He is hardwired to keep commenting and analyzing, and that should be obvious to all.
Right now he's doing a Sarah Palin, withdrawing when everyone knows he'll be back.
The Web is full of "farewell" statements from members "leaving" blogs and message boards, whether in anger, frustration or time pressures. Virtually EVERY person soon returns; the Web's recividusm rate is 100%.
In simply makes more sense to keep the Gannett Blog open, because it will be revived no matter what Jim says or thinks now. He WILL be back because on his head he'll be writing the posts anyway.
So why not avoid the pain and simply scale it back and keep it as a logical framework? It's going to happen anyway.
Independence Day! hopefully I too will get my ticket to independence from my NJ paper. Cut me free - looking forward to it!
ReplyDelete10:43. Terrific post. But you're wrong about where I'm heading. The only posting Ill do on Gannettoid will be between now and July 10. I'll be available to its publisher for advice. But that's all going to be in the background.
ReplyDeleteAll my online energy after that will be focused on testing a business model for my new blog. Unlike this one, my planned social community for gay business executives and so called corporate decisionmakers has commercial potential. That is a market that has not been well-aggregated. Plus, it's big: millions of consumers worldwide for whom English is their first or second language. Also, you should know that I've been experimenting with the concept since spring 2007. This has been a long time coming.
The only Facebooking, etc., I'll do will be in support of that venture. Gannett Blog readers are more than welcome on that adult site. But I will reject any Gannett-related comments. And I'll return all Gannett-related e-mail with an auto reply.
This blog shuts down July 10. Period.
Good for you Jim! While the earlier post was very thought-provoking and well thought out - if not particularly well edited - I do believe you, just as much as I don't believe Sarah. And I am very happy for you and your exit strategy.
ReplyDeleteI am totally addicted. Yes, I'm entrenched at a pretty good level at Gannett, but honestly, most of us are good guys. Think Glinda.
It will be more mentally healthy for me never to come back. And I kind of hope gannettoid never really gets off the ground. It's time to build communication internally, and I hope to help with that.
Sorry for the misspellings, 12:59. It was written on a Blackberry!
ReplyDeleteBut not while driving.
I'm a laid-off (May 3rd) home delivery grunt from New Jersey. My experience and that of friends who have been out of work since September and have applied for 700+ jobs (along with global economic & financial data) indicates to me that major life (cost cutting) changes are required.
ReplyDeleteAnybody who has lost/will lose their job and is in or moving to South Carolina that wants to network to create some sort business or share info about strategies or opportunities, contact me at waldenapp@aol.com.
Take care and good luck.
Doug Walden
Here's the official word from Detroit courtesy of an E&P article dated June 1, 2009:
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/nyw9sf
From the article 129 total including about 25 from the Freep, less than 10 from the News and the rest from the Partnership.
These guys take care of their own...according to my sources, the editor of usat takes a buyout and they call it a "retirement" then goes to the freedom forum and double dips for a while. all while people are getting laid off...unreal
ReplyDeleteI'm an idiot!!
ReplyDeleteSo I'm reading today's Arizona Republic and impressing myself with how much I know about our local market and then it occurs to me- I've read the same article 3 times over the past few weeks! It keeps happening and each time I think I'm brilliant and well informed. I know, someone's going to tell be it's repurposing or ContentOne where I keep reading the same one article. This would be great for people with ADA, they wouldn't know they're reading the same stories over and over. Now where was I... Oh, the same stories... Yea, I think I read this one online too!
Have a happy 4th.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteThese guys take care of their own...according to my sources, the editor of usat takes a buyout and they call it a "retirement" then goes to the freedom forum and double dips for a while. all while people are getting laid off...unreal
7/04/2009 4:04 PM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First I've heard of this. What evidence do you have that KP took a buyout?
July 9 will be the main date. Even for AZ, which was thought originally to be later. (Westchester and other exceptions exist, but most places it will be a one-day event)
ReplyDeleteI'm logging off for the night. (It's 1:27 a.m., where I live.) I'll check your overnight comments first thing in the morning, and post as many as I can. Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteThought this would give us all a much needed laugh — and also remind us that Gannett is doing the same thing to us!:
ReplyDeletehttp://sendables.jibjab.com/originals/big_box_mart
Numbers in Fort Myers said to be "fluid." First said there were going to be 45. Told only 5 are coming from editorial...and two of those people were already leaving the company. So really only three layoffs in newsroom.
ReplyDeleteJust wondered...with most of us taking on extra duties, has anybody seen the publishers take on extra duties? Sometimes the directors take on more duties but it's always the managers on down to the worker bees! Rarely the pub!
ReplyDeleteJim wrote: "This blog shuts down July 10. Period."
ReplyDeleteI, too, foresee Jim's relapse by Jan. 1, 2010. Who wants to be in on the wagering?
I'm pretty sure I saw our publisher scrubbing toilets in the restroom. But then again, I was a bit delirious after pulling week after week of 50-plus hours.
ReplyDelete>>>All my online energy after that will be focused on testing a business model for my new blog. <<<
ReplyDelete----
Advertise a small ad in the popular Washington Blade for your IBIZA blog. Create an aggressive logo and tagline to create a memorable phrase that will sum up the tone and premise of your brand, which is a digital community for gay business executives. I think you still need some print marketing in addition to web work.
Agreed! But I also need an SEO. My strength is creating content, not technology.
ReplyDeleteI tried your tips for Gannettoid. But I'm nervous about tweaking the meta, etc, even after finding it in the source code.
After July 10, I'm going to pursue ideas given to me by a talented commercial filmmaker, a guy who seems expert in creating viral video. (Remember flash mobs?)
Mostly, I need to network on the ground here and in North and South America this summer and through the winter.
But above all: News, exclusives, original content! Then repeat over and over. Otherwise, I'm just aggregating existing content, and that won't work with the market Im chasing.