Tag Archives: Twitter

Our Talking Points Society

BY RICH GALEN
Reprinted from Mullings.com

An essay in the San Francisco Chronicle yesterday pointed out that as the oral arguments on same-sex marriage proceeded in the Supreme Court the use of the term “unfollow” jumped to ten times its normal frequency.

Blogger Caleb Garling wrote, the context of the word “unfollow” was generally: “If you do/n’t like gay marriage, unfollow me” or telling someone with a particular stance on gay marriage, that they were now unfollowing them because of that view.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the Twitter-verse “followers” are loosely analogous to “friends” on Facebook. A major difference is: Anyone can “follow” Continue reading →

Why Do Brands Think We Want to Talk?

BY GARY JOHNSON
Reprinted from Loose Change (TCBMag.com)

The head of strategy for a Fortune 25 corporation said recently: “Engagement is a two-way dialogue. Without a conversation, there is no engagement.” Corporate engagement seekers salivate over the iconic one-on-one relationships, grounded in conversation, likes, views, shares, and comments. Why are major talents at corporations so wrapped up in bright shinies and impossible goals?

It’s B.S. that without dialogue there is no engagement. Frankly, I would argue the opposite. True engagement between brands and consumers is mostly silent, happening in the quietude of interest, attention, information gathering, Continue reading →

The Need To Be Angry

BY GARY JOHNSON
Reprinted from Loose Change (TCBMag.com)

A businessman came up to me the other day to tell me he was an avid reader of my blog. I implored him not to toy with my affections, but he persisted. “No, really, I read your blog every week so that I know what I’m supposed to be pissed about.”

As Goldie Wilson, the future mayor of Hill Valley, exclaimed while sweeping the floors of Lou’s Malt Shop, “I like the sound of that!”

Kind of. Continue reading →

Evangelists and the Almighty…Dollar

BY GARY JOHNSON
Reprinted from Loose Change (TCBMag.com)

For decades TV evangelists have effectively used Jesus to make millions. Thankfully, many have been busted for the petty criminals they are. I remember watching Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker testify to the Lord while simultaneously fleecing their flocks to support Tammy’s growing collection of expensive shoes and their fun-filled “house of worship,” the Heritage USA amusement park. The Reverend Jimmy Swaggart preached the bennies of salvation while separating little old ladies and Southern dullards from their savings accounts in order to fund a steady stream of prostitutes. “Jimmy likes the girls.”

Televangelist Robert Tilton, my favorite sleaze, dressed to the nines in silk suits and gold bling, and employed a convincing camera spiel imploring sick and vulnerable people to write checks for which he would deliver his healing powers of faith through the phone lines.

These good ol’ boys knew how to use a belief system to sell some shit, didn’t they?! Continue reading →

Data Privacy and Going Nuts

BY GARY JOHNSON
Reprinted from Loose Change at TCBMag.com

The SOPA and PIPA legislation was inevitable. I’ve been doing a broken-record whine on digital privacy for years and it’s finally coming to roost inside the Beltway. Although the current legislation attempts to block piracy, coming legislation will address today’s open market on personal data collection. I find the opposition to this legislation laughable, particularly because the big boys, not the digital purists who are wringing their hands over lack of full access to everything, have a lot to lose once their own piracy of personal data hits the docket.
Facebook, Google, Twitter—and literally anyone who thinks they can gather information about you and sell it to someone else—are in for a rude awakening as more personal financial records are hacked at companies like Zappos, e-Bay, and Amazon. No one is safe in the current environment, not the least of which naïve consumers like you and me, who don’t see what’s going on behind the “you can make money without doing evil” curtains of Google, FB, and the rest of data-crazy Silicon Valley. Continue reading →

Spam, Football, & Twitter

BY RICH GALEN
Reprinted from Mullings.com

Like you, I get about 2,713 e-mails a day. Most are routine work-related, or Mullings-related; and messages from campaigns or political organizations. I get plenty of spam and I normally ignore them, but one came in yesterday which made me laugh out loud. Here’s how it began: Forgive my indignation if this message comes to you as a surprise and may offend your personality for contacting you without your prior consent and writing through this channel.

Of course it had to do with a box full of money containing “9.7 Million U.S. Dollars” which this guy needed to move out of, in this case, Afghanistan. I was just about to send the guy all the personal information he asked for when I read that the box is in Mazar-e-Sharif “which is a suburb not too far from here in Kabul.” Continue reading →