Debate over blogging with Belgian PR

Yesterday i went to the debate organised by the Belgian PR Center and moderated by Philippe Borremans. You can see the video on Maarteen's blog so I won't go too much into details -the fact that i was typing with Simon's QWERTY keyboard combined with my natural inclination to be dyslexic while taking notes doesn't make me feel like going through mines, but i'd like to make a few points:

- yes there were some Voltaire's daughters bloggers too at the event, at least me. And i don't think there's less women who are blogging contrary to what was said: all the data i heard during the last presentations i went to over blogging recently seems to prove the blogging population is fairly representative of the online population - being more or less 50/50 male and female

- yes 2 out of 3 participants were Dutch speaking if not more - and 4 out of the 5 speakers- which proves once again than the Dutch speaking community is not only more active but also more interested in social media - vind ik ..

- yet yes the questions coming from the public showed that fear and control are still the first reactions when we talked about social media and that the potential is huge for those feeling like being evangelists - be it on the PR sector or others...

- but yes if you don't participate in the online conversations you don't exist. Bruno Segers pointed it out several times as  the 'I blog so I am' phenomenon

- and yes, sunny days for monitoring these conversations are here to stay and blossom

One professional -admitting not to know a thing about blogging - wanted to know how he could influence what's being said online. It sounds like ' don't tell me what it is about - because i'm scared to know?-  but how i can turn it to my profit'. Wrong way to start if you ask me...

Pretty interesting so - and good for my Dutch oral practise :-) and the networking part was not the worst of it: I was delighted to meet Bart from Metatale who told me more about his new product - which will be useful for an article i'll be writing over monitoring in a couple of days, along with Attentio's data Simon McDermott kindly provided me before the debate- and to speak with Phillipe and to be introduced to Robin! Now that i have listened to them, talked with them, i'm not scared anymore ;-) and to finish this post i wish a very dirtysomething to one of the naaicest members of this nice NL community ;-)

Comments

[Caroline]

Double shoot is ok, it means you're still tkinking about debating ideas :-)
i wish i could answer directly beneath your words though.. Would you know something i can use to do this??

so let's start answering:
thanks for the links - i found the second one meanwhile. i'm one of those WILF, spending some whole evenings reading tons of interesting articles but i don't see any negative points: children are in bed, husband near me, tv off and learning valuable stuff to use it in my professional life, and yes sometimes having fun reading stupid stuff too.
i love this proximity, the easiness to have contact with persons who relates too, this openness. Yes there's a lot of crap, but i just dont read it when i find it crap.
I don't want to comment on the french/dutch belgians differences. I'm French from France and to me all this is quite 'blurred' and not so chopped-off but i can tell from the French France side that the ego is quite good - Loic Le Meur often quotes it as the main reason why blogging is so popular in France :-)Seems that he agrees with you on that point. It's interesting, i just outline the opposite on the 7 tips to pitch a blogger...Anyway..
I'll never be a geek, i have a full demanding family, friends and job i love, i love trekking to get this complete feeling of self connection . I don't see where i could find the time or the desire to have an avatar on second life, true enough i don't see the point. I would say it can also be a way to live new experiences and to clear some frustration? Not something for me but i'll definitely go&have a look one of these days out of professionnal interest and who knows? i might get hooked! will let you know ;-)
As for the people, i met really nice persons in real life that i've met on social media first. It's always easier to connect because i think you go quickly on a more intimate relation. you know the other's interests, you sometimes have seen photos, etc...all this helps to create a faster connection.
And companies are made of people. I know i'm the naive kind but i also know i'm working to make my world better and i'm not alone. This has impact on the way i work. and many people in companies go that direction too. Look for exemple at the "devil company'"s ceo Bill Gates? Besides being personnally involved in humanitarian projects (giving away the most part of his earnings) he also involves Microsoft on such projects (check for exemple the I'm program)
Good marketing i hear? :-) come one don't play the bad guy too hard ;-)
This being said, if you ever feel like meeting or if you're present at one of those events i'm going to please let me know. I don't want to be your friend - well not at this point that is - but i'm always in for a discussion :-)

[Mazu]

Jesus, again a double shot comment.

"...That is as long as they care for their consumers and are willing to make it a better world. Yes i'am a believer in the power of good..."
You 're quite innocent Caroline, companies want to make money and profit, that's all and there is nothing else.
They want the money we got in our wallets and on our bank accounts. Simple as that.
I don't know a lot of companies making a better world..

[Mazu]

I'm still coming to read, but not on a regular basis :)
I agree that social-driven websites are driving terrific trafic...and helping in a lot in wilfing ( http://www.lemonde.fr/web/depeches/0,14-0,39-30468325@7-37,0.html )
For the recent study from Hitwise, here is an article: http://www.indexel.net/1_20_4828___/Web_2.0___les_internautes_n_y_participent_pas.htm

I'm quite confident for some of social websites, but only a few of them will survive. That's my own opinion..
I'm not reading a lot of blogs, and as I'm very bad guy, I'm fund of analyzing people posts and showing them their errors... what I want to say, is that 99% of the blogs are just repeating content, without any verification, telling things without any investigation, with plenty of mispelling, etc. Bad quality, a lot of noise is what I have in mind about blogs.
Sure, I'm reading blogs, but a few of them, and they are more "websites" than blogs...
Blogging for blogging, or blogging to be cool or in the hype, that's bad and ridiculous ;), and we can feel this in a lot of blogs.
Blog stars from today, will be totally forgotten tomorrow..
I'm quite sure that french belgians have less ego, and don't care about business, or making a lot of money, or being someone for others on the internet. That's not lazyness, it's more a sweet mix between hedonism and being pragmatic. Dutch belgians are more business-oriented, disciplined and by that taking more attention to their public imago. That's cool also, but I don't want to be in this mood ;)

As you know, I'm working (and being a geek) from more than 12 years now in the internet business, but I love to be disconnected, having more time with my family, my friends, the nature, having nice trips, and being able to take only the best from the technology, and the most important, don't want to be technology-dependant.. a kind of moderated geek.
Because the main social relations you get on the net are superfical and fake..
I know that I have a few real friends, and that's better than having tons of fake friends (myspace ? ;) )

People have not to be blind, and they prefer to get a fake second life, than assuming their first real life :)

[Caroline]

Hello Mazu. I feel quite honored then that you still read - since last September?? after what you wrote about blogs :-) I dont know which study you refer too (please send me references) but i'm just going through old (2005) US data where they mention than 3/4 of online population use social media. So even if a small percent only participate- which i believe it's true but i'd say higher than your number- still a lot of people are reading what others are creating. This should prove enough that they do find interesting things - or at least things they find interesting. I'm sure you can do too ;-)
I don't think French speaking people have a less developped ego and/or a more real passionate life either. I don't think either that all bloggers have an overdevelopped ego. The main reason to blog remains to keep in touch with friends and families and ego has nothing to do with it. But true enough it feels good to meet new people and to be known by them. It's not about justifying some existence but about sharing experience, thoughts, ideas. The human being is a social animal no? I agree though all companies don't have to blog but all should at least listen because they exist in their consumers' posts. That is as long as they care for their consumers and are willing to make it a better world. Yes i'am a believer in the power of good...

[Mazu]

One last thing, I don't need to blog to feel my existence, and I even don't need to justify my existence...
And a lot of companies, they don't need this too for existing.

[mazu]

Hmmm maybe french speaking people don't care about blogging, brands, advertising, how to make people buying and superficial things... and care more about real life, family and friends.
For myself, blogs are just useless, with bad-written and selfish content, it's just a coming-out for the ego.
A recent study pointed out that the famous User generated content is generated by maximum 0,2% of internet users...

[Simon McDermott]

It was good to meet you, I enjoyed the session it helped with my French... I'll get back to your email next week! Speak soon. Simon

[Kris Hoet]

I'm not but thank you, thank you ;)