Saturday, October 24, 2009

Chamber Of Commerce Strong-Arms Service Provider Into Shutting Down Spoof Site? Seriously?

Ok, here's the deal: The Internet Service Provider "Hurricane Electric" which hosts the web site for The Yes Men, who are trying to fix the world one huge prank after another, was forced to bar them off their service or face a lawsuit.

I guess Chamber President Tom Donohue here can't take the joke, well it's not really a joke. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/23/chamber-of-commerce-stron_n_332087.html

In the process of adhering to the "letter" Hurricane Electric had to shut down, for what ended up being several hours, hundreds of other legitimate client web sites. All because the US Chamber of Commerce threatened legal action against the ISP provider.

I wonder, what about the Service Level Agreement the hundreds of other clients signed into agreement with and expected from the ISP provider? If I was one of their clients who were shut down for no cause I would be talking to a lawyer about compensation and lost business!

You would think there could have been other ways to fix this. For instance: they could have told The Yes Men to shut down voluntarily or be forced off per their normal contract agreements due to violations as cited by the US Chamber. They could have limited their bandwidth - instead they hard shut the circuit and forced hundreds of client to be in the dark.

Nice customer service!

Here is the video

Posted via web from Michael's posterous

Thursday, October 15, 2009

It's not "climate change" . . . it's "climate revolution"

I was recently reminded how simple yet how hard it is going to be to rethink climate change.  I'm not even sure I like that word:  change.
 
It became clearer after seeing an old Star Trek episode titled Mirror Mirror when the "good" Captain Kirk was telling the alternate universe "evil" Mr. Spock that if he wanted to affect change he not only needed the power but had to have the will and desire.  James T. Kirk eloquently responded before departing that: "In every revolution, there's one man with a vision."  I like to think we have more then one man these days who now has that vision of what climate change means but instead of thinking of it as change perhaps we need to think more in terms of a revolution.
 
We see the revolution in so many walks of life now that it's almost impossible to keep it all straight.  I get easily confused with all the "green actions" to take or way to help and yet I want to do SOMETHING.  What I don't want is to be lumped into this "green box" and labeled a "tree hugger" just because I desire clean air and clean water.  HELLO - basics of life, without it we all stop living. 
 
But like the "alternate universe Mr. Spock" stated. at times I feel like I lack the power.  Marching on government offices, signing petitions, sending e-alerts to congress - it's all good but is it real power?  What is power in a movement such as this one?
 
I see power these days in all sorts of ways, and perhaps this is me being bias because I am part of the National Wildlife Federation staff but I will say that the "Be Out There" campaign is going to provide parents and children with some real powerful tools to help fight for climate revolution in a very different and progressive way - through our children!
 
Offering smart interactive tools and ways start a new generation of revolutionaries is the goal of so many and the NWF Be-Out-There web site is just one of them. 
 
Another revolutionary is "the playoutdoors lady" Bethe Almeras who pens The Grass Stain Guru which not only promotes ideas and ways to introduce kids to climate and the great outdoors but provides a place to share stories, experiences and outdoor passion that is required if our climate revolution will have success.
 
Like I said, there are so many wonderful resources it can get confusing, yet if you've come this far I trust you will go a little further.  Take action, be heard but more importantly - get out - see and feel that vision, we need you!  www.blogactionday.org for Climate Revolution is just step in the process. 
 
Warp Speed, arm the Photon Torpedo's - and full speed ahead!
 
 

Posted via email from Michael's posterous

Saturday, October 10, 2009

To Blog or Not to Blog . . .

There was a discussion recently that started with fellow tweet http://twitter.com/askdebra Debra Askanase where she posed the challenge: Why Uncensored Blogging is the Future of Corp Communications | Community Organizer 2.0 http://bit.ly/w2gub 

I liked the piece and re-tweeted it with a comment about how I had some misgivings related to uncensored blogging, mostly because of personal experience related to organizational strategy.  There needs to be a strategy, guidelines, flexibility - yes? and better yet does the blogger have to fear what they write?  

I think my feelings stem from my last gig where I blogged on the "no strategy" side of the fence.  My tech blog was not in line with the environmental or educational aspects of the organization.  I'd hear about the messages back and forth from management questioning why I was even permitted to blog.  Especially related to Debra's piece I was always in fear of what I had posted even though in my gut I felt I was trying to share a story, an experience related to how my technology program was impacting the community and the organization work being done.  

Writing is as much about style as it is content and having a personality come out of the written word I think connects the reader.  However if the "powers that be" don't buy into that concept of how blogging is a means of self expression and can be a great tool to message and share, then the blogger will quickly find themselves in a room with bright lights with a guy in a white coat and plyers.  It's one of the reasons it was time to move on as I felt the hierarchy didn't "get it" and being placed in the dog house was a shining example of how old school thinking still exists in this genre where there is no strategy.

Uncensored "corporate blogs" only works if the mentality and culture allows it to work.  Also it goes to trust, does the organization trust the staffer who will be blogging even if they go "off message" - which I whole heartedly support as I like a good ramble, it shows character and personality.  

Ramble on, and if possible try to ramble in 140 characters or less please.

Specialization without integration is fragmentation - Peter Forbes

Posted via email from Michael's posterous