If you blinked and missed it, I had a job. I don't right now, but am hoping to change this pretty soon. The following happened when I did.

I have told a couple of vendors to check out this site, see if they can get interested and perhaps contribute to the content. Out of the blue, recently, one popped up as a review for the products that they sell. It was, essentially, one great big ad.

Angrily, I phoned the local representative and blasted him for getting one of his people to put up a patently obvious marketing piece. He was as angry as I - the particular vendor doesn't engage in that type of marketing as it sullies their image, which is never an ideal thing to promote for a short term exposure, long term condemnation.

The ad originated from a serial blogger overseas, and this is where it got a bit squiffy. (I like that word, even though it isn't real)

The site admin on autechheads had removed the article. no problems with that, the vendor was a bit relieved. We managed to get the name for the poster, and, as the vendor is a very large organisation, a global player, they checked to see if the person was one of theirs. not one of theirs. They did, however, manage to track down who it was and sent them an email asking for a please explain. The serial blogger was surprised at their response - wasn't the site for members to blog reviews etc about products? The reply that the vendor received was about 3 pages long and cited freedom of speech, right of reply etc, etc. 

Obviously hadn't twigged that the vendor was the owner of the product and that there were some things that, whilst they would love to have their product do them, it currently didn't. Maybe they will work out a way to integrate the bits that the serial blogger had suggested it did, but not just yet.

The upshot is that the serial blogger has become a serial emailer and is sending them many per week. This is the underlying problem with blogging about something you don't about - telling the creator of the product things that they certainly know it cannot do doesn't increase their confidence in your expertise, it makes them wonder what else you have said, and where.

Then, I got roped into the discussions. The serial blogger has finally (dang!) worked out that their emails about freedom of speech etc, etc have been aimed at the wrong target and has managed to get my details from somewhere. (not here, elsewhere, but the bugger who did it is going to pay)

In the midst of all these nasty emails I have been getting, finally a ray of light appeared. The serial blogger has finally worked out that this site is australian, and that the constitutional amendments don't mean that much to me. they apologised and stopped.

I do hope that in future people read the code of conduct. it is there for us all, which is why I haven't named the vendor or its brand, the person or anything to identify them.

   

Posted in: [Miscellaneous]