Re: UKNM: The Cluetrain Mainfesto

[Mark Bunting]

> Strikes up a debate on importance of chat rooms,

> forums, usenet groups , customer service, user

> empowerment etc.......anyone from "Infonic" reading

> this ?...... : - )


Yes, we do like it. I tell all my potential clients to

read it � saves us the trouble of a pitch� :-)


It�s worth reading for anybody trying to use the Net�s

networked culture for communications purposes,

although it leaves lots unanswered. In particular it�s

long on analysis but short on action; the important

questions are (in Cluetrain terms) whether companies

can learn to communicate in the language of their

markets, and what would have to happen to get

companies back into their markets� conversations?


The PDA example is interesting. Their thinking

presumably is that if this kind of criticism is going

to go on somewhere, better for it to happen on their

site where (a) they can easily monitor it,  (b) they

can respond to it without being accused of spamming,

(c) they get to look like an open customer-accessible

company. (See Egg for a closer-to-home example at

http://www.eggfreezone.com/chat.htm.)


On the other hand, having such vigorous criticism on

your own site, which possibly only stems from a small

minority of customers, looks pretty terrible to any

passing visitors � and might send potential customers

running a mile.


It�s become conventional wisdom that companies need to

be more open and transparent but there are costs

attached! Would be interested in others� thoughts.


Mark


=====

Mark Bunting:

mark [dot] buntinginfonic [dot] com

INFONIC Online Communications Management

Tel 020 7490 8844

http://www.infonic.com

=====



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