9rules: the truce
I’ve just been reading Mike Rundles always articulate and reasonable sounding comments about what 9rules is doing on my last post on the subject, so baring any major developments its true time. I’ve sent Scrivs an email asking him to clarify a few points, but certainly in the last 12 hours a lot of stuff has come out that is interesting. I’m still going to disagree on the criteria of the purge but I respect there right to do so. See any of the last 5 or 6 posts + the comments for more info.
Lessons for other blogs and blog networks though:
1. If you are making changes that are likely to be controversial be open, up front and honest about it. Keeping secrets is difficult. Purging people for reasons other than stated up front causes rumor and gossip. Open conversation helps, particularly when you get the ball rolling. If you don’t bowl first (cricket term) you lose control of the message.
2. Listen to the feedback from your blogs and bloggers if you are going to work on other projects….such as porn blog networks.
3. Take Mike Rundles comments as an example of how to control your response without the anger….reasonable, calm words go a long way in calming situations, whilst angry words only inflame things.
Update: I’m not going to write a new post on 9rules because I really just don’t want to deal with all the emails I’ve recieved any more, including a number of people close to me who have said words to the effect of “shut the f*ck up”. Scrivs has chosen not to respond to my questions, which he is entitled to do, however silence usually equals guilt in my books. I’ve responded and wished him well in his future endevours as a pornographer, given that the clash between running a family friendly 9rules network and a smut fest is totally lost on him. To the other people at 9rules, sorry if I went a bit harsh yesterday. Some of the questions I’ve asked are the exact same ones I’ve received from some 9rules members privately. I can only conclude that lessons will be learned from this entire shemozle by 9rules, and many others in the industry as well.
And yes. That should be a “you’re” at the end there.
F*ck. I *never* do that.
;o))
I’m loving this Aussie spirit you got going. Whats that, 4 posts on 9rules in less than 24 hours?!?
You drinking VB or something? :P
Duncan, I wanted to post this on the first report on this but the comments are closed, so please excuse me putting it here, but i still wanted to make the point, feel free to move it to the more relevent article.
Duncan, a great post and your argument is well made. I just think the B5 PR in the middle was not relevent or necessary and it lets the post down. If you want to say how well B5 is doing, do it on the main B5 site, not in the middle of an Article about 9 rules.
In my opinion, such blatant self-promotion in the midst of an otherwise interesting and informative piece compromises the integrity of the article. I don’t have an issue with you owning a blog network and commenting on other networks and of course you have every right to continue doing so, but not if you tell me how many page views you had on your network yesterday, in the middle of the piece. That is where a conflict comes in. Just my 2 cents.
I’d love to discuss the merits of page views with you but this isn’t the post for such a conversation.
Duncan,
Congrats on the sale. Hope you got more than what you expected.
You are right, open, upfront and honest is the only way for these networks to be. The age of secrets ended a long time ago. Trying to hide things just makes it more likely it will be discovered.
I feel sorry for the 9rules folks. This incident will leave a bad taste for some time. (But since this is the internet I figure by the weekend we’ll have other fish to fry.)
chartruese
p.s.- Chartreuse beta does not print gossip. It posts my opinion. :)