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	Phil's Blogservations Saturday, April 30, 2005 Posted by philgomes 3:11 AM What A Week... What A Week... Gang... I'm exhausted. It's been a crazy week. There's definitely one thing to be said about this PR job... If you play your cards right, you get to meet and correspond with some amazing folks. Lots of stuff in the hopper. Unfortunately, it'll be some time before the clone I've made of myself will be ready to be ejected from the bubbling vat that I hid in the backyard carriage house. Thursday, April 28, 2005 Posted by philgomes 8:15 PM Anagrams For "Public Relations" Anagrams For "Public Relations" Last October, at the request of Dave Black at Voce, I gave a talk about blogging to the PRSA Silicon Valley chapter. Searching for a crisp ending to my talk, I had a flash of inspiration the night before. "Wouldn't it be great if the word 'public relations' turned out to be a snappy anagram?" Turned out, it did. "Public relations" became "social blueprint" when the letters were rearranged. Perfect for a talk about PR, blogging, and my thoughts about how they might intersect. Actually, I went back into my blog archive to re-discover this fact. I vainly wondered today whether I was the first to think of this. Turns out the answer is no. People figured it out a long while beforehand. And they figured out other, perhaps less-flattering ones: Crap, built on lies. I care to spin bull. And, for you gentle readers across the pond: I practise bull, no? The lesson here: As a PR pro, you want to aspire to my original — as in "first" rather than "unique" — idea, not the ones I discovered today. Saturday, April 23, 2005 Posted by philgomes 2:42 PM Executive Happiness Continues Breakthrough Rally, Surges Additional 45.2% Executive Happiness Continues Breakthrough Rally, Surges Additional 45.2% Okay, guys. You gotta start sharing whatever you've been bogarting all to yourself. Clearly, with a dramatic week-over-week gain of 45.2%, there's enough to go around. The Gomes Index is now at 134.43. I would've never guessed. Is it the new Pope? George "Webvan" Shaheen as Siebel's new CEO? What? I'll tellya what pleased me this week. By way of IT Conversations, I downloaded Larry Magid's excellent interview with Gordon Moore. Listened to it at the gym this morning. Moore is remarkably modest for having built the idealogical railroad upon which technological progress has traveled for decades. This got me thinking. Some tech industry folks I've talked with in the past have taken the provocative stance that Moore's Law is kind of silly when taken in the context of its namesake's remarkable body of scientific work. I've often wondered how Moore privately feels about the tech mantra his ideas created — that maybe this "law" unfairly overshadowed so many more concrete accomplishments, like running the seminal R&D lab at Fairchild. Likewise, Doug Engelbart is revered the world over as the inventor of the computer mouse, but he did so much more. (Check out the video archive of his groundbreaking 1968 demonstration.) In fact, Doug has often gone on record as saying that we have so much further to go, even. "That's why I'm grey," the then-seventy-six-year-old said in a 2001 CNN interview. "I'm really only forty." Or think about poor Douglas Coupland. He coined the term "Generation X." While, on one hand, it's pretty remarkable to write a book and have the title be almost universally understood (whether or not you've actually read the thing), it's also an accomplishment that overshadows a larger and arguably more compelling body of work. Huey Lewis had a good answer. He simply stopped trying to out-do the blockbuster Sports album. Do you remember Small World? Two albums after Sports, he and his band allowed themselves the freedom to explore jazz and world-music. The result was a creatively liberating album, though perhaps not an aneurysm-generatingly successful one. Sometimes when the railroad ends, you have to hop onto another track. It's amusing to imagine that Gordon Moore might have dinners with CalTech's Carver Mead (the one credited with somewhat offhandedly coining the term "Moore's Law") and say, "Darn it, Carver. I'm never going to get out from under this!" Then again, if your ideas are to become the pre-emptive metaphor for modern technological progress — even to the exclusion of everything else you've done — then there are certainly worse cards to be dealt. Time to play... Until next post... Wednesday, April 20, 2005 Posted by philgomes 5:33 PM Will You Ever Learn? Will You Ever Learn? Email marketers... Spamming us is bad enough. But large, unsolicited attachments are definitely not the way to achieve your goals. This anecdote here should give you an idea of how just plain irritating this is. Posted by philgomes 3:41 PM Best Nerd Porn Ever: Inside AMD's Manufacturing Best Nerd Porn Ever: Inside AMD's Manufacturing Tom's Hardware has a superbly in-depth look at AMD's manufacturing. Perhaps myopically, I find it hard to see how someone couldn't be into learning more about this kind of manufacturing. Posted by philgomes 10:57 AM EETimes On The Origins Of Moore's Law EETimes On The Origins Of Moore's Law There's a great article in EETimes about how Moore's Law went from an interesting thesis by Gordon Moore, to a relatively offhand interview comment by Carver Mead, and eventually the infamous yardstick against computing progress is measured. I was doubly glad to see that this article called out a point that I heard Mead deliver in a Churchill Club panel discussion: That Moore's Law is more of a law about the human spirit than anything else. "It was a catchy phrase," said Mead. The fortuitous combination of Mead's phrase, his research and his seminal 1971 paper on electron tunneling made everything that followed possible, said Mead. It was less about technology than about unlocking human potential, he said. "It made people believe in the future, in possibilities; it was all about the human spirit." Now, wouldn't it be great if we had such "laws" for other things? I'm thinking about fuel efficiency, for one thing. Or high school graduation rates. Then again, I suppose this might illustrate how politics can often conspire against the human spirit in terms of putting lofty goals out there and motivating people to achieve them. I guess it also shows the power of economic motivation, since Moore's Law and its inherent expectations certainly gives companies a strong incentive to shatter one perceived technical barrier after the next. Monday, April 18, 2005 Posted by philgomes 6:47 PM Blogging Poll Currently Shows Goose Egg For Comment-Posting Blogging Poll Currently Shows Goose Egg For Comment-Posting IBDNetwork sent out a poll amongst its newsletter subscribers today asking "Are you in or out of the blogosphere?" (IBD stands for "International Business Development" rather than "Investor's Business Daily", in this case.) Note that this poll probably doesn't have much scientific weight behind it and we don't really have an idea of the sample size at this time. Anyway... Mid-poll, here are the results: I guess it's surprising-but-not-really that 47% say "Blogging? I DON'T think about it." 31% of respondents have their own blog? Assuming a reasonably large sample size, this seems a little high to me. The zero-percent figure asking about weekly comment-posting perked my ears up. If it's one argument I consistently get into, it's the notion of "comment entitlement" on corporate blogs. I've written about this before, and Jupiter's Michael Gartenberg and David Schatsky have told visitors that opening up comments just isn't going to happen. So, if most aren't commenting, then what is the profile of someone who does? Sounds like something us PR folk should keep an eye on. Posted by philgomes 3:34 PM EDN On Hypermarketing EDN On Hypermarketing I wanted to point to a great piece by EDN's Bill Schweber about "hypermarketing" and its effects on long-term credibility. When product hype rather than the product itself becomes the news, it diminishes the technical accomplishments of engineers everywhere, as well as the truly impressive products and services they have developed. It also sends the message that, just like the gown parade at the Oscars, the products themselves are secondary because maybe they aren't all they're cracked up to be. I hope the story this time has a happier ending. I echoed a similar sentiment in this anecdotal post from a few years ago. As I've said many times before... A tech company's technology story (as applied to an important or — less compellingly — at least an "interesting" problem) is its only story. It is the cornerstone of the corporate identity's foundation. Any credible business story must have solid technical foundation to fall back on. I know this sounds trite and obvious, but you'd be surprised how many times I run into technology marketing and PR folks who consider themselves somehow above actually knowing how their client's technology works. Posted by philgomes 10:51 AM In The Latest San Francisco Magazine In The Latest San Francisco Magazine Just a note that you can find me in a brief article by Michael Fitzgerald in the April 2005 issue of San Francisco Magazine. The piece is about podcasting. Sunday, April 17, 2005 Posted by philgomes 1:59 PM Executive Happiness Sees 17.9% Week-Over-Week Gain Executive Happiness Sees 17.9% Week-Over-Week Gain After a slight dip following a two-day rally, The Gomes Index shot up again to end the week at 92.51 — a 17.9% gain. Some people have asked me if the phrase "we are pleased" is used as often in press releases as I claim. Answer: It is. Go on Google News and do a search for "we are pleased" and, say, "PR Newswire." Some of you will be surprised. Now, still others have asked why this phrase exists in the first place. This isn't as easy to answer. I suspect that it has something to do with a company's desire not to make it sound like it has a favored relationship with any single partner, vendor, or customer. If Coca-Cola said it was "pleased" to work with Snoop Doggy Dogg, but "estatic" to work with P. Diddy, we might end up with more gangsta rap gunfire. I realize that's an extreme example, but you get the idea. I've been spending the weekend with Black Label Society's Hangover Music, Vol. 6. Give it a listen if you want to hear one of the best rock guitar players in the business today — Zakk Wylde. If you only know him from his work with Ozzy Osbourne, you're missing out. Tuesday, April 12, 2005 Posted by philgomes 7:00 PM It's Not Who You Know, It's What You Know It's Not Who You Know, It's What You Know Bravo to Mike Manuel, who pointed out one of my least favorite questions to be asked: "Who are your media references?" There are only two things in this world that annoy me and one is a prospective client asking for my media references. I know some folks will disagree with me on this, but I just can’t help but think that media references are an antiquated and quite frankly, ineffective way of measuring a firm’s ability to work intelligently with the media. I remember first getting asked that question in 1997 during a new business pitch. Yes, I was less than one year into my career at the time. The VP of marketing actually asked me "Which reporters can you phone up today and have a drink with by tomorrow?" I wish I was kidding. Is this what this job is about? Yuck!, I thought to myself. At that point in my career, I think I remember having pretty good rapport with the assistant editor of AS/400 Systems Journal — a very important trade publication for one of my clients, but not likely to impress a sure-to-be-flamed-out Internet startup with Anna-Nicole-Smith-sized notions of entitlement. I'll go an additional step... Even worse is when a client believes that your "relationships" (I hate that term in the PR context) are now his or her own by some sort of bizarre Friendster-osmosis. This is always a recipe for disaster. If I can be considered "successful," it's not because I'm a nudge-nudge-wink-wink, shoulder-rubbing kind of PR person with a drool-worthy Outlook Contacts database that's ready to be mined for a fee. Upon meeting me, in fact, "You're a PR person?" is a question I've gotten more than once from reporters, analysts, party acquaintances, other PR people, and so on. I choose to take it as a compliment. The PR person you want is one that is credible to the audiences you wish to interface with and/or has the ability to become credible quickly. Posted by philgomes 12:28 PM New Hot Search Term New Hot Search Term I'm sorry, Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom. Futile Internet searches for pictures of you in your lingerie are no longer the top term used to get to this site. "What!?!" you gasp, amazed. 'Tis true. You have been curiously replaced by searches for "Frank The Bunny", the character from Donnie Darko. "28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, 12 seconds..." No really... Check it out... donnie darko bunny donnie darko frank frank donnie darko frank from donnie darko frank the bunny frank bunny They're probably finding this post here. Is there a meme that I'm missing? Saturday, April 09, 2005 Posted by philgomes 1:44 PM My Continuing Linux Education My Continuing Linux Education Tim has been my ongoing charioteer into the world of open source. He's been very patient with my nagging questions. Phil: downloading the kubuntu live CD now to see if it will work with my laptop. Tim: you will be impressed i dare say. the thing i do not like is they are doing it like OS X where there is no root user, you use your password to do things as root and its using sudo in the background. the first user account added to the system is automatically added to the /etc/sudoers file by default Tim: it works but i prefer total separating of user accounts, if someone cracks my account they do not have root access, with ubuntu and kubuntu that is not the case. Tim: well its easier for newbies that way. Phil: Ugh... Phil: i'm not a fan. Phil: So... What if I install, set up a second account, and use THAT one all the time? Effectively, the first one would be "root," right? Tim: no, its not really a root account but alot of things like installing software or changing settings require root privileges and they are giving that to the first user added to the system by setting up that user in sudo Phil: i don't see any reason *not* to do it. Being root all the time scares me. Tim: that is not what is going on. Phil: oh, okay. i get it now. Tim: ok. thought i might have to break out the big lart stick Phil: lart stick? Tim: loser attitude readjustment tool Phil: oh, my... Phil: This thread is going up on my blog... Anyway... I downloaded the Kubuntu live CD to see if it works and plays well with my trusty Chembook 6300C. I've been happy with Knoppix, so I wonder how this will pan out. Stay tuned. Posted by philgomes 11:55 AM Markets Give An Inch, Executive Happiness Takes A Nanometer Markets Give An Inch, Executive Happiness Takes A Nanometer After some intra-week performance that looked like an octagenerian's EKG at a strip club, The Gomes Index ended the week at 78.44 or 0.38% higher than the close of last week — a meager net gain in a week that was starting to show a little promise. Looking on the bright side, executive happiness is 8.7% higher than March 31's all-time low of 72.16. I predict that the Networld+Interop show (May 1 - May 6 in Vegas) will bring up the index substantially. With no PC Expo in June anymore (remember that show?), it could be a long time between drinks. That's it for now. It's too beautiful outside. Wednesday, April 06, 2005 Posted by philgomes 12:10 AM Phil Via Satellite Phil Via Satellite Just in case you were wondering where I live, work, and often play. Tuesday, April 05, 2005 Posted by philgomes 12:35 PM Grocery Outlet, A Lesson In Marketing Grocery Outlet, A Lesson In Marketing I often shop at Grocery Outlet on 29th and Broadway in Oakland. Not only are there great deals to be had (very excellent slabs of pork ribs for $11, or this amazing rosewater-infused vodka for $8), but it's often funny to think about how some of the packaged goods got shuffled off to this outlet store. Sometimes the packages are misprinted. Sometimes they're dinged up a little bit. And I guess sometimes the products ship with somewhat scatological names like this: I wonder how long it took for someone to figure it out, or how many Beavises in the organization had a chuckle or two. Personally, I thought nothing of it until my roommate Brian pointed it out: "Ummm... Did you see the brand name on this product?" "Brand, schmrand. I shopped at Grocery Outlet." "No, Phil. Look at it again." "I still don't see what... Oh... My..." Saturday, April 02, 2005 Posted by philgomes 1:06 AM Gomes Index Narrows Loss, Execs Still Bummed Out Gomes Index Narrows Loss, Execs Still Bummed Out Well, some executives almost managed to turn those frowns upside-down, raising The Gomes Index 6.9% from last week's all-time low, settling at 78.14. If HP's new CEO Mark Hurd was pleased about his salary package, he certainly didn't say much about it. Gentle readers... As humble as your host is, you better believe that he'd be pretty hard to control if he got two million bucks just to show up. Trust me on this one. Then again, imagine how I'd react if I got Carly's $21 million severance package. Note to business leaders and shareholders everywhere: MAKE ME YOUR CEO AND I CAN GUARANTEE THAT I WILL RUN YOUR COMPANY INTO THE DIRT FOR JUST HALF A QUARTER AN EIGHTH OF THAT!!! AND I'LL EVEN BROWN-BAG MY LUNCH, TOO!!! WHAT A BARGAIN!!! (I still want the company jet, though.) To tell you the truth, I'm pretty pleased. The Gomes Index got some link love from some PR practitioners based in Italy. My Mom's half of the family would be proud, I'm sure. And my brothers at the Buon Tempo Club. Anyway... Off to the weekend. A screening of Sin City, perhaps? Posted by philgomes 1:05 AM Obligatory April Fool's Joke Obligatory April Fool's Joke I'm quitting PR and doing Bowflex infomercials. HOME | OBSESSIONS | FAQ | HEROES | CAREER | BLOG | CONTACT Note that the views expressed on this site do not necessarily reflect those of Phil's employer, its business partners, its clients, or anyone or anything that doesn't come from Phil.	ABOUT THIS BLOG This blog not only discusses PR and media matters, but Phil's everyday observations about a variety of topics. EMAIL phil[at] philgomes[[dot}]com SYNDICATE Feedburner ARCHIVE YAHOO! 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