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The dangers of the internet and slack blogging

I was talking to someone the other day about the brilliance of the Internet.

If any agency professional was really, really honest, they’d tell you that they never know 100% how well something will work. With the Internet, you can try lots of stuff without a big enough, see what works and then ramp it up. Testing in real time.

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But there’s a danger. Just because you’re in ‘test phase’ that doesn’t excuse slackness. When things can be shared and gather pace at a frightening rate, you have to be sure you’ve accounted for things going wrong as much as you can. When it’s out there, it is very hard to recall. A bit like the email you reply to instead of forwarding I guess.

That goes for bloggers too. You don’t know which posts will take off and which ones will be ignored, and it’s often surprising. That doesn’t excuse not putting yourself in the shoes of the reader and making sure it doesn’t needlessly offend anyone, or can be taken the wrong way. I think I wrote one of those posts today.

It was supposed to be about the highs and lows of working with people who have different skills and different ways of working, but it seems like it came across as having a pop at creatives. It wasn’t supposed to, without them, my agency would fall down, just like it would without suits, production or accounts. I just wanted to point out that maybe we should celebrate ALL departments a bit more and try to hold each other to the same standards.

But that’s the web for you, when you make mistakes you make them in public. So the post has been deleted. You live and learn.

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18 responses to “The dangers of the internet and slack blogging”

  1. Ed Avatar
    Ed

    Oh right. Is that an apology or have you been “micro-managed” into editing.

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  2. nubbin Avatar
    nubbin

    All this sudden diplomacy is uncanny.
    You should be a social worker.

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  3. northern Avatar
    northern

    nubbin, if you indulged me into reading into reading more than a couple of posts you’d notice that the diplomacy is anything but sudden.And give me a break, I’ve been writing this thing for more than two years and just about managed to help a few people wanting to get into planning – without offending anyone.
    Ed, no one writes this blog but me, but you could indeed call it an apology,if people are taking out what that Jabster person is, then, whatever the intent, it needs redressing.

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  4. andrew Avatar
    andrew

    This is an excellent blog. I read it every day. It should not be censored, self-censored or inhibited in any way.

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  5. Dave Mortimer Avatar
    Dave Mortimer

    I never thought I’d see a backlash on this of all blogs.
    It must be the universe’s way of telling you not to leave the North again!
    Shame there was a misunderstanding with the post, as your bits on how differnt departments interact with each other are usually a great insight into life in the industry for people who are just starting out.

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  6. Rob Mortimer Avatar
    Rob Mortimer

    Northern gets controversial and I missed it… rats.
    I hope though you aren’t censoring your blog based on feedback.

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  7. Rob @ Cynic Avatar
    Rob @ Cynic

    To quote Maggie … these little tinkers abuse is like being savaged by a dead sheep.
    They made a fair comment regarding the Tube Train thing … but I believe your comment was more to do with our ‘spoon fed’ society than wanting to laugh at blind people who fall off the train in the wet. Though that is very funny obviously.
    Manners cost nothing boys … though I appreciate I’m being a bit hypocritical saying that!

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  8. jabster Avatar
    jabster

    Howdy Northern.
    How exciting.
    Sorry if I took the ‘Creatives really wind me up’ post the wrong the way. Misread the signs.
    And of course clichés are generally true. Creatives can be temperamental – it’s the marker pen fumes. And the drink.
    An agency is indeedy only the sum of its parts, and yes we should celebrate ALL departments. Thing is, creatives are very good at celebrating themselves. It’s what creatives do – film, TV, theatre, art, lit, there’s awards all over the place. I guess it’s because creative endeavours don’t have too much of a command on society’s preferred method of recognition, £dosh£. That and because creative types are generally a bit wet, neurotic, and child-like so need a reassuring cuddle now and again (though I’d rather have the cash meself)
    Anyway, hope you took my retort in the spirit it was meant – nice inter-dept banter. As you say, tension between depts is a good thing. So is debate. Not sure about censorship though. But yes, seems we are all micro/ macro/ meccano managed more than ever.
    And I’m glad we can all be above the bored on spelling and typos and things to. Because as a dyslexic scriber, it takes me flepping ages to spell check and pour over me stuff. Nice to find a place I can relax and just hit thr post button whatever…even if I do end up hitting it twice.
    Plan nicely now.
    J

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  9. jabster Avatar
    jabster

    Well Rob. I for one don’t find blind people falling off trains in the wet obviously funny.
    Though I do enjoy a good post-modern ironic guffaw at crippled kids trying to get on buses, indeed any spacker in a public space is a hoot.
    Whooops.. Sorry. I just can’t seem to distinguish between cheap laughs and ill judged, juvenile, offensive crap.
    So I’d appreciate it if I weren’t presented with any more of it.
    Ta
    (think I’ll do one now Northern. Keep up the good blog)

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  10. Rob @ Cynic Avatar
    Rob @ Cynic

    Hey NP, how did you get the editor of the Daily Mail to write on your blog?
    Sorry Jabster, I can’t stop myself from writing cheap laughs or making ill judged, juvenile, offensive crap – which amazingly I managed to combine in this one comment.

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  11. nubbin Avatar
    nubbin

    I still don’t understand why the original post has been removed. You’ve explained what you meant. Why delete it?

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  12. Pieman Avatar
    Pieman

    Personally I think people should be able to write what they want on their blogs, so am sorry you’ve had to take the post down. Obviously there’s a need for a certain amount of common sense, and probably one of those disclaimer things that says “What I write here does not reflect the blah blah blah”. But it’s a shame that there seems to be a blog backlash at the moment, with blogs being shut down, etc. at the request of management.
    When are we next meeting up for one of our “I’ll get drunk whilst listening to you lot talk about planning” evenings?

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  13. Rob @ Cynic Avatar
    Rob @ Cynic

    If a post about the rainy rail tracks and creative tension can get this sort of backlash, can you imagine what would happen if NP said he thought George W was the best leader in living history?
    Not only that, but NP may finally get his blog banned in China!

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  14. John Avatar
    John

    Hey up Northern.
    Hope you didn’t pull it cos of management. I’ve been trying to get work for my portfolio out of TBWA but I’ve been told the account people are too frightened to access the system because they’re being watched. I know more people are leaving, but why the paranoia?
    What exactly are they all afraid of?
    And yes. I’m with Pieman. Let’s all get pissed and use work as excuse very soon.

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  15. Marcus Avatar
    Marcus

    I should have been here. I wasn’t. I’m sorry.

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  16. northern Avatar
    northern

    My word, what have I started.
    Thanks for your comments one and all.
    Genuinely, I was worried that ‘that post’ was needlessly offending people, so it seemed wise to take it off. No one tells me what to post, or not, but I have a strong view on ads that shock for shocks sake, and I guess that stretches to blogging too.
    I think this debate on departmental tension and accpeting faults along with strenghts is a obviously fertile territory, and will explore it in coming posts.
    And thanks for your voice of support dear friends.
    And Pieman, a boozy night in Manc is long overdue…

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  17. Rob Mortimer Avatar
    Rob Mortimer

    Seconded.

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  18. lauren Avatar
    lauren

    wow! all this controversy! i know this will be deemed as offensive and narrow-minded by some, but i didn’t pick you as either the offensive or the censored type, NP! wow!
    perhaps the whole debacle is a case-in-point.
    and i also think you should all get together for beer and food in manchester sometime soon. seems as good a time as any.

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