"I think it might be good to have an arch nemesis or two. Keeps me on my toes and them on pins and needles. Muwaahaahaa!" (grin)

Screen Shot 2012 05 03 at 12.06.30 PM An Arch Nemesis: Why It Might Be Good To Be Blocked and Hated by a Few People

A group of friends I had lunch with recently came to an interesting conclusion. "Having an arch nemesis online may help you be more creative." Someone you are always out to pawn, school, and prove wrong. What gets you up in the morning, boredom or a challenge?

An arch nemesis can propel you out of your safe zone. If you are bored with your own subject matter, or don't know what to write about, you can picture the face of your arch nemesis and then blast out with a new and more vital post.

Of course this could easily get out of hand. You don't want to troll or attack anyone on the web. That's bad form. Nobody sets out to be a troll. (Okay, maybe some people do.) But in the keeping with the spirit of good natured rivalries, your nemesis and you should remain in the higher levels of Graham's Hierarchy of Disagreement if you can. When things degrade to name calling or attacks you know the usefulness of your sparing partner has come to an end.

With this spirit in mind, I am calling out a friend and inspired creative to step up to the plate, and out of the cloak and safety of Facebook friendship and fight like a true rival. You can to this with a person. Or you can have it out with a large corporate nemesis. My current corporate pawns are Microsoft, Dell, and Intel. Hmm. A triumvirate of sorts. The league of mediocrity. And I rail, taunt, and bully. But I'm doing it in the spirit of battle or conquest, not with actual harm in mind.

Yadda yadda, Apple is great, Apple is strong, Apple can do no wrong. << BORING. But toss in a few and let me show you Dell's MacBook AIR Killer or Microsoft's Retail Store… And, well, you get the picture. The stark contrast can point out the extreme differences in culture and company, and perhaps provide a platform for me to make a point. If there's no point, then I *might* be trolling. I don't mean to, but I'm sure it happens from time to time.

I will let my old arch nemesis rest in peace, he has not risen to the occasion since 2009 when our numbers jumped and our pointed words flew. Alas, he's left the playing field. He's back to mediocrity. He's sort of boring. He needs a good flap, I think to get him sharpened again. But let's just forget about him. Done.

If you aren't being unfollowed by some people some times you might be taking the easy road, the boring road, the uninspired road. And if you aren't blocked by a few journalists and rock stars, who have given up and cried uncle, you might as well hang it up right now.

Writing is about style AND substance. This blog is about online marketing strategy and social media AND an attitude. There are thousands of social media websites, blogs, writers. And I admit, I'm an acquired taste. And if you don't like it… Well fire an articulate cannon ball into my comments and lets see what develops. I need a new rival. I need a challenger. I need to improve my repartee.

I'm tired of looking in the mirror of my writing and seeing only me. LET'S GET TO IT!

@jmacofearth (also seen on Google+: jmacofearth)
permalink:  http://uber.la/2012/05/arch-nemesis/

Other posts to help you kick ass in social media:

Most people don't really enjoy being mean; they do it because they can't help it. (from Graham's Hierarchy of Disagreement)

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