uber.la

People call it going negative. Others understand that people don't forward a boring email or promote a vanilla digg. Well, think about it, do you?

IMFHO – If you aren't falling you aren't learning. If you don't loose followers on a regular basis, then they are not paying attention and you are not making yourself clear. I am not for everyone, call it an acquired taste; Like a David Letterman (the 80s – 90s version, before he got bitter and regretful) or the Onion, either you get me or you don't. And if you don't follow, that's cool. If you block me, I might ask why (@omarg I understand, @LaniAR, I don't understand) and then follow up with an "I'm sorry" if appropriate or a "Sounds fair" if I disagree with you.

But… And here's where the kid gloves come off: If you attack me (long form or short form) be prepared to defend yourself. And not just from a flame war, from facts, figures, references, documents, historical participation on social media sites like LINKEDIN, and mainly your own content. Where do you put your attention? What is it that you are constantly going on about?

I'll give you my top 3 from that little list over there >>> to the right.

#1 social media
#2 tech reviews and opinion
#3 about me
(verify these counts in a second before publishing…)  ;-0 )

And I've done a bunch of posts on sentiment, or how negative am I really. Maybe I need to update the meter, but I'm pretty up and happy and on the sunny side of things. Until I'm down. Then I see dark clouds overhead, I rant a bit, and I go dark myself and don't surface for days.

What I discovered at Dell and occasionally in social media was it doesn't really matter if your right. And though I may not like it, sometimes it may not be appropriate to go directly to the person who is having the conflict with you. (At Dell, I'm pretty sure it was a legal thing, an ethics thing, a sensitivity thing.) Okay, so don't go direct with the person, talk to their manager. And don't drop the f-bomb. EVER!

As a wrap, let's take one example of where jumping in with guns blazing (Well, my guns weren't hot until I was attacked after the first post.) was seen as inappropriate by some, offensive and worthy of counter strikes by others, accurate and praiseworthy by a few, and privately praised by many. And some of those private supporters, those who PM'd me on LinkedIN to say, "Keep it up." finally commented on the thread themselves. This particular thread demonstrates how even a former victim can become a supporter of the abuser if it's in the best interest of the victim.

Now I am not saying I'm right, or that my techniques and linguistic dexterity is always ON or appropriate. What I am saying, is that if you say something back it up with Passion AND Facts. If you attack, be prepared to meet the social media ninja.

And don't drop the f-bomb. EVER!

@jmacofearth
permalink: http://bit.ly/goingnegative

[As a response to some of the comments here, and more so the comments I got as part of the LinkedIN viral discussion, I have launched a NING community site to rally around the best ways to deal with TROLLS who attack. And more importantly the Trolls who threaten. Please join us at Social Media is Not Hate (Ning) You might be member #2!]

The whole post thread. Watch for Trolls along the path, cause they are hoppin mad today!

Nice Shot – How long's it been since you've seen the Matrix?
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The Red Badge of Courage: Haiti Needs Everyone's Help (JAN 19-10 update 5)
My MLK Manifesto 2010: I have a dream… I wish social media could be used to…
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Drawing the Circles Around LinkedIN Contacts – Social Media for Business of Any Size
Does LinkedIN Create Business via Social Media Networking?
LinkedIN Gets Social: Is it Viral or CRAP? You Decide.

The Twitter Way (a gathering of all the Uber.la Twitter posts)
Twitter Lists (my list making on Twitter – you need to understand and WORK Twitter lists)
TwitterTools (the Twitter Matrix of apps and sites to make your tweeting more productive and fun)

Tags: @laniar, @omarg, about me, And don't drop the f-bomb, david letterman, dell, don't drop the f-bomb, f-bomb, go dark, going dark, going negative, goingnegative, IMFHO, inappropriate, linkedin, lists on twitter, NING, sniper, social media, social media is not hate, social media ninja, social media rant, tech opinion, tech reviews, the onion, the twitter matrix, the twitter way, tools, twitter lists, twitter matrix, twitter tools, twitter way, twitterlists, twitterway, vanilla digg