More on Blog Buzz on High-Tech Start-Ups Causes ,> Some Static

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

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> From: David S. Isenberg <isen () isen com>
> Date: February 10, 2006 11:39:13 AM EST
> To: dave () farber net
> Subject: More on Re: [IP] Blog Buzz on High-Tech Start-Ups Causes  
> Some Static
>
> Dave,
>
> For IP per judgement of Editor:
>
> I am on FON's USA Advisory Board and I think WSJ Reporter Rebecca
> Buckman, the WSJ reporter who wrote the story took mainstream
> reporting to new lows. I was interviewed by Buckman and a subject of
> her FON story.  I have never felt more abused in an interview with
> a reporter in my eight years talking to the press than I did with
> her.  She asked me the same questions over and over like she was
> badgering a hostile witness, even after I answered her in a
> complete, frank, transparent and detailed way.  It felt to me
> like she had an agenda.  It did not feel like she had honest
> curiosity to learn the facts.
>
> And I am really pi^H^H angry that Ms. Buckman's story compared the
> FON advisory board to Armstrong Williams and other paid political
> propaganda flacks.  Read the WSJ story carefully, ignoring the
> innuendo, and you will see Buckman turned up ZERO evidence of
> anything but frank disclosure among us foneros.
>
> Fact: Every FON advisor who blogged the FON announcement
> disclosed their advisory relationship.  Reporter Buckman took
> us to task for not saying explicitly that we were compensated
> as advisors.  In fact, technically, we are NOT compensated, as
> no written agreement is in place, just a nonspecific verbal
> intent.  We don't know if we're getting warrants or options
> or stock.  We don't know how much.  We don't know the terms.
> We trust FON founder Varsavsky to figure out something fair
> because he is our friend.  Plus, if you say, "I work for
> (consult for, advise) foobar, inc.", doesn't that imply
> you've got some kind of quid pro quo going?
>
> More importantly, just about every FON advisor who blogged
> the announcement expressed some kind of heartfelt skepticism
> or doubt about the FON launch.  It was very fast, very untested,
> and a pretty risky thing to do so early.  We told Varsavsky
> our concerns in confidence before the USA launch, and we told
> the world after the launch.  If that's paid publicity, he should
> hire more compliant lackeys.
>
> I blogged it here:
> http://isen.com/blog/2006/02/blogging-conflict-of-interest-and.html
> FON advisor David Weinberger blogged it here
> http://www.hyperorg.com/blogger/mtarchive/ 
> wsj_on_fon_disclosure_and_my_f.html
> Here's Varsavsky's blog posting:
> http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/fon/a-dream-come-true.html
> Here's the made-up-news WSJ Buckman story
> http://tinyurl.com/9pam5
> Here's FON advisor Ethan Zuckerman's very different take
> http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/?p=368
> Here's FON advisor Rebecca MacKinnon's take
> http://rconversation.blogs.com/rconversation/2006/02/ 
> the_revolution_.html
>
> 'nuf said.  In my mind, this thread is closed.  FON has more important
> things to think about.
> David I
> -------
>
>
>
> On Feb 9, 2006, at 2:30 PM, Dave Farber wrote:
>
> > -------- Original Message --------
> > Subject: Blog Buzz on High-Tech Start-Ups Causes Some Static
> > Date: Thu, 09 Feb 2006 14:18:42 -0500
> > From: Seth Finkelstein <sethf () sethf com>
> > To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>, Ip Ip <ip () v2 listbox com>
> >
> > Blog Buzz on High-Tech Start-Ups Causes Some Static
> > http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB113945389770169170.html
> >
> > "But the tiny company [FON] also got publicity from another source:
> >  influential commentators on the Internet who write blogs --  
> > including
> >  some who may be compensated in the future for advising FON about its
> >  business.
> >  ...
> >  The avalanche of blogging about FON, much of it from people now tied
> >  to the four-month-old company, highlights the rising influence of
> >  blogs in shaping opinions about tech start-ups, particularly in
> >  Silicon Valley. It also reveals the possible conflicts of interest
> >  such complicated relationships can dredge up."
> >
> > -- 
> > Seth Finkelstein  Consulting Programmer  http://sethf.com
> > Infothought blog - http://sethf.com/infothought/blog/
> > Interview: http://sethf.com/essays/major/greplaw-interview.php
> >
> > -------------------------------------
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