tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-290847422012-01-23T11:36:23.977-06:00Random musings from the world of college athletics from a person who freely admits to the label: You've got way too much time on your hands.Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.comBlogger13521100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-9307858239962575362012-01-22T21:01:00.002-06:002012-01-22T21:11:36.216-06:00

Been a fast last two weeks, and apologies to all who have missed this space. Some quickies before starting back on deeper subjects.If you have not read last month's WIRED magazine story about flash mobs and they dynamic of on-line communities, you simply must. Both halves of the audience - the SIDs and the university types. As you get midway through it, and the discussion shifts to the way the

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-48371221093944380732012-01-13T08:12:00.003-06:002012-01-13T08:14:20.589-06:00

If the genesis chart for how to manage response on social media wasn't to your liking, check out this hipper one from David Armano of Edelman Digital. It has an extra twist or two, and does advocate a lot of private discussion off line from social with the upset. I like that touch.

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-2176715452645904322011-12-30T17:49:00.003-06:002011-12-30T17:53:51.803-06:00

This past week, The Chronicle of Higher Ed, set down this op-Ed series on What The Hell Happened to College Sports, and in particular, I point out for you In particular the essay of William C. Friday entitled Get Out of Show Business.Sound familiar?By the way, if the series title doesn't catch your attention, how about Oscar Robinson leading the list with Don't Treat Athletes Like

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-42889594218575316902011-12-28T11:27:00.001-06:002011-12-28T11:27:00.413-06:00

While well intended, betcha the employees of Atos in France make lots and lots of screen captures thanks to the new company policy banning inter-office email.Oh no, they aren't the latest Luddites. The boss wants everyone to be social with a new Facebook-like system or IM.That's CNTL-ALT-PrtScn to image the screen so you have that CYA "email" now where a coworker told you something.

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-76272778118440271742011-12-27T09:24:00.001-06:002011-12-27T09:24:00.155-06:00

Another episode in the Gallery of Horrors -- a PR firm in Arizona lost Special Olympics as a client in the region because a partner made a tongue in cheek comment that was taken as derogatory to those served by Special Olympics.And in related, closer to home news, don't threaten cops over the internet. You're gonna lose and get fined. As in, three years probation for trying to say a New Orleans

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-20734203525644930442011-12-25T21:18:00.001-06:002011-12-25T21:18:00.245-06:00

The best public relations executives are the ones who push back on bullies and counsel them on the importance of authenticity and transparency. Stand up to the boss. And, if the boss won't take your counsel, find another one. Life is too short to work in a culture of fear and retribution.If you like that, read more from Steve Cody's piece off Inc.'s website, "Why Nobody is Talking About Your

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-75676520348713867142011-12-24T12:31:00.001-06:002011-12-24T12:31:00.461-06:00

This just in -- Tom Brokaw says future news consumers can't be couch potatoes.News flash: Dan Gillmor said that in 2009.And in 2008.And I said it in 2007.

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-69030904482015037802011-12-24T05:26:00.000-06:002011-12-24T05:26:00.341-06:00

Just in time for your Christmas Eve and Day break -- sorry for all of you stuck at the holiday basketball tournaments and the smaller bowl games -- Pew issuedhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif another vital report on the role of the internet.Shocking: It is central to our lives."These findings are one of our main signs about how deeply Internet use has woven itself into the rhythms of people's

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-28522788500357116492011-12-23T16:26:00.000-06:002011-12-23T16:26:00.165-06:00

Everyone remembers where they were at big moments in life. Standing in front of a rear-projection big screen TV in the Scoggin Room in Malone Stadium as Chhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifallenger blew up. Seeing everyone run out of TCU's basketball gym to watch the live feed from Gulf War I's start.Now we just have more tools to share, and we can hold them in our hands. Still, Mashable

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-37509595237298983272011-12-23T10:51:00.003-06:002011-12-23T10:51:00.161-06:00

(Realizing my post was getting waaaaaay long, and as a gift in the holidays, here is part two of We Taught A Generation to Steal)Right now, we're taking that approach with a purely entertainment product -- our Northwestern State Christmas Gala.To project to our distant on-line students, I captured the Gala. We don't have the full rights to all the music for distribution beyond our theater, so we

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-77307579340263065282011-12-22T10:52:00.001-06:002011-12-22T10:52:00.351-06:00

(Realizing my post was getting waaaaaay long, and as a gift in the holidays, here is part two of We Taught A Generation to Steal)Learn from the entertainment world: No band makes money off records any more. Digital dimes, remember? They make money to support themselves and create a profit from touring. Performing. Selling merchandise. In the past, the world worked the other way around --

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-85502573406677415472011-12-22T09:47:00.001-06:002011-12-22T09:47:00.442-06:00

My own love for CoverItLive aside, I remain somewhat amused by those who continue to try to make Twitter work for something that clearly works better as a live blog.Oh, say, like any sporting contest.If you don't believe me, how about the Poynter Institute?Let me say this a little louder: IF YOU ARE CONTINUING TO USE TWITTER TO ENGAGE YOUR FOLLOWERS INSTEAD OF CIL YOU ARE AN IDIOT.Or, just read

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-10826507299044971782011-12-21T21:40:00.002-06:002011-12-21T21:45:29.425-06:00

Take responsibility. Tell it all. Tell is fast.Thanks much to Chris Syme for the notice on Jane Jordan-Meier's book, The Four Stages of Highly Effective Crisis Management.Too bad far to many people at (fill in the blank with your college sports crisis of choice) won't follow those eight simple words from Jordan-Meier.But, then again, none of us in the clucking class would have jobs (or at least

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-67841945142503984552011-12-21T21:12:00.001-06:002011-12-21T21:13:36.771-06:00

Something found in The Chronicle, nice starter if you haven't been in the Twitter world.

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-31928469171125493832011-12-21T15:52:00.002-06:002011-12-21T16:03:10.987-06:00

Or, to just kill myself since my brain has been changed.Please take a moment to read through this infographic produced by AssistedLivingToday.com.By the time you get to the end of it you'll be ready to throw away your iPhone, rent your clothes and run screaming to your Kaczynski cabin in the woods.Then again, you might re-read it and say to yourself, what cockamamie Luddite BS is this?Here's just

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-78226448068185507182011-12-21T10:47:00.001-06:002011-12-21T10:47:01.645-06:00

(Realizing my post was getting waaaaaay long, and as a gift in the holidays, here is the next part of We Taught A Generation to Steal)Stop using distance as a limiter: Too often we confuse the chance for exclusivity with the opportunity to price gouge. Enter here the newspaper group who thinks subscription should be the same whether you get dead trees or pixels. Really? That just pisses us

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-84049212054279567022011-12-20T10:14:00.001-06:002011-12-20T10:14:01.634-06:00

(Realizing my post was getting waaaaaay long, and as a gift in the holidays, here is the next part of We Taught A Generation to Steal)Back in what now seem the dark ages of Web 2.0, the concept of The Long Tail began. It explained how brick and mortar was doomed and digital was the business future.The downside was the reality that digital dimes do not equal Madison Avenue dollars. In an

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-16033973467286640602011-12-19T10:11:00.002-06:002011-12-19T10:11:00.346-06:00

(Realizing my post was getting waaaaaay long, and as a gift in the holidays, here is part three of We Taught A Generation to Steal)The American University holds a special place in our cultural history. We began with a European model, but after the Civil War, the role of the American University changed from font of learning to source of culture.The Morrill Act (1862) and the Hatch Act (1887) are

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-86054439669778520522011-12-19T06:17:00.004-06:002011-12-19T06:32:43.970-06:00

Last week, I was both thrilled and horrified by Alton Brown's Twitter outburst, seemingly against his own appearance on Next Iron Chef. And, it turned out he was only miffed with the result -- not that some delicious train wreck happened in the show or with his own performance (see references to throwing up in his feed).This week, a decidedly quiet chatter about the show from @

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-81863214624481183032011-12-18T10:08:00.003-06:002011-12-18T10:08:00.101-06:00

(Realizing my post was getting waaaaaay long, and as a gift in the holidays, here is part two of We Taught A Generation to Steal)The problem is the greed.That is what the NCAA tried -- kinda pitifully in a combination of class warfare and the uber-fail past regulatory practice (can you say . . . restricted earnings coach lawsuit loss?) -- the past couple of months in the name of [trumpet fanfare!

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-88015295859311752112011-12-17T09:51:00.003-06:002011-12-17T11:01:08.244-06:00

I mentioned Frank Deford's In with the South, Out with the East is must listening.There is great irony, however, in Deford's mention of the Big East as some kind of warm and fuzzy, good ole fashioned college days.I remember a different Big East.The predator that consumed NCAA men's basketball in the 1980s, built for the sole reason of creating a hegemony over the sport that had escaped the power

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-40291297749831844592011-12-17T09:25:00.004-06:002011-12-17T10:09:31.898-06:00

Listening to another great episode of TWiT (This Week in Tech), the point was made regarding the new "anti-piracy" bills in the U.S. Congress that they are just moves by the industries to grab rights and try to reassert control.Information wants to be free, and fans of your institutions want to participate. I spent a lot of time defending and trying to close down leaks in our streaming rights

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-6525127451528009072011-12-13T18:56:00.000-06:002011-12-13T18:56:00.081-06:00

It may not displace the Adam Savage School of Public Relations ("I reject your reality, and substitute my own"), but it certainly gives a level of scientific panache to the same mindset.Overheard on TWiT, I am certain this is not a new concept, but one I'd not heard expressed in this way: Reality Distortion Field.As in, Steve Jobs often believed if he simply said it, it would simply be so. For

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-16136015751932467002011-12-12T17:41:00.001-06:002011-12-12T17:41:00.117-06:00

An interesting story on NPR last week regarding the growing number of teacher firings in the non-higher ed community based on inappropriate Facebook comments.As we work to move toward the social media playing field for increased interaction that would enhance recruiting and relationships -- thus hoping to aid retention of students -- the New Jersey public teacher's union is advising the exact

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-43817497134614064482011-12-12T06:19:00.000-06:002011-12-12T06:19:00.187-06:00

At least that's what Geoffrey James dared say in Inc a couple of weeks ago.Be still my heart. The 140 takeaway line in James' short screed:Bottomline: Your brand is the emotion that a customer feels when thinking about your product.And James went from there, roundly thumping the concept of "branding" versus brand.Highly recommend.

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-6574911644850811082011-12-11T20:12:00.003-06:002011-12-11T20:27:55.752-06:00

Alton Brown may be late arriving and sometime conscientious objector to Twitter, but tonight he is either a genius or on the edge of breakdown/firing.Earlier tonight, a series of tweets began in which he told his followers to NOT watch tonight's episode of Iron Chef America. Then proceeded to give hints as to why -- his own horrible performance, ending apparently with his throwing up.Result: @

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-31750003117467950812011-12-11T16:20:00.006-06:002011-12-21T21:32:04.902-06:00

For the security conscious, two important bits of news. The most recent involved Twitter, and an attempt to prove that direct messages held the same level of privacy as mail or phone calls. The courts found that by joining, members agreed to reveal their IP addresses, thus their privacy, to Twitter, with no expectation of privacy. They key -- the reveal to a third party. In this case, how

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-61643676698911398082011-12-10T22:01:00.002-06:002011-12-10T22:06:29.335-06:00

Everyone saw the Xavier-Cincinnati fight. What I found interesting - ESPN's pixelating of the Cincinnati coach and one of Xavier's players so we couldn't clearly lip-read them.Reaction to CBS' treatment of Bobby Petrino in the LSU game? Probably not, but still a real contrast. Usually, the "E" of ESPN would drive the clear view of the F-bombs, and the Tiffany network's status as a broadcast

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-41921889850792250472011-12-08T22:00:00.003-06:002011-12-08T22:14:36.619-06:00

It's been some busy days here working on projects related to the Northwestern State Christmas Gala -- more on the story-telling aspect of our strategy later in the month. Sorry for less posts, but one tonight to remind you that social works.Yaser Elqutub was named the Allstate Good Works team captain tonight. He won because the Northwestern State fan base organized, stayed motivated and drove

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-60719364604239459212011-11-25T18:09:00.002-06:002011-11-25T18:23:06.219-06:00

Certainly the display of sportsmanship might be lacking both ways - depending on who you were rooting for - but why did CBS feel compelled to show Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino apparently saying things you aren't suppose to have on the air of broadcast networks during the early evening time slot.It's kinda clear what he said. The video was slowed down a bit to make it easier.Let's quickly get

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-84942287748755911102011-11-25T17:14:00.003-06:002011-11-25T17:28:21.552-06:00

Regulars of the blog know of my affinity for the Australian Broadcasting Company series, Gruen Planet (nee Transfer prior to this season).The second to last episode of this year focused on the strikes and grounding of planes by Quantas.Gruen regular Todd Sampson said this about how the national airline of Australia solves its trouble:Airlines are experiential brands. They are heavily dependent on

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-62091205147904865082011-11-24T08:29:00.002-06:002011-11-24T08:48:21.252-06:00

My social media correspondents in the heart of the SEC country tell me Scott Stricklin and Miss State are "catching hell" as the fans on talk radio are "in a near riot" over the AD's decision to put a hash tag in the endzone for tonight's Egg Bowl with Ole Miss.One of them points out to me that "football is a product" and shouldn't be messed with. A gentle rejoiner here: in the SEC football is

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-15474366359507307992011-11-23T08:07:00.006-06:002011-11-23T08:54:09.287-06:00

If you had any doubt after CoSIDA if Scott Stricklin was THE best athletic director when it comes to digital and social media, check out the Egg Bowl tomorrow. Miss State makes history with the first ever end zone hashtag.I am not kidding you - #HAILSTATE across one end zone.This is game changing. Here is a contest that is the Thanksgiving turkey, hapless Ole Miss against a less than lucky MSU on

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-16918816124800355132011-11-22T08:03:00.003-06:002011-11-22T10:28:28.199-06:00

Mark Ballard in the Baton Rouge Advocate used the occasion of a Chris Moore speech on the way advertisers should operate to launch into a diatribe against re-elected Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal. Moore was taking the governor to task for some questions about budget, but that is not what caught my eye.It's the all-purpose crowbar into anything anyone in the public light does that Moore's

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-44071197029193370812011-11-15T09:56:00.002-06:002011-11-15T09:57:43.202-06:00

Pretty sure this tweet today by a Division I university's main institutional feed says it all. The names are blocked to protect the innocent.

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-51759744243876172242011-11-15T07:04:00.002-06:002011-11-15T07:07:38.330-06:00

Only a matter of time until Penn State began to lap over into politics, and Wes Pruden lobs in an effective salvo, questioning the role of big time college sports. It is worth your read, something I came across while looking at the Washington area coverage of Maryland's announcement of dropping sports - a drastic cut from 27 to 19.

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-53144376741226538742011-11-14T11:15:00.002-06:002011-11-14T11:21:54.193-06:00

A note from a colleague, somewhat in shock, that the NCAA was actively pinging members to give up lists of their student-athlete Twitter accounts. The concern was that wasn't the NCAA's business.I concur, but not for the reasons my SID friend had.It's not the NCAA's business because, not unlike the Olympics in Beijing, you don't own the point of view of individual student-athletes and you

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-2757640930955649622011-11-08T06:26:00.003-06:002011-11-08T06:46:01.026-06:00

Granted, I'm reading the Sunday Chicago Tribune for more details about the events and Penn State and the cover-up by administration (let pause and remind you all - in all circumstances, the crime is bad; the cover-up is much worse - and this one is, well, hard to even consider).Big full page story on the start of the commentary section: 10 things you might no know about Chicago protests.Oh, a

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-32798770102878973832011-11-06T18:47:00.003-06:002011-11-06T19:02:53.418-06:00

Had to put the book down with work and other duties, but reading along tonight, I came across two more reasons why this book is a must for every sports information director/digital media director/social media director out there. For reference, it is surgeon Atul Gawande's book, The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right.While I really appreciated the explanation of the difference between a

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-50488764682701878072011-11-05T07:11:00.002-05:002011-11-05T07:22:35.303-05:00

Admit it, it is a fun headline to type. In some seriousness the story today about the CIA's social media data farm reminds us of the need to be vigilant with our own brands and information. Yes, someone is watching, and while the CIA charter restricts the gathering of domestic information, don't kid yourself. And worry less about the government and more about the marketers.Aren't you a marketer?

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-68552473762590074932011-11-01T09:14:00.002-05:002011-11-01T09:20:58.962-05:00

From the PR News, a quick rundown of things you should consider adding to your existing media releases that are posting to your websites from Sally Falkow.Falkow's top 15 (how fun, everything includes that SEO-driven number list) is a mix of the traditional (write a 5W lead, have a punchy headline that can be a tweet) with the networked digital (be sure to include video, PPT decks or PDFs of

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-7717288818094172062011-10-25T20:53:00.002-05:002011-10-25T21:00:28.779-05:00

A blog on the foibles of not paying attention to the digital media at one's own risk changed into an epic tale of classic deny the truth spin straight out of the West Wing 90s.At the start of the day, I had one view of the latest adventure in social and participatory media as members of Michelle Bachmann's New Hampshire staff announced they were resigning en mass.Apparently, the memo didn't reach

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-66911593555806205512011-10-25T15:03:00.003-05:002011-10-25T15:06:26.372-05:00

It was written here months ago -- if iOS integrates Twitter, watch it make another leap. The 2009-10 move in follower and usage numbers begat the "fill in the blank" Springs of social activism.Nothing moves the needle like Apple, and just like the second stage booster, the new iOS 5.0's complete integration of Twitter will do just that.Puts the timing of Facebook's new ADD inspired layout with

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-87119725484727368762011-10-24T11:15:00.002-05:002011-10-24T11:19:17.347-05:00

When the new Facebook timeline came out, my guess to our people was that the key to being up the feed was interaction -- likes and comments. That was based on trying to figure out what Facebook would value -- they are social, so a bunch of posts or a bunch of a kind of content shouldn't matter (that sounds Twitter or YouTube-ish).So my instructions to those who follow was make sure you are doing

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-77582007078455590902011-10-24T04:45:00.000-05:002011-10-24T04:45:00.497-05:00

Sitting in a meeting of university professors and administrators, I asked the question: how many of you take the local newspaper? The answer was shocking.Let me set the scene.  One of the initiatives I've set up at Northwestern State to promote sharing of information and getting more people involved in the content creation process is a group I called "Campus Communicators." Hardly an original

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-55583853121427138582011-10-23T15:38:00.000-05:002011-10-23T15:38:00.104-05:00

While I'm away talking social media with the SAAC of the Great American Conference, this update from WOMMA about a New York state legal ruling against a company that sought to discipline staff in accordance to its social media policy. I will admit, haven't had time to read all the way through to soak in the implications.

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-11580503836000015982011-10-22T15:36:00.000-05:002011-10-22T15:36:00.799-05:00

From Social Times, the 10 qualities needed for success as a social media manager. I feel like a 10 (but I'm kinda bad on 6). Read more here.

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-22098973445443671112011-10-21T15:22:00.000-05:002011-10-21T15:22:00.416-05:00

This from Poynter, in particular the Jeff Jarvis point about the "news story" getting into the way of the news stream. This is one of those seems like old times moments as I think back to APSE seminars from the late 1990s about how the game story was dead because it was dated by live stats.Maybe they are right, but I look back at something else Jarvis said, but on Leo Laporte's This Week in Tech

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-83175510000198440762011-10-20T08:53:00.003-05:002011-10-20T08:55:47.137-05:00

A quick note about this story sent out on the CFAA Elite Clips today for those that might not get it. The story is from the Medill School at Northwestern (no, the other Northwestern) and gives a snapshot of the Big 10 school's participation and highlights some of the top schools -- like LSU -- that engage with social media.Sounds like a bad Next Gen line but folks -- resistance is futile.

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-13751639881166528042011-10-20T06:11:00.004-05:002011-10-20T06:11:00.325-05:00

Today's note was a forward from one of our Northwestern State Social Media Team members to the group, and it speaks very clearly to the "science being settled" on the question of social media.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifThat's not to say there won't be deniers, but it's a little harder for them to question the resources -- when properly planned and worked into overall public relations

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-24680968572568765372011-10-19T09:07:00.002-05:002011-10-19T09:11:44.862-05:00

Courtesy of one of my Northwestern State colleagues, here's a link to local coverage of Southern Miss' roll out of a campus-wide social media policy. Interesting additional angles of putting emphasis on "civility".One of the take-aways in the story from the policy:Reminding employees and students that there are no longer any geographical boundaries, therefore how an employee or student presents

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-79295671280533293612011-10-16T20:18:00.002-05:002011-10-16T20:27:09.369-05:00

An amalgam of the anecdotal:Aside from agreeing with me that the new Facebook GUI is terrible, youngsters 14-17 spend 90 minutes a day on the service. That's just a throwaway factoid in GrownupThinking.com's entry on how teens dislike the new front end.Go back and chew on that. One and a half hours, on average, on Facebook.You're spending time making new website pages why? If you are like me -

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-5824583322957952812011-10-14T07:44:00.002-05:002011-10-14T07:47:08.614-05:00

I came close to clicking on the button. After all, might be nice to learn a little more about Facebook ads, and it would be even more fun to share the title "marketing expert" with a colleague.But, I did what I teach: think twice and check at least once before hitting the button.Turns out, it is a very elaborate, well built phish. Dave Taylor provides the details.Nasty little virus injector.

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-91645153888510100522011-10-12T11:36:00.001-05:002011-10-12T11:36:00.729-05:00

If you haven't seen it, watch for the latest Vegas TV ad."There are consequences for breaking the code""Report friends and learn more"Tweet out the party? Send pics you shouldn't have? See what happens.Brilliant and accurate.Read a little about the news associated with the ad, and the "truth" behind it. Local station Channel 8 has a nice package that include the video.If you want to check out

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-82901559080565258322011-10-11T05:31:00.000-05:002011-10-11T05:31:00.508-05:00

Not since Captain Renault turned to Rick and proclaimed he was shocked, shocked to learn there was gambling in Casablanca's top night spot has there been a more over-blown (and thus, more misunderstood) notion that companies are spying on each other through social media.Reeeeeeeally? Why the same people who are going to vet your job candidacy by trolling through your Facebook posts, assess your

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-812335259761797412011-10-10T19:05:00.002-05:002011-10-10T19:12:14.926-05:00

Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project discovered that when it comes to local news, people used people as their No. 2 source, reinforcing previous points about who people tend to trust for information.On The Media gives us another outstanding coverage of a vital media story with one of the co-directors. I commend it to you to listen.What does it mean, again? Well, shocking,

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-46144794387876401632011-10-10T06:10:00.000-05:002011-10-10T06:10:00.222-05:00

MTV teams up with the Associated Press to issue another study about the impact of the networked world on the age-old problem of bullying (I am loath to give into the pseudo-hip "cyber-bullying"). MTV does have a very serious phrase for this: "youth digital abuse". It goes with their A Thin Line program to address same.Let me pause a moment to consider, the network that probably exploits more

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-34142665610253128682011-10-09T14:25:00.002-05:002011-10-09T14:25:00.546-05:00

Over and over the point made here is you are never, ever in a private place on the internet. No more so than you would be in the uber-watched England of the 21st century, where you are almost always on a security camera, once one joins the internet and begins to post -- you are traced, tracked, recorded and analyzed.Thus with some interest I read the technology piece a few weeks ago in The

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-7758270981354964682011-10-08T14:12:00.002-05:002011-10-08T14:24:52.856-05:00

Rough week for the Bay Area as two legends passed. First being Steve Jobs and today Al Davis. (Remember Al's career through the WashPo's lengthy story/obit)Um. Al Davis and Steve Jobs in the same reference?Yes, if anyone embodied the "think different" mantra of Jobs in the world of professional sports, it was Davis. One could argue as to whether his radical moves were the best for everyone at

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-66058989104665063472011-10-07T16:15:00.002-05:002011-10-07T16:20:27.684-05:00

Another West Coast hoop legend, Bill Russell, joins Ed O'Bannon in suing the NCAA over the unauthorized use of likeness. This puts old school with new school and just reinforces that if your school is not getting blanket model's release on it's athletes - well, you deserve the judgment you are going to have made against you. Especially if you once did the releases, then stopped them.Frankly, my

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-39468450302055225092011-10-05T19:40:00.005-05:002011-10-05T20:07:04.892-05:00

Just because Associated Press stylebook says so, doesn't make it right for all instances. Thus the need for institutional style guides.For example, I know in my heart all-American is the correct generic usage. I've maintained it for years. And if you pay attention, so does AP.That doesn't keep hundreds of universities from making that mistake.An area that AP has been woefully behind -- digital

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-59854812181284562542011-10-02T20:08:00.002-05:002011-10-02T20:12:15.434-05:00

Saturday Night Light hits the dissociation effect square in the eyes with the Internet Comments Talk Show."There's no consequences because you'll never meet these people," says the host.I highly recommend.

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-6908104165678603592011-09-29T07:52:00.002-05:002011-09-29T07:56:48.043-05:00

Like the West Coast Offense, the Pac-12 brings us another innovation: sport dedicated social media staff. I'm sure that Cal isn't the only school to do this, but the passing ad reference reminds us of a few factors.First, social media isn't "free." Someone at Cal calculated it costs at least $1,400 a month -- the salary of this part time position.Second, social media is media. Check out the

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-69402683291278339642011-09-21T10:07:00.002-05:002011-09-21T10:29:13.639-05:00

. . . And why should I care. Courtesy of our new thought-leaders at Facebook, I have the additional suggestion that I should subscribe to one Sarah Marshall. I'm now trying to parse why this comes to be.She is supposedly a teacher at University of Melbourne (but also a student, class of 2014). So is the angle because I have the two connective points of working in American education and being a

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-91361030728564792962011-09-21T07:42:00.004-05:002011-09-21T07:49:02.400-05:00

One of the most chilling introductions you can hear is "Hi, my name is (fill-in-the-blank) and I'm from the government. We are here to help you."So when I read this morning that not only has Facebook substantially changed the way we consume information from their service, you get this explanation of what a "top story" will be for your new combined news-most recent feed:We determine whether

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-17058972882856737012011-09-17T09:14:00.000-05:002011-09-17T09:15:26.668-05:00

So I'm taking in the Saturday morning road ritual - read the papers, have a Starbucks, wait for the bookstore across the street to open - and I come across the latest Medal of Honor recipient ceremony.The President is placing that blue ribbon around the neck of a Marine - one of the few ever to earn the nation's highest military honor and live.The cynical part of me, the trained historian, the PR

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-39376667539159800822011-09-16T18:54:00.001-05:002011-09-16T18:54:00.134-05:00

Catching up on old podcasts, and I receive another gift. Readers of this blog - or any policy/style manual I have written, any class taught, any office administered - know I have a very special place in my literary heart for the !As in, never use it! Ever! Because adults don't use them!! And they should not use them serially!!! Or repeatedly! Really!Why?In the past, I've presented the

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-2089611756761995502011-09-15T20:10:00.001-05:002011-09-15T20:10:00.066-05:00

Everyone has their own set of facts?Situational facts -- there is no such thing as a fact -- is a point posed by Leo Laporte.Discuss.

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-71169194751637444202011-09-14T19:17:00.003-05:002011-09-14T19:17:00.162-05:00

Ah, a question asked here repeatedly. Again we turn to the sage council of Leo Laporte and his This Week in Tech crew. Jump ahead to about the one hour mark of episode 317 to get the discussion. Jeff Jarvis and John Dvorak bat this around with Leo, and a couple of the big ideas:Facts are now common, thanks to the internet. Good point, you simply Google facts, or as Dvorak intones, go to the "

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-31372702426980605202011-09-13T23:20:00.000-05:002011-09-13T23:20:58.835-05:00

Never let it be said there isn't room anymore for truth. You find it today on-line, but of course, you have to know the truth to know it. Now, if that isn't a zen line . . .Seriously, one of the great truths of the internet is there is a place for everyone. The downside is the fragmentation of community in the physical location, but the unification of communities across the virtual

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-11125301306390521782011-09-13T18:40:00.002-05:002011-09-13T19:17:45.786-05:00

The ethical question facing our new frontier as authorities with BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) shut down cell phone service in its tunnels and trains when faced with that they perceived to be a credible threat of disruption of service via a protest. This is like a flaky crust, so many delicious layers.The one place in the world where the authorities decide to deliberately muzzle protest is . . .

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-29680585808148527032011-09-10T09:22:00.003-05:002011-09-10T09:49:00.087-05:00

The 10th anniversary of 9/11 reminds me of a couple of folks who didn't think they were heroes. On that morning driving into work, I heard first on the radio about an accident at the World Trade Center. I remembered the Seond World War era accident when a B-25 bomber slammed into the Empire State Building during bad weather. It seemed odd today for a modern airliner to do that, but . . . Not too

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-13876800514123843512011-09-08T06:27:00.000-05:002011-09-08T06:27:00.747-05:00

As much as I like free, I recognize that someone has to pay for the reporting. I find this interesting look at the return of the paywall, and the "metered" free access seems like a great way to translate people who just want casual info -- the less than 15/25/50 articles read in a month crowd -- and those who really decide they like your product and want to buy.I live in a perfect example of

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-66029139116803847802011-09-07T15:24:00.001-05:002011-09-07T15:24:00.432-05:00

Sometimes, you have to have fun with the absurd. I'm reminded of that with SEC game pay-per-view rules. Last year at Arkansas, we had some fun with that creating this chart for how to get the PPV. While it looks like I may have had too much fun, it was a serious attempt to give folks a clear guideline of what they needed to do. For the most part, it worked. If you have a complicated event -

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-56027860297462276112011-09-06T05:22:00.002-05:002011-09-06T05:22:00.664-05:00

The easy headline is: Kentucky bans student paper because of Twitter. Knowing people on both sides, it won't be that simple. I'm pretty confident DeWayne Peevy felt he had reason to throw the equivalent of a brush-back pitch at the UK student newspaper. Student reporters (and other born-digital media) at UK have a history of pushing the envelope. UK dating back prior to Peevy has a somewhat

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-12071433846115805762011-09-05T17:12:00.008-05:002011-09-05T17:27:19.407-05:00

The modern day equivalent of yelling fire in a crowded theater this past week in Mexico, and authorities appear to be taking it dead serious. Two persons are charged with terroristic acts - basically scaring the hell out of parents and causing car wrecks and panic. The quick story - they repeated rumors (this is being generous) without verification. AP has this version from the Houston

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-85611885396617024542011-09-05T12:53:00.002-05:002011-09-05T12:55:57.234-05:00

I really don't know who is covered more in glory on this Labor Day weekend. The West Virginia student for wearing the shirt to the game, the WVa game management who didn't see a problem and let him in, or the ESPN producer who held on the two students who were screaming about Marshall's first touchdown for a good five to six seconds.

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-38696582157568577582011-09-04T11:40:00.004-05:002011-09-04T11:50:26.148-05:00

A golden little factoid from WoMMA noticed today about Twitter. The either bane or heart of existence for many, Pat McCarthy reminds us that for journalists -- or as I like to point out to all of my followers, branded journalists as well -- accuracy is the key. In his Twitter is Still Useful - Just Get Out of Your Rut, McCarthy talks about the down (and dark) side of Twitter for journalists:

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-41399554123853552322011-08-28T08:33:00.001-05:002011-08-28T08:34:41.725-05:00

A little humor for everyone who has made post-game stqt books, especially in football. The trees will be visiting you soon.

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-14238406102276131382011-08-26T11:32:00.000-05:002011-08-26T11:32:00.308-05:00

A pause while I finish scripts for We're History and make a run back to Fayetteville. Promise more on the weekend.

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-71355490257766177342011-08-25T09:51:00.000-05:002011-08-25T09:51:00.167-05:00

This weekend, two words: Celia Anderson. She was profiled by Sean Cartell at the SEC office, their new digital content producer, and it is a perfect example of the type of stories that don't get headlines. (Click here to read it; it is long and detailed -- read it all the way through.) Celia is one of those athletes who went professional in something other than sports. And it took her a while

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-87297077158182126492011-08-23T19:36:00.002-05:002011-08-23T19:36:00.406-05:00

We've been through this before, but it never hurts to have another review of the obvious. Social media, is, well, social. Friends want to help friends. All the way back to the @ThanksArk and Ryan Mallett social campaigns, traffic and interaction grows when you ask folks to do something. A great reminder of this key principal today with numbers to back it up on the crucial need to put an ask -

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-6008769677112984462011-08-22T06:10:00.000-05:002011-08-22T06:10:00.198-05:00

As a child, the gold standard of promotion was making it to the Johnny Carson Show. I've written here before about the impact of Conan on the greater TV/New Media world, but here's a pretty solid endorsement of his power. I simply do not listen to over-the-air music anymore. It's repetitive. It's boring. It's not where I live in the Web 3.0 world. So where am I hearing new bands, new sounds

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-1118227485087620352011-08-21T14:36:00.000-05:002011-08-21T14:36:00.222-05:00

Once upon a time, I was told by a colleague that there was no need for those stylebooks and lists that I worked hard to prepare for the Women's Communications Office back at Arkansas, and that going forward, there would not be any such "bibles." They were seen as restrictive. We should be more flexible. Standards were not vogue any more. Absolutes were bad. Fast forward to today's Prof

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-52628135432032399892011-08-20T15:08:00.001-05:002011-08-20T15:10:03.748-05:00

In the world of IPTV, what Leo Laporte says, is gospel. And if Leo is leaving Skype for his feed usage to switch to VidyoCast -- well, I'm listening. Anyone else looking at this tool for encode and remote production? Looks more robust than previous video over Cat 5/IP solutions.

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-31601910788383227012011-08-20T11:26:00.000-05:002011-08-20T11:26:00.495-05:00

Bloomberg Business presents a seven deadly sins list for social media, mostly related to the work place. Still, some really good thoughts for the college sports and university world in this, especially on the second page. That said, I couldn't help but laugh at the final line of the piece -- a high-quality weasel word attempt at avoiding liability: Note: This article should not be construed as

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-33008346778425485112011-08-19T20:49:00.002-05:002011-08-19T20:51:09.519-05:00

Bad days have a way of piling up on folks. Or, just neutral days. Was having one of those -- not bad at all, but there was sort of an eerie quiet. Like something was about to happen. And then, it did. Friends sometimes need our help, and pardon while I break away and remember what it means to lend a hand. You never know when you might be that person in need.

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-86391902820519297892011-08-18T23:05:00.000-05:002011-08-18T23:05:00.886-05:00

In honor of the opening of college sports seasons -- and the annual ritual of media relations offices giving "the talk" to teams -- these are true stories, thankfully, from other SEC member schools. I don't know if I should read into the fact that they came from the same sport -- women's tennis. Nevertheless, they stand as stunning examples of how not to express yourself with the media. The names

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-17748715009360528612011-08-17T22:58:00.000-05:002011-08-17T22:58:00.554-05:00

Finally, the last of The Be Attitudes -- a guide for the young (and young at heart) in sports media relations. BE NOTICED, NOT NOTORIOUS Now, at the other extreme, do not feel the need to overdesign. A simple ticket should be just that, an elegant, simple ticket. Resist the urge to triple click every font function (a reverse, drop-shadowed, bold italic headline) or to use every font. Your work

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-7688797691619166592011-08-17T17:57:00.003-05:002011-08-17T18:19:45.434-05:00

Working on a presentation tomorrow for faculty at Northwestern State University on a new set of guidelines for social media usage. One of the things I shared with me by current faculty is a problem with colleagues who have used Facebook to inappropriately interact with students. No, not in that way. One that posted on a student's wall that they needed to turn in assignments; another why

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-74997885867843811832011-08-16T22:55:00.001-05:002011-08-16T22:55:00.282-05:00

Continued from yesterday, and reprised from ye olde Women's Communications Office manual. BE A VERB Don’t wait for things to happen. Make things happen. In other words, don’t be a noun. Don’t be a promotion; be a promoter. This relates to the most basic of differences between those who work in women’s sports (or, frankly, any sport derisively labeled as “non-revenue”) and men’s sports. Perhaps

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-53597200038528202852011-08-15T22:51:00.001-05:002011-08-15T22:51:00.598-05:00

Ah, yes, it's the dog days of summer and the last chance for good, ripe punage before the fall semesters begin. Perhaps it is time to revisit one of my essays from the once-and-future Women's Communications Office handbook that went by the title, The Be Attitudes. Not so subliminally subtitled: how to act for GAs, students and interns. THE BE ATTITUDES Webster’s defines a beatitude as “a state

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-17266413941781351412011-08-14T22:36:00.001-05:002011-08-14T22:36:00.576-05:00

Just because you are doing sports doesn't mean you shouldn't be thinking about and perhaps adopting the advance layout techniques. By this, not just the second-hand folks who interpret theory -- the Layout for Dummies kind of books. Going to the source for the theory instead, and riff on it yourself. Edward Tufte is the prime example. His stuff is pretty dense at times, but he has some clear

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-57328120166205581562011-08-13T17:51:00.000-05:002011-08-13T17:51:00.098-05:00

This remains a personal issue to me, and far too many institutions continue to misread and misapply the AP stylebook. You'll understand more about why I'm convinced shortly. In the generic, it is all-American. In fact, if you own an online stylebook subscription and do the search, you'll find the answer within the "Ask the Editor" segment.Still, the stubborn resist, and for the good of the

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-12560999135306179112011-08-13T17:28:00.001-05:002011-08-13T17:29:59.158-05:00

Never let it be said I didn't tell you so. And while I catch up on watching my Adobe Creative Suite podcasts to catch the hints, here are the ones that should open your eyes to how you can do ePubs with the media guides (and save lots of money for more expensive things like more higher-level video). http://creativesuitepodcast.com/

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-47950142198743998042011-08-12T23:03:00.002-05:002011-08-12T23:08:04.394-05:00

From the previously mentioned Colorado study on the Virginia Tech incident, the academic nut graph: The future of emergency management institutions will be operating in a world where activity by members of the public generates information on a far more expanded, rapid scale, with information production activity happening at even greater magnitudes than such (Palen et al. / Crisis in a Networked

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-81567208845958321122011-08-12T20:32:00.008-05:002011-08-13T10:21:42.649-05:00

Sad news for a great person as it looks like Knile Davis' season is over before it starts with a serious injury. According to Arkansas, he already had surgery to deal with the practice injury yesterday. The word about Davis' situation and condition flew across the internet via social and participatory media, racing ahead of the efforts to not comment by the school. Davis himself had backed

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-10507221631546922822011-08-12T08:04:00.002-05:002011-08-12T08:04:01.691-05:00

PRSA didn't exactly react well to this Poynter story that journalists make the best PR professionals.And, no, I wouldn't agree with the counter arguments that former journalists lack the skills to do "strategic communication" as one commenter said below the blog post.Our good friend Keith Trivitt chimes in with PRSA's reaction below the main post.What they may lack is understanding of the

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-56534289591604452122011-08-10T06:32:00.000-05:002011-08-10T06:32:02.142-05:00

These really didn't fit with the CoSIDA ones, they were given at the SEC Sports Information Director's meetings at the league's annual spring meetings. The 2006 one mirrored what eventually became the CoSIDA 2007 package, but looking back over them, I felt like it would be helpful to know where we came from on the one I did for 2007 in Destin.That was the Citizen Journalism white paper for the

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29084742.post-68256902381411775882011-08-09T06:25:00.001-05:002011-08-09T06:25:00.162-05:00

Was asked the other day about older presentations at the CoSIDA Convention. Here are links to the last few years. They are PDFs and lack animation. Email if you are interested in the actual PPTs or if you're interested in having presentations made to your group on these or other subjects.Yes, I'm available for hire now -- social media training for athletes and staff, media training for

Bill Smithnoreply@blogger.com0