All Hail Constantin(e) :: Emperor of PR Knowledge

Imean it. The man is always providing us with new tools to use for learning and discovery.

The man is none other than Constantin Basturea. He is a kind and benevolent ruler. He gives away all he finds. See his latest gift.

Constantin’s latest offering is the use of Google’s Co-op search tool to sort through all the PR blogs and wikis he has cataloged over the years.

OK, I guess we should thank Google, too. But, the point is that Constantin is always looking for the latest tools and seems to find just the right way to use them - then shares them.

What are just some of the resources that Constantin has shared with us over the years?

• PR Blogs List
• The New PR Wiki
• Headlines from PR Blogs
• PR Community List
• New PR blogs
• PR Cripy News List

If that’s not enough, he keeps updating, tweaking and improving them, too. He’s just updated the PR blogs list - again. I don’t think he sleeps. Honestly.

There have been a lot of Constantines, but there is only one Constantin. Seriously, I appreciate all you do for us, Constantin. We all do. Thanks.

PubSub Parity

Um, I don’t know how long this will last … but, every PR blog is tied for first at PubSub.

The experience called “PubSub LinkRank scores” is akin to a roller coaster that has been hijacked by the Devil (thank you, George Carlin). Where is Scott Baradell? He’d love watching this wild ride.

PubSub Community Lists: The PR List

Technorati Tags: PR, public relations, blogs, search, parity

posted using performancing firefox

Uh, oh… Schools. Are you tracking blogs?

Well, I know this is an isolated incident and overly dramatic. But, if this story about an Alabama Teacher Accused of (a) Sex, Murder Plot doesn’t offer a test case for school systems and state boards of education (or any organization or business) to monitor online communication - nothing does.

I created this to share with teachers, online-newbie communicators and students. The genesis for this idea came from posts by Kami Huyse at Communication Overtones and Josh Hallett’s “How Can You Not Google Yourself?” post. Both are on reputation management and search. Great posts. Check them out. I’ve just adapted my little tutorial for a quick post.

It was easy to set up a few RSS blog searches to see how bloggers, news sources and many other information sources (social media/WOM) may be talking about this story.

If are not familiar with RSS (Really Simple Syndication), RSS readers and RSS Search aggregators, here’s one way to do it. There are *many* ways to do this, I’m just sharing this one because it is relatively simple. And, once you are through with this, you may use this process to track all sorts of RSS feeds.

First, you need to get the Firefox Web Browser. It is free and easy to use. The saying goes, “Once you try Firefox, you’ll never go back (to Internet Explorer).” We’ll see if that holds true with the next edition of Explorer.

OK, now - using Firefox browser - go get the Sage feedreader extension. This is essentially a free plugin that allows you to read RSS feeds. You will click on the “Install” link at the top of the page and then click the “click here to install” on that page. Now, you must close/exit Firefox and restart the browser.

Done? Now, you’ll need to create a new tab in Firefox (press Ctrl+T on your keyboard). How cool, huh? Tabbed browsing in Firefox. This allows you to keep these instructions and bounce back and forth from here to the feeds. Next, select the new blank tab in your browser and go up to your browser’s top menu. Click on “View” to select “Sidebar” and then slide down to “Sage.” A sidebar frame will open up in your browser window. You are ready to import OPML files or create new bookmarks to the feeds on your favorite sites.

Hang with me, we are almost done. Next, you can download these sample OPML files which I created at Monitor This. Here are the files:

• Right-click on the links and choose “Save Link As…”
  and save it to your desktop.
• Coffeeville
• Coffeeville High School
• Sharon Rutherford (the teacher)

Got ‘em? Good. Now, you just need to import them into your Sage reader. So, in your Sage sidebar, click on “Options” and slide down to “OPML Import/Export…” to import each file one at a time. Each time you import one of the files a folder will appear in your Sage reader’s sidbar top box. Click that folder and see all the sources drop down. Click one source at a time and they will appear in the larger browser window to the right for you to find the links to various articles, blog posts and news items. Some sources provide excerpts and others provide the entire story.

Kinda scary, isn’t it? That is a lot of people talking about Coffeeville. Hundreds and hundreds of blog posts. Hundreds more instances of reprinted AP stories. Dozens of individual news sites - TV and print - with their stories. Folks, Coffeeville is a small town and a small school with only a little over 100 students. Now, apply that to a metropolitan area with a school having 1,000+ students and you get the point. Blog savvy kids will write about their school and others will write about your problems, too.

One idea - by schools, for example - might be to create searches like these for your school (or schools) name(s) and also put in promintent figures like superintendents, principals, board members, etc. Stack them all up in the Sage sidebar and check them daily or weekly. I bet it will open your eyes to online WOM (word-of-mouth). It may also help you catch something being written about you that needs to be watched further, or tackled before it snowballs. Businesses can do this, too. Think of it as a 30 to 60 minute investment that can pay off every day.

If nothing else, this serves as an example of online WOM and how you can track it - about any key term or phrase.

Update: From Slashdot, here is one more example of the tracking that is going on from MSNBC.

My next post will likely be about Eric Eggerston’s latest find - a “Blog-based Fund-raising Campaign” called Blogidarity. Thanks, Eric. Looks like a very interesting idea.

Google Calendar Beta

Was chatting with my brother online today and he made me realize that Google Calendar is out in beta. I hadn’t noticed. Very cool. Thanks, Bill.

I love it already. Still, there are some aspects that I would like to see beyond this Beta version. Naturally, they are still working on it so here is my wish list.

A shared output that can be viewed like a traditional calendar. You know, with little boxes in rows and columns. Google’s, just like 30boxes, simply provides the feed. Why not allow a the caledar box view? Perhaps because it frees them from having to host such an animal. The way they are doing it, Google just has to deal with delivering the RSS feed.

The calendar already allows for pop-up notifications as well as notifications by email and SMS. You can have reminders sent to your cellphone. The calendars have public and “invite a friend” capabilities, too. Excellent idea by Google and much appreciated.

This tool has potentional to be tied into Google video and podcasting along with Flickr. The possibilities are many and broad. But, we’ll have to wait as the 3rd party developers get started working with the API.

Can’t wait to see the mods and hacks that will be coming down the line. CBS News reports:

Google is publishing an “application program interface” (API) which will enable independent programmers and web developers to create applications that work with the calendar.

That will almost certainly result in a number of rich applications including event web sites using Google calendar as well as added features such as two-way synchronization between Google Calendar, Blackberries and programs such as Microsoft Outlook.

Technorati Snapshot In PR Authority Time

While searching for terms and phrases on a project, I began to wonder how well the Technorati ‘authority’ claim will really help you find timely information. You know, what is the hot topic of the day - and, what do the bloggers with the most ‘authority’ have to say about it.

On a day when Glaxo’s Michael Pucci is unleashing 8,000 sales people on the world as a speakers bureau and calling it wise PR, I thought this would be a hot topic.

In fairness, this is a timely topic and these sites may all post about it soon. This is just a simple (and perhaps flawed) test to see if I can really find timely authoritative opinion about a new story.

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Buzz-o-phone Word of Mouth

Matt Galloway, by all respects, seems to be a very nice guy. He is an independent blogger trying something different in his online activities.

Someone sent me a link to Steve Rubel’s blog where he posted a notice about Matt’s site - Buzz-o-phone. So, I thought I’d go look at what she was talking about.

Since Steve and Edelman have recently announced he “will be charged with helping the team win new word of mouth business as well as in developing/executing client programs” in his new role as a Senior Vice President for Edelman Worldwide, I thought he would be the perfect person to speak about the good and bad of these types of sites.

I thought an SVP would likely have some opinions about this kind of tactic. So, I commented on the post with some questions.

No commentary on the value of this? Good or bad?

How will businesses deal with the WOM this may generate? How would you counsel businesses to approach this new feed of consumer backlash for their product(s), service(s), brand(s) or company?

I would like to hear your counsel on these issues. I bet others would, too.

Richard Edelman believes Steve knows about WOM. He wrote, “I have always been impressed with his honesty, his passion for his craft and his commitment to changing the public relations business.” Even more important, in relation to this post - Edelman wrote, “What do we hope to achieve together? In short, we want to persuade our corporate clients to commit to the blogosphere.”

Well, I think this discovery of yet another WOM site is worthy of Rubel’s commentary - as a leader online. It deserves more than just a mention … a link. As of today, no response from Rubel.

But, I did hear from the site’s creator - Matt Galloway. His site is getting attention. Today Matt made it to RocketBoom with Buzz-o-phone.

Matt saw my comment and contacted me. Matt wrote, “I saw your comments on Buzz-o-phone over on Steve Rubel’s blog. You ask some great questions. It will be interesting to see if Buzz-o-phone gets enough momentum to be taken seriously by marketers. If you write about this in the future, please let me know. I’d love to read your thoughts.”

So, I wrote back with some questions. The questions, and Matt’s responses are below. I appreciate and respect his open and honest sharing of information. I have only edited for some stray characters that were created by the email transmission. His responses, and my questions, are in their original form.

A Note: There are some references in here that might offend the truly faint of heart, but they are - compared to some of the things I hear students say - quite tame by comparison. Nonetheless, I offer that warning. Some might say, “Robert, that’s silly.” However, I think about audience a lot. And the audience for this post could be anyone in the world. So, there ya’ go.

Danger, Will Robinson. This is long.

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Resume Pointers from CNN - CareerBuilder.com

Resumes. Aren’t they, after all, another creative writing exercise? No, not like that Frey guy on Oprah’s book club. The resume should still be non-fiction. A story, to be sure, but a truthful story. Tell the story creatively and persuasively.

This story from CNN (CareerBuilder.com) offers valuable creative ideas for the phrasing that will serve you best. Check it out.

One interesting aspect to this story is the editor’s note that accompanies the article.

Editor’s Note: CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com, which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com.

So, CNN is in yet another 3rd party content provider relationship. This one link is getting a lot of pickup. As of this writing, 1819 people have chosen to “digg” it, for example. A good way to reach an unfortuante audience - people looking for jobs. But, it makes sense. More and more, people turn to the web first when seeking information.

And, on a related note, consider this release of this story by Fortune magazine - The 100 best companies to work for. Digg picked up the link and the comments are not very flattering. How might companies counter this kind of word of mouth (WOM)?

infOpinions? del.icio.us links for 2006-01-29

• CNN.com - 25 words that hurt your resume - Jan 20, 2006
  “So, you’re experienced? Before you advertise this in your resume, be sure you can prove it.”
  (tags: resume how+to student job+seekers)

Am I A Six Apart Project? Are they ‘watching’ me?

Don’t worry. I’m not paranoid. This is probably an example of good practice - something very innocent and innocuous. I just found it interesting that when I upgraded the blog and went through areas I had not visited in a long time (to see if they still work) this came up. It isn’t often you find your site listed as a part of someone’s “projectz.”

In my WP-Stattraq plugin (which works in 2.0, by the way), I found a link from Six Apart’s subdomain site projetz.blogs.com in the referrals. Interesting.

Blogs.com resolves to Typepad’s site. The site - projetz.blogs.com/ - is password protected, so I cannot see what the link is referencing. I also cannot tell what post it is pointing to, either.

Now, my best guess is that they either have a RSS tracker of all posts about Typepad running there - or, they have a blog where they are writing about people that are criticizing/praising Typepad. I have written about them, so it makes sense that the link(s) might show up in their RSS search results.

I give them praise, if either of those possibilities prove true. It means they are watching the memes about their company and paying attention. Good job, Six Apart, if that is what you are doing. Can you tell us, please?

The interesting thing will be to see if (a) they are still watching, (b) this post shows up, and (c) if they come here to comment about it. Now that would be quite a revealing transparency experience, wouldn’t it? The only thing I would suggest is, whatever you are using for your tracking, it must be pinging something - like me. You are tipping your hand, Six Apart. If you want stealth, um - stop pinging as a referrer.

Society for New Communications Research - Society for New Communications Research Launches

Well, I find the EUPRERA survey and PR academic directory, yesterday. That, alone, was a great thing to see. But, when it rains it pours. Today I learn of the Society for New Communications Research. A Society for New Communications Research. Thanks to Jeremy Pepper for the heads up.

Check it out:

Society for New Communications Research Launches :: International, Multidisciplinary Consortium to Study the Impact of New Media & Participatory Communications

Palo Alto, Calif. - October 31, 2005 - The Society for New Communications Research (http://www.sncr.org), a new international, non-profit think tank, was announced today. The group was formed to provide a forum for research and education and a source of expertise focused on the broad theoretical and practical implications surrounding new communications methodologies, tools and technologies.

Vision

To be the leading think tank for the advanced study of new communications tools, technologies and emerging modes of communication, i.e. blogs, wikis, RSS, podcasts, collaborative tools and the growing phenomena of participatory communications and their effect on traditional media, marketing, public relations and advertising, as well as their broader impact on business, politics, entertainment, culture, education, religion and society.

Mission

To investigate, develop, share and transfer in-depth and forward-facing insights resulting from our deep ongoing study, learning, and continuous mastery of new communications tools and technologies with the academic community and industry for the promotion of best practices.

Their Planned Activities:

In-depth Research Studies
Whitepapers & Case Studies
Best Practices & Standards Development
Industry Education: via Face-to-face events, Teleseminars, Podcasts, Videocasts, Publications
Journal of New Communications Research
Annual Research Symposium & Awards program

The journal idea sounds particularly interesting. All of it sounds great, actually.

Hurricane Relief :: Blog Searches

Google News Search

Yahoo! News Search

Technorati Searches for: Katrina | “new orleans” | “hurricane katrina”

Blogdigger Search: “hurricane katrina” | new orleans | Biloxi | Even a search for something broad like Alabama is showing the majority of posts being about the hurricane.

Blogpulse Search: hurricane katrina | Red Cross | Blogpulse Trend Report on Hurricane, Katrina and Red Cross

Ice Rocket Blog Search: Katrina | Red Cross | Alabama Katrina

DayPop Search: Katrina

Feedster Search: Katrina

Bloogz World Wide Blog Search: Katrina

Yahoo! Mindset Search: Katrina

Findory News & Blogs Search: Katrina

BlogMap Search: New Orleans bloggers are still blogging.

Finally, in the PR blogging community, a look at the Headlines from PR Weblogs group shows that the majority of posts (at this snaphot in time) are not actually about the hurricane.

Yahoo! Subscriptions BETA

Jeremy Pepper writes about the latest search offering from Yahoo!

Think about this: in PR, we do a lot of research. We do research for new business proposals. We do research for press releases. We do research for media pitches, or we should at least be doing research on the product and its competitors to be able to speak intelligibly to reporters. A cornerstone of PR is research.

Yahoo! Subscriptions BETA is a powerful tool which, with the future addition of Factiva, will become even more useful.

Currently the search tool digs through subscription based resources not usually accessible by search engines. The resources available currently are: Consumer Reports, FT.com (60 days), Forrester Research, IEEE publications, New England Journal of Medicine, TheStreet.com, and Wall Street Journal (30 days). Days in parentheses relate to how far back the search digs into their archives. (”Note: You will need a valid subscription to the sources above to access their content.”)

Most of those resources are available to us through the university library. So, check out the search tool and see what you can then find using Auburn University’s AubieCat service.

Why is this search different?

Yahoo! Search Subscriptions enables you to search access-restricted content such as news and reference sites that are normally not accessible to search engines.

Search all the sources listed above or check the specific sources you want to search. Use preferences if you want to save these settings for future searches and want to add these sources to your regular Web search experience.

Learn more about Yahoo! Search Subscriptions.

Yahoo! Mindset searches: Read more

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