Oh Loren, man, you did not just use Rocketboom, Amanda Congden, and Shel Israel to justify yourself. Also, I think you can test technology without putting it into production.

Look, like I said in my post, you’re free to do anything you want. It is a private company owned by you. I just think your talented enough to be much bigger than you are. Why not make a real run for it? You’re always telling other people to do it right on the content end so why don’t you take your own advice on the presentation end.

I mean, lets face facts here, what you basically said in your video is that you know I’m right (by citing all the people you’ve rightfully criticized in the past) but you just don’t care. Well damn man, CARE!

Anyway, whatever, thanks for the link btw. I take a certain small amount of pride at being the person who inspired the first non-puppet video in a week.

By Tom on Mar 31, 2008

I like the way Loren presents in his videos and would probably be turned off if he was to change the format to appear more “professional”

I also like the fact that (at least at the moment ) he does not monetize this blog, I trust his judgement far above someone who is just doing it for the money

Besides I’m sure Loren is doing just fine with the private jobs he does for other companies, not that it’s any of our business.

Just enjoy the videos for what they are, straight from the heart and raw.

By DalaiLama on Mar 31, 2008

I take two days off from scouring the social media web for all things Shel Israel and see what happens?!?

Holy crap.

(heads off to register.com…)

By Dave Johnston on Mar 31, 2008

I had to watch that unfold before my eyes a second time.

Also noticed…I’m pretty sure the chick I dated in 2005 used that Amanda Congdon theme on her Myspace page. Amanda’s uses better spacing though.

By Dave Johnston on Mar 31, 2008

Beautiful work Loren.

By Dick on Mar 31, 2008

if loren was to monetize his vlog through advertising, it’d be just like if wikipedia would. how could you rely on his impartial reviews anymore ?

By Anonymous on Mar 31, 2008

I think a lot of people who are asking questions that start with “why would you want…” aren’t getting the gist of my post.

The truth is it doesn’t have a negative impact on me if Loren doesn’t follow my advice. I come here for his videos, he’ll continue to do those videos, so I’m good. My post wasn’t “Hey Loren, do this for me” because I get what I want from the site (not all the videos showing up on my iPhone kind of hacks me off but I can deal)

My point was more to say that there are those out there who are going to come to this site for the first time and not realize he’s serious and I think he loses a lot of those folks. Because I’ve been watching him for so long I know he’s serious about what he does but since they don’t have that experience with him they might write the site off. Because people tend to have little check lists in their head of what a professional site looks like and if you don’t fit that checklist than you’re written off as one of the idiots (and there are a lot of vblogging idiots). This is done regardless of what the content is.

Its called judging a book by its cover and we all know it happens.

On Monetization, it’s just one of the check boxes on that list. You go to my blog and then go to TechCrunch and you know TechCrunch is the more professional site. One of the big reasons for that are the Ads. Professional sites have Ads.

If Loren wants to keep doing these videos for me and the few hundred other folks who drop by that’s great but I think he could do a lot more and I’d hate to see him miss out on that.

By Tom on Mar 31, 2008

This guy Tom is lecturing other people about presentation? His TechBlog is generic looking– visually it’s about as blah as possible.

And monetization is his measure of a site’s professionalism? Bah.

By Vince Williams on Mar 31, 2008

And as Loren implied, what could be more generic and undistinguished from the herd than the name “TechBlog”?

By Vince Williams on Mar 31, 2008

Wow. Loren… are you getting business advice here? Does Tom happen to work for Fast Company? I’m going to have to go with 1938 Media.

By Sarah on Mar 31, 2008

HARTMAN

You goddam communist heathen, you had best sound off that you love the Virgin Mary . . . or I’m gonna stomp your guts out! Now you do
love the Virgin Mary, don’t you?!

JOKER

Sir, negative, sir!!

HARTMAN

Private Joker, are you trying to offend me?!

JOKER

Sir, negative, sir!!! Sir, the private believes
that any answer he gives will be wrong! And the Senior Drill Instructor will beat him harder if he reverses himself, sir!

By AndrewE on Mar 31, 2008

Just go this one the ‘1938 Media Shop’:

Canon XL2 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom
List Price: $5,999.99
Price: $3,199.97

Monetization big time baby:)

By zxspectrum on Mar 31, 2008

Tom,

You tool - wake up. You were just the intro to Loren’s fake Shel Israel site.

By Shel Squatting on Mar 31, 2008

Haha.;-)

By Vince Williams on Mar 31, 2008

Look, I like TomsTechBlog as much as the next guy, so I don’t want to turn this in any way into an attack on Tom…but I’ve realized something.

This particular entry by Loren could turn out to be a pitch-perfect study on the contrast between those who want “social media” to be a business plan unto itself, and those who see it for what it really is - simply a medium.

While Tom and Co. are arguing about wanting Loren to make a monetizable Bebo widget for his puppets, only a few (at least in the comments here) caught the beauty within the work itself. This was not simply a critique of site design, but a standout satire on something much much bigger.

The fact that many missed that RIGHT HERE ON THE SITE simply adds to the brilliance.

Rorschach test.

We’re on to something here…

By Dave Johnston on Mar 31, 2008

Hey this isn’t shel’s site? Shel you idoit you’re fired

By Robert Scoble on Mar 31, 2008

I don’t get it… This guy says presentation matters and he presents his site like that? Tiny ass text and a boring ass layout with zero graphics / photos / illustrations / videos / media?

Honestly, for someone so obsessed with content, he sure does spend precious little time on his own.

By Vinny on Mar 31, 2008

would someone help me monetize my site? please.

By golfgirl on Mar 31, 2008

@Loren: Your totally right, I did miss the point at first. So I was a bit dopey here (though in my defense when someone’s attacking you on video you tend to miss). Anyway, I don’t care if I was a prop here I’m still super proud to be the topic of one of your videos. I showed it off on my iPhone to like 10 people today. (p.s. I’m still totally right on my post)

@all the critics of my blog: My blog is a personal site which isn’t my main focus and is not something I spent a lot of time putting up. The fact that I said as much above (when I offered my site as a “not professional” comparison to Techcrunch) should have been your first hint.

By Tom on Mar 31, 2008

Tom,

yer a good man. I dont care what they say about you.

By Dick on Mar 31, 2008

“Professional sites have Ads.”
April Fools’ Day is today. C’Mon.

By Davide Tarasconi on Apr 1, 2008

@”My blog is a personal site which isn’t my main focus and is not something I spent a lot of time putting up.”

You’d think someone who claims to value presentation so much would be embarrassed to put up such a preachy post in that context.

By Vince Williams on Apr 1, 2008

I would have respected Tom if he was a Plastic Surgeon that was link baiting you to get some business. But that was up there in the scoring for Championship Lame this week.

Also Tom must not have seen the 12 seconds of future monetization that is the Julia clip. The rest of that interaction caught on film is a retirement plan.

By Anthony on Apr 1, 2008

You’d think someone who claims to value presentation so much would be embarrassed to put up such a preachy post in that context.

My thoughts exactly.

By Vinny on Apr 1, 2008

All of you should be cuttin checks to 1938 for the traffic that goes your way every time you link to urself in the comments.

Loren Feldman rules and he’s original and he’s a fucking rooster…

By vaX on Apr 1, 2008