Jeff Cutler™ – columns, essays and opinions

When people ask about my vocation I tell them I write for a living and have been doing so for 20 years. When they prod a little, I say I write practically anything. When they push more, I break it down to an easy-to-understand “journalism, advertising, marketing, opinion columns, blogs and Bar Mitzvah toasts”.

Raised eyebrows and quizzical looks come from all quarters.

Newspaper reporters (most of them freelancing now) wonder with righteous indignation how I can balance reporting and copywriting. The long-standing bias reporters have toward flacks comes through and they wonder if I’m not just a paid pen for hire. Unvoiced is the skepticism that anyone can maintain critical thinking and ethical balance if they write more than one form.

I say balderdash…partly because I never get to use that word in any of my writing and mostly because that contention is crap.

A comment on Twitter the other day said that the vast percentage of bloggers are unable to write with the same ethical integrity as trained journalists. I emphatically agreed and was chided by a woman I consider a traditional journalist.

My reasoning – slightly difficult to put into 140 characters – is that bloggers come in all shapes and sizes. They are people who want to share what they ate for lunch, who they met that day, the bad parking photos they took, amusement park ride reviews, naked photos of themself, stories and rumors they heard, and also some who report the news.

Just take a look at three of my blogs and tell me that they all serve the same purpose. Bowl of Cheese, Things to Worry About, TDF08.

BOC is a rant site. I talk about how people are idiots and how the world would be better if I were running it.

TTWA is a random site that gives voice to my fears – however ill-conceived.

TDF08 is a reporting site with a dash of editorializing.

Balance those three – or any of my 12+ blogs – with my 20 years as a journalist and you’ll start to get a complete picture of the versatility present in my writing. I hope it will also open your eyes to the reality of writers who can write across a variety of forms and venues.

This doesn’t mean I’m going to start writing press releases any time soon. But I’m still going to write where the money is. And as news organizations lose more focus and funding, my best bet might be to do some J. Peterman pieces inbetween my tech analysis, social media training, commentary columns and sports reports.

What do you plan to do to bring in money? Would you, as a reporter, every cross into public relations? What’s your take on my argument?

Keep reading…and please comment. I’d like to know what you think.

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Tags: bias, ethics, Jeff Cutler, journalist, writer

It’s Friday, April 17, 2009. You’ve just turned off the TV and you’re excited because Oprah Winfrey just showed you that Tweeting on Twitter is easy. After seeing Oprah’s short conversation with Ashton Kutcher, you’re convinced that tweeting is going to connect you to vast communities of people.

These groups will inform, entertain and support you. And you’ll do the same for the people in those communities. But it’s not really that easy.

People use Twitter in different ways. As do businesses, organizations, governments and news outlets. Even the celebrity contingent is getting into the fray – as we’ve seen. But a lot of people are stumbling and the first thing to do to eliminate the stumbles is to figure out why you want to use this messaging or micro-blogging tool.

Some people use it to stay in touch with friends and family.

Some use it to find new friends, arrange social events and connect with organizations and businesses.

Companies are using it to pimp their products, market to customers and to strengthen their brand.

PR professionals are all over Twitter trying to find out how this free tool can help them make a buck. They’re also trying to figure out how to reach journalists and bloggers via tweets.

Journalists are here using Twitter to inform and report. They’re also here looking for sources (symbiosis between PR and journalists) for stories.

And celebrities are here because it’s hot and new. They’re also here because it gives them more power than they might have had before in reaching and interacting with their fanbase.

But there are rules and techniques everyone should know about using Twitter. Here’s my bootcamp version of what Twitter can and can’t do and how you can navigate some of the unwritten rules of this unique social media tool.

Let’s dive right in. I’m going to go through these top-of-mind, so read the entire column to see if I’ve addressed a concern or question. If not, leave me a comment and I’ll respond to it with an answer or a resource that you can use to learn more.

Twitter is for everyone. Naysayers abound, but if you want to be on Twitter, jump on. You’re probably going to make some mistakes and get banged up, but it really is like riding a bike. Get on and get dirty. Write some tweets and see what comes back. It’s really the best way to figure out how to use it.

Only follow the people you want to follow. Some people get on a high horse about follower/following ratio (I do for some clients actually) but if you’re just using Twitter to connect with friends and family and maybe some social groups, go wild. Follow the fun people and listen to what they say.

*Basics like how to follow people and how to compose a tweet are covered in the upcoming book Laura Fitton is authoring for Wiley and it’s already listed on Amazon.

In the meanwhile, to follow someone just click on their Twitter name in the EVERYONE stream on Twitter. If you like what you see, click FOLLOW and you’ll then see their updates in your HOME stream.

*I use the word stream to mean the list of updates that flow down your screen. Here’s a shot of my recent Twitter stream…

Abbreviations can mean actions or words and they can be confusing. Here are some you should know.

RT means Retweet – or the act of sharing an update that someone else put on Twitter first. The format of a retweet is…. RT: @jeffcutler The #redsox won today and I loved the game. Even got a foul ball, FTW!

In that retweet, you can tell that @jeffcutler was the original author. That he was allowing others to search for the word REDSOX (use of the # symbol before a word) and that he was thrilled about the foul ball (FTW means For The Win or YAY).

RR means Rerun. I was part of the four people that decided to start this abbreviation on Twitter. Steve Garfield, Greg Verdino, Melissa Pierce and I were chatting over breakfast in Las Vegas in January when we wondered how people could retweet themselves without looking pompous. I shouted out Rerun and the rest is history.

Now, if you want to retweet yourself, just put RR in front of a tweet. Use RR: instead of RT: and you’re all set.

Most often, people RR tweets when the first occurrence may have been either too early or late to be seen by many people. Or maybe a RR is in order if there are other events being shared on Twitter that render your little message insignificant. For instance, when the plan landed on the Hudson River, every other tweet not dealing with the crash landing was ignored. In that case, I would be busy Rerunning the important stuff the next day.

Oh, that @ symbol. That’s what goes before anyone you want to address on Twitter. If your username is jeffcutler, then the way people would get in touch with you is by typing @jeffcutler. In the case of Oprah Winfrey, her Twitter handle (name) is Oprah and you can address her by typing @oprah into a tweet.

Answer questions. As often as you can, take the time to look at your replies (any message that is @YOURNAME) and then respond to it. I like to look at my @’s a few times a day and give reasoned and valuable responses to them. If you help people a lot, they’ll happily help you when you have questions.

Anytime you type a message @ someone, this is out in the open for anyone on Twitter to see. It also shows up in a person’s @MYNAME field, sort of like an inbox. See circled name in this screen shot – that’s where you’d click to see all @’s to you.

DMs. While the majority of tweets are publicly visible, DMs are the Twitter equivalent of private messages. BUT, you can only send DMs to people who are following you. DMs are a great way to share info you don’t want the entire Twittersphere to see.

140 characters. Yep, it’s all about the characters – not the people on Twitter but the actual number of characters in a tweet. You only have 140 characters in which to make your point. If you go over, Twitter will truncate or shorten your post. SO make your tweets short and sweet.

*The character count includes names, abbreviations and the characters in all links.

There are assorted tools online that allow you to shorten URLs, but I’m not going to digress into side lessons about using the Internet. Back to Twitter.

When you’re on Twitter, you’ll be well served to spend about 80%+ of your time sharing, conversing, responding, retweeting and reading. People on Twitter – as in many communities – want you to care about them. But there’s got to be give and take. If you give more than you take then people will gravitate toward you and you’ll gain more resources from which to learn.

Simply put, if you give more than you take, then Twitter will treat you correctly. The companies and people who just spit out links, pimp their blogs and press, and blatantly use Twitter as a PR vehicle see diminishing returns and eventually lose any followers of any worth.

My advice is to treat this social media tool as a way to meet new people and learn about them. Take my word for it, you’ll see how well sharing and contributing works.

Random Thoughts….

Is what you’re sharing on Twitter part of a conversation? Can you really make friends here? What makes Twitter better than the phone, txt messages, blogging or even email?

I’ve been using Twitter since March 2007. I started introducing people to the tool and creating content specifically for the 140-character constraints since day one. Recently I’ve also been tabbed to present Twitter for Business sessions for the National Association of Women Business Owners, and social media tools for journalists for the annual conference of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Continue the conversation or get out. Two examples… A friend of mine was pretty active on Twitter for about four months. He was gathering followers and building a little community of people with whom he could talk and bounce ideas off of.

He was benefiting from the expertise of that group and was holding up his end by sharing his knowledge. Then he got bored and left Twitter for three months. Now he’s having the worst time getting back into the conversations.

People he used to chat with have dropped him because they see him as someone who used them and wasn’t reliable. Now he wants back in as if nothing happened. When the investment people have in you is predominantly digital, you’re only as memorable or as valuable as you most recent exchanges.

His trail has gone cold and now he’s going to have to work twice as hard to get back into the community. Especially now that Twitter is growing so fast.

The second example is that of a restaurant on the South Shore. This company made a splash on Twitter and touted themselves as the best destination for Valentine’s Day. I was excited to see them enter the fray and was hopeful that they would continue to interact with customers. I was even hoping they might run specials for Twitterers that the general public wouldn’t see.

Not happening at all. This restaurant hasn’t tweeted since February and even recent tweets to them haven’t been responded to. They aren’t aware of, or maybe they don’t care, that this segment of their marketing plan is falling flat.

I advise two restaurants on their use of social media – including Facebook, Twitter and blogs – and the one thing I tell them at the outset is not to get into the game if they can’t dedicate time and resources to social media. I say that social media is a long-term investment and it won’t show returns for possibly as long as other traditional advertising or marketing efforts.

If they’re not going to tweet regularly, they shouldn’t even tweet the first time.

Finally, WWOD? What would Oprah do? Well, if I had the chance to speak with Oprah about her use of Twitter, I’d advise her to spend a lot of time on it. I’d say that she should follow only the people who interest her, but not to be focused on numbers.

I’d tell her, Twitter is jam-packed with interesting, skilled and fun people. They’re willing to share and smile with you and they expect the same. Honor that trust and contribute what you can.

And I’d say that if she doesn’t personally have time to interact, not to use it. She’s got enough going on in her life and media empire that Twitter would probably be a distraction.

That said, I might point her in the direction of her handlers or other content creation specialists. These people could coordinate messaging, updates and info that would assuage the demand of her viewers/followers and would probably allow Oprah to benefit from this versatile too.

I hope that the influx of millions of users take the time to each figure out how to use Twitter.

How about you? How is Twitter affecting your life online and offline? And what do you wish you knew about this social media tool?

What did I miss and what questions do you still have?

Find me on Twitter and @ me, I’ll answer your questions.

*EDITED – If you want to see some of what I tell my clients, here’s an 18-page packet of notes I used for a recent talk to 40 small business owners. Download the .pdf. All I ask is that you share this link with people on Twitter, leave a comment below, or link to this post on your blog. Thanks!

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Tags: dummies, Jeff Cutler, Laura Fitton, life, Oprah, social media, technology, twitter

Earlier today, I retweeted a post about the ways in which Ashton Kutcher (@aplusk) and Oprah Winfrey (@oprah) were using Twitter incorrectly. This caught the attention of Ashton Kutcher – who I’m fairly confident does all his own tweeting – and he sent me a note.

He asked why I felt that his Tweeting technique was wrong. In that astonishing moment I was frank with him that I thought he was actually playing in the Twittersphere correctly but Oprah was naive and untrained in her use of this social media tool.

Be that interpretation what it is, the thing that surprised me the most was that this celebrity took the time to interact. Ashton Kutcher sent me an @ message and then he followed me.

That’s right. The King (nay Jester) of Twitter – with 1.2Million followers added me to the list of people he’s following. I’m number 82.

Now this situation might change when Ashton realizes I like to talk about journalism and the Red Sox and that I’m barely versed in the nuances of today’s music. He might dislike people from Boston who ride scooters and sometimes report for NPR. And that might be the end of this journey and conversation with Ashton.

But I am a tech reporter and he likes to use technology, so I might linger. And this lingering might be a direct result of our open exchange on Twitter.

You see, within moments of his note to me, my email box became full and my own Twitter following count jumped up by 2%. That was within seconds. I wonder what might happen when we talk again…on a weekday…when more people see it.

How very crazy that the very power Ashton talked of during his interview with Oprah on Friday is manifesting itself right here in this very personal way.

What are your thoughts on this real and remarkable exchange?

What would you share with Ashton – or with Oprah – if they were following you?

What would you want them to share with you?

For now, I’m going to see what I can learn about the challenges of celebrity now that the walls have been removed. It’s intriguing and exciting to share some of that power Ashton spoke of last week.

I hope he keeps the conversation going.

Keep reading!

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Tags: @aplusk, @jeffcutler, Ashton Kutcher, following, Jeff Cutler, Oprah, twitter

Granted, many of the post titles here are a lot more descriptive than this one, but I’m sure you’ll get the imagery or the intent by the time you’re a little ways through the post. So, onward…

In a conversation I had with my GF the other day, she said, “You should definitely hitch your wagon to him.”

She was talking about a friend of mine. A guy who is fairly well-known in the social-media sphere and who has contacts elsewhere in business communities and the technology world.

Preliminarily I agreed. It’s never bad to know more people. It helps you maintain perspective – both personal and professional. It helps you reach new communities and audiences – fairly important when creating content for a variety of consumers. And having a variety of wagons around you – circa the old West – means that you’re ensconced in a protective and nurturing shield of like-minded and similarly driven entities.

But where does the fishbowl effect come in? When does each wagon start to look like the next one?

If you’re focused on the Boston social-media scene, you might ascribe any one of a dozen names to the person my girlfriend suggested. You’d likely be wrong. The person we were talking about was someone I got to know recently and someone who has far less influence than the recognized old-guard rockstars.

This guy has ideas about services and how to deliver them via the Web. He knows how to use and enjoy social media and is looking for partners in his quest.

It’s like watching the start of Lord of the Rings – or any film where a merry band of people gather together to take on the odds as a team.

Now let’s get to the butter.

For a while I’ve been an evangelist of social media tools. I’ve used most of them and have even taught individuals, businesses and educational institutions how to Tweet, Link and ‘Book. That’s not changing, but the thing that is – ever-so-slightly – is my focus on the future.

As Ashton Kutcher and Oprah delve into social media and drag it to the masses, there’s going to be a wave of demand for the skills I’ve built over the past five years.

Instead of being the scribe or content creator, I’ve shifted to the role of content coordinator. I’m now advising people about the content they should have and where they should have it. There’s a greater opportunity in that role – both for financial return and for sharing.

You see, if I just hitch my wagon to the superstars and feed Remora-like off their conquests nobody wins. If I ride alongside them and offer to pull people with my wagon, then the bread gets buttered on both sides for everyone.

The only reason I’m able to pull – and never lose sight of this – is that the rockstars have shared themselves and this is just my way to pay it forward…errr backward.

Look at your vehicle. Is it a wagon? If so, I urge you to offer someone a ride, too. You’ll both get where you’re going a little faster. Trust me.

Keep reading!

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Tags: Ashton, Chris Brogan, Garyvee, greg verdino, Jeff Cutler, jeff pulver, mike langford, social media, steve garfield, twitter

It’s important for most of us to find crowds to hang out with and friends with whom to associate. You don’t put yourself in a box when it comes to describing your avocations, but you often find people you like to be with in your circle of recreational activities.

Therefore, I found a scooter group in the Boston area last year that seemed sane and well-balanced. It turned out very differently and I was booted from that club today.

I’m not positive, because I used Wikipedia to look this up, but I think it was Groucho Marx who said, “I wouldn’t belong to any group that would have me as a member.”

I might have to start thinking like Groucho because today I was kicked out of a Meetup Group.

A scooter-riders’ Meetup Group.

A Meetup Group that I was desperately trying to help straighten out because it was so mismanaged from a participation, event and marketing standpoint.

But I digress. Let’s start with the email I got today and move back in time. *All quoted materials will be indented so you can distinguish them from my current ire and sarcasm.

Received today from the group organizer – Paul Shoemaker…

You have been removed from Twist & Go Scooter Club.

The person who removed you, Paul Shoemaker, said:
—————————————————————-
Jeff, I have received complaints from a few members about your
attitude and providing misinformation to members as well as
your contemptuous behavior emailing members about other MSF
schools right after I announce one as a new sponsor – not a
very good way to welcome a new sponsor. Last season you made it
pretty clear that you did not need this group and given the
above, I don’t need you here either. I know you know we have
lots going on in both clubs this year and so far you have not
contributed or shown any interest in being part of what we are
doing. Ride safe and have a good year. – Paul

I thought this was odd because it was my first alert that anything was amiss with my membership and my conduct. I chalked it up to an April Fools Day joke and went about my business.

A few minutes later I got a similar email from Paul removing me from the other scooter club Meetup Group. I shrugged and signed on to Meetup to see what was going on.

It was true. I had been booted. From both clubs. By Paul. Without warning. I sent him a couple gentle emails to let him know how happy I was to be free of his idiocy and also to clarify in my mind what had just happened.

Let’s look back to yesterday when I got this message from Paul (it was to the entire membership)….

As spring approaches and we get back on our rides for another season of fun I like to remind everyone about safety. I am happy to say that as a group we had only but a few scrapes and bruises last year and I’d like to keep our recored clean. It comes as perfect timing that our newest member Bob Johnson owns the Streetwise Cycle School and sent me the following message. Bob says..

Hi, Paul.
I just wanted to make you and your members aware that my company, Streetwise Cycle School, is now offering the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) Scooter School course for just $99 on our scooters or $75 on your own scooter. Please find more information on our web site.

http://www.StreetwiseCycleSchool.com

Thanks,
Bob Johnson
781-974-2474

I thought that was cool. Paul was pimping a rider course for scooterists. Well, I had learned from the school where I was certified that they had also instituted a scooter course. So I let the board know there was more than one option.

Hey guys, the crew at Training Wheels – a certified MSF company – has introduced a scooter-specific course that ends with you getting your license.

Here’s the link…  http://www.trainingwheelsonline.com/scooter.html

Enjoy!

www.jeffcutler.com

That drew some fire….

Yes, and it’s only 5 times more expensive!

Jim Ricca
Ricca Creative
[removed personal information such as phone and email]

I didn’t take the bait and was clear about why I thought the Training Wheels offering was noted.

Point was that the Training Wheels course certifies you for your license. It isn’t just a skills course.

As people in other states know, the levels of training offered in scooter-specific courses vary widely. Some schools don’t even recognize that some scooters require shifting or that some can achieve speeds over 30MPH.

Just wanted people to have a choice.

www.jeffcutler.com

More fire came in.

Yeah, but read it carefully. Training Wheels’ Wicked Basic course does NOT provide a license. Only the Wicked Advanced Plus course does and that requires a year’s riding experience. This is essentially the same as the Experienced Rider course offered by Streetwise for $15 less. Streetwise’s website doesn’t say so explicitly but Bob has told me in an email discussion last year that you can ride your scooter for this course.

Jonathan Spencer
CyberArtisans Web Developers
[removed personal information such as phone and email]

http://www.cyberartisans.com

I decided to fire back and give some info on my perspective and what I knew of both schools.

What would be fantastic would be if the course being touted on this list offered list members a 50% discount or something instead of just being a promotional shout out without a balanced offer of other courses in the region.

In the interest of full disclosure, I took my motorcycle MSF at Training Wheels and asked them why they didn’t have a scooter course. They said they didn’t want to offer one until the learned all the specifics about scooters, the local laws and the implications of providing training on all types of scooters.

This took two years and only now have they started offering the courses. I guess it’s similar to the argument that you can buy a scooter at Pep-Boys or buy one at a supported dealer who has taken the time to learn the landscape and the vehicle.

**This is not an indictment of the other school promoted by Paul, just a comment on what I bet some instructional organizations might do. I looked at Streetwise for my MSF course and they refused to let me take it with my scooter. Perhaps they have changed their policies. Further, the listed class….

#  As a Scooter School graduate, you will not receive a motorcycle license.  If you would like to proceed with obtaining your license by passing the Basic Rider Course (BRC), you will receive 10% off the price of  the complete Streetwise Cycle School Basic Rider Course taught on our motorcycles!

…seems to offer basic instruction that any full-service dealer might teach. And then you still have to take the MSF to be fully prepared – in my opinion – to pilot a motorcycle on the streets of this country..

www.jeffcutler.com

Then Bob chimed in. He’s – if you forgotten – the still undisclosed sponsor that Paul neglected to introduce as such. So people still think he’s just a guy on the scooter boards who happens to own a scooter and MSF school. By the way, Paul is good at communication, that’s why people love his Meetup Groups.

I haven’t commented yet on this thread because of the obvious potential for conflict of interest.  I will just state the facts about the Scooter School (SS) and the Experienced Rider Courses (ERC) at Streetwise Cycle School and I will let you draw your own conclusions on the course offerings at Streetwise and elsewhere:

The Scooter School that we offer for $99 is the official Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) 4-hour on-scooter training.  The riding exercises in the Scooter School cover all of the riding skills that are covered in the complete 15-hour Basic Rider Course, except shifting.  The ScooterCoach:Student ratio = 1:6 or better (limit of 6 scooters on the range for the class).  This is not a license waiver course.

The Experienced Rider Course that we offer for $135 is the official Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) ERC.  As long as your scooter is registered, insured, and inspected, you can use it in the ERC regardless of whether is has a manual or automatic transmission.  If you provide a photocopy of your motorcycle permit at the beginning of the course, you will be granted a motorcycle license as a result of passing the ERC on your scooter or motorcycle.

I am involved in active conversations with the MA RMV to get approval to use our scooters in the full 15-hour Basic Rider Course (BRC).  If approval is granted (I am not sure if / when this will be decided), then students will be able to obtain their motorcycle license by passing the BRC on one of our scooters.

I hope this helps… I will try to stay quiet on this thread unless someone asks me a question directly.

Thanks,
Bob Johnson

You’ll notice that he talks about an obvious conflict of interest. Not so obvious. We still don’t know he’s a sponsor. In fact, it was never disclosed that Bob and Streetwise had given money to Paul.

Paul has yet to disclose it unless he has done so today on the boards I’m not a member of.

I took the high road and thanked Bob for explaining his school and offerings.

Bob,

Thanks for that explanation. When I contacted you a little over a year ago to use my scooter in a course I was flatly refused and was told that I had to use your motorcycles. I am pleased with the change in policy.

Also, after looking at the pricing and the info you’ve provided, it seems as if you’ve covered (or are in the process of covering) all bases.

Kudos.

Jeff

www.jeffcutler.com

Bob answered me…

As long as your scooter is registered (with a motorcycle license plate, not just a moped sticker), insured, and inspected, then it can be used in the ERC … even if it is “twist and go”.  … and you would get your motorcycle license as a result of passing the course (you need to provide a photocopy of your motorcycle permit at the beginning of the course).

-Bob

I asked another question to see if Bob could clarify the law for other scooterists on the board. At this point I was about done with the discussion and thought I had added some value.

Can you register a 50cc as a motorcycle in this state? I’m not sure it qualifies for a license plate (motorcycle) in MA unless it goes faster than 30MPH or so.

Other people chimed in with questions and comments.

So given all of this, does anyone with a twist and go 150cc registered as such want to borrow me their ride so I can just take the regular motorcycle exam and get my license? My 150s are not registered as such and therefore won’t get me into the exam, but seriously the difference is pretty negligible. Same ridiculous size tires will kill you at 60mph as well as 30mph. I know, I’ve tried. But anyway, I’d take someone to lunch for helping me out with that. I’d like to take the ERC but not until I get a manual shift cycle…have to watch expenses, sadly. Any takers?

Dyke Doc

I answered straight away. I’m a contributing and helpful scooterist.

Dyke Doc,

You can use mine if you put down a security deposit AND buy me lunch. But make sure you’re allowed to take the course first.

From what I understand of what Bob has shared, and of what I know of the law, the ERC course cannot be taken unless you already have taken the BRC OR get an exemption from the school.

In the past, that has meant petitioning various schools in the MSF qualified category to convince them you are experienced.

So, you will need to have a permit AND have either taken the earlier course or gotten clearance to take the ERC before you can even consider using a scooter to get your motorcycle license.

It would be, again in my opinion, foolish and negligent for the schools to let any schmoe with a scooter just take an experienced rider course and get a license without having the years of skills or the satisfactory passage of the basic course.

According to folks at the Massachusetts RMV, you can take a basic course, practice on your own and then return (on your scooter) to an ERC and if you pass you will receive your license.

If my math is correct, that means paying for the BRC and paying for the ERC. As far as taking a simple scooter course and getting a license for your troubles, it’s not going to happen for a while. The state can’t even agree where scooters can and can’t be parked or what a scooter vs. a moped vs. a bike vs. a motorcycle is in clear enough terms to train their own state police. What makes you think they’ll be jumping on this and making it clear anytime soon?

I think that’s what set Paul off. He was unwilling to hear anything bad about a firm that had handed him some cash and therefore thought it best to silence any discussion.

What are your thoughts on how I handled things to this point? Did I deserve to be booted?

Now read the two emails I sent Paul this morning. Then answer those two questions again.

Paul,

I didn’t realize that any of this was going on. I did know that you pimped a riding school out of the blue, but nowhere did you make it clear that they were a sponsor so I just offered up info about other schools and true experiences I had with the very school you have just signed on with.

To be clear, I was unwelcome by Streetwise as a scooterist when I first contacted them more than a year ago. It’s good that they’ve now embraced the scooter movement, but I still believe they are doing it solely for financial gain and not because they love scooterists.

I think your removal of me is a knee-jerk reaction and I’m surprised that based on lessons you learned about running a group last year, you didn’t even dole out any warnings or send me a note on the side.

I think the group is a great idea. I don’t like how it’s run and I don’t think there has ever been a focus on riding for smaller scooterists. I’ve found that respect of others’ skillsets has been woeful and with that in mind I stepped out of an organizer role. If I was unable to make it clear that some marketing efforts were just a waste of time (based on my 20+ years in marketing for organizations like Fidelity, Brookstone, Gulf Oil, Talbots, Uno’s), then I knew I was in a sea of closed ears.

For a number of months now, I’ve acted only as a member. If you think my actions as a member violate your terms of service, you also are interpreting those terms fairly stringently.

I’ve attacked nobody. I’ve offered up info that scooterists can use. I’ve clarified my comments and even thanked Bob for participating in the group. If that’s what gets people dumped from your groups, I now see why the larger regional groups and the riders in those groups will have nothing to do with you.

I wish you fun and safety on your scooter as well. Best to the gang.

Jeff

and….

By the way, your comment about me not contributing this year is crap.

I gave about two dozen ride ideas to the T&G group earlier this year and I believe a few of them are already listed on the calendar.

Just an FYI. Maybe you missed that.

Jeff

Thanks for reading!

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Tags: Boston, groucho marx, Jeff Cutler, meetup.com, paul shoemaker, scooters, transparency

Sometimes I wonder if other jobs offer the same opportunity for snack adventures, celebrity sightings, wild weather, and marvelous vistas as do the handful of occupations I call my own.

That is, as a writer, journalist, content creator and commentator or columnist I’ve had the chance to see and experience some great things.

What brought this to mind? I was on This is Why You’re Fat – a fantastically heinous site that documents why Americans might be a little overweight. It documents this in photos. And I realized while clicking around tonight, that I’ve eaten one of the most ridiculous items featured on the site.

The Loco Moco.

That’s right. It’s a bed of rice topped with a hamburger patty which is then topped by an egg and then topped with some gravy.

I ate this while covering the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.

And I enjoyed this delightful meal with Steve Garfield, Greg Verdino, Joseph Jaffe and Melissa Pierce at the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Was this type of excess necessary? Hardly.

Was it worth it? Certainly.

See the photo!

If you’ve ever eaten, seen, touched, met or experienced something mere mortals might not have had the chance to try, please share that here in the comments.

Thinking thin…but also pining for another Loco Moco.

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Tags: #ces09, greg verdino, joseph jaffe, Las Vegas, Loco Moco, melissa pierce, steve garfield

Jim Storer mentions in his latest blog post that it’s foolish not to begin a week of insanity, sleep deprivation and critical client networking with a few naps and then a few more naps to ensure you’re bright-eyed and bushy tailed for the challenge. He also implies strongly that some opportunities in life are too interesting and possibly philosophically lucrative to pass up.

With the scales nearly flipped over sideways in favor of getting some sleep and being prepared for the non-stop energy suck that is South by Southwest (#SXSW), Jim jumped at the chance to drive a pre-release 2010 Ford Escape from the tip of the Great Lakes to the center of Austin Texas with a few other creative types.

I’m one of those aforementioned CT’s. That’s right. I’ve had my arm twisted to join a crew of social media experts and strategists on a four-wheeled excursion (the name of another Ford product – unintended connection) through the heartland of America.

On this journey I don’t think we’re going to run into turkeys or lions or tigers or bears – oh, my. But I do harbor some hope of connecting with the ever elusive Twitterer. You know the one. You’ve seen the name online constantly. They have some of their comments retweeted by luminaries like @jimmyfallon or @therealdvorak, but they’re seldom in the wild.

I also am seriously thrilled to chronicle the journey in words, images and sound. To that end I’ve pitched a handful of publications and will be making my missives (likely three or four per day) available here at jeffcutler.com.

I encourage you to link to the original work and add comments on the posts.

If we run into trouble, I’ll tweet about it and share those events and fears at my other blogs.

What do you think? Where do you want us to go? What do you want me to ask of the guys in the car and of the people on the road?

It’ll be fun having you along.

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Tags: #iroadtrip, Colin Browning, Ford, Jeff Cutler, jim storer, new marketing labs

When you write about writing you’re causing the universe to implode a little. It’s like talking about giving speeches or sweeping up the floor of a broom factory. But the discussion must happen because so few people know how to use the written word to communicate.

Take a look at Twitter feeds, emails, faxes and even letters. The best written forms are the ones that take the most effort. Whip off a missive via electronic means and you’re disinclined to connect with it the way you would when snagging a $4 card from the shelf at CVS and writing down some thoughts about birth, death, injury, layoffs, marriages or moves.

So I was thrilled when my friend Steve asked me today – in an electronic missive – to let him borrow a book.

Not because I like lending my stuff, but because the book he was asking for is the definitive guide to proper writing…The Chicago Manual of Style.

It’s ironic (look up what that means) that a book that shows/tells/instructs how to write well – and has been a newspaper journalist’s reference guide for decades – is in such demand now that newspapers are going under. But it’s also heartening.

I want people to write well. Not because I’m a stickler for who’s and whose and whom’s, but because if people communicate more clearly we’re likely going to avoid misunderstandings, expand our horizons, learn more about each other and generally be happier.

Steve, please be happy with the lease of my book. I know you’ll respect and learn from it. And best of luck on your foray into the world of publishing.

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Tags: @stevegarfield, chicago manual of style, Jeff Cutler, lending, newspapers, twitter, writing

Right off the bat, I want to assure you that the word dimmer in the title has nothing negative associated with it. In the past seven months we’ve gone through the undulations of war, stock-markets, Steve Jobs’ health and other news that’s made us cringe, gasp, sneer and react in a dim way. So hang on for a moment, the use of the word dimmer refers analogously to how conversations are best started in the social-media sphere.

Wondering why I put a hyphen in social media? That could be an entire soap-box discussion for another day on the benefits of writing grammatically correct missives in a world that’s married to LOL and ROFLMA and thx and bai and other manglings. But not today. Right here and right now I’m going to talk about why a dimmer switch approach is better than just flicking the lights on when you’re going to share yourself with the Webiverse.

Picture a party scene. You’ve been invited because you live in the house next door and you’re not obviously a nudist, a murderer or a Hare Krishna. Digressing again, if you are one of these things I’m sure you have your reasons. Please don’t fill the comment box with the reasons why it’s better that we all go without clothing.

You step up to the front door of the house, ring the bell and wait. When the door opens, do you:

a – run screaming into the house, shouting your name and throwing pictures of yourself and your family to the guests?

b – see the door opening and dive headlong into the bushes at the side of the porch, quivering like one of those cute, but useless, punting dogs that waifish models carry in their purse?

c – thank the hostess, shake her hand, present her with a bottle of Cabernet and then stride into the room observing the scene – looking and listening for clues about the people and the environment you’ve just entered?

While I’m in favor of the the dive-in-the-bushes approach, the preferred way to gain acceptance, develop a valuable following, and create conversations that allow you to learn and grow is by twisting the dimmer switch up to a brightness you and your audience can tolerate.

Don’t blast the spotlight on the room and yourself by running around in an overbearing and annoying manner. And don’t leave the lightswitch off as you avoid the possibility of meeting some great people with fantastic perspectives and ideas. Just twist the dimmer and allow others – and yourself – to bask in the glow.

From what I’ve found, the casual and consistent approach can be explained by many metaphors, but the importance in social media is being yourself and contributing in a positive manner to the conversations going on around you.

You’ll soon find that the light on everyone else you admire and learn from is strong enough to illuminate the value everyone has to share…even you.

What’s your favorite metaphor for participating in the social-media fishbowl? I welcome you to shine a light on your point of view.

-30-

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Tags: Chris Brogan, contribute, dimmer switch, guest post, Jeff Cutler, social media

I started this column back in August and have revived it based on the current heat-wave. Bear in mind when it was originally penned the weather outside was far from frightful and my vehicle of choice was my orange scooter named Scootle. Enjoy…

This morning I sat at a local Barnes & Noble store looking the part of the starving writer, composing a column on my iPhone while sipping a black tea.

As I pecked out words with a single finger, I wondered why people gravitate to a venue that offers overpriced food and drink, uninformed staff (except for the lifers who love books), proprietary wifi and skinflinty clients.

Don’t jump on me for calling kettles cheap, I was at this B&N to meet someone. But I will concede I was too thrifty to spend $4 for two hours of Internet access. Especially when I could hop on the scooter and Wijack at the mall or at Panera down the street.

Further characteristics that drag this particular bookstore down are its proximity to towns where the populace is dotted with SUV-driving moms who can hardly manage to pilot their craft in a traffic lane, much less position them in a parking spot. This means the lot I saw out the window was a breathing example of Badparking.com.

Digression seems to make my pecking finger ache, what with all the added typing, so to the point I’ll proceed. Where are all the breakthroughs?

That is, where are the cars that park themselves between parking stripes, where are the intelligent scanners at the doorway that don’t go off when you ENTER the store, where are the coffee clerks who can leave room enough for milk and sugar in a cup of tea or coffee, where are the transporters, and where are the free Wifi zones so people can connect to the Internet anywhere?

Seriously, why does anyone get their coffee poured right to the top of the cup if they’re going to add condiments? They just pour off 1/10 of the fluid into a plastic bag or stagnant carafe at the coffee station. Wake up. You paid $6 for that coffee, stop wasting it. Extrapolate the value and a cup of coffee is 16 times more expensive than a gallon of gas. Would you pay $64 for a gallon of gas and then pour off $6 of it? I didn’t think so.

When my mind wasn’t wandering this morning, my friend Matthew and I spent a few minutes discussing the next big things. We decided that if anyone had any brains at all, they’d be focusing on building the infrastructure to service any number of products coming to market in the next few years.

An iPhone unlocking technician, a flying car mechanic and a coffee recycling centers all over the nation were just the tip of the iceberg. I actually can’t tell you here what we really came up with because Google will likely want to buy our intellectual property soon. But it was along the lines I’ve mentioned above.

Speaking of lines, people can’t keep themselves within those painted on the pavement. In fact, while standing and bidding each other adieux, Matthew and I were almost run into by a woman in an SUV. She pulled into a spot next to my scooter and parked slighly over the line into my spot.

After a slight verbal spar that didn’t come to blows, but could have, Matthew and the woman came to the understanding that she was a female dog and that he should try some anatomically difficult act with himself.

My take on the entire afternoon, from the expensive coffee to quasi-trained staff and idiot women drivers, was that for four dollars I never would have been able to get similar entertainment anywhere else. Not the movies, not the free Internet and not at a coffee shoppe.

I consider it an investment in living. And for $4, that’s pretty darn affordable.

-30-

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Tags: books, bread, coffee, freakshow, idiot women drivers, people watch, starbucks, tea, wijack, wijacker.com