Zoetica Media

  • Home
  • Services
  • Speaking
  • About
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Contact

Sorting the Fake from the Real

May 9, 2006 by Kami Huyse

Share this:
Twitter0
Facebook0
Google+0
LinkedIn0

Pink Panther in Santiago downtown Subway Station
Originally uploaded by Asmodaii.

In many ways, the Internet and conversational media are a little like the Wild West. People can say whatever they like and readers have to sort out the truth for themselves.

As such, many people form “relationships” with particular blogs and bloggers that they grow to trust and with whom they share similar opinions. Still, it is hard to get an accurate picture of who you are talking to online.

I still remember when I realized that Shel Isreal, who wrote Naked Conversations with Robert Scoble, and Shel Holtz, who wrote Blogging for Business, and hosts a twice-weekly podcast, For Your Information, were not the same people. In that ah-ha moment I was shocked and a little embarrassed too. I had been corresponding with both for a few weeks and there was no intentional deception, just a misunderstanding.

To muddy up the waters a bit, there are character blogs and sites. These can take many forms, but the most common are:

1.) Corporate characters: (Pink Panther)
2.) Television characters: (Big Love character Margene)
3.) Virtual Reality Sites: Sites that have entire characters and societies that are meant for entertainment value, such as Second Life
4.) Pretenders: People pretending to be someone, or something, they aren’t.

The last category is the most damaging and the hardest to detect. LA Times reporter Michael A. Hiltzik, whose blog Golden State was suspended last week because he used the names Mikekoshi and Nofanofcablecos in comments on his and other blogs in order to say stuff he didn’t want attributed to him, is one example of this abuse of trust.

So, how do we sort all this out? One of my colleagues recently said to me, “How do you figure out who is and isn’t credible?”

It is a good question. Blog readers need to be aware that not everyone is who they claim to be and the facts presented must have strong substantiation, usually in the form of links to recognized sources and a long history of reliability.

I can appreciate why many top managers and CEOs are hesitant to jump into what amounts to shark infested waters. But I also appreciate that it gives companies a unique channel to speak and hear both negative and positive thoughts about the products and practices (see GMs Fast Lane blog).

My question is as follows: How do you decide if an online source of information is credible?

Tags: Credibility|Ethics|PR|Public Relations

Filed Under: Featured

About Kami Huyse

Kami Watson Huyse, CEO of Zoetica, is passionate about great communication. Working in Public Relations since 1994, and blogging since 2005, she has seen trends come and go, but one thing has stayed the same – people are looking for ways to authentically connect. She loves to connect with readers, so leave a comment or follow @kamichat on Twitter and connect there.

Subscribe to get the newsletter and premiums

Enter your email to subscribe:

  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About Zoetica

Zoetica Swish SmallWelcome to Zoetica! We are an experienced team of communicators led by Kami Huyse who are dedicated to teaching you how to bring your communication to life with sound strategy, community building and solid success measures. Check out our blog, Zoetica Talks, browse our Resources, and check out our Sevices.We can't wait to get to know you better.

Recent Posts

  • Which Social Media Platforms to Use for Business in 2023
  • Creative Professionals, Get Ready for the Artificial Intelligence Takeover
  • The 5 Social Media Trends That Will Shape the Industry in 2023
  • The 5-Part Visibility Plan That Will Help Promote and Grow Your Business
  • Are You Ready for AI in Creative Work?

Zoetica in the News

5 Tools to Measure (and Manage) Reputation in Complex Environment PR News Byline

2014 trends for public relations, marketing and social media | Business | Kentucky.com (mobile mention) 

Digital PR & Social Media Guidebook – Contributing Author

How Communicators Can Get Started with PR Measurement, PR News Mention

Proving PR’s Value in the Age of ROI—How to Tie Results to Corporate Objectives | Bulldog Reporter (Speaker)

A Gnawing Crisis in PR: Measuring The ROI on Social Media Channels, PR News Byline

Named as one of AGBeat's top 50 industry influencers in 2014

Will Houston B2B companies answer the social media call? - Houston Business Journal

Social Media Measurement Twitter Chat: Evaluating Impact of Social Media on Foundation Outcomes (with tweets) · RWJF (Moderator)

Top 100 Social Media Power Influencers in Houston 2013

Named as one of 30 PR Experts You Should Follow on Twitter by e-releases

BusinessWire Congrats for Making the Top 100 Women on Twitter

Posts by Topic

Zoetica Talks

 

#SMBHOU

Influencer Outreach

Best Ranked

Measurement

Book Shelf

Nonprofit and CSR

Community

Online Ethics

CoolTools

Social Media Tactics

Crisis

Guidelines

How To

Social Networks

Humor

Speaking

Trends

Strategy

Latest Tweets

Tweets by @kamichat
© Zoetica, LLC | Disclaimer | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 - Zoetica Media · designed/developed by Petersen Media Group