Unlikely Associations With Social Media

By Richard Becker

When you begin blogging about a subject, you never really know where it might lead. The fact that I'll be posting here from time to time is evidence of that and the story about it will serve as my self introduction.

As I told a dozen or so students in my "Writing for Public Relations" class, social media (blogging) and the internet have made public relations a moving target. The rules of engagement are changing and public relations practitioners would be wise to stay ahead of the curve.

With this in mind, I said, some of the information I'll share over the next 11 weeks will soon be obsolete (the structure of a news release, perhaps, among them). But some things, I stressed, will remain unchanged. For example: you cannot choose what the media says about you, but you can choose how you react to it. The same applies to bloggers, which tend to be even bigger wild cards in the game of communication.

In answering by example, I referenced how while writing about my living case study on Jobster, one blogger attempted to take me to task, going a bit beyond the difference of opinion and giving me the moniker “Mr. Mustache" and calling me a sissy. The majority of my students were, very literally, slack-jawed and appalled.

Look, I'm always up for a game now and again, so given that most of my students are working professionals in addition to attending UNLV, I asked what they thought I should do. Of all the answers, ranging from ignoring him to considering a slander suit (imagine!), one still sticks in my mind because only one student got the joke.

"You should have shaved off your mustache," she said. "And that will be that!"

No, I have not shaved my mustache; I only do that from time to time, temporarily, if someone pays me $100. (I'm not one of those guys who is "afraid" to shave it off). I did not file a slander suit (they meant libel, but that's why they are students), and I wouldn't even have a real case if I was silly enough to do so. I did not ignore him.

What I did do was choose how I would react to the labeling and I chose to find it funny, because, well, it was funny. Then I applied the most of basic public relations strategies, responding to his argument (but in my style), which generally does not include name calling. We agreed to disagree on the issue, and both offered up that we were mutual fans despite our different styles.

Since, I've written about two other recruiting companies (Talent Zoo and Monster) for different reasons related to communication, mostly because I'm tracking Jobster to wrap up the case study sometime in the near future. Or maybe not.

You see, Recruiting Animal e-mailed me a couple days ago, inviting me to join the growing group of talented bloggers over at Recruiting Bloggers.com. I've visited the blog a few times, and know that two other bloggers I met while tracking Jobster (Shannon Seery and Amitai Givertz) also contribute there from time to time.

So I accepted the invitation from the blogger who called me a sissy, despite repeated warnings that I could expect equally fiery and unabashed comments and critiques: "Also note that participation in a joint blog would not hamper our ability to criticize each other as fiercely as is common online."

Certainly, Recruiting Animal is not everybody's cup of tea (though he prefers to be called, in his words, a "prick"), but I find his posts a nice blend of practical and entertaining commentary. He also encouraged me to check around about him; nah, I already had a sense of what other people thought of him and also know I generally get along with people who aren't vanilla (not that there is anything wrong with vanilla). I look forward to getting to know him more: good, bad, or indifferent.

In sum, it's an experiment, which I find especially interesting because this seems like such an unlikely association. Heck, Recruiting Animal has already asked that I quit saying "thank you" so much, noting he never got that I would from my posts. That's okay. I would have never guessed Recruiting Animal has a real name (he does, you know ... shhhhh.)

Of course, I also look forward to getting to know the other writers, authors, and bloggers at Recruiting Bloggers.com ... I've read some good stuff here. So in addition to mentioning some posts will be reframed and added here, this can also serve as my post first-post introduction, which hopefully is more entertaining than writing "blah, blah, blah" about me.

Comments

[Amitai Givertz]

Well, Richard, welcome to the parallel universe of RecruitingBloggers.com! How exciting to have something to contrast pap like: "Jobster Gives Away $1,000,000," albeit posted in a now grammatical correct fashion.

[jason goldberg]

Dear Professor Becker (is it professor?)

Now that you have engaged in the recruiting blogosphere, let's have a chat. In public.

How come it was so easy for you to take shots at me and critique my behavior again and again in public without ever ONCE writing me or calling me to get my take on the situation? Is it only fair if you are giving it not taking it?

What would your students think of that?

With respect,

Jason Goldberg

[Richard Becker]

Amitai, thank you so much for the warm welcome. I hope all is well with you!

[Recruiting Animal]

Don JGo, I'm glad to see that you've come out swinging. I was worried that the board had turned you into a shell of your former blogging self.

But, listen, if Moustache is studying your performance from the public's point of view, is it necessary for him to speak to you?

[Richard Becker]

Mr. Goldberg,

Well, I'm not all that big on titles. I have several, but feel free to call me Rich. (In terms of teaching, I'm an instructor.)

You propose a good question, one that I have thought to answer time and time again. First and foremost, I think that we might clarify for anyone who missed it, I took very few "shots" at you as a person and also, at times, paid you compliments. On one blog, I even defended you after you were called a liar. I don't believe you were a liar, but I could be wrong.

However, I did critique your "behavior" as it relates to communication, in public, again and again. And probably will again, too.

Back to your question: I did think to e-mail you on occasion, but decided it might be best to see how things played out on their own. It's a quantum physics thing that I won't get into here. But, as I have worked as a journalist and occasionally still work as a journalist, I certainly would have given you a call had I been writing an article (not all magazines do, you know).

While journalism is similar to blogging, it is not the same. For one thing, readers and "subjects" as you were (and are), have equal opportunity to respond on blogs, unlike articles. Op-eds are handled the same way, which is probably even more similar to any posts I put up. (Likewise, I felt Recruiting Animal was totally in the right to post his disagreement with one of my positions as well. He didn't call at that time nor would I expect him to.)

Not to mention: one of your employees posted a response to my very first Jobster post. That response was deleted after another person at your office (I assume, based on tracking) asked them to reconsider. With that deletion, so went Jobster's first, but not last, chance to respond. That doesn't even count the number of times I did engage you on your blog (which I don't always do). But frankly, I'm not convinced bloggers who allow open comments on their blogs are ethically obligated to make contact with everyone they write about.

So what gives me the right to write about you (besides the First Amendment)? Well, you chose to become a public figure; I did not choose that path for you. You made your "maybe" layoffs public, I would have advised you against that. You often solicit media and social media to take a look at Jobster; I didn't decide that either.

Why did I write about you? I guess I wrote about you because 1. You wanted to be written about. 2. You made an interesting case study. 3. And, if anything, I thought some other bloggers were losing focus and I think, in some small ways with an unexpected assist from those noted above, I managed to refocus some discussion to what was relevant. Sorry if I didn't write about what you might have liked me to write about ... but that's the way it is sometimes.

In hoping to answer your question fully, I can also say I did "take" some at times, and defended my position. But the truth is, one of your own employees complimented my assessment, which means I didn't "give it" a whole lot, though I can see how you might feel so.

What would my students think? I don't know what they might think today... I could ask them. I do know what they'll think at the end of 11 weeks with me... the answer is right here in this post in case you missed it: you cannot choose what the media (or social media) says about you, but you can choose how you react to it. I chose to find it funny. You chose to find it ... ?

Is this the chat you wanted?

All my best,

Rich

P.S. Congrats, btw, on all your recent announcements. It looks like good stuff.

[Amitai Givertz]

Hold on. This could get conversational. A bit like blogging.

[Richard Becker]

You're absolutely right Amitai. I think this would be a great conversation opportunity for Mr. Goldberg to share the inside information of why he hinted at, then denied, and then confirmed the layoff rumors.

[Amitai Givertz]

Well, that was short conversation, wasn't it.

[Richard Becker]

Mr. Goldberg,

With all due respect, you requested a conversation, er, chat in public. I have demonstrated that I am happy to oblige though I may have advised you, as a public relations professional, it was another communication mistake, especially if you did not intend to follow through. It really warrants its own analysis, I think, but I wasn't going to do that until we finished our conversation. Is it over?

Sincerely,

Rich

[WorkFarce]

Dear Dick Becker...

Its obvious that you crave taint…BIG 5 inch taint for mustache rides at 100 bucks a pop. See, you are new here and you should never pick on Jay "Prada" Goldberg….He is loved by many of us here and we will rise to the task of defending his honor.

Sure he may be off point from time to time…a young-blood finding his way. However kudos to him and shame on you. He has shown great moxy and has challeneged a public duo. Do not hide from this as this could be the BEST public relations lesson effort EVER…of course, if your truly do have your students in mind.

No… No please here me out. When the Recruit-o-sack is beveled with mustache scrapes from your upper lip, then, and only then do you reserve the right to be called professor.

Jason, while we have only met cordially at some far away conference, has the best of intentions and is, at the very least, TRYING. As an adjunct professor of some weird sort, you are doing your pupils a huge injustice by now meeting him in the parking lot to show them all that a web 2.0 CEO can beat you down…I am calling for blood yessir.

Animal is affine man indeed…but he has reason to bring you into this sandbox. He is an avid masturbator to all things gruesome and wrong.

Please know that I am not here to provoke anything between YOU or G-Berg…BUT am here to uncover true justice and seek all that is right and decent and pure in the recruit-o-sphere. Until next time…stop trying to touch my taint.

WORKFARCE

[Richard Becker]

So what you are saying is that Jason Goldberg's invitation to have a public conversation is really a disingenuous ruse to have me mugged by fans and minions? That's an interesting opinion, but I don't share it.

[Workfarce]

Not quite professor, I admire any sort of public (within the confines of the blogosphere) debate. I tip my hat to Jason for this. Now while I have never been a firm fan of his "business plans", I admire his fortitude and commitment to making jobster WORK...somehow. There is something to be said about GUTS and determination.

Readers of my blog know that I am not a LITERAL man...I try to spread tough-love accordingly. Welcom to this forsaken world of the Recruit-sphere and may your dual be an honerable one.

WORKFARCE