Mark Cuban from Blog World in Las Vegas
Mark may have his critics, but I have learned a lot from this guy. Via Jeremiah Owang, here's a some of the highlights from his keynote speech at Blog World - with my comments.
- I don't own the Dallas Mavericks, Dallas and Fort Worth does, I'm just the care taker. No one told Starbucks founder, Howard Schultz, that when he sold our Seattle Super Sonics to Oklahoma City.
- A blog with Google ads looks cheap and ads cheapen blogs. Knew I liked this guy.
- Uses Ice Rocket to find everything about him and his companies, then ports them into his feedreader to watch what's going on. If he's using only Ice Rocket, and not Google Blog Search, he's missing half of what is being said about him.
- Blogs are not a democracy open for everyone, your blog is your blog (in response to detractors in comments).
- Your blog is around forever, and will impact how you're hired.
- People who blog for a living can't be really honest, because if someone pays you, they want something.
- Uses blog to get answers from problems, by asking questions.
- I'm a READY, FIRE, AIM guy" (In that order).
- Facebook is under valued, as they've learned how to monetize their users. I would buy Facebook, but I can't afford it.
Can only hope Mark is successful in his bid to buy the Cubs.
Actually, what I think Mark was saying with regart to Google ads is that obtrusive ads -- those that make themselves more prominent than the content -- cheapen a blog.
He understands that we have to make money. Even if he already has too much of it. :-)
Probably right Teresa, but in the case of bloggers who are blogging to enhance their reputation as a reliable and trusted authority ads really detract. And in most cases, ads on blog generate very little money.
His comment about probloggers sounds like it was an intentional attempt to a) provoke bloggers and b) applies just as much to his press conferences or anything he sends to the press (ie has a monetary reason to do so) c) ignores the way in which his blogging about investment choices and deals (particuarly in cable/broadband) are wedded to what he says.
What he says about ads generally seems to ring true in my humble opinion. I don't think Amazon ads are that way--but certainly his critique was more meant for Google ads.