As well as being a platform for JKers to have a good old rant about the world of technology and PR, 'Whatever...' will periodically be running guest blogs from friends who live beyond the (fire)walls of Johnson King Towers.
Here’s Mr David Mancuso, Director of External Affairs at AT&T*, on why it’d be really nice if everybody just, like, chilled out a bit, and started actually listening to what the other side is saying…
Nearly a year ago, a friend at JK invited me to participate on their blog. On most days, I am a decent human being who hates to disappoint friends, so my response was typical: "Of course. I would love to write something insightful if not bordering on profound for you."
As a professional communicator with more than 20 years experience in marketing and PR for tech companies, and no lack of opinions on everything from world peace to what beer goes best with fish, writing a post should have been the proverbial piece of cake.
It wasn't.
Why? After several attempts to write something it dawned on me that I had nothing new, intelligent, or meaningful to add to the monologue that is the blogosphere.
Yes, despite the promise that the Internet would revolutionise social dialogue, I really think of today's blogosphere as a monologue. Whether it's media, marketing materials or mom's apple pie recipe, to my eyes, most of what gets posted on the Internet is the view from one side of a topic or issue and not very interesting.
Sure, there are sites that try to present a variety of perspectives or allow for folks to wax poetic with their opinions, but typically, "birds-of-a-feather," mass market behaviour still appears to dominate. News sites all churn out the same news, and those that try for a new angle are either sensationalist or have little to offer in terms of objectivity or old fashioned, cite-and-verify-your-sources credibility.
The Internet was supposed to enhance social dialogue, improving it somehow to a new level of civility. It has certainly turned up the volume on social conversation, but I am not sure it has added much in terms of quality.
Don't get me wrong, I am still a HUGE fan of the Internet and blogs and all they are doing to change our world. They are making the global community smaller faster than most people or nations are ready to manage and they remain one of the greatest vehicles for free speech man has ever known. But, just because speech is free doesn't automatically make it useful.
What seems to be missing from the blogosphere are places where one can argue constructively.
It's a win-or-lose world these days and being "right" sadly trumps being smart. Most opinions expressed on the Web follow the same tired themes and arguments over and over. Philosophically speaking, today's Web is more of a shouting match than an argument.
A good argument brings people together rather than forces them apart. But from what I can see, there is hardly a valuable argument that will lead to new ground and mutual understanding anywhere out there on the public Internet. That's a shame.
Perhaps mankind has forgotten how to argue - constructively - the way Aristotle and his crew did. Perhaps (at least in the States) we think that argument is pretentious and raw vitriol more honest. Or, perhaps as 'modern' online citizens, we've simply never been taught how to argue properly in the first place.
A good argument, well thought through and well made, is as elegant as any athlete in action or work of art on a wall. Perhaps we professional communicators should take some time to hone our logic and argument skills and teach others - including our colleagues and clients - how to do it too. Today's world already shows us that fighting is fun (how else can you explain the popularity of Fox News). Maybe doing it constructively on the Internet might be more entertaining than we think…
* Disclaimer: this is a personal viewpoint from Dave and doesn't represent the views of AT&T
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