Great post Chris - couldnt agree more...while I'm sure the intentions are good (and lists will be useful for some) it effectively amounts to a commoditization of people's conversation.

That aside - I totally agree with point 4 - every day I'm reminded more and more how people I meet online are not only helping me out but are also helping me to help all the naysayers out there aswell as those who have not yet heard of it...poor things...
Tom Malcolm | Homepage | 11.13.08 - 4:53 pm | #

Great rant, there are far less crass ways of showing how much you "get it" than constructing lists of people on twitter.

Wrt: qwitter and the ranking systems, god i hate them. The vanity of it freaks me out - caring about the numbers changes the way you act, just be honest. And if you say your not interested in the numbers, why use it anyway?

Im worried about the impending pr deluge, look at certain examples that are basically spamming and other more perverse ideas like be-a-magpie.

I think its wonderful that we now have opportunities to engage in more honest and open ways, but like you point out - when it comes to pr, listen more, speak less.
Eliot | Homepage | 11.13.08 - 5:54 pm | #

Top rant....and you couldn;t have done that in less than 140 characters could you. Blogging still has its uses!
david brain | Homepage | 11.17.08 - 4:58 pm | #

Thanks all. Glad to have touched a few of the points people were clearly thinking...
Chris Reed | 11.17.08 - 11:24 pm | #