Those Gizmodo boys. When they're not stuffing technology down their pants, they're causing outrage and upset all over the internets. They've got bloggers baying for their blood, after a prank they pulled at CES got an unexpected reaction.
Throughout the week, they used several TV-B-Gones to turn off televisions, both on stands and on one notable occasion in the middle of a Motorola press conference. The results were edited into a video, for the enjoyment of Gizmodo readers. The reaction? They ranged from scaremongering to illogical.
We've already discussed the different status awarded to bloggers at this year's CES. Well, some fear that stunts like this will hinder blogger's ability to get taken seriously. I'd reason that this is one effect you can safely rule out. The story has, to date, about half a million views, and a quick Google search brings up about 66,000 stories in relation to it. I think companies are going to take this very seriously, even if they don't agree with the prank.
The battle has taken on more symbolic status than it, by rights, should afford. What it was was a few people turning off some televisions at inopportune times. What it's turned into is a battle of medias, PRs and CE companies, and an illustration of All That Is Wrong With These Gosh Darn Bloggers.
But tell us, what do you reckon?
Well ... blogging is not required to be all serious all the time, but there IS a proper time/place/context for breaking out Teh Funneh -- and methinks a major press conference probably isn't it. *shrug*
What they did was immature dumb & yeah - funny. How that says anything about "all blogging community" is beyond me. If it was one reporter getting a laugh it wouldn't reflect "all-reporting-kind"..
Fact is since what they did was stupid they should just get banned from such events. get blacklisted or whatever. that's the logical things to do. Companies who take themselves too seriously won't want them in the next presentation & that's enough of a detterant to most people not to do 'dumb things'. it's how the world (& the interwebs) works.
Banning an entire group of people who have something random in common (such as blogging) was never a good idea & if people opt for such extreme meassures then their short-sighted ignorant people who should be protested against.
So: raising such questions & debate issues as in the poll above is pointless. Blogging is much too much of a grey area to say all blogs are black or white. I opt for secret poll options #3:
ban the gizmodo guys & stop blowing this out of proportion.
I won't be surprised if they get banned from going to CES in 2009 for their stunt.
I think the stunt they pulled was completely and totally wrong, regardless of how funny it may be. I dont think it has anything to do with the blogging community however. Thats like punishing every kid at school because just 1 of them flooded the school bathroom.
I think that gizmodo should indeed be banned from CES next year. They chose the wrong venue to pull technology pranks at. Turning off a TV at a non-technology based press conference is one thing, but to make it look like a technology company's technology doesn't actually work at theirs is another.
Of course the puerile few who ruin it for the many should be punished. CES knows who they are from their registration data, and should refuse them entrance next year. But we can also do something that sends a message now. Stop reading their blog.
Let's face facts:
* anyone could have got hold of those gadgets. It's not innovative, it's not particularly clever.
* most people wouldn't have owned up to it, pretended to apologise but created a video with daft music on, effectively saying "we're the greatest".
* no-one is going to ban them from these events — their audience is too large and they (and the stable of blogs they come from) are too influential.
* most people aren't going to stop reading their blog.
* most people searching the web for tech news who come to their site via search engine probably won't know anything about the prank.
* all that's happened is their site has increased profile, page views are up, hence advertising revenue is up. They *might* lose a few sponsors, but I doubt it.
* the people shouting about them on the "Internets" are just giving them additional attention - it's why they did it in the first place.
I agree...the little boys should be banned from CES for their pranks. I think perceived success has gone to their heads. I used to be an avid follower and reader of all things "Giz" but lately their articles reek of vulgarity, innuendos and are severely lacking in content. I can read smut on the subway walls, I sure do not need it in a tech blog.