Manifesto: The internet is made of people. People matter.

[Ronja]

Author Maureen Johnson got somewhat tired of a fellow panelists raving about how "the internet is all about getting out there and SELLING yourself."

“I’m a brand,” she said, every minute or so. “I’m always thinking of ways to promote my brand.” It was all brand, brand, brand, brand, brand.

The other thing she said that made my head swivel around uncomfortably was, “Get your message and repeat it OVER AND OVER. Just keep saying your message OVER AND OVER in the same way. Just tweet it and put it out on Facebook OVER AND OVER.”

Maureen's idea of the Internet experience is rather different. I especially liked this passage:

My message [on how to do this internet thing] is always:

1. You should probably not be taking advice from me
2. Don’t write boring stuff
3. Have more fun online
4. The people online are real people and they matter
5. Please bring me a snack

There is usually a lot of emphasis on numbers one and five.

and her accidental and apparently also approximative manifesto:

The internet is made of people. People matter. This includes you. Stop trying to sell everything about yourself to everyone. Don’t just hammer away and repeat and talk at people—talk TO people. It’s organic. Make stuff for the internet that matters to you, even if it seems stupid. Do it because it’s good and feels important. Put up more cat pictures. Make more songs. Show your doodles. Give things away and take things that are free. Look at what other people are doing, not to compete, imitate, or compare . . . but because you enjoy looking at the things other people make. Don’t shove yourself into that tiny, airless box called a brand—tiny, airless boxes are for trinkets and dead people.

Can't put it no better.

Actually, the whole blog entry is pretty read-worthy: http://www.maureenjohnsonbooks.com/2010 ... manifesto/

[maiforpeace]

I like it!

[Feck]

I even read some of the comments .I'm off to make a large snack .

[tattuchu]

"The internet is made of people. People matter."

*takes bite* It tastes...it tastes like Soylent Green

[Trolldor]

Ha! I take it she hasn't spent much time on the internet then. Ever read youtube comments? If that's the foundation of the internet I'd rather it crumble.

[normal]

Ha! I take it she hasn't spent much time on the internet then. Ever read youtube comments? If that's the foundation of the internet I'd rather it crumble.

Nah. We are the foundation of the internet. Here. Now.

[Animavore]

Ewww. "People matter".

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Ha! I take it she hasn't spent much time on the internet then. Ever read youtube comments? If that's the foundation of the internet I'd rather it crumble.

Thank you Mr Positive - now for a word from our sponsors.

[Ronja]

Now I'm no expert on the blogosphere, but it would seem that this piece is a tad more popular than The Average Blog Posting (TM). It was published Tuesday, June 8th, 2010 @ 6:37 pm and by June 9th, 2010 at 10:16 pm there were 114 comments, over 99 % positive.

Not bad!

[Robert_S]

115. Robert S Says: Your comment is awaiting moderation.
June 10th, 2010 at 1:55 am

So, you are saying this internet thing is more than a television with a typewriter attached?

Interesting.

I’ll bake a batch of brownies in support of that idea.

[FBM]

I even read some of the comments .I'm off to make a large snack .

Please bring me a snack.

[Trolldor]

Now I'm no expert on the blogosphere, but it would seem that this piece is a tad more popular than The Average Blog Posting (TM). It was published Tuesday, June 8th, 2010 @ 6:37 pm and by June 9th, 2010 at 10:16 pm there were 114 comments, over 99 % positive.

Not bad!

Getting five comments from five people you don't know is above average.

[devogue]

Now I'm no expert on the blogosphere, but it would seem that this piece is a tad more popular than The Average Blog Posting (TM). It was published Tuesday, June 8th, 2010 @ 6:37 pm and by June 9th, 2010 at 10:16 pm there were 114 comments, over 99 % positive.

Not bad!

I got 3,000 posts in a month about the taste of spunk.

[devogue]

1. You should probably not be taking advice from me
2. Don’t write boring stuff
3. Have more fun online
4. The people online are real people and they matter
5. Please bring me a snack

1. Doesn't mean anything
2. Much better than this would be: "Create drama".
3. Therefore, have less fun in real life? Eh?
4. No shit. But, to be brutal, you can switch them off.
5. Doesn't mean anything

[Ronja]

115. Robert S Says: Your comment is awaiting moderation.
June 10th, 2010 at 1:55 am

So, you are saying this internet thing is more than a television with a typewriter attached?

Interesting.

I’ll bake a batch of brownies in support of that idea.

She appears to do the moderating in batches - now your's has gotten through (as # 119). the brownies...

Yet another truly refreshing thing - she lets at least these words through in comments: "fucking" and "whore". Somehow that one page is more relaxing and comforting to read than all the "You Can Find Peace Of Mind" pages that I've seen put together (even disregarding those that want $$$ for the peace solution they offer ).