Wait…you’re still here?
Why?
====
I’m still a blogging outlier. I don’t pay enough attention to my own blog, let alone BHB; I read blogs and love to write, but it’s never been obsessive. I write when I’m inspired, not when I’m on deadline; when I’m short on time I scan enough to get the gist and mostly ignore links. In doing so I occasionally miss the gist entirely. One of the reasons I’m really looking forward to Unchained is to learn from those I like and respect to channel the process productively.
So not until yesterday morning, when I got the feed to Cathleen’s post, did I have any clue as to what was going on in RE.net. Not until this morning did I have a chance to read the more than four hundred comments here, here, and here. I’ve had to go back to the last week’s posts here to put them in proper context. (Russell: My apologies.)
Whew. As I said in my comment to Teri, people love to be offended; sometimes they wallow in it. (Note: I’m a people, too.) It brings the warm glow of righteousness, especially if it can be shared with fellow travelers. Objections to the contrary, ‘mob’ is a perfectly apt descriptor; “they’re a mob, but I’m thinking on my own” just doesn’t wash. Hiding behind the vitriolic din brings the false feeling of no consequence.
Since this is all new to me, some observations:
- I spent more time on Sellsius this morning reading comments than I’ve spent in the entire last year. Ferrara is a terrific writer, and argued his case well, though I’m not sure it’s the case he meant to argue: The genesis is his snit at being locked out of BHB. Whether or not Greg’s post was in fact offensive, that was only a vehicle to unload.
- Everyone else – including Dustin – followed. And Dustin – whose sites I like and read and who I’ll continue to like and read – used an approach that was particularly small. Petulance is never a winning tactic.
- I learned Mike Farmer is a terrific writer as well.
- One of the things I like about Greg – there are many things I like about Greg – is his understanding of consequences, that he’s willing to say what he believes even in the face of knowing others may not want to hear it. I suspect being liked isn’t one of his great motivations, just as I suspect that he knows in the end it’s infinitely kinder to look someone in the eye and tell him he has bad breath, while others – most – would avoid hurt feelings and let him stink forever.
- Writing carries the danger of misinterpretation, often because of the bias colored glasses of the reader. It confused me that Ardell, as ancedotal evidence of malice, used this post as an example of insult to Kris; I thought then – and still think – it the highest form of veneration.
Not to disappoint, Kevin et al, but BloodhoundBlog is going to be just fine. Unchained will be a huge success, and of profound value to those who attend.
And in the wonderful world of consequence, I think in two or three weeks a number of people are going to wake up with a hangover.
Teri Lussier says:
Jeff-
It’s such an honor to be able to say I write on the same blog as you.
February 23, 2008 — 6:45 pm
Diane Cipa says:
That’s what I like about Greg, too. Trust me I haven’t had time to do more than scrape the surface of what’s going on in the real estate blogosphere, but once I recognized the truthful and sarcastic style with which Greg lays it all out, I made his posts a regular stop. I may not catch them all, but I do catch enough to enjoy.
I’d rather have a friend or colleague, even an enemy, who can look me in the eye and tell me I have spinach in my teeth. That, my friends, is bravery and kindness and a worthy friend or foe.
February 23, 2008 — 6:55 pm
Ardell says:
Jeff,
See Kris’ comment on that post. It said something like WTF…huh? as I recall. She was very hurt and I know that and I was incensed on her behalf the same way Greg is incensed on Brian’s behalf and Dustin is incensed on 1000 Watt Blog guy’s behalf.
At least we are all showing that we have strong feelings for those in the blogosphere we respect and care about 🙂
February 23, 2008 — 7:52 pm
Cathleen Collins says:
Jeff – Funny that my post is what caught you up, because I, too, came late to this controversy. Unlike you, I don’t read Sellsius, 4Realz, nor ActiveRain. Until Persai gets released, the only Real Estate blogs I subscribe to besides BHB and lenders’, focus on the city of Phoenix (not the suburbs); John Wake and Altos (I like numbers); free-market writers like you, Tom Johnson and — now that I’ve discovered him through his contributions here — Mike Farmer; and TheBrickRanch.com, because Teri is so excellent with community-building. In other words, I’m not into clubby… If I’m not learning something I can use in my business, I don’t have time for it. Last Sunday, when I read Russell’s post Be Polite and Kind. To Everyone. and then Mike’s post The Religion (Tyranny) of Niceness I figured something was up, but didn’t have time to investigate. Then on Tuesday Russell pointed to Dustin’s post and I saw what I had been missing. I skipped through most of the comments (again, if I’m not learning something, I don’t have time for it), but picked up enough to get the picture. Since Dustin was the only one who could add anything to that picture, he was the only one I cared to engage there.
And Diane — I absolutely agree with you. One of the reasons I’m so in love with Greg is because I know I had better never ask him whether my butt looks big in these jeans… unless I know that it doesn’t!
February 23, 2008 — 7:57 pm
Greg Swann says:
> It confused me that Ardell, as ancedotal evidence of malice, used this post as an example of insult to Kris; I thought then – and still think – it the highest form of veneration.
That post was the absolute highest praise I ever paid to any BloodhoundBlog contributor. This takes nothing away from any of the rest of us — we are what we are, regardless. But Kris Berg is the best of the best of all of us, everyone who is blogging about real estate. I thought giving her less than everything she had earned was a huge insult to her.
February 23, 2008 — 7:58 pm
Robert Kerr says:
That, my friends, is bravery and kindness and a worthy friend or foe.
Diana, “picking on this little nebbish,” etc., was neither brave nor kind. It was denigration and ridicule that Greg laid on Joe. And for no apparent good reason.
See for yourself: https://www.bloodhoundrealty.com/BloodhoundBlog/?p=2592
February 23, 2008 — 8:53 pm
Ardell says:
Greg,
If you don’t know that Kris was hurt by that, I’m telling you she was. What do you do with that? Just say so what, I didn’t mean it? So what Marc Davison? So what to anyone I hurt as long as I keep living by my own credo regardless of whom I hurt in the process.
I can assure you, that is NOT how David G. would act.
February 23, 2008 — 10:22 pm
Jeff Kempe says:
Teri, Coming from you, I take that as very, very high praise. Thank you. I hope it goes without saying I feel exactly the same.
Diane, perfectly said.
Ardell, I saw Kris’ comment, and interpreted no perceived insult. Greg can be opaque at times, and both she and I had to dig a little to find the real meaning. Which was: Kris isn’t one of the best women RE bloggers; that’s demeaning. She’s one of the best writers on the internet, period.
Incidentally, caught your act on Sellsius. Lawyer. Indeed.
Cathleen, do you have an unmarried sister?
>It was denigration and ridicule that Greg laid on Joe.
Actually, no Robert. If anything it was denigration and ridicule that Greg laid on Marc. Then it was denigration and ridicule that Joe laid on Greg. Then it was …
Nevermind.
February 23, 2008 — 10:30 pm
Ardell says:
“Ardell, I saw Kris’ comment, and interpreted no perceived insult.”
I spoke with Kris when it happened. Checkmate.
February 23, 2008 — 11:13 pm
Doug Quance says:
There will come a day when most of the blogosphere will understand Greg Swann.
Until then, he will remain misunderstood.
I don’t pretend to understand Greg. Often, I get it – other times I scratch my head. But that’s cool… I don’t always get everything I see, hear or read.
I DID understand what he was getting at in the post regarding Kris’ accomplishment with the beach blanket bingo blonde bimbo video. The concept is referred to as “the reduction to the ridiculous” – and it was no slam on Kris.
Greg was simply pointing out that to put Kris into this tiny little box – ala “Top Women Bloggers” is to totally miss the point that she can out-write all the men, too.
And, even as good as Kris is (and she is THAT good) she apparently missed Greg’s point… assuming Ardell is correct.
No strike against her, that’s for sure. Nobody understands Greg ALL the time. Well, maybe Cathleen.
February 24, 2008 — 10:51 am
Cathleen Collins says:
Doug: “No strike against her, that’s for sure. Nobody understands Greg ALL the time. Well, maybe Cathleen.”
I do pretty much, or I’ll get it after we talk. Doesn’t mean we’ll always agree. But when we don’t, I always respect Greg’s consistency and his rationality and his right to have opinions that differ from mine.
As to the blonde joke — that Kris was being anything but ironic when she commented on the video is incredible in my opinion. I have always thought that praising women in a category separate than men in anything other than sports is like putting us in a Special Olympics. So I, for one, was grateful for Greg to point out the hypocrisy… as if Kris couldn’t beat the tar out of any writer, particularly since she is such a fine ironic writer.
February 24, 2008 — 11:29 am
Thomas Johnson says:
“I have always thought that praising women in a category separate than men in anything other than sports is like putting us in a Special Olympics.”
Cathleen: In our profession, I find separating the girls from the boys, a little silly. In the Realtor world at large, the women kick the men’s butts in production every which way until Sunday.
I can’t quantify why the women outperform the men in this trade, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it has something to do with the karma of kitchens.
February 25, 2008 — 6:10 pm
Russell Shaw says:
The top agent in the entire country is a woman. Dolly Lenz. http://www.realestatejournal.com/adinfo/res/20071113-intro.asp
Interesting to take a moment and look at her sales volume – this is for an individual agent with no more than one assistant. I’m way down on the fourth list – number of sales for a team. I was number 25 in the U.S. in that category.
I believe that the primary skill for landing on any one of these four lists would be lead generation. Most Realtors today are woman not men. Lead generation is not a skill where upper body strength makes a lot of difference.
February 26, 2008 — 12:53 pm