Hello Boise. Is Anybody There?

About 10 days ago Steve Nipper  and I invited any Boise Bloggers to join us for dinner on May 15. To date, there have been no takers.  Nada.  Nary an inquiry. This in the heels of 75 bloggers in Toronto, and reports daily of from 40-100 people showing up in all sorts of places all over the time.

Are there no Boise bloggers?  Will Steve and I have to eat alone? We welcome anyone who blogs or is thinking about it to join us.

Comments

[Chris Taylor]

Hi Shel, I'd love to come, but I'm in the wrong continent! Have a good time even if there's only a handful.

While I'm here, can you answer something for me? I'm trying to drum up enthusiasm for a corporate blog at my business (I am but a lowly web developer), and have had some success with a few forward-thinking people. However anyone who is more a "Chief" than an "Indian", basically anyone with "Manager" in their title, are pretty soundly against it.

I asked one of them why they didn't think blogging was a good idea, and he said it was the honesty part that could cause big problems. He said "if you say on your blog that your company has made a mistake, even if you commit to putting it right, the fact that you've admitted liability will cause people to pursue compensation".

What do you think to this? Of course many people will think that some form of compensation should be paid every time there's a mistake made, but that's a bit simplistic for my mind. What would you suggest I answer him with?

Thanks very much.

[Shel Israel]

Chris,
What? A blogging dinner in Boise isn't enough to get you flying to America? If I were you, I'd tell my superiors that the facts do not confirm their fears. To date, with 31 million blogs, over 2000 new postings a minute, there is not a single case of a lawsuit occuring because of an employee blog. Not one. If you are a publc company, it might interest them to know there has also never been a case of securities regulatory complaint for forward-looking statements. There has not been a single case of inappropriate IP disclosures. I would tell your bosses that they are listening to their lawyers far too much. They should think more about what their customers want and what their employees want.

That's what I would say.

[Evelyn Rodriguez]

Hi Shel, Sorry I won't be in Boise (Toronto is a tad enormous compared to Boise in terms of population and economy, so it's a tough comparison.)

Interesting comment that "the honesty part that could cause big problems." That thinking has killed more relationships - not just business ones - than I care to list.

There's this unstated phenomenon where people believe they need to tell others what they want to hear.

One thing I realized talking to people and NGO's in Thailand & Sri Lanka for a citj project, was it was easy to come across really great in a 15-minute interview. But spend a week with the same people and organization and the flaws are very evident. I think some businesses may be reticent to blog because they sense that their flaws - and who's perfect? - will be evident over time in a blog. However, can people (customers) handle warts-and-all companies? I used to think the answer was yes, but it's not so cut-and-dry. There seems to be societal pressures to at least appear perfect, idealized versions of themselves. Even if no such animal exists.

[Chris Rudy]

I'm game! Can I bring my geek son to translate? We live in Montana so it's about a five hour drive. Saturday or Sundays are best.

I'm a new blogger. The URL above is my first (March 19th) blog! That's my innocent advantage - I would like to think blogging could transform civilization, taking us from web 2.0 ambiguities to web 3.0 standards. I know that sounds presumptuous but I've been evolving those standards - a universal law/language interface - for 35 years! Details at www.heartcom.org/bio.htm.

Yes the name game is important. I've played with "heartware" as the Next Big Thing after hardware, software and netware. Call it "cultural DNA", "cyberethics" or just "The LOVE Model", it's still a way to involve and evolve our individual and collective consciousness along more enlightened "lines" that frame higher "conscience" at the heart of "Net reality".

It's all about a simple yet profound "pure geometry" framing of the universal laws and language of consciousness itself. I agree with you that it's "beyond software". It's beyond netware, taking the web 2.0 paradigm from "the server is the platform" to the web 3.0 paradigm of "the platform is conscious with a heart". Definitive "high touch" high tech.

Can't think of anything better to do. Could make good table conversation.

Keep in Touch!

Christopher

[Shel Israel]

Chris,
Steve and I are honored that you would be willing to travel all that distance for this small event. You and your translating son are more than welcome, but the dinner will Monday night, May 15.

[Jim McKeeth]

Heck yeah I will be there. I am in Nampa, which is just outside of Boise. I guess I've been asleep at the wheel at little bit the past 10 days. Been busy organizing the Boise Code Camp ( www.BoiseCodeCamp.org ). I'll rally the troops and get some more Boise Bloggers there.

[Shel Israel]

Jim,

Welcome to the steadily burgeoning party! One more opt-in and we move out of the phone booth.

Any student bloggers out there?

[Bubblehead]

I'm in... just let me know when and where. I advertised it on my blog as well.

[Retired Geezer]

Heard about you from Bubblehead.

I should be able to make the dinner. Full Disclosure; I'm more of a Linker than a true Blogger.
Check out my blog and let me know if the invitation is still on.
No hard feelings if it's not.

[Shel Israel]

Ah, now this thing is growing. Thanks, Geezer. Any bets on whether or not I'm older than you?

[Mike Moore]

I'm game. Maybe the pressure of meeting you all will make me a better blogger. ;)

[Tac]

Shel, I would love to join you guys for dinner and I live in Boise. I am also looking forward to attending the PRSA confrence where you'll be speaking.

[Shel Israel]

Mike,
I hope you meant "pleasure" not "pressure." NThis is just supposed to be a good time between people in a certain geographic area who share a common interest.

[Retired Geezer]

No, I think Mike (maybe subconciously) meant 'pressure'. I've read your stats, you guys are kinda intimidating.

[Shel Israel]

Stats mean that I have more time that almost anyone to pa attention to blogging. Two years ago I was ranked #1.3 million by Technorati. Then this Scoble guy started giving me some tips that proved useful. The last thing I want to be is intimidating. Now, I'm all about spreading the word of why blogging can do for a great many people. I was in the back of the room for most of my career. Now, I seem to be getting some attention. I am well aware that one of these days, I'll wake up and discover that I am so yesterday. Meanwhile, let's have a nice dinner and share some blogging experiences with each other.gvb

[Mike Moore]

I didn't mean to say meeting you was intimidating. I'm looking forward to it, honestly. I was making a joke. And I had a smiley face! It was funny, right? :)

Although I really did mean "pressure"! Consciously. Right now my blog is woefully out of date. I always seem to find other things to do rather than update it. If I know I'm going to be in a room full of folks who care deeply about blogging then hopefully I'll do a better job of keeping mine up to date.

So yeah, there will be pressure. But it will also be a pleasure to meet everyone. :)

[Shel Israel]

Mike,
Any way I can help you with your blog, I'll be more than happy to do, for the mere price of a beer at our upcoming party.I'll cover tips.

[Retired Geezer]

Yeah, I was kidding too. I'm looking forward to meeting y'all.
Blogging has actually improved my communication skills, although that may not be evident from a casual scan through my latest posts.

Free Beer? Thanks Mike. ;-)

[Chris Brandsma]

I should be able to make it. See you there.

[georgeeparker]

I live in Boise and maintain two blogs. The one above and also www.adhurl.com which I actually get paid for writing. I've even been "scoblerized" a couple of times for my comments on MS advertising. Both blogs were finalists in "The Battle of the AdBlogs" a month or so ago. I'm finishing up a book for Entrepreneur Press titled "MadScam" to be published Dec 1st. You can check me out at the blogs and also my Web site at www.parkerads.com
Dinner sounds fine. Let me know the details.
Cheers/George

[Dave Chase]

If I'm in Boise, I'd love to join you (I don't know my schedule yet). I'm up in the Sun Valley area and have had quite a bit of success gettting a bunch of new bloggers on http://blog.sunvalleyonline.com. Come to Idaho early and enjoy the beauty the state has to offer and why Boise and the Rocky Mt West are the fastest growing parts of the country. I'd love to help coordinate a blogger dinner/lunch/breakfast/hike in Sun Valley if you can swing up this way. With the way the snow has been this year, there might be some skiing left. SunValleyOnline.com is launching or has launched a number of social media tools including blogs, podcasts and a wiki so we'd have plenty to talk about.

[Jake Munson]

Count me in, and keep me posted. :)

[Lesley Juel]

Howdy! I'm the imagineer for Flying Pie Pizzaria in Boise, Idaho. The owner, Howard, heard about this Blogger meeting in Boise and passed it along to me. We have a blog on our website- it's for our giant ball of foil, named Flora. I'm responsible for maintaining the blog, and man is it hard for me to keep it up! I got your book, Shel, as well as a copy for Howard- it certainly got rave reviews on Amazon! I'm looking forward to reading your book, and hopefully attending the meeting, if there's still room! :)

[Nipper]

We changed the dinner's location: http://nip.blogs.com/patent/2006/04/boise_blogger_d.html

[Lesley Juel]

Hi there! I'd like to RSVP for Howard Olivier- he's the owner of Flying Pie Pizzaria. Both Howard and I will be here (Flying Pie) for the blog/pizza session on 5/15. :)