This blog has been going since 2007, and continues one that began in 1999 and is mothballed here. On the social front, my tweetage is at @dsearls and I maintain the customary pile of biographical jive here on Linkedin.
A few among the many hats I wear:
- Author of The Intention Economy: When Customers Take Charge, published by Harvard Business Review Press May 2012.
- Alumnus fellow of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. I continue to head ProjectVRM there.
- Co-founder and board member of Customer Commons, ProjectVRM’s nonprofit spin-off.
- Fellow at the Center for Information Technology & Society at UC Santa Barbara. There my focus is on work toward a book about the Internet and infrastructure, titled The Giant Zero.
- One of the four authors of The Cluetrain Manifesto, the iconoclastic web site that became the best-selling book in 2000 and still sells around the world in many languages. A 10th anniversary edition came out in 2009.
- Editor-in-chief of Linux Journal, the original Linux publication. Though it was shut down by its owner in 2019, I still maintain a large corpus of archival writing there, and co-host its continuing podcast, Reality 2.0.
- A radio veteran from way back (that’s where the “Doc” nickname came from… my given name is David). I sublimate that now by taking part in podcasts by others, including Steve Gillmor’s Gillmor Gang.
- A marketing, PR and advertising veteran. Most notably I co-founded Hodskins Simone & Searls, which was born in North Carolina in the late ’70s and grew in the late ’80s and early ’90s to become one of Silicon Valley’s top advertising and public relations agencies. (HS&S was absorbed by Publicis Technology in 1998.)
- A lifelong writer whose byline has appeared in The Wall Street Journal (most recently with The Customer as God: The Future of Shopping) OMNI, Wired, PC Magazine, The Standard, The Sun, Upside, The Globe & Mail, Harvard Business Review, Release 1.0 and lots of other places, including (of course) Linux Journal. Some archives are collected at Reality 2.0, which is at my personal portal, Searls.com, also home to my consultancy, The Searls Group.
- A photographer with too many pictures up on Flickr. Most are here. Nearly all carry attribution-only Creative Commons licenses, to encourage use for any damn thing at all. Thus more than 600 of those have found their way onto Wikimedia Commons, which is a staging zone for Wikipedia. I haven’t counted how many of my shots are in Wikipedia, but they accompany hundreds of Wikipedia articles. This one of the airport in Denver, for example, is on 22 different Wikipedia pages.
- A frequent speaker on any and all the above subjects.
In 2005 I received the Google/O’Reilly Open Source Award for Best Communicator.
In 2007 I was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in IT by eWeek.
Since I’m always working on too many things, and will only stop when I’m dead, I want my epitaph to read, “He was almost finished.”
I can be reached by email through doc @ [my last name] .com or dsearls @ cyber.law.harvard.edu.
Copyright 2018 Doc Searls
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
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Doc-
Just a few thoughts on the different weblogs. I noticed that Dan York split up his blogging from his LiveJournal site initially to a group of affiliated sites which all carry different types of content. I can understand that Dan wants to categorize and define his existence a bit and let readers find a specific resource to read. I think that’s difficult to maintain though over the long haul. For me, blogging with different services (hosted or self-maintained), getting used to changes in management of each, actually delivering said content and then remaining that committed has to be difficult if not daunting. I’ve been using the wordpress.com setup and actually moved older blog entries from wordpress.org there recently because the guys are the same at each place and they moved everything over for me. They also fixed a discrepancy for me in author name and a few other things.
I applaud you moving to wordpress because I think its really good; but then again I setup drupal on my home webserver. So now I have two different places to publish my questionable content. I think you should focus on a single place to maintain personally and focus your energy on maintaining the writing there. Personally, it seems too difficult at least to me to have 4 different places which you could write to. At some point, with that many, one of them would take a hit. You’d either forget to update the code and get overrun with spammers, the actual blog would languish with no new content, or you would decide its too much trouble.
While I laud Dan York and his efforts to build categories of blogging; I think you should have a presence or two that you feel comfortable maintaining and owning and not let it go the other way.
Just my thoughts though…
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[…] Doc Searls muda su famoso Doc Searls Weblog: Welcome pilgrims [vía] [technorati] del.icio.us] [menéame] [fresqui] […]
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[…] Doc Searls, co-author of the The Cluetrain Manifesto, in talking about the new ecology of news writes: …the larger trend to watch over time is the inevitable decline in advertising support for journalistic work, and the growing need to find means for replacing that funding — or to face the fact that journalism will become largely an amateur calling, and to make the most of it. […]
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[…] Doc Searls, one of the writers of the Cluetrain Manifesto, asks good question – “Can marketing be conversational?” I think the answer depends on the company, and a lot of companies just take it for granted, but I definitely think its a good question for them to ask themselves. […]
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[…] Doc Searl, famoso editor di Linux Journal, una delle più lette e famose riviste dedicate al mondo GNU/Linux nel mondo, ha provato a stilare la classifica dei 40 migliori blog su Linux che ogni utente appassionato dovrebbe avere tra i suoi Feed RSS per rimanere sempre sempre aggiornato sulle ultime novità provenienti dalla comunità. E quale migliore fonte se non i blog di coloro che contribuiscono a far crescere, in prima persona, il pinguino? […]
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[…] Doc Searl, famoso editor di Linux Journal, una delle più lette e famose riviste dedicate al mondo GNU/Linux nel mondo, ha provato a stilare la classifica dei 40 migliori blog su Linux che ogni utente appassionato dovrebbe avere tra i suoi Feed RSS per rimanere sempre sempre aggiornato sulle ultime novità provenienti dalla comunità. […]
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[…] Boyd Renee Blodgett Hugh Macleod Doc Searls Robert […]
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[…] announced our new advisory board (or our VC Rick has). The board is Renee Blodgett, Robert Scoble, Doc Searls, Stowe Boyd and Hugh Maceod – what a great […]
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[…] Doc Searls, writer, university researcher and advisor (including Technorati). […]
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[…] Doc Searls […]
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[…] Doc Searls […]
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[…] Doc Searls […]
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[…] Doc Searls’s response: “The current policy is freaking insane! It’s utterly inconsistent with BT’s strategy, and I can’t understand why anyone would want to come and work here… Maybe we ought to go and storm the head office or something.” […]
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Doc, I’m trying to reach you to hand-off the techcrunch ticket for this evening. My only “direct” connection to you is with Twitter, which is suffering more than usual this morning. If you get this, email me at jack at da4 dot com.
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[…] was interviewing and doing video. I also talked to Nick Carr, Francois Gossieaux, Halley Suitt, Doc Searls, and Wade […]
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[…] of what sparked such a self discovery was Doc Searls post entitled, Making Rules, II, it’s an entertaining and meticulously presented post that I […]
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[…] connected with great thinkers and leaders who made themselves available for our questions and ideas, and who took the time to explain complex […]
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Omni! I loved that magazine, I’m bookmarking your site just for that. 🙂
You have an impressive resume. Keep it moving!
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[…] Doc Searls […]
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Hello Doc,
I’d like to work with you on a story about the state of American media and how it affects the efficacy our democracy. I can offer you an interview with acclaimed author and media scholar Jeffrey Scheuer (author of Sound Bite Society), to speak about American journalism overall from J-schools to non-profit options.
Scheuer has a new book, The Big Picture: Why Democracies Need Journalistic Excellence, which makes this a very timely story, and which provides an insightful look into the state of American media. I’ve enclosed a press release for the book, which includes several talking points that would lead to a rich story.
Please review the enclosed press release, and contact me if you have any questions, would like to receive a sample copy of The Big Picture, or would like to set up an interview with Jeffrey.
Regards,
Drew—
Drew Tybus
Tybus PR
DrewT@TybusPR.com
Office: (646)248-6817
Mobile: (973)229-5425
IM: Drewsezz
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECAN JOURNALISM BE SAVED?
Stop the Presses (Please): America’s Got a
Serious Journalistic Integrity Problem and It’s
Fracturing Our Democratic Foundation
New Book by Journalism Scholar Jeffrey Scheuer Examines Why Democracy Needs Journalistic Excellence and What Must Be Done
New York, NY—November 14, 2007—Is high-quality journalism a ghetto within American culture? What if journalists confined their labors to documenting the love lives and love children of celebrities? Could the very foundation of American democracy collapse due to shaky journalistic integrity? Enter Jeffrey Scheuer—media scholar, philosopher of journalism and author of the highly-acclaimed study of television and politics The Sound Bite Society.
In his most recent book, The Big Picture: Why Democracies Need Journalistic Excellence, Scheuer takes thought-provoking look at the interplay between journalism and democracy in America. And it couldn’t come at a more timely and decisive moment. Media consolidation persists; the press continues to conflate news with infotainment; citizens are getting more of their civic knowledge from bloggers with relaxed standards of credibility; media conglomerates are increasingly influenced by the possibility of profit rather than the imperative of truth; and, unfortunately, more and more journalists are learning their craft at J-schools, a historically checkered institution, which Scheuer believes could be abolished altogether.
In exploring the labyrinth of media and democracy, Scheuer follows in the footsteps of Walter Lippman, John Dewey, Marshall McLuhan, Neil Postman, and James W. Carey as he examines a host of heady topics with agility, foresight and considerable intellectual heft. Scheuer, whose criticism and commentary has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and many other publications and academic journals, brings the reader along for a philosophical tour of journalism, along the way getting a glimpse of both excellence and mediocrity. In the end, Scheuer delivers a more complete, colorful and, well, bigger picture of how the profession needs to change in order to ensure a tradition of democratic excellence in America today.
“Scheuer brilliantly makes the case for journalism as well as anyone ever has, explains its demise, and discusses what we need to do to address the crisis effectively,” Robert W. McChesney.
Pieces of THE BIG PICTURE
q The Press Is “The Weak Slat Under The Bed Of Democracy.”
So said A.J. Liebling. Why did he say that, and what does it mean? What’s the press doing under that bed, and how can that slat be strengthened?
q What Is The Central Paradox Of Journalism And Democracy?
There are several, but the main one is that democracies need journalism – but can’t make it. Democracy is not a “machine that would go of itself.” It runs on knowledge. Democratic societies are only as good as their journalism. It’s a force multiplier. But democracies can do little to bring about good journalism, at least without citizen activism and philanthropy.
q What Is The Trinity Of Journalistic Excellence?
Truth, Context, and Independence. All good journalism must aim to provide true accounts of recent events. It must put them in context: explain what caused them, what they mean, how important they are, etc. And independence guarantees, not that this will be done well, but at least that it will be free of outside influence, particularly the influence of power and profit.
q Objectivity Is Like A Neutron
It’s the tiny core of choice-less truths that we rely on: baseball scores, closing stock prices, the capital of New Mexico, and the identity of the President of the United States. Not much more. It’s those few things we cannot change or perceive differently or make choices about.
q Change Journalism Schools – Or Close Them!
Tear down that wall between real and pretend newsrooms! J-schools should focus on a) academic expertise relevant to individual journalists’ needs or ambitions and b) core courses in media law and ethics, media history, media criticism, etc. Practical experience should be gained on the job, through the campus media, or via internships – not by taking up resources of universities to meet imaginary deadlines.
q Citizen Journalism Is Not The Answer
The best journalism in the world is meaningless – like a tree falling in a forest that no one hears – unless there are media-literate citizens who are educated and motivated to use it, to become informed and active citizens. In this sense, good journalism comes from citizens – but it isn’t necessarily “citizen journalism.” We still need professionals to guide and inform us, whether in schools or in news media. Sure, send a picture from your cell phone – but no home schooling please!
q The Task Force That Did Nothing.
President Lee C. Bollinger convened an elite Task Force at Columbia in 2002 to study the direction of journalism education. In 2003, they issued a non-report (a brief summary). Little else came of it. We can do better than that!
About The Author
Jeffrey Scheuer is the author of The Sound Bite Society: Television and the American Mind (1999), a Choice “Outstanding Academic Title.” His commentary and criticism has appeared in many newspapers as well as in Dissent, Nieman Reports, the Potomac Review, the Gettysburg Review, and other publications. He has taught as an adjunct professor at New York University’s Department of Culture and Communication, and edits a series on “Democracy and the News” for Praeger. Scheuer holds advanced degrees in political thought (the London School of Economics & Political Science) and journalism (the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism), and lives in New York. Mr. Scheuer’s Web site is at http://www.jscheuer.com.
PUBLISHED BY ROUTLEDGE 2007
ISBN 0-415-97618-9
MEDIA CONTACTS:
The Morris + King Company
Drew Tybus/Justin Kazmark
212-561-7450/212-561-7466
drew.tybus@morris-king.com
justin.kazmark@morris-king.com###
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I loved the comment.
Your like the only person in the world that wrote about me, wow, and a Harvard Man to boot,
Thanks for the great press,
I can’t wait to see you BIG ZERO BOOK! HA HA!
To clarify, it’s not about me making money at AdSense,it’s about normal people making money from AdSense to drive the new economy.
Thanks again,
Cliff
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Welcome, Cliff. My pleasure. Just added a pointer your comment at the post.
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Hi Doc,
How do I send you info on our website you may be interested in looking at?
I am a bit concerned about putting the full blurb here as I may be accused of spamming and I am a good person 🙂
Let me know,
Thanks
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Richard, you’ve cleared the spam filter. So, either post it as a comment to one of my posts, or send an email to doc at searls dot com.
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[…] the line up (it’s made up of: Robert Scoble, Hugh MacLeod, Renee Blodgett, Stowe Boyd, and Doc Searls if you don’t remember). Mark MacLeod of StartupCFO has a post that I think every […]
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Pleased to see people continue to see the ongoing relevance of the Cluetrain Manifesto. It becomes more and more evident everyday. Long Live The Manifesto!
Thank you.
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[…] Doc Searls […]
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I loved this article.I bookmarked already.
Thank You Doc -
I loved this article.I bookmarked already.
Thank You Doc
Sorry i made a mistake with my web site url -
[…] I recall: -Doc Searls himself! Waw. Great to see the writer of the Cluetrain Manifesto in real life. And despite what […]
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It would be interesting to learn more about your work with vendor relationship management.
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Pingback from More about real A-listers on July 24, 2008 at 4:25 pm
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Doc Searls, I’m trying to find information on Grace Apgar, and your blog keeps coming up with pictures of her. I have two Toby Jugs with her name on the bottom of them and can’t find any informaton on line, except that the NJ Historical Society has one of her toby jugs in their collection. Can you give me more information on your aunt?
Thank you. -
Doc Searls you work is great and I also hope you will not stop till you die, You have a lot of good information, Thank you
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Doc great blog, write more about IT and technology, after all you are one of the most influential IT people around
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hmm just want to know… how you get all knowledges and how much you spent time everyday before you become expert like now?
cos’ I very interest with IT, specially for internet literature like blogging, SEO, Internet marketing etc…
but I’m not expert like you .. please advice 😀
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Pingback from VRM as a quest for happiness « Peter Parkes on November 9, 2008 at 5:32 pm
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Doc,
Love to be back in touch, contact me if you can, need your help on a little company in a new market
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Pingback from In the news… « Manifest Magazine on December 25, 2008 at 3:20 pm
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Methinks you’d be extremely bored if you had just one career role – given how adeptly and comfortably you’ve handled the variety thus far.
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Pingback from Policy Bloggers Network » Top policy blogs on May 23, 2009 at 10:25 am
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Pingback from trivia » Blog Archive » tor on a vps on July 5, 2009 at 11:41 am
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