Alan Is Good

Well, now that the whole 4chan/AT&T thing is cooled down, I can finally write about something else.

So the secret to social media marketing is. . .

Wait, there’s still more.  Erling Løken Andersen, who first posted about the AT&T block on 4chan, shares an email from an anonymous (not 4chan Anonymous) AT&T insider who supposedly has the backend explanation on the whole mess.   More »

• Always relate to new media/digital PR
• Write about topics I’d actually want to read about

If you have internet access this week, you’ve probably heard about this strange 4chan vs. AT&T situation.  If you read AlanIsGood.com regularly, great – you’re already seasoned and informed regarding trolls, lulz and the missteps of corporate America in dealing with them.  This AT&T/net neutrality/4chan/revenge story is getting far deeper reach, traffic and attention than almost any other story in 4chan history. More »

Haiku Monday July 27, 2009

Barrels roll closer

Facing the beast on my terms

New ladders to climb

According to the Rolling Stone and other entertainment news sources, Trent Reznor threw in the Twitter towel last week.  A few weeks ago I wrote about the ongoing trolling by Twitter users from across various message boards and forums.  Reznor said he was going to use Twitter solely to announce news and tour dates, but the @ reply trolling didn’t calm down, and succeeded in frustrating him further.

I’m truly surprised at the number and intensity of anti-Reznor blog posts and comments.  It seems like every time someone posts that “Reznor is God,” a troll is born.  Even though I disagree subjectively with a lot of the angles, I respect this post written by AndreaUrbanFox, which fully details and maps out the Reznor vs. anti-Reznor trolls saga.

More »

Haiku Monday July 20, 2009

An imagined rose

More precious than a real one

From a mime in love

Working in Social Media Strategy?  You Should Know This Face

It puzzles me how many social media guru/expert/specialist/wizard/rockstar/dude/dudette/master/manager/scientist/aficionados out there aren’t familiar with 4chan, trolling, or the art of the meme.  I’ve found these concepts extraordinarily important to a comprehensive understanding of the virality of user-generated content as well as a must for anyone engaging with any type of online communities for market research or feedback.  The few digital marketing people I’ve met who were familiar with 4chan actually ‘get’ the internet (interwebz) and tended to have a far deeper understanding of the online space, and generally a more impressive track record in social media. More »

Haiku Monday July 6, 2009

Night at its darkest

The son flips a coin, to rise

Eastern or Southern?

Haiku Monday July 13, 2009

Renewed blood, muscles

A mind and body repaired

Strength is all in vein