Dan Lyons, the former Forbes reporter who gained an hour or so of fame when outed as the man behind the blog "Fake Steve Jobs" is giving up blogging altogether after crossing the blurry line between blogging and reporting on the Internet.
Lyons had been writing a blog at FakeSteveJobs.com, which he described at the Web 2.0 Expo in April as "a blog written by Steve Jobs as if he were out of control and saying what he really thinks." (As if?)
Several months and 90,000 monthly readers later, his identity was revealed by The New York Times, and in July Lyons retired Fake Steve and set up his own blog on Wordpress called The Real Dan Lyons (not acting as Crazy Steve anymore, but still out of control and saying what he really thinks).
But it looks as if Lyons won't be blogging anymore at all, according to reports by The Industry Standard that -- after being asked by his current employer, Newsweek, to take down a couple of less-than-sweet words he posted about Yahoo on his blog -- Lyons has decided to bag the whole thing.
The offending post called Yahoo's PR people "lying sacks of [you fill in the blank. I, too, have an employer I'm trying to keep.]" for telling Lyons just weeks ago that the Google/Yahoo search deal was a shoo-in and that Yang would be keeping his job as CEO for a long time. "Then that deal fell apart. And now Jerry Yang is out on his ass. The take-away: Do not believe a word that Yahoo says. Ever," he wrote.
Newsweek reportedly told Lyons to take the blog down. And it won't be coming back, nor will the Real Dan in any sort of blogger form.
"Newsweek is now making me take down posts on my personal blog," wrote Lyons in an email confirmation to Internet Evolution. "I don't see how I can keep blogging while working at Newsweek."
A bit ironic, in that Newsweek hired Lyons to blog after his Fake Steve blog brought him into the spotlight -- a blog not exactly known for its restraint and good taste. But as a professional media organization, it's clear Newsweek doesn't actually want to be tied to any inflammatory blog posts.
In April, Lyons described his Fake Steve blog as a place for people to perform, and said that eventually the major media companies would have to conform to the blogosphere.
But when the choices are freedom to blog or a regular paycheck, it looks as if Lyons (despite his relative insanity) would choose the latter. An obvious decision when you require money to live -- and a clear indication that, while the Web appears to be a haven for free speech, the major media companies still hold the checkbooks and aren't rushing to turn everything into one giant, always-on blogosphere.
It's true. Lyons started his Fake Steve blog when he was working at Forbes. He had asked them to give him a blog, or let him write for their online publication, and he was told no -- which led him to create Fake Steve in the first place. Funnily enough, Lyons' editor at Forbes wrote an email to Fake Steve, without knowing it was Lyons, asking him to come write a blog for Forbes! When he was living the dual life, Lyons had success on both ends. But when he was outed it only took a couple of months before he had to choose.
If you're a journalist by day and a blogger by night, and you're assuming the same name and identity for both, it's problematic. Your writing is in the public eye, and you end up playing a contradictory character. I don't think mainstream media organizations will change their view on this for some time.
I think that's the most disappointing part about this whole story, feijo. Lyons is very funny and interesting in a blog. He has a voice that won't come across in a regular news story. I value real journalism over blogging most of the time, but it was clear he found his niche in blogging, so it's too bad he won't be able to do it anymore.
That's one reason so many companies are starting their own blogs and social communities -- in order to keep the conversation in-house rather than having former employees and consumers trash them all over the Web. There's no proof that actually works, though. If someone wants to trash a company in a blog or a poll, he/she will do so regardless of any fancy Web 2.0 tools the company has on its own site.
All of the possibilities you mention are things companies need to be worried about now and going forward.
Since its beginning the blogging phenomena was put on the opposite side of traditional media. Users perceive blogging as an alternative medium for their needs which couldn't be fulfilled by traditional media.Readers are motivated to blogs for the depth of unfiltered information, for commentaries and extensive analysis going beyond mass media and its online counterparts. In this duality blogs have what traditional media don't. The most distinctive characteristic of blogs is independency; and what they challenge to the traditional journalists is that as Henry Jenkins noted "being too close to some sources and too removed from others."
What Dan Lyons made during Fake Steve Job seems to behave like Superman or Spiderman in terms of hiding his identity and living in a dual world both as an independent super hero -a super famous blogger in this sense- and as a regularly paid journalist. He pursued his secret FSJ blogger identity and continued to work for mainstream media. Hiding their identities, both Superman and Spiderman and also Lyons lived the advantages of an ordinary life, keeping their loved ones and their jobs and as super heroes they continue to "save the world".
After his real identity being revealed Lyons kept blogging in the same taste independent blogger Fake Steve wrote. But might blogging conditions work in the mainstream media environment? Or in other words can Superman come to Daily Planet with the red cloak and going to an interview with Lex Luthor as Superman? It wouldn't work I think.
The question then arises, why do the traditional media companies invite distinguished bloggers, when for the most part, the latter tend to change the way they write, either because they now have a broader audience, or by the fact that the companies that hire them have more strict publishing policies.
The transfer of bloggers to traditional media is often disappointing precisely because these writers tend to change their attitude and speech. As many have said, the interest of the blogger on having a more economically stable position is perfectly understandable, but why do the big media hire these stallions to castrate them immediately after? Are their names more important than their writing?
I agree with you. My point was that we have to either agree with the terms and conditions of the companies we work for or find a company who we can support and agree with. My point of the "smart" company is that good companies also listen to their employees in a productive way that is beneficial to all.
I thought I would let you know I share your thoughts and am in agreement.
I don't believe the real answer is skimming around looking for 'smart" companies to work for but rather to be sufficiently matured to play by the rules. Life does not always offer you job opportunites with 'smart" companies and so it will eventually comes down to how you set yourself to play by the rules. I don't think newsweek acted inappropiately as far as this issue was concern. Every organization has its image to protect and as such is incumbent upon all employees to play their part to uphold and improve that image.
If his personal blog is that sacrosanct, he should have remain as an independent blogger. Then he would have rely on the fumds generated by his blog and could have get unlimited freedom to write about any nuisance he can possibly found!!
I would like to hear what Nicole's choice will be if face with such a situation. She mentioned briefly in passing but would like her to throw some light on her decision to keep her employer!!!
I agree with Lance, democracy exists in society, not in the workplace. In the corporate environment the rules are established by ownership and designated authority, not individual democracy. Companies, by virtue of capital and ownership, own the rights of resources, images, information, and thoughts during company time.
However, there are "smart" companies that listen to employees and allow expression through intranets and other appropriate channels that give voice to their employees as well.
I think the answer is working for a "smart" company.
Freedom of Speech seems to be the most proclaimed rights in America. However, once the market and economics have a value on the right then reasons to suppress it seem to raise. I just wonder if history is to repeat itself what would happen when in anonymity employees will start posting blogs with opinions regarding the corporation policies. What will be the company policy track and seize with the ISP´s the employees internet addresses? What about a website indicating polls and opinions where not to work, where employees could be advice by former or current employees? Then leaving one job and founding a most wanted according to the web will be curious result in the new age market.
It is true that "people have to understand that they may sacrifice some of their privileges because of the nature of their jobs" because whatever they do while still connected with their employer will surely have an effect on the image of said employer. And employers have the right to preserve whatever image that they wish to project for after all it is they who pay the employee's salary. If an employee fails to abide by this policy then he or she has the freedom to go and seek another employment or be on his or her own.
Freedom of speech/expression cannot and should not be suppressed but good reputation is also a right and in some kind of conflict of rights the greater right prevails.
(And unfortunately, in many cases, the one who prevails as the possessor of the greater right is the one who has the money and the lesser possessor of the right is the one who is dependent on that money. Hahaha)
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