Recovered from the Wayback Machine.
Robert Scoble wrote on addressing executives at Nestlè about weblogging. Frank Paynter responded with post listing out several concerns about Nestlè’s corporate behavior. An executive from the company responded in Frank’s comments–not about the concerns Frank raised, but what a nice guy he is, and how he’s only responding in the interests of supporting his ‘new friend’ Robert Scoble.
Scoble then writes how this is all good stuff: how a Nestlè executive is talking with a anti-Nestlè weblogger. All they, Nestlè, need do now is to start a blog.
They don’t need to actually follow through on their commitment to ensuring decent labor practices in regards to the cocoa they buy. A commitment the company made for July, 2005, and one which, once the initial uproar about these practices subsided in 2002, was somehow ‘forgotten’.
No, all they really need to do, is start a weblog and engage us, people to people.
Frank posted a follow up post responding to the executive; additional discussion arose that also focused on the importance of being ‘civil’ in these discussions, and how Frank should have been flattered this important executive actually wrote a comment in his post. Scoble asserted that Frank and I didn’t get it.
I will have more to say on this, over at the Bb Gun, as soon as I finish the book edits and can do justice to the topics introduced. I hope what I write will be thoughtful. I can’t promise, though, that it will be civil. In the meantime, I wanted to point you to the ongoing discussion.
update: Head Lemur: Think about the Shareholders, they Cry.
Perhaps we can get them into Cute Overload. You know, We b-a-a-d, b-a-a-d bunnies.