More on The Blog Council

I completely understand why so many bloggers like Dave Taylor, Robert Scoble, Brian Solis and so many others are skeptical of the new corporate Blog Council.  Corporations do not have a good track record overall of understanding or playing well with the blogosphere. Not to mention the aforementioned and thousands of others have been giving these large corporations free advice for years . Advice which has largely fallen on deaf ears.

Which brings me back to what I keep telling my blogger friends over and over; most people, smart people including the people who make decisions at these large corporations have no idea what a blog is let alone how the blogosphere works. For as long as people like Dave Winer, Jason Calacanis, Robert Scoble, Shel Israel, and so many others have been talking about this media revolution the general public at large and the business community (including big media) are just starting to listen. 

I take the formation of this group as a sign that these particular companies are finally ready to listen. They want to do it in a way that makes them feel comfortable and safe.  That’s fine.  I say the blogosphere should give this group a chance to succeed. Instead of mocking their formation, let’s offer advice and help them succeed. We all (bloggers, corporations, consumers and advertisers) will benefit from it if they do. If and when they fail there will be plenty of time to jump on the band wagon and pummel the man.