Sallying

Video Shows Oil Flowing Like Steam From A Geyser

D.C. Blog Wars, Circa 2006

(Cross posted as a comment on the fabulous CityGirlBlogs.com regarding her latest triumph.)
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Dear CityGirl,

Wow. Obviously no one ever told Buckeyes Boy not to pick fights with (wo)men who buy ink by the barrel. I think having a popular blog is the modern equivalent. You’d think he would be more aware of the risk if he runs with a crowd of professional communicators . And he got off very easy. Let me tell you a story.

Earlier this decade, before Facebook and Twitter, a cliquish IRL social circle emerged around the “D.C. Blogs Scene”(*) There was no charitable or professional networking component to this community- they just held “Blogger Happy Hours” in dive bars, got sloppy-ass drunk, and treated the herpes triangle** like a 1970’s key party. Attendance was taken by meangirl “Kathryn,” who in the morning would recap what people wore, how much they drank, and who she liked the best.

As you can imagine, things eventually got ugly. Everyone started trashing each other on their blogs- who was fat, who was ugly, who put out, who nailed who, who cheated, etc. Remember, even though they knew each other, their blogs were still pseudonymous, so there was no accountability outside the circle.

They escalated to publishing cruel “parody blogs” mocking people’s writing and content. http://thongspeedz.blogspot.com is still up but the original blog isn’t.)

Then they started outing each other’s true identities. Names, addresses, phone numbers, places of work, and family photos were published and dirty laundry was aired across the interwebs. When people wanted to be especially evil, they used the LNS forum.

Next, people’s employers were harassed, and many bloggers were severely reprimanded and banned from blogging. I know at least one girl was fired outright. There were constant online threats of violence, and more than a few actual fights. They vandalized a guy’s house one weekend when his pregnant wife was home alone. There were allegations of abortions and rape.*** Lawyers weighed in.

As a spectator sport, it was sublime- pure insanity delivered on the half hour via the DCBlogs.com Live Feed. After the final implosion (somewhere between the break-in and the rape charge) the “official” happy hours ceased. People were too scared to go and give people something to write about. Blogs across the “DCsphere” withdrew behind passwords and or went permanently dark.

(I do want to say I so admire KassyK for sticking it out after all they put her through. She’s a sweet, strong person and deserves good things in her life. I still read you, Kassy, even though I’ve never seen Lost.)

Show this to Buckeyes Boy so he knows how deeply you could have scorched the earth. All you did was tell the truth about your experience without taking unnecessary pot shots, and you still protected his identity (to the degree that you could.) He’s lucky you are handling this with such class.

I work in new media too, temporarily relocated to the southeast for a political campaign. When I get back to D.C., I hope our paths cross so I can say hello in person.

Does anybody out there remember all this madness?

Best,
Sally

P.S. I’ll go back and link to everybody when I have a chance.

Disclaimer: I’ve never met any of these people or interacted with them in person. All of this information came from exchanging email and reading their blogs in 2006-2007.

*Absolutely no offense meant to Patrick of DCBlogs.com! You rock!)

**The “herpes triangle” refers to 20th and M Streets, NW in Washington, D.C., known for its pickup scene. And brunch.

***The rape charge was universally accepted to be true by both the guys and the girls, but I was never clear on who was involved vs. who was just talking about it. Bad situation, and I am in no way making light of it, just telling the tale as it unfolded.

When to Crash a Party

This post is a bit overdue, but still appropriate for New Year’s Eve and the Mardi Gras season.

(Note that the title is not “How to Crash a Party.” My legendary gate-crashing tactics remain a closely guarded secret, for now.)

When to crash:

When you are 23, poor, and no one knows you

When tickets are sold out

When it’s part of the culture of the event, ie, the conventions, Gold Cup

When you are tagging along with a group of invitees who know the host won’t mind

When it’s going to be so big no one notices a few extra people

When you know people inside will have extra credentials to give you (Washington Mardi Gras)

When not to crash:

When you were intentionally not invited

When you are over 25 and just don’t want to pay

When your entrance keeps a real guest from attending (stealing tickets, using a real guest’s name at the door)

When people will know you don’t belong (like a Washington Post gossip reporter)

When someone could get in trouble for helping you get in (whether it’s three Secret Service agents or your roommate’s brother)

When it’s a fundraiser where everyone else is paying (unless you are specially invited by a host or the honoree)

When it’s just inappropriate for you to be there (Um, State Dinner?)

Other tips:

Dress to fit in and compose yourself. This is not the time to be the center of attention.

Don’t be greedy. Be grateful you got in at all- don’t try to sit in the $20,000 seats.

If called out, just admit that you crashed. If you follow the “do’s” above, this should be okay with most people.

Domain Crazy

My latest purchase makes me happy. Last night through an international site, I found and snapped up the domain name Sally.sm. I want to use it to market my social media training classes, but for now it’s pointed to my online resume (http://HireSallyAlbright.com).

I confess I’m a bit of a domain junkie. My habit started when I worked at the U.S. Internet Council, where our Vice President was a full blown addict. He registered new domains almost weekly. He bought ILoveYouJanet.com for his wife, SeeBusterRun.com for his dog, and HappyBirthdayJulie.com for his daughter. (Names have been changed.) This was back when you could still get a good dotcom domain pretty easily.

So under his influence, I started buying domains. While most of them expired before I bothered to point them anywhere, I’m glad I grabbed http://SallyAlbright.com when I did. (Sally.com was taken years ago, and an artist in California has it locked up for another decade.)

My habit didn’t turn chronic until I discovered GoDaddy. Now that I can have the domain of my dreams in a matter of minutes for around $12, I’ve gone a little crazy. I’ve purchased several different versions and spellings of my name as well as my husband’s. I’ll buy them for my blogs, for new business ventures, for books I might someday write, for parties I host, even as gifts for my friends. Sometimes, I’ll buy one just because it’s cool.

Do you own a personal domain name? If not, you should get on the ball. Besides GoDaddy, there are hundreds of registrants. Just type in what you want and they will show you what’s available. You may not think you need a domain name now, but chances are you’ll want one at some point. Best to choose sooner rather than later.

You should definitely try to to buy your first and last name followed by dotcom or dotnet. You can also get away with dotorg or dotus. If you have a common name that is already taken, try a nickname, add a middle initial or reference your location. Get creative. If down the line you think of a better one, buy it too!

As far as I’m concerned, you can’t have too many.

Social Media 101

The other day I ran into a colleague, a woman I’ve always looked up to who also works in communications. We exchanged business cards and briefly caught up. When told her that I had branched into social media consulting, she sneered, “I don’t do all that social media nonsense. If someone needs to reach me, they can email. I do email.” Looking at my card with contact info for half a dozen social networking sites, her companion exclaimed, “There’s no mailing address on here!”

I can’t remember the last time I sent a mass email. I’m pretty sure any lists I used to use are tragically out of date. I haven’t received anything business-related through snail mail in years. And even my mom uses Facebook.

Were there really smart, savvy professionals out there who weren’t taking advantage of social media? I had no response. When I related the incident to Leslie Bradshaw, Director of Engagement at the powerhouse New Media Strategies, she shrugged. “Tell them social media is an accelerator for business and networking. Why drive 45 when you can drive in the fast lane?”

Why indeed? I was hardly an early adopter of social media, but I recognized its potential right away, and now I am fully immersed in the technology and the culture.

New media isn’t a fad, it’s a new way of life. I know there’s a huge learning curve for people who have always worked a certain way, but there is no excuse for getting left behind. My friend Wendy laments, “It’s like our parents not knowing how to program the VCR,” and she’s right.

I’d like to be a resource for my peers who are hesitant about using social media. There is a lot of information out there, but I can break it down for mid-career professionals who don’t know where to start (or fear they will do something wrong.)

Look for regular blog posts on tips and tricks for getting started in social media, branding yourself online, and integrating new technology into your every day life.

(I have a strict policy against blogging about my clients, so I’ll be looking for case studies. I’d love to offer individual consulting for anyone who will allow me to blog about the process.)

To My Foster Dog

I used to hold you
in moments stolen from my own
Before I delivered you into loving arms.
They took care of you while they could.
And you were happy,
content to wait.
You knew you’d come around again.
And when you did
you’d get to be
my dog.