April 24th 09, 07:15 AM
As I've said before, the real pros avoid Usenet for good reason.
If you are in sales, you open yourself to every challenge, fair or
foul. That's why sales people control their environment. That's also
why it's damn near impossible to buy ad time on the radio or in
newspapers for Buy Nothing Day.
"Buy Nothing Day", for the uninitiated, is the day after Thanksgiving
in the US, actually traditionally the busiest day in retailing in the
United States. BND promoters try to run ads for their alternative view
of the day,and despite their willingness to pay real US dollars to
radio stations, TV stations, and newspapers, usually they are quite
unsuccessful. Stations will not sell them airtime, despite the total
lack of obscenity, subversion, or libelous or actionable content in
their ads. Stations implicitly fear that their mainstream advertisers-
i.e., those buying ad space the other 364 days-will frown heavily,
very heavily, on the station for accepting such ads.
Now this on one level seems comical and even mildly offensive, but on
another is quite understandable. Radio and TV stations, and
newspapers, are controlled sources to a great extent and that's
precisely why retailers will advertise there.
In Kansas City, one station had an old goof named Stan Kramer as
their "consumer advocate" for years. Their tagline was , Wait until
Stan Kramer hears about THIS!" as if this would somehow incite
merchants to fairness and commercial decency in dealing with the
denizens of Kansas City. Of course, 'Stan Kramer' was a hilarious
punchline to merchants, because they knew that as long as they were
either actual or potential customers for ad space on that station, old
Stan was a toothless basset hound.
On Usenet, there is no station management to keep the hounds off you
(as long as the newsgroup is not moderated, and by a sympathetic
moderator to boot). Promote some widget and anyone can tell the world
how ****ty your widget is as well as you can extol that. build a case
for your technical prowess and anyone can undermine it.
If you are in sales, you open yourself to every challenge, fair or
foul. That's why sales people control their environment. That's also
why it's damn near impossible to buy ad time on the radio or in
newspapers for Buy Nothing Day.
"Buy Nothing Day", for the uninitiated, is the day after Thanksgiving
in the US, actually traditionally the busiest day in retailing in the
United States. BND promoters try to run ads for their alternative view
of the day,and despite their willingness to pay real US dollars to
radio stations, TV stations, and newspapers, usually they are quite
unsuccessful. Stations will not sell them airtime, despite the total
lack of obscenity, subversion, or libelous or actionable content in
their ads. Stations implicitly fear that their mainstream advertisers-
i.e., those buying ad space the other 364 days-will frown heavily,
very heavily, on the station for accepting such ads.
Now this on one level seems comical and even mildly offensive, but on
another is quite understandable. Radio and TV stations, and
newspapers, are controlled sources to a great extent and that's
precisely why retailers will advertise there.
In Kansas City, one station had an old goof named Stan Kramer as
their "consumer advocate" for years. Their tagline was , Wait until
Stan Kramer hears about THIS!" as if this would somehow incite
merchants to fairness and commercial decency in dealing with the
denizens of Kansas City. Of course, 'Stan Kramer' was a hilarious
punchline to merchants, because they knew that as long as they were
either actual or potential customers for ad space on that station, old
Stan was a toothless basset hound.
On Usenet, there is no station management to keep the hounds off you
(as long as the newsgroup is not moderated, and by a sympathetic
moderator to boot). Promote some widget and anyone can tell the world
how ****ty your widget is as well as you can extol that. build a case
for your technical prowess and anyone can undermine it.