100, then 99, and now 100 once again

Final chapter (from my desk, anyways):

1. Removal:  My request to be removed from 'the list' was honored. Another was put into its place.  Can't have a 'Top 100' list and only 99 entries.  We could do an entire post on that alone, but suffice it to say that I'm pleased I'm no longer associated formally with 'the list'. 
2. Email:  The creator of the list wrote a very respectful email after discovering my previous 2 emails had been wisked away to his spam folder. How the 3rd got through -- with the request to be removed -- I am not IT-savvy enough to answer.  Curious. Respectful email tone aside, he missed the point. More on thatin a moment. 
3. Irony:  He still is getting linked to.  But I suspect that in a few weeks, all the del.ic.ious love will go away and he'll be happy with a fairly value-minor site.  And very few of the people on the list spending one blog second linking to him or caring.  But again, he won't mind either...and he'll put up some groovy stats on his site about how linked-to he was by the members of the list.  Irony.  His win-win, as well.
4. Marketing:  He doesn't get it, one might say.  However, I believe he does, and he's smirking all the way to the Google juicebar on this one!

Even more curious was his email 'apology'.  Here is a snippet of the 'explanation' (which strikes me as having missed the point and proving the blog-link-marketing question all in one move).

I can certainly understand that with any list of this sort (or actually just about any opinion-based piece), there will be disagreement. But the abundance of negativity directed toward OEDb and me has astonished me. I'm not really sure why we have been made out to be such bad guys by a few people in your blogosphere.

Why do I feel like I'm reading a transcript from the White House Press Secretary here?

Let me make ONE point on this P.O.V. -- It has NOTHING to do with the contents of the list being controversial.  He keeps pointing this out in his comments and emails.  Ultimately, what he fails to recognize (or ignores, out of marketing semantic agility) is that it has EVERYTHING to do with the WAY it was done. Period.  The list is chalk-full of great educators and voices.  The premise he created in his email campaign...and the gee-gosh-surprise response as to the 'reaction'...is MY problem.  Period.

He follows up by pointing to Bud the Teacher's recent post, which I had already read the night before.  He did this to prove that not everyone is upset.  Fair.  Its a divided set of opinions.  I still think its fishy. At best. I have incredible respect for Bud.  Appreciated his analysis.  Disagree with him as it wasn't a 'news' story, but a press release, but again, Bud's point is respected, as is his path of exploring the idea.  I just disagree with his conclusion.

He then offers the following explanation.  This made me laugh as to the marketing wolf coming out from under the sheep's clothing:

Furthermore, there were several people (both those on the list and not) that found value in what we had done. I've received several complimentary e-mails And our list even made the Popular page at del.icio.us [removed by me]. (And it's still up there now as of the time of this writing.)

So, here's my wrap-up:

1. I asked to be removed.  I was.  Another good soul was put in that vacent spot. 100 = 100. 'nuff said.
2. He wrote a respectful email -- in terms of tone -- but the 'explanation' only further validated my absolute confidence that the underlying intention of the list -- get links by edu-bloggers that link a lot -- continues to be fishy. 
3. His mention of the 'proof' that he's already cranked up on the del.icio.us ladder is as good feather in his marketing cap as one could hope for.  Every link that went to him and his site gave him this 'recognition' and validated that he used the right approach and is right. Congrats. I'm still pleased I'm no longer on the list.
4. As for the "here's a badge" to put on your site piece that seems to have been overlooked in most discussions about this affair, the final point at the bottom of his list is the mention that 'several' bloggers on the list had 'requested' a badge....and thus, the logic goes, he felt compelled to create one and make them available. Perhaps I'm naive, but if even ONE blogger on that list contacted him to specfically request a badge and thus sparked the 'idea' to create and distribute one, I'll be shocked!  And surprised, even.
5. I appreciate the emails I've received this morning from many of you.  I don't think anyone needs to follow my lead and make the same "remove me" request, although that was very flattering.  If you were going to do that anyway, great, but I'm comfortable if I end up being the only one.  Ultimately everyone has to be at peace with their own decisions...and clearly the opinion is divided.  I find it interesting that others have already removed the original posts they added where they were proud to be listed.  That might suggest something, too.  Bud the Teacher suggests that this might be "innocuous" -- perhaps.  You can see what he means by going back to his post.

And with that I bid adieu to the entire fishy adventure. 

Comments

[Doug Belshaw]

In the big scheme of things, this really doesn't matter, does it. We're all guilty of some self-promotion in some ways.

I think you're probably right to leave it up to each person to decide for themselves really...

[Bud Hunt]

I find it refreshing that we can disagree politely. As for considering the info "news," well, I don't think that I said that it was. I agree -- this was/is a marketing thing. But it was no less or more dishonest than lots of the affiliate stuff that I see. In this case, at least, there's some useful information at the website in question.
It just seems like some folks jumped on an attack bandwagon, thereby giving the whole mess a bigger link bang.
As for "not being upset," um, I'm certainly not upset, but the absence of anger/upsetness doesn't necessarily (and completely does not, in this case) imply delight. Put me down in the uncomfortably neutral category on this one.
Happy Holidays!

[Miguel Guhlin]

Jimmy, if you're reading, remove me from the list as well. I don't need to be on a list to know my writing is worthy of being read....

After reading the email snippet, I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment

Miguel Guhlin

P.S. If you would like to have a badge, I have a new one on my site (smile)

[Darren Kuropatwa]

You can link to the site without giving the site any "google juice." When you write your link add this snippet at the end: rel="no follow" so it would look like this (remove spaces on either side of the = signs):

(less than)a href = "url.to.link.to" rel = "no follow"(greater than)linked text(less than)/a(greater than)