Technorati and Me

• • , , ,

Sometimes it’s hard to admit that a longstanding relationship with a friend has withered to the point that it’s really just a memory. We cling to those memories of better time even though we don’t see one another day to day. TechnoratiAnd when we do, it’s just not the same.

That’s the way it is with Technorati and me.

There was a time when I would visit Technorati several times a day. I would regularly refer to Technorati to learn about a new blog I’d discovered. What author had registered ownership of the blog? How many inbound links came to it and from whom?

A blog’s Technorati Authority would provide a quick indicator of whether a blog was being paid attention to and by whom.

The Technorati search engine provided me with a unique view of content. Not only could I find the most recent posts on any topic, but I could also filter them by the Technorati Authority – selecting posts from all blogs, those with a little authority, some authority or a lot of authority.

And Technorati first introduced me to the concept of persistent search. It was the first search engine I found that enabled me to define a search and then subscribe to the results in my feedreader – telling me right away about new content that satisfied my search criteria without having to regenerate the search terms.

I registered ProPR on Technorati and followed the increase of my own authority (Yes, I visited daily just to watch the number increase.) I even registered my Twitter stream with Technorati and was delighted to see its authority climb as others linked back to my Twitter ID.

I could even rely on Technorati’s then-CEO, David Sifry, to post a quarterly analysis of the state of the blogosphere/ live web.

So, Technorati meant a lot to me. It was a search engine, a reference point to assess the relative weight of blogs and a source of analysis and insight into the growth of social media.

But….

A relationship is only strong so long as both parties are committed to it. And over time, I began to feel abandoned by Technorati. Management changes, money problems, a loss of focus, failed partnerships, service outages – all took their toll. I began to rely less and less on Technorati.

Google Blog SearchAnd just when my faith in Technorati was being challenged, Google enticed with its own social media search engine. I began to hang out more often with my new Google friend.

As I divided my loyalties, I noticed that the results from Google Blog Search was finding posts and content that Technorati was missing.

But my emotional attachment with my old friend Technorati kept me coming back. I’d continue to routinely set up persistent searches on both Google Blog Search and Technorati.

On top of this, Technorati was failing to maintain its innovation leadership. Technorati authority was the bluntest of instruments. But it had its own authority, being widely cited and incorporate in indexes like the AdAge Power150. But despite the fact that its many users criticized the basic methodology, Technorati failed to improve. It left the field wide open to startup AideRSS to make the big advance with its PostRank algorithm.

And so it ends…

Finally, I am throwing in the towel on Technorati. I no longer receive benefits that justify the time to go to the site and conduct a search. Google blog search reliably provides me with more complete results. So, why spend the time setting up and reviewing search results from a second service that has proven itself so unreliable?

And as I have come to doubt the completeness of Technorati’s search results, I’ve grown ever more reluctant to place any reliance on Technorati Authority.

So, at the end of the day, I find myself rarely going to Technorati.

The only time I use it now is when I am doing social media monitoring for a client. Why? Because as superior as it is, Google isn’t perfect. And Technorati is still better than the field of also-rans (Ice Rocket anyone?). And when I’m doing work for a client, i need a “second dip” to be sure that I haven’t missed anything. So, for now, I turn to Technorati as backup. A far humbler fate for Technorati than I had once expected for it.

How about you?

Are there social media tools and apps for which you once had high hopes that you now find yourself using and visiting less often? Tell us about it.

To get the ball rolling, I’m asked Dave Fleet, Bob LeDrew, Mitch Joel, Colin McKay and Shel Israel to tell us about a social media tools with which they once had a warm and deep relationship with that has now lapsed.

Credit where credit’s due

This post was inspired by Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson‘s discussion of Technorati’s unreliability on the FIR podcast 373.

How I spent my summer vacation – in Charlottetown with PlanetEye

• • ,

St. Dunstan's Basilica

I just spent four days in Charlottetown , Prince Edward Island. A beautiful place that is famous for its ocean vistas, rolling red farmland (yep, the oxidizing iron turns the soil red), Confederation Centre of the Arts (the stage production of Anne of Green Gables is in its 40th year), endless red sand beaches and historic sites (Canada was born here when the Fathers of Confederation met in 1864 at Province House.)

North Rustico Harbour

So, what did I do when I was relaxing there? I created user generated content. Not the kind that I usually create here (words followed by more words.) While I was in Charlottetown, I put PlanetEye ‘s picture uploader and geotag features through their paces.

I uploaded about 100 pictures of the attractions and historic areas of Charlottetown, North Rustico Harbour (the epitome of a Canadian east coast village), the beaches and cliffs of Prince Edward Island Park (look for the picture of the fox that trotted right up to our car while holding a rabbit in its mouth) and, of course, Green Gables (if you’re the parent of a girl, you’ll know what that is.)

I uploaded photos from my flickr page directly to PlanetEye. It was simple. Took about 2 minutes for each batch of 20 to 25 pictures. And then the geotagging worked perfectly. I simply dragged and dropped my photos onto a map in the location where I’d taken them.

If you’re interested in an unspoiled place for a summer vacation, take a look at Charlottetown on PlanetEye or at my Charlottetown photo set on Flickr .

Enjoy.

Fox by the roadside in Prince Edward Island National Park

EndlessRedSandBeaches

He won! He won! Terry Fallis won the 2008 Leacock Medal.

• • ,

I just returned from lunch to discover this in my inbox:

Terry Fallis Wins 2008 Stephen Leacock Medal For Humour

    ORILLIA, ON, April 30 /CNW/ - The suspense felt by five finalists for the
2008 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour came to an exciting conclusion today for
Terry Fallis and his novel The Best Laid Plans. The announcement was made at a
celebratory luncheon on the grounds of the historical Stephen Leacock Memorial
Museum in Orillia, Ontario. Fallis will receive a $10,000 prize courtesy of
TD Bank Financial Group for his winning entry.
    "It is somehow appropriate that this year's winner be an author with an
interest in the foibles of federal politics as Leacock himself had more than a
passing interest in the subject. He'd be delighted with the comic antics
described by Fallis," said Wayne Scott, President of the Leacock Association.
    The Best Laid Plans, Mr. Fallis's first book, centres on a cranky and
reluctant political candidate who consents to run in a federal election based
on the fact that he is "certain-to-lose." He accepts the task with the proviso
that he won't campaign, give media interviews, canvass door-to-door, attend
all-candidate meetings, use lawn signs, have contact with campaign workers or
even be in the country during the election campaign! As the reader can well
imagine, things do not turn out as anticipated - the key to successful comedy.
    The other books nominated for this year's award were The Gum Thief by
former nominee Douglas Coupland; Spanish Fly by former two-time Leacock
medalist Will Ferguson; And God Created Manyberries by Ron Wood; and King John
of Canada by Scott Gardiner.
    The Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour has been awarded since 1947 as a
means to honour the dean of Canadian humourists and to perpetuate humorous
writing in Canada. Some of Canada's finest authors - Pierre Berton,
W.O. Mitchell, Mordecai Richler and Robertson Davies - have all been
recipients of the award over the past six decades. Last year's winner was CBC
broadcaster and author Stuart McLean for Secrets of the Vinyl Cafe. The award
is presented each year to the most humourous English-language book written by
a Canadian and in addition to being presented with the silver medal, the
winner also receives a $10,000 prize from TD Bank Financial Group. The Leacock
Association is also grateful to its other generous sponsors: Osprey media,
Lakehead University and Orillia's Thor Motors.
    Both the medal and the cheque will be presented to Mr. Fallis at the
annual Leacock dinner to be held June 7, 2008 at Geneva Park near Orillia,
Ontario.

Terry, all of us at Thornley Fallis and 76design are tremendously proud of you!

And now, will you please select us to be the agency that does your national book tour? 🙂

Previous posts about Terry’s nomination:

Video interview with Terry about the Leacock nomination and what it means to him

Terry Fallis is nominated for the Leacock Award

UPDATE: See Terry’s acceptance speech on the Orillia Packet & Times Website. (Thanks to Michael Seaton for pointing to this.)

Happy Thanksgiving Day from Ottawa, Canada

• • No Tags

First snow at the Parliament Buildings in OttawaI want to wish all my American friends Happy Thanksgiving.

And today you have one more thing to celebrate. That you didn’t have to commute to work this morning through 15 centimetres of snow like we did in Ottawa.

Of course, we’ll be able to ski in a couple weeks. Just something to think about when I invite you to speak at a Third Tuesday!

First snow - No more soccer this yearHave a great, happy and warm holiday.

 

If you only read 12 blogs…

• • No Tags

As I was reading through my copy of the April 16 issue of Marketing Magazine this morning, I was surpised (and more than a little delighted) to see that ProPR on the magazine’s “If you only read 12 blogs…” recommended list.

The full list includes: Joe Jaffe’s JaffeJuice, Seth Godin‘s blog, Jackie Huba’s and Ben O’Connell’s Church of the Customer, AdRANTS and fellow Canadians Mitch Joel’s Twist Image, OneDegree.ca, Sean Moffitt’s Buzz Canuck, Kate Trgovac’s mynameiskate, Michael Seaton’s The Client Side, and the CMA’s Canadian Marketing Blog .

I’m really honoured to be in such great company.

Marketing says about ProPR:

“Joseph Thornley (www.propr.ca) – The Thornley Fallis CEO provides conference coverage so good you never have to sit through another chicken dinner.”

That’s a compliment very much appreciated. But given how much my waist has expanded since I started liveblogging conferences for ProPR, I may well have eaten enough chicken dinners for all of us!

This is a joke, right?

• • No Tags

I still don’t quite know what to make of Strumpette. Sometimes the ad hominem attacks are contemptuous. Sometimes, the insight is penetrating.

But today, she demonstrated why I should view her blog as an ongoing send up. Pro PR ranked within spitting distance of bloggers like Jeaneane Sessum, Jeremy Pepper, David Parmet, Mike Manuel, Stuart Bruce and Susan Getgood? It must be April Fool.

But thanks, Amanda, for bringing a smile to my face. It’s good to know that you care!

Five Secrets about Joe

• • No Tags

Shel Israel and Kami Huyse tagged me in the five secrets meme. Normally, I don’t give out secrets about myself. But, hey, it’s Shel and Kami who asked. So, I’ve just gotta stand up and salute.

1) I worked my way through university playing keyboards (Hammond organ, Fender electric piano and Leslie amplifier) in cover bands. The bands were good. I was the weak link in each one. But heck, we had a lot of fun and it paid the bills.

2) I grew up on British sports cars. I initially owned a Triumph Spitfire and then an MGB. After I rolled the MGB (and lived to talk about it), I opted for the TR7. It had a hard top. Because of my love for British cars, I soon learned what wiring smelled like when it shorted and I became very familiar with the inside of garages and mechanics’ bills.

I've got a secret3) I learned my first hard lesson in media relations at the 1978 Liberal Party National Convention. I was the President of the Young Liberals of Canada that year and, as was expected of Young Liberals, we sponsored a policy resolution calling for the decriminalization of marijuana. It was a slow news day and one reporter, Doug Small of Canadian Press, kept asking me whether I was supporting the resolution because I smoked marijuana myself. I dodged him through the day. But late at night in the hospitality suites, he grabbed me again. I was pretty taken by the fact that a nationally known reporter kept talking to me, so I gave him a smart alec comment that “I wouldn’t want my mother to know.” Yep. You guessed it. The headline on page one of my hometown newspaper the next day was “Young Liberal President smokes pot; doesn’t want his mother to know.”

4) The first record I ever owned was The Last Time by The Rolling Stones. I preferred the Stones to the Beatles. Street smart vs. pop.

5) My middle name is Lloyd. And yes, I took a lot of school year teasing over that one.

So, there you have it. Five things you didn’t know about Joe Thornley. And probably don’t care to know.
Now, to pass it on. I hope that Jeremiah Owyang, Shel Holtz, Josh Hallett, Tod Maffin, and Michael O’Connor Clarke will share with us five secrets about themselves.