Jun
29
2007
New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman nails why you should care about blogs and social media
Posted in the Category of In the News and Social Media
Thomas Friedman's column this week in The New York Times, The Whole World Is Watching (registration required), makes the point that anyone you bump into - anywhere, anytime - might have a blog or a cell phone with a camera and a way to instantly, globally publish the details of your encounter.
As always, he's got an elegant turn of phrase. He writes:
"The blogosphere has made the global discussion so much richer — and each of us so much more transparent."
- Tom Friedman in The New York Times (June 27, 2007)
Oops... the Analysis Group Washington D.C. office threw my lunch away
Well, here's my "transparency" experience. Note: regular readers know that I'm not generally very snarky. What happened today really bugged me so I decided to, er, blog it.
I was eating lunch by myself at an Au Bon Pain in downtown Washington DC. I got up from my seat to buy some coffee, leaving my obviously half-eaten lunch and a copy of The Washington Post spread out on my table.
When I returned two minutes later, three jerks (oops, I mean people) - one of them from an organization called, ironically, Washington Analysis Group (aka Analysis Group Washington D.C. office) - had cleared my table, dumped my lunch into the trash and pulled the table up to theirs in order to create a larger "work space."
Oh and they didn't appear to be eating or drinking anything from the restaurant - just using it for their oh-so-important meeting.
Hello?!
Not a word of apology did I get. Instead a rather annoyed Inside-the-Beltway "we are super important" and "clearly you're not" muttering and we needed your table so tough luck.
Well, maybe the Analysis Group Washington D.C. office should analyze their behaviour a bit more closely. (From their site: they provide economic, financial, and business strategy consulting to law firms, corporations, and government agencies.)
P.S. In case you're wondering, the group had their papers and folders spread out and it was easy to spot the Washington Analysis name and logo.
Update: Google search results (oops)
Well it took a week (it's July 6, 2007 as I write) but this blog entry is now #2 in Google search results on Analysis Group Washington D.C. office (right after the link to their Web page). And no, I haven't heard a peep from these folks. Doesn't look like they're online very much.
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Comments
John Whiteside said on June 29, 2007 at 06:08 PM
Thanks for the reminder of why I left Washington. I love so many things about it, but that DC “I’m important, so drop dead!” attitude was more than I could take.
Lucio Dias Ribeiro said on June 29, 2007 at 10:40 PM
Hi John this sort of behavior drives me crazy, It happened exactly the same with me couple of week ago here in Melbourne/Australia.
I spoke to them and the reply was “ sorry, bad luck"…
By the way, what was your bottom line? Did you talk to them?
Cheers
Lucio Dias Ribeiro
Lucio Dias Ribeiro said on June 29, 2007 at 10:43 PM
I meant “Hi Debbie”, but it can be also “Hi John” 
Debbie Weil said on June 30, 2007 at 07:50 AM
Hi John & Lucio,
I was so astonished I didn’t say much. Sat at another table and had my coffee… and the Tom Freidman column popped into my head. I went over and told them about it. “Do you read Tom Friedman in the NYTimes?” I asked. They nodded… oh yes. You’re not considered cool or intellectual if you don’t read his column. So I explained what the column was about, how I might blog our little encounter. And then sailed out the door. I left them with their mouths hanging open.
John Whiteside said on June 30, 2007 at 08:14 AM
I have an acquaintance in DC who’s a minor celebrity in a creative field - not someone you’ll see on Entertainment Tonight, but I knew who he was before I met him. He told me that when he first moved to DC, he’d meet people at parties and they’d ask things like, “Can you introduce me to important people?” He was shocked. It’s very much in the city’s DNA, for better or for worse - that’s life in the imperial capital, I guess.
Stacey Alatzas said on June 30, 2007 at 08:49 PM
I love how you went ahead and told them you would be writing about your encounter…
Cup of coffee ... $1.50
Half-eaten lunch ... $6
Letting the jerks know the world is watching ... Priceless
(The Washington Analysis Group ought to buy you dinner)
Lucio Dias Ribeiro said on June 30, 2007 at 08:53 PM
I feel sorry for those who don’t feel any difference anymore in being rude or polite.
Superficial life is just sad.
Cheers
Lucio Dias Ribeiro
Alvin Borromeo said on July 1, 2007 at 12:40 AM
Great story. Wonder if the WAG contacted you after this post?
Donna Papacosta said on July 3, 2007 at 09:33 PM
But, Debbie, don’t you understand that they are VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLE ?
YOU GO, GIRL! 
)
Jeremy Thiessen said on July 9, 2007 at 10:02 PM
That’s a great story, Debbie - and a great reminder to us bloggers about the power of a simple blog. Thanks for sharing!
Dov Seidman said on July 16, 2007 at 12:47 PM
Debbie, I really enjoyed your post. Your story shows that reputation does matter and that it is built every day by every facet of a company, and in a hyperconnected, hypertransparent world, reputation has currency value. Everyone represents the company now, whether front line personnel or back office staff. This makes getting your HOWs right even more important for everyone.Your experience generated some thoughts of my own that I posted on my HowsMatter blog: http://www.howsmatter.com/blog
Please, Debbie and all, feel free to join the discussion.
Joiakim said on August 7, 2007 at 11:10 AM
Whenever you come to eat some “Bon Pain” in Paris, let me know. Would be pleased to have you here.
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Paul Stephen Daniels said on September 5, 2008 at 03:28 PM
That’s why it’s great to have a blog… sweet, sweet revenge!
