Danny Nerezov said on November 10, 2005 at 01:39 AM

I don’t mind the term.

It sounds bad, but if it’s a business blog, there ought to be systems in place for efficiently processing web traffic.

Wish there’d be more of a “yay!” of saying it.

David Porter said on November 10, 2005 at 07:25 AM

Debbie,

Perhaps I am missing something. Synthetic Openess?  Giving the “impression” that you are open?

You either are or arn’t.  Right?

Why not use the blog to BE open and transparent.

The whole thing strikes me as disingenuous.

Again, this was my first impression and I may have missed something.

David Porter
President/CEO
Pacesetter Mortgage

Jeremy Pepper said on November 10, 2005 at 10:40 AM

Ah, transparency, my favorite issue.

The problem is that the blog consultants and blog/PR people do not understand transparency themselves, and are unable to live up to it on their own blogs, so are unable to counsel others on how to be transparent.

So, synthetic transparency is right on the money.

James O'Brien said on November 10, 2005 at 10:33 PM

If it’s not genuine, it just won’t fly. It will not replicate the emotion of discovering something authentic and therefore will not have the impact you need to cut through the fragmented clutter.

Kip Meacham said on November 11, 2005 at 07:01 AM

I believe the logic of the assertion is flawed, anti-establishment rhetoric.

Either that, or every corporate entity (or individual for that matter) is—by this definition—‘synthetic.’

Here’s why.

Every business (or individual for that matter) makes selective disclosure, not just those choosing to blog.

Selective disclosure of aspects of my business (or personal life for that matter) with ‘openness, honesty, and transparency’ at the exclusion of other private aspects of my business (or personal life for that matter) pre-dates the blogging phenomenon.

Selective disclosure does not render the disclosure ‘synthetic.’ Keeping some information back does not render the disclosed information disengenueous, insincere or untrue by default.

Selective disclosure is integral to the nature of all communications in corporate life (or personal life for that matter).

It’s either that, or we’re all plastic, TVP, or cubic zirconium. Take your pick.

Kip Meacham

Tom Foydel said on November 11, 2005 at 01:32 PM

This reminds me of the old conundrum about stereotypes. Sure, it’s reductive and insulting to stereotype people immediately and viciously; on the other hand, we all have aspects of stereotypes in our lives. We all adopt stereotypes to some small degree.

The very act of blogging, or writing anything, is synthetic in that we are synthesizing (combining and integrating) all of the random material in our personal universes into rational thoughts and ideas. I think that CEOs have the opportunity to write interesting, honest posts and provoke readers with their ideas, but that is not to say that they have to give away the secret sauce or open themselves to litigation. Just because I don’t tell you everything, it doesn’t mean that I am disingenuous.

Debbie Weil said on November 11, 2005 at 02:36 PM

Tom,

You’ve nailed it as far as I’m concerned. I agree.

Weblogs Work said on November 12, 2005 at 08:22 PM

Corporate Blogging = Synthetic Transparency?

Students from Northeaster University describe corporate blogs as:  Synthetic transparency involves using blogs to give the impression of openness, honesty, and transparency but without really doing so.

This notion is based on Norman Fairc…

Wordrider said on November 16, 2005 at 09:27 AM

“Synthetic transparency”—1984 all over again?

Debbie Weil wonders aloud about “Synthetic transparency”.

Yeah, it sounds very Orwellian. But how different is it from

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