commbasics

Last Friday I posted about the major overhaul in Google's algorithm that is going to cause headaches for SEO consultants and practitioners.  Over the weekend, as I was thinking about it, I realized it is going to cause even more problems for media companies and corporations moving to a branded content methodology.   Lots of media companies, including UBM , Extension Media, Hearst Electronics, Open-Systems and Tech Design Forum are moving to a curated community model where editors spend most of their time managing the content of the community rather than developing original content.  It sounds like a great idea because the plan is that the best stuff (most read, most shared, most commented on) will rise to the top of the community and the least engaging will drop to the bottom. The problem is that most of that content has been vetted by marketing and sales companies to make sure the messages get across, and not according to what customers are actually looking for....

My posts on the changes at UBM  Tech have been the most popular on this blog since I started it.  Lots of people have weighed in on whether it is good or bad (most say bad) but I've tried to remain neutral.  I'm maintaining that neutrality, especially after talking to UBM Tech CEO Paul Miller last week. Miller has said to me several times in the past couple of years that UBM is a marketing company, not a media company.  In last week's chat he took it to another level.  "UBM Tech is, effectively, out of the magazine business.  We are now running online communities." There have been several comments from people still in the media business expressing doubt that UBM properties can be considered ethical, reliable, trustworthy "real journalism ," etc.  But the answer to all of those concerns is... it's not a media company anymore.  Trying to measure the UBM business model against traditional journalism is like...

I've known about this for some time, but I was asked to keep mum about it.  Patrick Mannion left EE Times a few weeks ago, as Brian Fuller reported before Thanksgiving.  Today I got permission to say that Patrick has gone back to his roots and become director of content for Hearst Electronics Group which covers Electronic Products, Electronic Engineer's Master and Electronic Products China. Patrick started his career 20 years ago with Electronic Products.  Fuller is taking over his responsibilities while EE Times looks for a replacement. That last statement fills me with joy.  This was not a layoff.  This was personnel acquisition.  Haven't heard that from the media for some time.