“A sensible question – like an analysis of ROI that could be put in front of a mainstream marketer.”

Yeah, like, as if that’s going to solve a major marketing problem. Too funny.

Not sure if I agree with the “hefty punches” idea, Ben.

One, I never (except very, very rarely) publish a cartoon related to the article written below. I like the juxtapositon of different thoughts. Sure, you may have inferred I was implying your job was “suckass”. I wasn’t (I know your work too well to think that, let’s not kid ourselves), but apologies if you took it to mean it that way.

Two, eh, ribbing someone who works at a big, state-owned monolith about being an “apparachik” is no big deal. No worse than calling someone like me a pimp. Or my PR friend, Dave Parmet a flak. Next time I’ll put the word in quotation marks.

Three, I don’t think I’m either cashing in or selling out. What I’m doing with English Cut and Stormhoek is what I’ve always done. Write about marketing, try out ideas, see what works or doesn’t, share what I’m learning with my readers.

Four, I don’t think you satisfactorily answered the main point I made in this discussion. Why is it OK for your employer and Microsoft to use social media to push their agenda, but not a little wine company in London? I don’t think it’s evil hypocrisy on your part, I just saw a double standard there that you obviously didn’t.

Five, I’ll gladly buy you a drink the next time I see you (non-alcoholic, of course) and hopefully we can have a good laugh about it. I think you’re a good, wickedly smart, decent person, we just happen to disagree on a point. I’m guessing the reason we’re having a “spat” is because we both believe in blogs and the ’sphere so passionately. Especially our own end of it.

Rock on.

However, whenever asked hard questions to justify his position, he chooses instead to attack the questioner. I’d say it has got to the point where it’s pointless asking a sensible question – like an analysis of ROI that could be put in front of a mainstream marketer. In fact I now rarely watch what’s happening because a good proportion of the time, I find him offensive and arrogant.

It’s sad really because he is a change agent, he courts controversy but in the end, much more of this and I can see it will come back to bite him in the backside. And hard.

Interesting argument with you and Hugh. Wow, did he go over the top – you clearly hit a nerve.

But I do have a simple question for you to consider: What are the rules, as you see them, with blogs and advertising? What’s “allowed”?
What’s off-limit?
And why?

I think your cartoon is better

It is about not doing it smart enough.