Tag Archive for 'jeff jarvis'

Why I Dislike Jeff Jarvis Sooooo Much.

Published on May 21, 2009 in Baby Boomer. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

I regret linking to Jeff Jarvis at BuzzMachine.com in my post about crowdsourcing and how it doesn’t have a future.

Jeff Jarvis got his big start by jumping on a bandwagon complaining about Dell Computer service.  This gave him a soapbox and a lot of blog traffic that he enjoyed until it faded.

Then Jarvis, who worked for  newspapers, decided to bite the hand that fed him.

If Jeff Jarvis didn’t start the “print is dead” movement, he was early to jump on that bandwagon too.

From his site…

I have worked for many a media company — Advance, Time Warner, Hearst, Tribune, Maxwell, News Corp., Knight Ridder — and know people and have friends in most of them. I have been turned down for jobs or contributor gigs, over the years (these are from the early years) at The NY Times, the NY Daily News, Paramount, and CBS. I turned down jobs elsewhere.

It’s that last sentence that sums up my dislike for him and the way he conducts his blog.

I don’t care that he chose to bite the hand that fed him. I just hate the way he goes about it, and resent the giant bullhorn that has replaced his modest soapbox.

He is now considered an expert on why print is dead.

Jeff Jarvis has the attitude that he knows it all and is intolerant of others. He turned down jobs elsewhere. BFD. What’s the purpose to make that declaration except “I am Jeff Jarvis, hear me roar.”

I can be snarky, but I’m not writing about anything serious here. Jarvis does. But he blows off commenters with such snideness and disrespect that it made my blood boil. I tried to read him because I thought it would be good to hear a different perspective, but after a couple of years, I quit. Life is too short. He is a bitter man ranting so the world will pay attention.

He is the Bill O’Reilly of blogging about print.

I blocked his computer IP and spammed his last comment. That would be it I told myself, until I read this from Morley Safer, which makes my point about crowdsourcing.

“The blogosphere is no alternative, crammed as it is with ravings and manipulations of every nut with a keyboard,” he is quoted in a Qunnipiac press release as saying yesterday. “Good journalism is structured and structure means responsibility…I would trust citizen journalism as much as I would trust citizen surgery.”

I wish I would have said that. So I’ll publish it again with emphasis:

“Good journalism is structured and structure means responsibility…I would trust citizen journalism as much as I would trust citizen surgery.”

Jeff Jarvis will probably return, but his comment won’t see the light of day here.

One bitter old man on this blog is enough.

Huffington Post Fails At Crowdsoucing GM Dealer Closing List

Published on May 20, 2009 in Cars, Research and Technology. 10 Comments Tags: , , , , .


The GM dealer closing list is remains a hot topic. Since GM has not released the dealer closing List, Huffington Post is trying to crowdsource the list.

Crowdsourcing is supposed to be the new wave of journalism, according to yahoos like Jeff Jarvis.

Here’s how it is supposed to work. GM has a list of dealer closings. They don’t release the list to the general public. No matter, a giant blog like Huffington Post just asks their millions of readers to submit what they know to Huffington Post and a list of GM dealer closings appears.

Except when it doesn’t.

This is exactly why local newspapers and the AP still have a role in gathering news. They are close to the market and can put a couple reporters on the phone and start calling around. Or they have sources inside GM, and the GM dealer closing list is leaked.

Oh, and BTW, the Huffington Post won’t just take your word that you are sending them facts. No siree Bobbie. They want you to link with a “confirmed source.” Which I’m guessing means, they want you to link to a newspaper or television station report.

We are only posting confirmed closures of GM dealerships, so please include a link to a news report in your email.

Here’s the list of GM Dealer Closing compiled through crowdsourcing so far…

    1. Tom Sparks Buick in Dekalb, Illinois.
    2. Reichert Automotive Group, which has locations in Crystal Lake and Woodstock, Illinois.
    3. Two dealerships owned by the Asbury Automotive Group in Kissimmee, Florida.
    4. Fox Pontiac Buick GMC in Alpine Township, Michigan.
    5. Chuck Clancy Chevrolet dealership in Cartersville, Georgia.
    6. Nourse Interstate Automall in Richburg, South Carolina.
    7. Matthews Chevy of Brilliant, Ohio; and Glen Dale Motors and Bell Chevrolet of Sistersville, West Virginia.
    8. Merle Snider Motors in Winfield, Kansas
    9. Adams Chevrolet in Belton, Missouri.
    10. Eisenhower Motor Sales in Pemberville, Ohio.
    11. Stokes Hodges GM in Thomson, Georgia.
    12. Fox Motors in Charlevoix, Michigan.
    13. Roseland Auto Sales in Chicago.
    14. Williams Auto Group, Sayre, Pennsylvania.
    15. AutoServ of Laconia, in Belmont, New Hampshire.
    16. At least 18 dealerships in Minnesota.
    17. Johnson Motor Company of South Carolina and Henna Chevrolet of Aiken, South Carolina.
    18. Mendenhall-Roy Chevrolet in Grabill, Indiana
    19. J.L. Freed and Sons of Lansdale, Pennsylvania.
    20. Jones Chevrolet in Corvallis, Oregon.
    21. La Roche Buick Pontiac GMC in Brenham, Texas.
    22. McCombs Superior Pontiac GMC in San Antonio, Texas.
    23. Hatfield Buick/GMC, Redlands, California.
    24. Dick Bigelow Chevrolet, Parma, Ohio.
    25. Moore Pontiac Buick GMC, Canton, Georgia.
    26. Don Ayres Pontiac-GMC, Fort Wayne, Indiana.
    27. Preferred Chevrolet-Pontiac, Lagrange, Indiana.
    28. Tom’s Chevrolet, Cornell, Wisconsin.
    29. Frank Andrews Chevrolet, Dublin, Georgia.
    30. Bob Wysong Chevrolet-Pontiac, Cromwell, Indiana
    31. Meyer GMC Trucks, North Manchester, Indiana
    32. Rea Buick, Port Jervis, New York
    33. Firebaugh Chevrolet, Firebaugh, California
    34. Wile Motors, Columbia, Connecticut
    35. Raceway Chevrolet Pontiac Buick GMC, Lake City, South Carolina
    36. Servco Auto Windward, Kaneohe, Hawaii
    37. R.L. Reising Sales Inc., Beecher, Illinois
    38. Bruckerts Chevrolet, Bunker Hill, Illinois
    39. Patire Chevrolet Buick, Hoosick Falls, New York
    40. Olesen Chevrolet, Avoca, Iowa
    41. Courtesy Chevrolet, Morgan Hill, California
    42. Mazzei’s GMC in Pittsburgh, California
    43. Colonial Chevrolet-Buick, Talladega, Alabama
    44. Ricky Smith GMC, Weymouth, Massachusetts
    45. Johnson Sales, Arlington, Wisconsin
    46. Boyd Chevrolet, South Hill Virginia
    47. Larry Millier Pontiac Buick GMC, Caldwell, Idaho
    48. Brackeen Motors in Shawnee, Oklahoma
    49. City Chevrolet, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
    50. Charlie Roberts Chevrolet – Buick, Rensselaer, Indiana
    51. Daniels Chevyland, Colorado Springs, Colorado
    52. Bill Cross of Performance Auto Group, Wooster, Ohio
    53. Moomaw Chevrolet, Sugarcreek, Ohio
    54. Crown Automotive, Lawrence, Kansas
    55. Epps Motors Middlesboro, Kentucky
    56. Spencer Auto Group, Spencer, West Virginia.
    57. Pat Fischer Chevrolet, Titusville, Florida
    58. Boyles Motors in Maryville, Missouri
    59. Olsen’s Implement, Huron, South Dakota.
    60. Salisbury Chevrolet, Glenville, New York
    61. Rose Buick Pontiac GMC, Gloversville, New York
    62. Videon Chevrolet in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania
    63. Hubler Chevrolet Center, Shelbyville, Indiana
    64. Broadway Automotive, Pulaski, Wisconsin
    65. Lewis River Motor Co., Woodland, Washington
    66. Tri Pontiac Buick, Hemet, California
    67. Courtesy Chevrolet, Ontonagon, Michigan
    68. Alex Montgomery Chevrolet- Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep, Mount Washington, Kentucky
    69. Don’s Chevrolet, Ida Grove, Iowa
    70. Wells River Chevrolet, Wells River, Vermont
    71. Brighton Garage Chevrolet, Island Pond, Vermont
    72. Wagner Buick Pontiac GMC, Belleville, Illionis
    73. Krueger Auto & Truck Villa GMC, Waverly, Iowa

    Out of an estimate 1,100 dealers on the GM dealer closing list, Huffington Post has only gotten 73 names. An Epic Fail in crowdsourcing.

    But you won’t read Jeff Jarvis spewing any venom toward Huffington Post and the failure of crowd sourcing. He says newspapers blew it, and he’s sticking to it, even when the evidence clearly demonstrates that crowdsourcing isn’t working on a simple story like the GM dealer closing list.

    Jarvis writes for Huffington Post. He teaches. He doesn’t work at a newspaper.

    Stand by for the General Motors dealer closing list. It will be here as soon as GM releases it.

    UPDATE: If you’re visiting from RapidCityJournal.com, I’m not usually as rude as I was to Jeff Jarvis in the comments. He’s just such a blow hard that I lost control. If you comment, I’ll be nice. Promise.