Vendor etiquette in the webiverse

At the risk of invading Chris Dancy's turf, I feel some vendors could use a lesson on what the online community expects. Let me share with you two conversations I've had in the one day, as case studies in how NOT to engage online.

First, on Google+ a vendor of some minor Unix geeky thing popped up on my Event booking for an IT Skeptic chat hangout (topic: to discuss whatever is current on my blog) with a comment saying "Hey Rob, maybe you and your followers would like to take a look at CoolDingleDangle.com" or whatever it was called "which is for automating something blah blah".

I replied

I prefer it if vendors don't hijack my online community for product pitches. Anyone who genuinely follows me knows I don't give a ** about technology.



He came back with some remark about how since I write a blog about Information technology he thought I'd be interested in technology. I replied:

How many vendors do you think are similarly eager to share their product on streams such as this? it would be bedlam. Please keep marketing to the appropriate channels. it's not as if you are a genuine follower or you would have known this wasn't appropriate. It's not even relevant to the topic of the thread. Sadly Google doesn't seem to give me the ability to delete your comment. I hope you'll have the decency to delete it yourself.

Which he did, before I remembered to get screenshots.

I checked his Google+ stream. it is nothing but a series of posts on "Hey look at this!" "Hey look at this!" "Hey look at this!" "Hey look at this!" "Hey look at this!"...


And then the very same day, I had this conversation on email with a "technology blogger" (with whom I've had no previous contact that I recall) working for a major vendor. In forward chronological order for your reading convenience:

Subject: [The Skeptic] Guest Posting

Hello, I'd like to submit a post about xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Would you like to see it?
thanks
R.

Hi R.
I'm happy to have a look.
Any post needs to fit the skeptical theme of the blog.
If it is a sales pitch, dont bother.
Cheers
Rob

Hi Rob, here is my article, let me know if you’ve got any feedback for me or if you want me to make revisions.
Thanks
R.

Hi R.
Good article, no vendor pitch (though if I run it I'll state you are from [Corporation] without the need for the product link. I think people know what [Corporation] do. I'd rather link to your online identity on e.g, twitter).
I feel it lacks an opinion / judgement / conclusion / call-to-action. it is an observation. I felt myself thinking "So?". is that what you intended?
Cheers
Rob

Hi Rob, I wrote the article as more informational and not opinion heavy in order to avoid ending up with something that looks like an advertorial.
The product link is there because it’s a target keyword for [Corporation] that we want to bolster for SEO. If you’re not comfortable with seo links that’s totally fine, I can go digging elsewhere for a place to publish
Thanks
R.

Hi R.
I like the article. I just felt it doesnt end anywhere.
Guest bloggers are welcome if you have something to share with the community on my blog and/or wish to establish yourself as a thought leader. if the purpose is to build SEO for your corporation and you can just as easy post it elsewhere, I call that advertising. That's not free.
Cheers
Rob

Really, vendors have only themselves to blame for their negative reputations.

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