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Bad karma has a longer half-life than a bump in conversions for one month. Doesn't mean that they may not prosper for a while, but if they persist in bad mouthi

Bad karma has a longer half-life than a bump in conversions for one month. Doesn't mean that they may not prosper for a while, but if they persist in bad mouthing all of their competitors as "dying platforms" there will be consequences that are likely to overwhelm any benefit.

ErrantX 16y ago
Well, exactly. Therein is the crux. Is that worth the extra conversions (which may mean more active users, an important metric to consider)? As I said I don't know. But you know. In my experience bad Karma has a funny way of fizzling out. Remember Climategate? Mostly fizzled out. I bet plenty of people have forgotten all but the broadest details as they read the latest climate blog - give it a few months and people won't bring it up any more. The Parliamentary expenses scandal in the UK? All fizzled out after a couple of months despite being pretty much wide scale "fraud". It's no longer as interesting as the budget. Last years financial melt down - pretty much the biggest example of "bad karma" we could pick. Where are all the vocal "we must punish the bankers" people now? (I realise there are vocal people still - and good on them - but the general public isn't all that interested now, they are still choosing to use Barclays etc.) How much is the Oil spill on national news right now? Point is: heat lasts for a short while. The play you have to make (and I make this as a general point, I have no idea of Posterous' aims) is whether once that heat dies everyone sorta forgets it. If in a month the only people still bringing it up are the Tumblr fans then they will have succeeded. Sure someone in a few months might think "actually I will use Wordpress, I remember Posterous were jerks" - the play is how many are left thinking that. And, finally, "there is no such thing as bad press" (certainly not bad press like this) Disclaimer: I don't approve of what they are saying.

ErrantX 16y ago

Well, exactly. Therein is the crux. Is that worth the extra conversions (which may mean more active users, an important metric to consider)? As I said I don't know. But you know. In my experience bad Karma has a funny way of fizzling out. Remember Climategate? Mostly fizzled out. I bet plenty of people have forgotten all but the broadest details as they read the latest climate blog - give it a few months and people won't bring it up any more. The Parliamentary expenses scandal in the UK? All fizzled out after a couple of months despite being pretty much wide scale "fraud". It's no longer as interesting as the budget. Last years financial melt down - pretty much the biggest example of "bad karma" we could pick. Where are all the vocal "we must punish the bankers" people now? (I realise there are vocal people still - and good on them - but the general public isn't all that interested now, they are still choosing to use Barclays etc.) How much is the Oil spill on national news right now? Point is: heat lasts for a short while. The play you have to make (and I make this as a general point, I have no idea of Posterous' aims) is whether once that heat dies everyone sorta forgets it. If in a month the only people still bringing it up are the Tumblr fans then they will have succeeded. Sure someone in a few months might think "actually I will use Wordpress, I remember Posterous were jerks" - the play is how many are left thinking that. And, finally, "there is no such thing as bad press" (certainly not bad press like this) Disclaimer: I don't approve of what they are saying.