<truth>
After unsuccessful attempts to monetize their core services, Performancing has finally pulled the plug on their operation.
</truth>
<fiction>
Anticipating this move, 901am editors were standing by before the announcement was made, and we were actually fortunate enough to capture video footage of the event as things unfolded.
Or should I say crumbled.
The screaming guy in the background? That’s Nick Wilson.
</fiction>
Originally posted on January 22, 2007 @ 8:57 pm
WTF is that pathetic video for. WHY kick someone when they’re down???
Your title is also pathetic.
David – I really thought this was genuine news site – don’t ruin it by producing such garbage.
Martin,
While I may not agree 100% with posting of this in such a snarky fashion there is a lot of history between of its founders being a touch snarky.
I’m not about to censor one video because someone finds it offensive. So is this is broad sweeping change?
No. But I’m not the guy whose going to censor anything.
One post doesn’t ruin it because it somehow offends you. Become dictated by you is not something we want to do. We provide an up to the day stream of news covering our industry. That’s what we do.
If we don’t occassionaly offend we wouldn’t be human.
have to say that I wasn’t a big fan of this post when I saw it either.
While sometimes it’s easy to make a bit of a joke like this it’s also easy to forget that behind a story like this are people who’ve invested a lot of time and of themselves into a project.
Having chatted to some of them this last week I know it’s not been a particularly easy week for anyone involved.
I know it’s not Chris or anyone’s else’s job to tip toe around a situation like this for fear of offending – but sometimes I wonder if we should remind ourselves of the human element of a company ending a part of it’s life.
Tricky one really but for my two cents – perhaps this post might have been a little less snarky and a little more constructive (like your last post on it)?
Snark’s so mid 2006 after all! :-)
One last point – I’m not sure this is a completely accurate piece.
Performancing hasn’t pulled the plug – they’ve ended one of their programs – the partners ad network.
My understanding of it is that they’ve still got themselves a firefox plugin (although rebranded), a blog, forums and a community of users. Perhaps the plug isn’t quite pulled to this point.
Well they pretty much tried to kill the community since they started pushing out Partners. In fact I was banned for the last 9 months from the ‘community’ and I know plenty of other folks who were banned.
Martin, Darren —
Sorry to have offended the both of you here, but let me ask you this—either of you ever read Gawker or Defamer?
Love em or hate em, the one element that they share is remorseless humor, and frankly, that makes for good reading.
As you probably know, Nick resigned from Performancing just before the ship went down. The guy shouting in the background of the video brings in a hilarious sense of irony when you imagine that he’s Nick W. watching Performancing (the Aladdin) tumble to the ground.
Naturally, those who are most closely tied to the folks on the receiving end of something like this are going to get their feathers ruffled, but a vast majority of folks are going to read this post and smile.
Why?
They know it’s not personal, and dammit, it’s funny.
As a side note, I’d like to add that I feel deeply sorry for Chris Garrett and certainly want to extend warm wishes to him as he finds a way to put his excellent talents to use in a new endeavor.
No joke on feeling bad for Chris Garrett. Talk about walking into a pile of shit.
you’re right that things changed at Performancing around the time that partners came out. My reflection is that they were really humming along as at the beginning when they were blogging but with each new product release there was a slowing of activity on the blog which is what drew many of us to it in the first place.
THey did get a lot of fans with the firefox add on though – it was great for many.
In terms of Gawker and Defamer – yep, I’ve read them but I personally unsubscribed from them (add Valleywag to it) months (and in some cases years) ago.
Perhaps it’s my personality, perhaps it’s my personal blogging style, perhaps I’m overly sensitive, or perhaps I’ve been bitten once too often and damaged once too many times by snark – but I personally don’t have the time or energy for it these days. Perhaps I’m getting old. While it makes good reading for you I would disagree.
I subscribed to this blog because of it’s ability to break news, analyze that news and help it’s readers improve their understanding of the new media. It makes me a better blogger and participant in the scene. I liked the professional approach being brought together by the team you’ve assembled and I guess this sort of post came a little out of the blue for me.
Yep – I saw what you were trying to do with it, saw the irony – just felt a little disturbed by it – perhaps having spent a few hours this week hearing some of the pain of the situation and glimpsing just a small part of the complexity of it all.
Ultimately – it’s up to you guys to determine what goes up on your blog. Totally your call and it’s not for me to make calls on what you do or don’t post or what voice you do it in. I guess all I was hoping to do here was let you know how it looked to this one off reader.
Not after a bitchslapping fest over it :-) just leaving my two cents worth.
Darren,
I appreciate your concerns. And I agree largely with you as one who has bitten others. You know this and I tend to try and walker a calmer ground now.
However,
I dont feel the need to apologize for a blogger or a team member for expressing his/her opinions. This post did add some character and I dont think Chris meant to harm in any sense of the word.
Part of reporting news is sometimes being entertaining. Our policy here is to be more news than entertainment.
So again apologies to all who may have been offended.
I’m not really asking for an apology, I’m not offended, am not accusing Chris of meaning to harm anyone or even asking for explanations.
Just commenting on a post – thought it best you knew what a reader was thinking just like I ask my readers to tell me what they think. When they do I don’t always agree (and I hope they don’t expect me to) but I like that they’ve gotten it off their chests none the less.
No need to apologize at all mate – just exercising the ‘submit’ comment button – as we do.
I also was not offended – I just found it offensive – big difference fellas.
Chris P. – You’re talking apples and oranges by bringing up Gawker and Defamer. We know what to expect from them.
With 901 we were sold on an blogging industry news site and it has been going quite well so far.
As Darren said I’m not after an apology it’s just one readers comments.
Take it for what it’s worth.
Just take a look at your previous posts – this one is totally out of character with what you’ve produced continually for weeks now.
Chris P: I really couldn’t give two hoots about you to be honest, but David: you’re onto something good here. I truly think you can take on The Blog Herald and The Blogging Times and come out on top.
You’ve had an impressive start – just keep on going, don’t fall for the easy snark – those days are over.
Thanks for the kind words, Martin. You get slightly peeved and then write me off as a human?
long memory Deuce ;-)
you start writing here that’s one less reader, mate.
Easy Martin.
Hilarious! :-)
You guys need to lighten up.
I liked the post. I don’t think it was ‘mean’ or anything, it was clearly a joke for crying out loud.
David: I’m as easy as they come
Nothing quite like hanging somebody for past mistakes, is there?
Take a hike then, mate.
Already have my hiking boots on, dude.
Jesus. Does this shit still happen?
Hahahaa.
barry, cheers.
Anytime, man.