100 Replies to “Expect Changes at Mzinga”

  1. I consider this absolute rumor-mongering.

    Posting unverified FUD onto the internet AS AN ANALYST is irresponsible. If you wanted to privately alert your clients via e-mail, v-mail, etc you could. This, instead, seems intended to raise your profile. To do something this way demonstrates the immaturity of this medium and, IMHO, of you.

    You’re a bloody analyst! Telling the world to stall deals until YOU can comment on Monday? Give it a break, mate.

  2. “I strongly recommend that any Mzinga clients or prospects stall any additional movement till they brief me next Monday.”

    Jeremiah, why post such a ridiculous statement that is based solely on Twitter rumors (that you pretty much started in the first place).

    Way to go.

  3. Jeremiah, i follow your blog and tweets with interest and you have provided excellent insight but I found this post pretty irresponsible and if I am honest, I would question your motivations. For example, why state:

    “…Why this post? It™s my obligation to have my clients best interest in mind, and this is the fastest way for me to reach them, by using the tools where we™re already connected.”

    I have clients and I can reach them very quickly without making my thoughts public. And to advise people to put things on hold whilst you find out what is happening also makes me question what role you want to play through your blog.

  4. I agree with the Peter (and Edw3rd) who posted above. This doesn’t reflect well on you, Jeremiah. It’s a HUGE deal to tell clients/prospects to back off of buying, without any facts that warrant saying that. It reeks of you somehow trying to “punish” Mzinga for not getting in touch with you earlier. As I said, it reflects really badly on you as an analyst.

  6. I also question your motivations, Jeremiah. What you posted is all but slander.

  8. “It™s interesting to note, that if I don™t hear from the company themselves, others will tell me, resulting in my asking questions in public.”

    … I feel like I’m in high school all over again.

  9. I am thinking about going on Twitter and spreading a rumour that Forrester analyst @jowjang is in trouble and owes Mzinga an apology otherwise he will face a reprimand from his employer. I might even advise that all his clients dont speak to him until we have all investigated the motivations behind his actions. It would be pretty irresponsible of me to do this though, wouldn’t it?

    Admit you were wrong to post this rumour, make your apology and we can all move on.

  11. This doesn’t sound like Jeremiah “reaching out to his clients as quickly as possible”, this sounds more like Jeremiah taking punitive measures against Mzinga for not including him in their business decision making process.

    Was he denied a consulting gig or something?

  12. “This wasn™t the reaction I was expecting”

    What type of reaction were you expecting?

  13. I have to say that it is incredible that an analyst that is supposed to be “fair and balanced” is spreading rumors and speculation on the web – in “Twitterverse”. Whether the rumors and speculation is correct or not is beside the point. This is not something that I would have expected out of someone that works for Forrester, but I guess that now we know where their priorities stand.
    An apology is the least thing that can come out of this situation. Maybe you should take some classes in how to become a writer for the National Enquirer – oh, then again, it looks that you already have. Do you have any photos that you can doctor up?

  14. Edw3rd and Peter hit it right on the money. You are acting way above your pay grade. More Junior Analyst than not. And you’ve fed right into the perception most of us have with Analysts. Go get some more business experience.

  15. Jeremiah, I think this just proves that you are like many people on Twitter right now, out to preach for your own sake / good. You’ve crossed the line of responsible journalism and I believe the responsible thing would be to apologize. It is clear the company rep wanted to discuss this offline via DM with you. Just because you didn’t get a response does not / did not merit your Twitter post.

    It’s just WRONG, in my opinion. Wrong use of forum/Twitter. What is wrong with email?

    I feel sorry for this company and honestly will use this as an example of how this self annointeds on Twitter can be dangerous to your company’s health. Shame on you, I think it’s an abuse of power.

  16. Umm,

    I’m still waiting for an apology? Regardless of who you favor as a provider in the social media space, Jeremiah and perhaps Forrester have shown their true colors here.

    I had always assumed, that an Analysis was different from “The Media”. By the very definition of the word, I suspected an analyst to “analyze” the data before posting findings. (You know analyze = http://thesaurus.reference.com/browse/analyze, my personal favorite being “think through”)

    Instead, you’ve chosen to pander to the quick story for “hits”. This is something I might expect to see on Mashable or Tech Crunch but here? In the presence of intelligent contributors, and thinkers?

    Come on…. man up and be accountable.

  17. Big oversight to drop a communication such as this into the market place. Facts not fiction should be the mantra of these communications. Thats our strength – we can communicate the truth quicker than any other medium. This sort of statement damages the reputation of our on-line communities, does damage to Mzinga and clearly does damage to you Jeremiah. I note your later comment about “I’m thinking this over…”. Thinking what over? Apologize now, on-line and in person to Mzinga and even more so to the people that work there!

  19. So glad that you’ve shown your real colors. It’s a shame when so many within this nascent industry count on real research and data to make informed buying decisions. If I were your boss at Forrester, I’d can your ass!

  20. he is busy moderating another expert panel of social media experts at a social media expert conference

  21. The silence on jowyang’s tweets is deafening.

    With respect to the company, I am glad the rest of the Twitterverse knew where to go for the reprimand – this blog – and not Twitter.

    Just goes to show that despite all the technology – it’s still human beings behind a monitor and keyboard. And human beings make mistakes.

    I expect a long deafening silence and a Time Out..and a clarification/apology.

  22. I hate to pile on (again) here, but this incident really needs to become a poster child example of the dangers of our cherished new media. Analyst shoots without thinking (perhaps in a power-strutting fit of pique over being supposedly slighted), then seemingly wants to take time to “think it over” instead of issuing an instant, real-time abject apology. Live by the sword, die by the sword, in other words.

    The more time that elapses as he moderates the “expert panel of experts”, failing to respond further and/or to apologize, the deeper the damage.

    We really all should take a lesson from this.

  23. J, wow – I think you clearly overstepped here. Even if all true – its not your role to act as a “Reporter” with a hot story and break the news.

    We compete very vigorously with Mzinga – its a fair market – this is not fair at all.

  24. I will definitely be using you as a case study during my presentations of how not to use social media. I’d love to be a fly on the wall at Forrester.

  25. I’m really outraged at J’s irresponsible post. Fortunately my fellow citizens have made most of my points for me. The damage you did to Mzinga’s customers, partners and employees is very bothersome, especially without even talking to Mzinga. I would love to understand your motives. I also compete with Mzinga but all it takes is 4 anonymous sources and my company would face similar circumstances. We’re in a small emerging industry and what is done to one is done to all.

  26. I believe Forrester does have policy but Jeremiah may have forgotten his place in all the hoopla at sxsw. (in less than 140 characters – the guy thought his words were dogma). In fact, if you look at his previous Tweet posts, he mentioned about being a consultant versus an employee.

    I think he may have seriously damaged his reputation and on all things SM related – I don’t think you can reinvent yourself. Don’t forget this blog is Jeremiah’s and not Forrester’s.

    Sorry, JKO but a short mea culpa on here isn’t enough.

    btw, he was already introducing a new Twitter person from Forrester today. A ghostwriter, perhaps?

    Ah…the wonders of the interweb!

    You are right..this is the poster child how NOT to socialize in this medium. FAIL!

  27. MJ ~ “Don™t forget this blog is Jeremiah™s and not Forrester™s.”

    I would agree with this… but I think Jeremiah was acting as a Forrester employee when he made the following statement:

    “I strongly recommend that any Mzinga clients or prospects stall any additional movement till they brief me next Monday.”

    Clearly, he was making a recommendation as a Forrestor employee to his clients.

    I agree with others, he should be fired for this tasteless article.

    Sleep well, my friend.

  28. “I promise to be fair and balanced in my coverage towards Mzinga “yet with the interest of buyers and brands foremost”.

    Uhhmmm… after I tell you to stall. Because I am king of the world!!

    NOT!!

  30. I have to say, what an odd piece of apologia from jon burg above.

    This is **of course** a Forrester blog (and twitstream). JKO’s profile on Twitter says, at the top, “Currently employed as Senior Analyst, Social Computing, Forrester Research”. His blog identifies him, right under his picture, as ”
    Senior Analyst, Forrester Research, Social Computing”. And finally, this very post talks about “my recent Wave” (i.e., a Forrester product), and speaks several times of “my clients”. I really doubt he’s talking about his own personal consulting clients.

    You simply can’t separate JKO himself away from his Forrester role when he comments on social media, in **any** forum (Twitter, blog, SXSW panels, whatever). Even if you don’t know or understand that, he should. And he obviously does indeed, in that he attempted to leverage his Forrester “bully pulpit” perceived power through this amazingly hamfisted strong-arm approach to Mzinga, simply because they didn’t call him back quickly enough.

    As for JKO’s effort to block sales this week for Mzinga, yes, that sort of thing can very well be “cataclysmic” to a small company. It doesn’t take much to get a groundswell of rumor and innuendo to take on its own life. And it’s always the case that “bad news goes on page 1, retraction on page 29.” So come on. Don’t minimize the potential damage here.

    And no, we’re commenting not because we “love Jeremiah,” but because we see a **serious** and very disturbing error of judgment and professionalism here. Make no mistake about that. I’d have to agree with those who have labeled this a dismissible offense, especially with no apology having been issued.

  31. Jeremiah –

    I am deeply disappointed in your lack of leadership and professionalism here. You have stepped past the line as an analyst by a long mile in my opinion and experience.

    You can’t be an analyst at a leading firm by day and a radical blogger at night and think the two voices can be autonomous (hmmm….this post was done during working hours, right?)

    Also, shame on Forrester Research for not giving you ethical and legal training that might have avoided this damaging post.

    @Jon Burg – two things:
    1) people are not commenting here because “they love you Jeremiah.” They are commenting because they are offended and pissed. There is a big difference.
    2) disagree with your 4th point. They are not distinct, separate black and white worlds.

  32. Arvind – Im glad you’re impressed. These comments ARE productive. Consensus is that people are upset because a rogue arrogant analyst crossed the line in this emerging medium. Let them speak. You’re entitled to your opinion – or not.

    Doing NOTHING is worse. If you don’t vote, you don’t get an opinion. You know the saying.

    I’ve got to say – the title of this blog “Web Strategy” is quite apropos. Piss ’em off in a forum and get at least 49 or so people to comment on your blog. If that was the motive – it sure works. This is, after all..the gist behind the New Media phonomenon!

    What also works is that folks (like you, like me) are not neophytes in social media. We may not be Senior Analysts but give us more credit.

    Now let’s all try and fix this mistake – somehow.

  33. This is a case study of the worst social media has to offer (Jeremiah’s desire to flex in a public forum) and the best social media has to offer (the reaction of the masses). Several lessons to be learned here, curious to see Jeremiah’s positioning.

  34. After reading that “apology”, it wreaks of:

    “I have been asked by my employer to write something, but do not believe that I an in the wrong”.

  35. ENOUGH already. It is clear to me that this post was an attempt to protect his customers from potential problems. This was not posted out of spite, but in fact from an apparently deep concern for the future of Jeremiah’s clients.

    Intentions should matter. We should be a little more understanding and forgiving; Jeremiah is only human. We are all human. This type of ‘mob’ behavior demonstrates that fact completely.

    How many have to join in to pubicly criticize one of our own before this madness ends? This space is for learning and feedback, but this was way overboard. Talk about intimidation…

  36. I can’t be bothered to write this post, because it will benefit no one that reads it, yet it will, and please do think about that point.

  37. Wow. Jeremiah stepped in it big time, and then tried to wipe it off his foot with a single tissue, only because he *thought* he *ought* to, not because he really believed he stepped in it. As someone else said, it merely (for some of us) confirms our view of analysts (shouldn’t that be 2 words? 🙂 )

    A tin ear, and zero actual real-world business experience. Mzinga would, I believe, have a *strong* legal case against both Forrester and Jeremiah for this posting.

    Remember, the proper order is “Think, write, THINK AGAIN, post.” Not “Write, post, maybe think, ‘apologize'”

  38. A NYT or WSJ reporter quotes a source after he/she calls for the other side of the story. You have safe harbor if you quote your source with an absence of malice. None of the posts mention the L word, but you can bet the L word in on everyone’s minds. The L word is lambchop.

  39. While I feel (somewhat) sorry for Mzinga, I have to laugh at the comments here. What is wrong with you people? Jeremiah is a poseur and always has been.

    He takes a simple, obvious idea that other people have thought of and states it (and in mangled grammar, at that, as someone pointed out above). I met JO briefly just after he left PodTech and he tried to worm his way onto a panel he was not invited to be on. At that time, I made the decision to steer clear of him because I could tell he was all smoke and mirrors.

    A couple of months after that, he wrote a blog post once where he used language that gave the impression that he had created something that in fact, *I* had built. But he managed to make himself look responsible.

    Those are the only two “interactions” we’ve ever had (and one was really just me reading about something on his blog), but they were enough to turn my stomach.

    Which is better? To spout platitudes and hyperbole? Or to teach your clients to think about things in a way that empowers THEM to have the insights needed to engage their communities.

    I am a social media consultant. I have developed successful, substantive content for my clients. The result is that you can find a lot more about my clients online than you can about me. THAT is the way it should be.

    But JO and his buddies in the echo-chamber are so busy blowing themselves and each other (see the first comment) that they have fooled themselves into thinking they matter.

    Wake-up people: the only mistake JO made was in being too obvious with his usual poseur M.O. Finally a little transparency around here!

    The more relevant mistakes, sadly, were made by Mzinga and Forrester.

  40. Does captain arrogant the analyst expose himself to any legal liability by this musing??

  41. Francois, me thinks this sounds all too familiar now. PR firms and analysts are the NEW financial analysts and hedge fund managers. Who can we really believe these days?

    While JO posted a succinctly worded apology, it was not nearly ‘remorseful’ – he will let time heal this wound and will hope it gets buried in the sand (tweets).

    I have alerted several corporations about the need to publish Corporate Social Media guidelines which very clearly states that ”when you get on FB or Twitter or whereever” on company time, you are subject to blah blah blah.

    I clearly expect this to be a very good example for the case. Perhaps for that, we should thanks Jeremiah.

  42. This is the price of a very narcissistic occupation. I do not feel one ounce of ‘sorry’ for Jeremiah. From what I see, Forrester is leading the charge among research firms – to tarnish the value of quality research in a social media world.

    In fact, Jeremiah is not the only analyst at Forrester to engage in such poor, immature, inexcusable behavior (via blog, twitter, etc.).

    Merv Adrian (a former Forrester analyst) is starting a great discussion on this issue in a blog post titled: “Analyst Bloggers – Threat or Menace?” http://mervadrian.wordpress.com/2009/03/19/analyst-bloggers-threat-or-menace/#comments

    When will Forrester management realize that their brand is greater than that of any individual analyst? This behavior is a slap in the face of ‘research’ and will continue to hurt Forrester in the long run unless they take serious and immediate action to govern how their analysts use personal blogs for conducting and syndicating ‘so called research’ outside of traditional research processes. Totally inexcusable and I hold Forrester management more accountable than any analyst – because they SHOULD KNOW BETTER. They have been conveniently ignoring these issues for months.

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