Update: Rick Calvert of BlogWorldExpo is laying the blame for Mike Arrington not appearing at his own feet. In this lengthy entry, Rick says there was a miscommunication in e-mails, and he gave Michael the wrong date. Mike had every intention of appearing, and even offered to fly in Friday morning.
Good enough for me. Rick seems like a straightforward guy, and states clearly that the problem was his, not Michael. But then Michael writes at CrunchNotes that he never agreed to attend, and normally doesn't go to conferences, and we should all back off the criticism. Yes, he's busy, but the excuse is still a bit thin. The answer basically comes to, this wasn't important to me, so I didn't worry about it. That's a fair statement - he's running a business and can't afford to follow up with every person who wants to hear from him. Basically - bloggers aren't important, his business is.
And that's his right, but if he wonders why people jump all over him, then he needs to spend a bit more time hanging around bloggers. The story was out - it gets corrected, and people who jump to conclusions are shamed. Welcome to the world of immediate reporting. I imagine there are several hundred CEO's who feel the same way about information reported on TechCrunch. The truth is we heard "I forgot," and responded. It was a story - a big one if it was true.
The bigger question is why bloggers should hold up Michael Arrington as an industry leader if he clearly doesn't want to be. He got his fame and money not just by working hard, but as a result of his readers. When he decides that he owes nothing to the blogosphere, either in terms of explanation or in showing up to key events, he shouldn't be surprised if he takes a few hits. Blogs got big because the public wanted information from people who weren't arrogant elites. As we grow in size and influence, if we don't self-police, how are we different than the regular media?
A blogger, especially one who owes their career to the blogosphere, should know that. So point taken, Michael. You don't speak at conferences. No one has the right to ask you to be a leader, or to give a damn about new media. We get your message loud and clear.
End Update:
I was in the Cult of Blogging presentation this morning. Leo LaPorte was there, and Justine from iJustine. Om Malik and Michael Arrington were not.
Om had a good excuse – he hurt his back. I’ve done that, and completely understand. But the reason we heard about Michael Arrington of TechCrunch, that he just “forgot,” is really kind of lame.
But Michael – he’s one of us. He’s a blogger who made good, and has built a useful and profitable site. For him to blow us off, if that is what happened, is unacceptable. Michael, I may just be a little blogger, but I want to know why you failed to show. If you attended the conference, and feel the same way, please write a post and let me know about it. We have to hold industry leaders accountable.
Other links: Jeremiah, Chris Brogan, Allen Stern.
