AGORACOM Small-cap Investor Relations Blog

Stephen Colbert is the funniest thing on TV since Johnny Carson. His combination of humour and pranks is second to none, including being banned by Wikipedia and affecting the outcome of online polls in small European countries (links within the main story below). 

His latest feat was to game Google by engaging in “Google Bombing” so that he would rank first for search results of “giant brass balls“.  Rather than explaining it all, I’ll let you read about it here because my real point to this post – besides givingyou some great weekend funny reading – is the fact that any concerted group of average people can still outsmart the most sophisticated algorithms and systems.  One can argue that Stephen Colbert is a rare example because he hosts a very popular show with millions of viewers – but here are a couple of examples of gaming the Google system by ordinary netizens.

Colbert’s Google bombing was both funny and an eye opener.  Hopefully most future cases will continue to be motivated by the need to make the rest of us laugh.

Best,
George

I have to chime in on the Don Imus controversy because it is a topic that we have to deal with at AGORACOM every so often.  Specifically, the issue of free speech.

My position on this matter is clear as day. People can say what they want, when they want but not necessarily where they want.  In the case of Imus, he can launch www.nappyheadedhoes.com and go to town on the topic all day long. You may not read it, you may not agree with it, the world may hate it and the government might prefer people like him evaporated off the face of the earth.  However, the right to free speech means he can’t be shut down by anybody.

On the other hand, when you work for a network that strives to earn a profit, that network has the unfettered right to fire you for any such comments. Why? Networks don’t guarantee free speech.  Only the government does.  Networks only obligation is to shareholders and when advertisers started pulling their dollars, they correctly showed Imus the door. 

Make no mistake about it, if advertisers weren’t pulling their ads, Imus would be on the air the day after his two-week suspension was done.  Corporations need to pay their bills and create shareholder value.  Social agendas are a diiiiisssstaaaaant second.

Hence, why AGORACOM retains the right to terminate any member at any time for breaking any of our 6 rules of use.  We’re here to provide a great service for the majority of investors and small-cap public companies that want to engage in constructive two-way dialogue – including constructive criticism.  But if you’re going to come online and cause problems, you’re expendable.

CBS, MSNBC and other corporations through time have proven this on several occasions. 

Paul Kedrosky has an interesting slant but I don’t agree that the lesson here is the digital trail of all your views and comments. Had Imus made the comments weeks or months back and they came back to haunt him today, it would hold true but this was done with lightning speed.

Mark Cuban looks at it from a strict dollars and sense point of view.

Regards,
George