But will they fall? Technology news junkies saw the coverage around the Open Source Media project. The launch was handled deftly by Voce Communications. The AP reports that OSM:
will seek to blend traditional journalism with the freeform commentary developed through the emerging Web format known as blogs.
Some 70 Web journalists, including Instapundit's Glenn Reynolds and David Corn, Washington editor of the Nation magazine, have agreed to participate in OSM. It will link to individual blog postings and highlight the best contributions, chosen by OSM editors, in a special section.
One “small” problem, there is already a popular radio program called Open Source Media. Anyone with access to Google can tell you this. The radio show details the back and forth the organizations have had over this naming gaffe, elevating it to meme status pretty quickly. Dan Gillmor analyses the situation in his Odd Start for Open Source Media post. Jeff Jarvis' sound advice is to admit the mistake, rename and move on (QUICKLY).
Pajamas Media should announce online this very weekend that they are working on a new name and will announce it a week from Monday. Why? It…
- stops the "Pajamas Media screwed up" snowball from getting any/much bigger
- builds anticipation for the new name (so it better be original and not suck)
- allows Pajamas Media to build on the impressive coverage they've had to date
- establishes credibility and good will for doing the right thing.
When companies realize they lose control over the message in the blogosphere, they get scared and tend to make a bad situation worse. What companies don’t realize is that, while you lose control over the message in the blogosphere, you gain the freedom to screw up. Bloggers forgive, even reward, honest companies and vilify ones that backpedal or try and do anything other than the right thing.
If Pajamas Media is "open" about this poor naming choice, I predict they'll become the cat's pajamas. If not, they'll simply be remembered as, drum roll..."Doph! en" Source Media. <rim shot> Sorry.
tags: Open Source Media, Pajamas Media, blog, Dan Gillmor, Jeff Jarvis
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