The echo chamber can be bad for you
With blogging there are different niches created by people will similar interests. Ideas, thoughts, and discussion reverberate throughout these niches like sound waves bounce off walls. The thoughts, discussions and ideas floating across the internet in these niches do not have to be valid, sound or even logical in the long term because the people echoing the thoughts are not necessarily qualified or experienced enough to validate the thoughts, discussions and ideas. This is why popularity in the echo chamber can be devastating - or a serious wakeup call when the person steps outside the echo chamber. The illusion of grandeur doesn’t make it true.
Popularity for the right reasons
There is a teenage girl named Kristina that likes to sing. She creates YouTube videos of her singing. She has almost 7000 subscribers on YouTube and 15K friends on MySpace.
Except she can’t hold a note. If you read the comments on her MySpace page you’ll see things like:
“I don’t think I actually know a more talented person than you, Tina.”
“damnnnnnnn you’re a hotttttttttttie!!!!!”
“hey tina! I really dont understand how you could possibly be single!?! are you lying to us?? if not, lets go out sometime.”
But she has fans! The truth: she’s amusing to watch. Her delusion on being a singer one day is puzzling to the point of being fascinating. Her defense to the people who comment on her singing is that they are jealous of her. She’s just making videos, she’s not hurting anyone but if she seriously thinks because she has fans that she shouldn’t take some singing lessons to improve her voice then she is hurting herself.
That’s what happens in online with bloggers - they begin to believe the hype the echo chamber spits out.
Are you like Tina?
Don’t get me wrong - I wish Tina the best but sometimes what we want and what we have the ability to do are two different things. Just as the echo chamber can give a false impression of popularity, validity in the niche, expertise, etc. stepping out the echo chamber can result in a bitch-slap. If you notice Tina has comments off on her videos - because that would result in her stepping outside the echo chamber. The minute she opens comments the negative comments pour in, kind-hearted people try to explain to her that she could use some singing lessons, or that people are laughing at her…but her mind is closed and her closed mind could cripple her from improving. Especially since she has 22K people following her that can make it easier for her to believe she is better than she is.
You know, deep down, if you’re like Tina. The question: do you have the balls to admit it?
Related posts:
Emo Says:
Oh sweet jesus. holy christ. I can’t stop watching. I have to show this to my boss. Oh god.
Posted on June 11th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Bobbi Says:
Thank you Tyme. I was having a bad day and this lifted my spirits. Which it shouldn’t because she is a terrible singer. Watching her jerk around and listening to her miss every note made me laugh. I understand your point, that’s not the reaction she’s shooting for.
Posted on June 11th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Foreman Says:
The echo chamber has people thinking they are experts just like this girl thinks she can sing. Her gestures and movements are funny, like when she thinks she’s nailing a part of the song.
Posted on June 11th, 2008 at 9:27 am
Arlene Says:
3 minutes in she really shows off her talents.
Posted on June 11th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Margie D. Says:
At first I thought something was medically wrong with her but she’s a normal kid. She edited her MySpace picture putting her face on another woman’s body. She delusional about singing. She’s an entertainer but it seems like she sees herself as someone who has a nice voice.
I have sub-boss that is a terrible manager. He was promoted because of seniority. He says he sucks at management, he expects us to complete tasks on time but he has yet to do it himself, he admits he sucks at management but holds the position because of seniority. Somewhere along the way, even though he sucks, he’s convinced himself he earned it. Earning it would mean he’s good at managing people not getting something by default because he was employed with the company.
Posted on June 11th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Jia Says:
Those videos could stop her from getting into college, being taken seriously in her career, stop her from getting a job, stop a boy that might like her as a person from asking her out. I can think of a number of reasons why those videos are damaging. If she thought she was an entertainer and meant to be an awful singer she’d be great. Looking at her stuff she thinks she’s talented as a singer, her haters are jealous and unless everyone on MySpace is nice she deletes comments that are truthful about her singing.
Posted on June 11th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Felix Says:
LMAO classic. Point well taken.
Posted on June 11th, 2008 at 11:39 am
Big Daddy Says:
I confess, I watched it at least 5 times. When I noticed she points her fingers when she thinks she doing well on a part cracked me up. I think she knows she’s bad but because people egg her on, she can pretend she isn’t.
That Chris guy who is popular on the internet. All he does is listen to what people say and resay what they said. How does that make him an expert or worse qualified in web 2.0?
Posted on June 11th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Jermaine D. Says:
So much for me going to karaoke this weekend. If she looks at her videos she knows she can’t sing.
Chris Brogan? I vaguely remember looking at his web site, the article on the front page of his site said something about him going back to school to legitimize himself. I never paid attention to what said since.
Posted on June 11th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Hailey Madison Says:
She’s very serious at the end. “I hope you guys like that”. Tyme I think it is a person’s desire to want to be a part of something or everything that causes people to ignore their weaknesses. As Jia pointed out she’s not hurting anyone else but she’s probably hurting herself because she won’t keep her mouth shut.
“I have sub-boss that is a terrible manager. He was promoted because of seniority. He says he sucks at management, he expects us to complete tasks on time but he has yet to do it himself, he admits he sucks at management but holds the position because of seniority.”
I HATE that! God forbid a person passes on the money to do the right thing. Or better - PAY OUT THAT MONEY TO THE EMPLOYEES CARRYING THEIR ASSES.
Posted on June 11th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Felix Says:
“I HATE that! God forbid a person passes on the money to do the right thing. Or better - PAY OUT THAT MONEY TO THE EMPLOYEES CARRYING THEIR ASSES.”
Prints this out to place a copy on some desks.
Posted on June 11th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Emo Says:
Me too man, me too. Does anyone take Chris Brogan seriously? Or that professional blogger dude, I can’t remember his name. Who falls for the “I’m going to share with you exactly how I got rich” bullshit?
Posted on June 11th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Megan Says:
Thank a lot Tyme. I laughed loudly at work, my boss wondered what I was laughing at. Am I the only one that see a strong resemblance to Miss Piggy?
Posted on June 11th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Tyme White Says:
Megan: no, people have drawn that similarity.
Hailey: that happens with corporate. Company bumps up the employee to avoid a problem. Seniority based policies aren’t efficient nor effective. Good luck for you (and anyone else going through it).
Jia: They sure could because they are all over the internet. Even if she disables her YouTube account they are scattered.
Posted on June 11th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Enlighten Me Says:
About 1/2 in my co-worker in the next cubicle had to come over and watch. She couldn’t imagine what I was looking at. Did you read her profile? She really believes she’s a good singer. Do her parents know she makes videos?
Posted on June 11th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Kelly! Says:
Hi Tyme! Great meeting you today. I LOVED the points you made. I googled you and found your blog!
I didn’t think of the echo chamber having harmful effects. Just as you made your points earlier this is definitely something to consider. I’ll check back with you after I think about this more. Maybe we can get together for a chat?
Posted on June 11th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Jaheim Says:
Tyme the video drove your point home. It’s perfect to describe the fake popularity circles on the internet. Seeing people with thousands of Twitter followers doesn’t vouch for their goodness.
As you pointed out she closed comments so she knows she’s bad. As a man, I wouldn’t touch her even if she was gorgeous (and a adult) because she’s stubborn but not realistic. I feel for any boy she gets a crush on.
Posted on June 11th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Dale Says:
The cheeks make her look like Miss Piggy.
“Does anyone take Chris Brogan seriously? Or that professional blogger dude, I can’t remember his name. Who falls for the “I’m going to share with you exactly how I got rich” bullshit?”
A lot of stupid people.
Posted on June 11th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Preston Says:
Singing and dancing lessons. Is she a good writer?
Posted on June 11th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Marquee Says:
Tina reminds me of someone that writes on your other sites I wish I could block or avoid. Every time I read something he writes it angers me, usually because it is stupid fanboy stuff. How many times does he have to be reminded of his fanboy-ism(?). He’s Tina, except he’s a blogger. Delusional.
Posted on June 13th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Snoopy Says:
Snoopy whispers to Marquee that some things are silent observed but not spoken aloud.
For what it is worth, I agree. Stick with what you do best and public chat isn’t it.
Posted on June 13th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Greg Vendas Says:
Snorts while laughing. It didn’t take me long. He’s more emotional that a girl. He’s lucky no one really knows about him and the people that do tolerate him because of his talent with his day job. Writing and business aren’t his areas but if he doesn’t learn to shut up, he’ll end up getting torn up.
Posted on June 13th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Dwayne Says:
I’m subscribed to the comments and I laughed. The video of the day: Stupidity - isn’t it appropriate?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZT5iQU0Y8_k
1min 20sec in sums up this conversation nicely.
Posted on June 13th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Snoopy Says:
“He’s lucky no one really knows about him and the people that do tolerate him because of his talent with his day job. ”
Imagine if that web guy with the ugly green site got to him. I can’t remember his name. Or the puppet guy. He’s worse than Brogan. He’ll learn a lesson the fucked part is he’ll bring people down with him. Talk about selfish. In corporate that would never happen. I just gave corporate a compliment.
Posted on June 13th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Greg Vendas Says:
He’s never had his own success. Unless I’m mistaken someone else’s success got him to where he is now. I believe that is the problem. His friend needs to boot his ass out of the nest for a bit and let him create his own success from the ground up. Something he’s always wanted to do. He’s always talking about programming so it’s got to be something. He’d learn through experience when to be quiet, stop being a fanboy, and learn about business. When he talks about business its horrible, just like Phil said in his video, which is funny btw. Thanks for the link Dwayne.
Posted on June 13th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Megan Says:
Thank you Greg. I didn’t know who Marquee was talking about until your last comment. I miss the forums, I could send a private message and ask.
I absolutely agree with the assessments and it is unlikely we are the only ones that think this way. The reaction to what he says, silence, proves it. People read, think what we are saying, and move on not saying anything at all. The responses are silence or corrections, not agreement unless it is how to make something for a technology device.
Posted on June 13th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Dwayne Says:
“He’s never had his own success. Unless I’m mistaken someone else’s success got him to where he is now. ”
Good point. I believe you are right. It would be very good for him to take the summer as a break and do something on his own. Maybe he won’t come off as cocky and opinionated.
On a side note, my geek contribution for the week. Look like Shel is doing some thinking. http://twitter.com/shelisrael/statuses/834320873
Going up to Tahoe in the morning, this time for a whole week. Got some issues to think through and some changes to contemplate.
Could it be like the other stupid guy he releases he sucks at video, is going to do what is best for Fast Company, and dragging on Scoble heels? Damn, the two are very similar aren’t they? I earned two geek points for that.
Posted on June 13th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Chris Says:
I hear you’re coming to Miami. I know you’re going to be busy. You got my email. I just want a hug and an autograph baby. If you’ve got time for dinner, I’m down for that too. ~
Posted on June 13th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Preston Says:
SOUTH BEACH!!!!! Sucks the Clevelander isn’t open.
Posted on June 14th, 2008 at 5:20 am
Marueen Says:
Tyme, make sure you go to the zoo. They have beautiful white tigers. I remember you like big cats!
Posted on June 14th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Stephanie Says:
“I absolutely agree with the assessments and it is unlikely we are the only ones that think this way. ”
We aren’t. In his community he is no longer well regarded. He’s the man that has talent but can’t get a job done on time. It was brought up months ago.
“On a side note, my geek contribution for the week. Look like Shel is doing some thinking. http://twitter.com/shelisrael/statuses/834320873”
I doubt it. He’s selfish. He watched his friend and a respected company be ripped to shreds over his admittedly shitty videos.
“He’s never had his own success. Unless I’m mistaken someone else’s success got him to where he is now. I believe that is the problem. His friend needs to boot his ass out of the nest for a bit and let him create his own success from the ground up.”
Very good suggestion but I doubt that would happen. It’s obvious he’s like Shel and puts his needs and wants over anyone else. If he wasn’t he’d shut up. And I hate his cocky attitude.
Posted on June 14th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Jia Says:
Tina is WELL aware she sucks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QWlLKZgHBc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIg_mKG8C10
Trying to be sexy. Damn shame.
I’m clueless on who you guys are talking about. I’ll figure it out later. I’ve got a date! Happy Saturday!
Posted on June 14th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Terence Says:
She asked if she was sexy, trying to show her breasts. If she was sexy. She has a temper. Do not say my videos suck! Or you are a whore!
Posted on June 14th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Peggy Dale Says:
I did some searching and she eventually apologizes for putting up the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IGJ-GqvAzk&feature=related
“Good point. I believe you are right. It would be very good for him to take the summer as a break and do something on his own. Maybe he won’t come off as cocky and opinionated.”
If you guys are discussing who I think you are (he’s been discussed here before recently) then I doubt it. What’s the difference between him and Tina? They both know they suck but won’t let it go.
Amazing how three selfish people wound up in this discussion. For some reason Shel is determined to do videos even when they suck. The trait all three people in these comments have is the balls to walk away from what they KNOW or ADMITTED they suck at.
Posted on June 15th, 2008 at 6:26 am
Gary West Says:
Imagine if that web guy with the ugly green site got to him. I can’t remember his name. Or the puppet guy. He’s worse than Brogan.
That’s the odd part. Realistically the team is unable to promote without asking for bad publicity while he is still part of the management team. No one will buy them or invest in them while he is part of the management team because his incompetence has become so obvious that anyone can see it. Why pay and have to remove him? He did an interview and contradicted what his partners were saying for months. He cannot use the excuse of not knowing because they did a stream where it was explained in detail. His botched site sale is still botched as his name is still on the site for June and the botched sale is blatant in comparison to how many sites his partner sold without flaws. 8/10 times he publishes something that should make his business partners cringe. His business reputation is terrible, talented but unable to meet deadlines throwing companies off target. He admits he is bad with business because it shows. Startling that he has not removed himself from the management team and I assume he is there because he is doing interviews and the website reflects this.
His partners coming to his rescue defending him only exemplifies how severe the problem is. When people like Herb from NextNewNetworks remove himself voluntarily, prior vice chairman of MTV, it exemplifies the problem of why he hasn’t voluntarily removed himself and I assume this since he is doing interviews and the sites reflect his status.
No one takes Tina seriously. No one takes Shel seriously. Unfortunately because of one person no one will take the team seriously. He has no one to blame but himself because his sole actions placed him in this situation. Perhaps he should try singing.
Posted on June 15th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Gary West Says:
Tina has lost control of her videos. People downloaded them and re-uploaded them to their accounts. Cartoons are being made of her. This comment was left: WOW she is fucking retarded, she will eventually commit suicide when she discovers that people are fcking laughing at her.
I hope that doesn’t happen.
Tyme, this editor is nice. Making a link is much easier. Thanks for adding it.
Posted on June 15th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Kitty Says:
Revision3 is killing up the video space. Gary Vaynerchuk moved his show over there. So did Epic Fu and Scoble. You Tube allows users to add their own ads.
Poor girl. Do her parents know what is going on?
Posted on June 15th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Purposely Anonymous Says:
nope, this site isn’t the only place this topic has come up. you’re late. no one named names yet some understood who is being discussed. same for twitter, blogs and friendfeed. he has been like this from the very beginning. he hasn’t changed, always has an excuse and cannot be trusted. he won’t reduce himself to just an owner. he only cares about himself. he’s still there right? he still screws up right? just like shel.
Posted on June 15th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Felix Says:
He’s hit mainstream.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/06/14/arrington-talks-yahoogooglemicrosoft-on-nbc/
I don’t believe I agree with him. On the news. They called him an analyst. I wonder if more people came to his website?
Posted on June 15th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Marquee Says:
nope, this site isn’t the only place this topic has come up. you’re late. no one named names yet some understood who is being discussed. same for twitter, blogs and friendfeed.
I can see how this can be true because people use it like IM. I don’t use Twitter but I follow my friends and some bloggers that I admire. Twitter is littered with people talking about other people and not naming names. Steve Gillmor refuses to use @ on Twitter. He could talk about someone and they’d never know it. He just talked about that.
http://twitter.com/stevegillmor/statuses/835016211
It makes sense this isn’t the only place it is being talked about.
Posted on June 16th, 2008 at 8:36 am
Emo Says:
This one still has comments open.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz_HbwHj-wY
I cannot explain why she thinks she can sing but she sincerely believes she can. She believes the people encouraging her to sing. Maybe it boosts her hope.
Shel knows he’s messed up and keeps on trying bringing everyone down with him. I think he’s run out of options now. Sometimes it is better to walk away and come back than wear your options out.
Posted on June 16th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Allison H. Says:
He was doing this mess over a year ago and has been talked about in many places. Someone brought up on the podcast site they recommended him for a job and it came out he never finished on time. Whoever recommended him looked like an idiot. Now I see why him and her don’t get along. Can you imagine what it must be like working with him? It also explains why she hasn’t moved. Fucked up how one person causes a snowball situation. What’s the big deal? He’d still be a partner.
Tina knows she is a terrible singer. I think because some people seem to enjoy watching her she just tries to cater to them. I’m not sure how she’ll handle it when she realizes they made a fool out of her.
Isn’t Vaynerchuk one of Viddler’s high-profile people? That’s the only time I remember they exist looking at his podcast.
Posted on June 16th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Andrea Says:
Her videos are terrible. One day she will look back and be mortified.
Posted on June 23rd, 2008 at 8:02 pm