Business Blog: Hoover’s Business Insight Zone

Folks, my apologies that posting has been a little thin here this week. Partly this is because I’m writing a series of very different posts that I hope will rock your world, change the way you look at absolutely everything, achieve lasting world peace, and find the cure for the common pop song.

But mostly, as my pal James Governor explains, it’s because I’ve been commenting up a storm on other blogs — more than 50 comments between Monday morning and now (Friday, just after lunch). Probably I won’t achieve my goal of 100 comments by the end of the week, but the process of making this many comments has been illuminating.

Why did I do this?

I’ll be honest with you and say that I started from selfish motives: I want more people — many more — to comment here. What I love most about blogging (even more than the unbridled self-expression!) is the opportunity to start conversations about topics that interest me. I’m endlessly fascinated to see where other people take the ideas presented here; it’s a wonderful way for me to think through issues from many angles and to learn things that I could not have learned any other way.

Along the way, though, I realized that the process of leaving comments makes me think better and writer better. It’s a challenge to contribute to a discussion in just a few sentences — but a challenge well worth taking up.

What have I learned?

1. It takes time to make a good comment, even for a fluent (read: hopelessly glib) writer like me. I respect the effort it takes.
2. Notwithstanding #1, I comment better when I worry about my comments less — or, in other words, when I just let ‘er rip. Yeah, I try to make sure that I’ve actually understood what the blogger is saying, and I try to say something that moves the conversation in an interesting direction. But it’s okay to move the conversation one millimeter in an interesting direction, or even just to tell the blogger that you understand or agree with what they’re saying.

Your take-home lesson:

Please never feel any pressure to comment here, because I know that it takes effort. But please also feel free to tell me what you’re thinking, even if it’s as simple as saying, “In my experience, it doesn’t work this way when you work in sales” or “I like this idea. I’m going to see if I can use it at work.” Anything like this is encouragement to a blogger like me who (a) wants to help but (b) sometimes wonders how much impact his words have.

It’s also an important corrective when I get too full of myself on a given topic. Or, you know, when I’m just plain wrong. So feel free to educate me.

Stay tuned . . .

Coming up later: some of the highlights — both blog posts and my reactions — from my week of heavy-duty commenting.

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(Picture of House of Commons debate courtesy of the UK Parliament.)

Like a moron, I deleted a legitimate comment last night. Sheila Scarborough commented on my post about her post from the other day, but in my frenzy to delete spam comments, I hit the wrong button on her comment, too. And — so far, at least — I haven’t figured out any way to retrieve such mistakes in the new version of WordPress. C’est la vie, I guess. It’s my own fault for moderating comments while bleary-eyed.

Anyhoo, thinking about all this reminds me to put up one of those write-it-now-for-future-reference posts, on the topic of . . . Comment moderation.

Here’s the basic principle:

Be Nice.

That’s pretty much it.

You don’t have to agree with me or with other commenters, you don’t have to accept my basic premises, you don’t have to toe any particular line — except to be civil.

By the way, I hold myself to the same standard, so I hope you’ll never find me being catty or rude or tendentious in a comment. If I ever stumble in that regard, feel free to bring it to my attention.

One more key thing to keep in mind, even though it’s never been a problem to date: if push comes to shove, yours truly is the sole arbiter for determining which comments meet or violate the basic principle. Don’t fret, now — my standards are quite broad, I have a thick skin for criticism, and I relish debate. But, just so you know, this blog ain’t a democracy.

Okay, that’s all. Fire away — in this comment thread or any other!

. . . as I clean up the categories on this blog. (You can see the over-long list of them in the sidebar.)

My goals are (1) fewer, simpler categories that address specific industries; and (2) better, more accurate categories to contain the (many) posts here on broader issues that affect the business world and our individual working lives.

We also had some tech problem over the past two days that kept me from making new posts, but I think they’ve all been resolved.

Your suggestions or comments on these things — as on everything else! — are welcome.

Folks — I’ve been having some problems with the spam filter on this blog. These “some problems” center around the filter being much, much too aggressive in denying perfectly innocent comments.

So . . . if you’re having problems with your comments not appearing, please just drop me a line* to let me know.

Cheerio for now.

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* How? Use “twalker”, then the AT-symbol we all know so well, then “hoovers” . . . you get the idea.

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Tim Walker has covered several industries, especially electronics
manufacturing, heavy industry, and international banking, since coming
to Hoover’s in 2000. He has also been a commentator in other venues,
including BusinessWeek, CNBC’s “Morning Call” program, and local
television. Walker, who lives in Austin with his wife and children,
holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Texas, where
he was a Dedman Scholar, and a master’s degree in history from the
University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where he was a Rotary Scholar.
He is now a doctoral student in U.S. history at the University of Texas.
Walker has published more than 100 essays, profiles, and reviews in
periodicals including the Austin Chronicle and the Austin
American-Statesman. An experienced public speaker and teacher, Walker
has also led training sessions on workplace productivity for Hoover’s
and other organizations.