The Mike Abundo Effect

Hugh MacLeod pretty much sums up how I feel about Facebook’s new “social ad platform“. I have no intention of giving out free product endorsements unless I actually feel like it. Facebook merely railroading my personal choice is not worth fifteen billion dollars. If I really, really want to bet my reputation on a product by telling you to buy it, I’ll take the time to blog it.

If Mark Zuckerberg thinks people will somehow feel “cooler” by spamming their friends, he’s deluded. When product recommendation engines work using aggregate data, they’re helpful. When product recommendations come as unauthorized personal endorsements, they’re exploitative.

So who do you think better represents Microsoft: Hugh MacLeod’s Blue Monster or Japanese otakus’ OS-tans?

Personally, I’d lock them up in the same room with a two-way mirror. Imagine the possibilities…

With top employee blogger Robert Scoble gone, Microsoft looks to top marketing blogger Hugh MacLeod for buzz and clue. Here they are interviewing him on blogging, marketing, and the Cluetrain.