Silicone Bitch: Gordon Ramsey of Kitchen Nightmares and ABC Bake Bistro Are All Reality TV Whores

Silicone Bitch has been quiet for a while, but she's coming back! We've got some really juicy stories on our editorial calendar.

Of recent interest is a social media publicity scandal involving an Arizona restaurant -- Amy’s Baking Company Bakery Boutique & Bistro -- whose Facebook page caught fire in a flame war involving public reaction to a reality TV show segment on Kitchen Nightmares.

Read the whole "alleged" story on Buzzfeed.

What puzzles me the most is that the general public, many of them commenters on Facebook, seemed to have tacitly accepted reality TV as "real," when we know that there is no such thing as reality TV.

Reality TV is highly fabricated, scripted, manipulated and edited to serve a particular agenda.  There are lights, cameras and microphones in your face, along with producers creating story lines on the spot to serve their own theme needs.  It might as well be fiction and the same is true of all documentary filmmaking, which really boils down to creative storytelling, even if it intends to tell the truth.

Have you ever heard about Heidenberg's Uncertainty Principle?  Well, you don't have to be a physicist to know that once you tell a story about something, it's being filtered through you. There is never any real transparency.  We are all dependent on our sense organs, which filter interpretation through a complex system mind-body-soul connection.  No message is ever unaffected by our observation of facts. It's impossible to be completely impartial.

And that's OK. It's just the limitations of our world. Always take everything, everything with a grain of salt. You might even question my own interpretation of all this. That's not really the point.

I love to believe in journalistic integrity that aims to be unbiased as possible -- it's the best we can do -- but if you're buying this "story," you're being duped.

Would you like to know what I saw in this video segment? Two restaurant owners being ripped a new asshole to serve Kitchen Nightmare's agenda and a woman desperately trying to defend her business -- with edited scenes making her appear like a bitch -- because Gordon Ramsey comes across as a mysoginst totalitarian Pope of all things culinary somehow.  And some husband, co-business owner who's too much of a pussy to do something about his allegedly demanding wife, who seems to be in complete denial of her crappy food production, never mind that the restaurant has allegedly been open for six years.

Now for all I know, this lady chef might be truly bat shit crazy, but that's not the point. And also, there's no crime against being a strong woman who runs a business.

I cry bullshit on all party sides -- but the story they fed us does make for good drama, doesn't it?

I mean: "kitchen that had some minor problems and we worked it out" doesn't make for good, riveting TV, does it?

And I'm not buying what's being posted on Facebook, either.

All's well that ends well, somehow. I might even call this a successful public relations ploy.  They did get some of the best negative publicity ever, even inspiring me to write about how fucked up this all is.  Isn't "the worst restaurant in the world run by some hysterical bitch" the first place you're going to visit Scottsdale now?

MORAL OF THE STORY

One of the drawbacks of social media is that we tend to jump over the cliff like lemmings, without fact checking and stopping to really examine.  Social media feeds us pilchards and we're like voracious tarpon, ready to have it shoved it down our gullets.  If we're going to be citizen journalists, then we should be responsible interpreters of that citizen journalism as well.

Shame on the Buzzfeed author as well for not looking at all sides of the story. Why not question it? Why not investigate who had access to that Facebook page's admin? Why not actually research what was claimed on the show? Do you just take a reality show's host word at face value?

Just think of the title, Kitchen Nightmares. They want to make us all think that there is in fact a nightmare, when there might be none at all.  Gordon Ramsey is out to produce a nightmare a priori over some fucking frozen ravioli and his bank account depends on it.

It's the world of reality TV folks, the most expertly manipulative form of storytelling humanity has ever known.

Cheers and bon appetit!

Silicone Bitch: Happy Blog Birthday, SxSe, 30-Day Blog Challenge and More!

Summer was rather slow for Silicone Bitch but the fall season is picking up to a nice pace.

Sex and the Beach celebrated its 5th anniversary in 2010. Where else but on Miami Beach? This month, the blog is seven years old. Maybe we'll throw another party at the decade mark. Photo by Liam Crotty.

FREE SEXUAL FAVORS

But before we get into the latest news, behold the beautiful graphic to the right. Miami New Times must love me long time, because they nominated Sex and the Beach plus my Twitter account for Web Awards!  You may recall that Silicone Bitch is an offshoot of the Silicon Beach column I used to pen for Riptide.  Well, I heart Miami New Times, too!

If you heart me and the exhilarating content I have been providing for donkey's ages, perhaps you'll kindly vote for me under the Miami, Art/Culture and Twitter (@vicequeenmaria) categories.

Thanks for the nominations, Miami New Times! I couldn't have asked for a better birthday gift, since Sex and the Beach celebrated its seventh anniversary on October 5th. (Funny, I forgot about it.)

SXSE

SxSe attendees none the worse for wear during Sunday's late breakfast in Key Largo.

A group of social media friends got together at the end of September for the 5th annual SxSe, South Florida's oldest continuing tweetup tradition and unconference. This year, the group consisted mostly of social media professionals, many of whom discussed the finer points of Google + and other topics while sipping cool cocktails under the palm trees.  South by Southeast just so happened to take place at the tail end of Social Media Week; however, the two events were unrelated.

Prior to the weekend, yours truly, @alexdc and @lisadsparks presented lectures on blogging for business, mobile marketing and email marketing, respectively.  The event?  The Florida Keys Digital Media Conference -- a first of its kind social media educational event in Monroe County.

Florida Keys individuals and businesses connected with Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and even Tampa peeps over the subject of social media. Kudos to Shirley Wilson (@keys2bsocial) for organizing a great conference.

But back to the party, which coincidentally happened to piggy back on the conference. SxSe headquarters was the elegant but laid-back Key Largo Hilton, where lazing in the crystal-clear water beach was the order of the day, even if we did talk shop.  The tweetup took place at The Pilot House Glass Bottom Bar, where we enjoyed Pirate's Booty, an award-winning rum cocktail by owner Don Brown.

SEA TWEETUP

Another great social event is coming up this week: the second annual SeaTweetup social media conference and gathering aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines. Sea Tweetup is sold out, so you can't sail on this particular love boat, but stop by the EPIC hotel on Thursday for a Bon Voyage party at Area 31.

30-DAY BLOGGER CHALLENGE

A bunch of South Floridians heard the call by @alexdc of Social Media Club South Florida to get disciplined about blogging.  When it comes to blogging, consistency is key. You gotta do it and stick to it, just like any fitness routine. Below is the list of participating bloggers, some of whom are businesses.  Yours truly isn't part of the challenge, but I'll be cheering everyone on from the sidelines.

Follow the blogging shenanigans on Twitter as well with the hashtag #SMCSFBlogOff.

(We hope Rick from South Florida Daily Blog will forgive us for this long reading list!)

http://BrendaLeguisamo.com

http://heartsdesireintl.com

http://themarkethacker.com

http://marcenriquez.com/blog

http://vizred.com/blog

http://tonyvainosky.com

http://theaublog.wordpress.com/

http://nonseafoodeats.wordpress.com/

http://flamingolips.com

http://www.mynameisnotlisa.com

http://SeymourResults.com

http://alexdc.org

http://bohemianbabushka.blogspot.com/

http://www.underwaterportraitphotography.blogspot.com/

http://le-manchot.blogspot.fr/

http://theinnovativeconsultant.com

http://www.waxcom.com/impressions/

http://tatianacast.com/category/blog/

http://www.smallbizninja.com/

http://bluecompassmarketing.wordpress.com

http://amaroedolce.wordpress.com

http://tacotamer.com/

http://andreinthetropics.wordpress.com/

http://westcoconutgrovecrimewatch.tumblr.com/

http://thepassionistablog.wordpress.com/

http://debracortese.com/blog/

http://shirleywilson.com/

http://marlenembryan.wordpress.com/

http://thedudeoforkut.blogspot.com

http://www.giglogo.com

http://www.yourcommercialsucks.tumblr.com

http://missionlaunch.com/frontpage

http://www.onesoulholistic.com/anahataom/blog

http://www.jessicaalexandre.com

http://www.supernerdo.net

http://huff.to/SILauR

http://freeammy.wordpress.com

MORE LOCAL SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS

Left to right: Joe Martinez, Hanae Kimura and Cynthia Seymour discuss Google + at Social Media Club South Florida in a panel moderated by Liza Walton.

Social Media Club South Florida is in full swing. We met earlier this month to discuss Google + and have a November meetup scheduled the second Tuesday of the month about Wordpress. Yours truly is on the board now but as always, I encourage you to join us for free, educational networking meetups. Follow Social Media Club South Florida on Facebook.

Refresh Miami, a web and tech meetup community, has also started gearing up for a great season.  Learn more at Refresh Miami.

Did you know the "Fantastic Four of Miami" has a tech startup that's all about social shopping?   Read more at Startropica.

Silicone Bitch: Social Media Day Miami Kicked Ass

Yeah, we did it. And in true Miami fashion, spectacularly.

Everything you need to know over at miamisocialmedia.com. Great photos on Flickr and Soul of Miami.

Bloggers, check out the next best thing since the invention of the baguette: Overblog.

Silicone Bitch: Social Media Day Miami 2012

An extraordinary thing has happened in Miami in these past three weeks.  A group of about a dozen folks -- bloggers, community volunteers and social media professionals as well as enthusiasts, have pulled together to create a kick-ass Social Media Day for Saturday, June 30 at Zadok Gallery in Wynwood from 2-7 PM, followed by cocktails at Wood Tavern nearby.

We come from all walks of life -- attorneys, realtors, writers, PR professionals, non-profit managers and more who are very involved in the local social media scene.

MASHABLE HEARTS MIAMI

In 2010, Mashable -- the world's leading electronic publication and information clearinghouse on social media -- set June 30 as the day to celebrate the phenomenon worldwide. This year to date, there are over 1,000 cities across the globe with planned events.

But this isn't the first time Mashable and Miami have crossed paths on the social media radar. In 2008, the Magic City was one of the stops on the SummerMash Tour, which featured a swanky party at Opium Garden with Pete Cashmore on the step-and-repeat, as well as a full-day Social Media Camp at the Wolfsonian Museum.

OLD SKOOL

Much has changed since 2008. PR and marketing companies are now more involved in promoting social media as a business to attract clients. Some of the original luster is gone and companies who sell social media aren't always deeply connected to the pioneering Miami social media movement, as was evident in this year's Social Media Week -- which was fabulous, by the way, no doubt about that. But Silicone Bitch has often noticed a disconnect between the two.

The original social media movement -- before it was a marketing buzzword -- coalesced in 2006 with the founding of the Social Media Club South Florida chapter.  Social Media Club founder Chris Heuer attended the first meeting at a now defunct restaurant on NE 2nd Avenue near Midtown Miami.  Since then, the community has grown to over 2,500 members and is one of the most active clubs in the U.S. with Alex De Carvalho and others at the helm.

In the past, events were just, well social and what we call "old skool" -- soft tech and social media types meeting up for drinks and sharing wetware with no business agenda. And then Miami enjoyed visits from high-profile events such as Future of Web Apps, three years in a row -- 2007 to 2009. In addition, entrepreneurs, social media types and startup founders have gathered at countless RefreshMiami, BarCamp and Social Media Club South Florida meetups.

SOCIAL MEDIA DAY IN MIAMI

In 2010, BRPR led the Social Media Day effort with an event at the Pelican Hotel. Last year, Social Media Day was a grassroots effort and focused on happy hour, which unfortunately turned into controversy after Carlos Miller posted about the venues at Miami Beach 411. His story didn't paint a clear or very pretty picture of what actually goes on in Miami regarding social media for social good or social media just for fun's sake.  Thankfully, charitable efforts like Philanthrofest and festive events like SxSe tell a different story.

This year, the spirit of the original Social Media Club -- "if you get it, share it" -- continues to grow in Miami. All the communities, including PR and marketing companies, local businesses, charitable interests and the not-so-loosely organized social group Miami Rat Pack, have come together in a most refreshing and positive collaboration the likes of which Miami has never seen.  This is a banner year and a milestone for Miami's social media scene.

And it's not just a social cocktail hour: Social Media Day Miami 2012 is a half-day of 18 presentations and features a blogger's lounge sponsored by Overblog with support from Red Bull.

The community response has been out of this world, or out of the continent, literally. Europe-based Overblog, a revolutionary new platform for combining all of social media and blogging content in one site -- let's face it, bloggers, micro-blogging is just as important as your macro posts for reaching audiences -- chose Miami out of other U.S. cities to support Social Media Day.

And the list of other pledged sponsors and supporters? It's too long -- from Knight Foundation to Miami Parking Authority to Philanthrofest to The Stage Miami, The Miami Herald and more are happy to help the movement.  Silicone Bitch can't list them all. We'll have a final recap after June 30, since pledges for support are dropping from the sky daily like manna from heaven.

Overwhelming. Amazing. Brilliant. Dazzling.  These are the only words Silicone Bitch can use to describe the tireless energy and effort of so many involved in putting this together.  Meet the team.

CALL TO ALL BLOGGERS

So bloggers, I am calling YOU!  Get to know Overblog. And out of 18 presentations, five will be focused on issues that are of particular interest to bloggers:

Alex De Carvalho -- Those Were the Days: Old Skool Social Media

Jewel Figueras -- Building Your SM Brand the Old Fashioned Way

Linda Hamburger -- Look Big Even if You're Small

Michelle Villalobos -- Shameless Self Promotion

And finally, yours truly will present From Jurassic to Freshtastic: A History of Blogs in Miami. We'll start with proto-bloggers like Hidden City, mention the re-branding of Stuck on the Palmetto to South Florida Daily Blog, the return of Critical Miami, the success of internationally acclaimed Photography Is Not  a Crime, the rise of Miami's newest darling, Beached Miami -- the list goes on and on.  It'll be a who's who of the Miami blog scene: blogs that aren't corporate or mainstream media but solid self-publishing efforts by creative individuals who cover everything from food, fashion, gardening, politics, travel, parenting and more.

And for bloggers as well as all others, there are presentations on B2B, Facebook Ads, brand disasters, cyber-bullying, and much, much more! Full schedule here.  Free beer, rum by Demerara, VitaCoco water, Cuban coffee, Red Bull and cupcakes will be available.  A cocktail party will follow at modestly-priced but very groovy Wood Tavern just two blocks away from the Zadok gallery.

Kindly RSVP at Eventbrite or just show up.  More information at Miami Social Media.

It's important to note that Social Media Day is not proprietary; anyone can host an event. For additional happenings in South Florida, visit Mashable's Social Media Day.

If you're an early riser, start your Social Media Day Miami at Preemo's Tech Bar in South Miami, 9 AM to noon. Preemo, a Social Media Day Miami sponsor, will host a complimentary breakfast. Play smartphone trivia games while noshing on bagels.  Head over to Wynwood by 2 PM.

Silicone Bitch: An Open Letter to Plagiarists Worldwide

Photo by crazy_foolish4u via Flickr.

Good grief,  Silicone Bitch doesn't actually like to bitch. I like to see social media used for good in the world.

Yours truly really hesitates to dedicate a post to an issue that might ruffle a few feathers, but here's one not-so-little pet peeve to bitch about that simply can't be overlooked.

I recently witnessed one colleague egregiously "steal" another colleague's idea, which was presented shamelessly in flagrante at a public event with no attribution whatsoever.

Usurping someone else's intellectual property as your own undermines community integrity.  Same shit happens when vultures try to "steal" clients or charge less just to get a client, but that's another story.

We need to set a boundary and put a foot down.

Do I need to remind folks that plagiarism is not cool? Don't they teach that to kids in school these days?   And by school, I don't mean elementary level rug rats but folks with undergraduate and graduate degrees who now do business and call themselves professionals.

If you're going to show, quote, present or talk about anyone else's stuff, you'd better give credit where credit is due. It's one of the basic tenets of contemporary digital life and the reality of sharing.

Sharing is caring, right? But also, sharing without caring about the intellectual property rights of others in your field is completely unethical.

What separates us from clownish snake oil vendors is this little thing called attribution in a nice place called creative commons. Anyone who doesn't get this will lose credibility in a social media community. It's about being transparent. People will see through you, so make sure that you is authentic.

Competition is healthy but even classier is the tried and true concept of consideration for the hard work of others.

It's totally groovy and acceptable to be inspired by other people's ideas. Just make sure you don't pass them off as your own.

Silicone Bitch Summer Edition: Social Media Day Miami and Other Events

Silicone Bitch hasn't posted in a while here, but that's because we've been busy actually making a living at social media, plus fishing for tarpon on the gulf coast of Florida and taking naps in the doldrums of summer. But even though the humidity is sticky, Miami isn't sitting still.

SOCIAL MEDIA DAY

Ah, June 30. This is the day that Mashable decided would be cool to celebrate all things social media worldwide. Little does Pete Cashmore know we're in the early throes of Hurricane Season and that most of us would rather sink our toes in the sand while sipping a frosty beverage, but no matter.

A group of Miami's top social media influencers have volunteered to put together with an afternoon of workshops and panels at Zadok Gallery in Wynwood followed by cocktails and networking. A Social Media Day breakfast at Preemo's Tech Bar in South Miami is in the works. Social Media Day will be a great opportunity for newbies or even the jaded to network and learn in a casual conference format.

Ditch the beach that day and head out to tweet your ass off at Miami's largest social media gathering.  Registration is FREE and strongly encouraged, please visit Eventbrite.  For additional, last-minute details, visit Social Media Day Miami on Facebook. Follow hashtag #smdaymia on Twitter, too.

IGNITE MIAMI AND TEDx MIA

Ignite Miami, our local version of Ignite talks around the world, challenged speakers to present great ideas in 5 minutes with 20 slides rotating every 15 seconds. On May 29th, yours truly regaled the audience of 300 plus at The Stage Miami with a talk on #toptenlies -- remember the little hashtag that could? Yeah, seriously, what's a little white lie in Miami when we have cannibals roaming the streets?

Other speakers discussed everything under the sun -- from crossing off milestones on your bucket list to turning a reef project gone bad into art to hyperlocal coverage of Little Havana.

Ignite talks are like TED on the fast lane.  And speaking of TED, TEDx Miami will be broadcasting talks from the mother ship event in Edinburgh at The Stage Miami on June 28.  Find more information at TEDx MIA.

View Ignite Miami videos on YouTube.

INSPIRATION UNIVERSITY

On May 25, yours truly moderated a panel on blogging at Inspiration University's day-long social media conference for women entrepreneurs, which took place at NOVA Southeastern University in Davie. Panelists included successful business women and creative bloggers Raw Candor, Mi Caminar and Coral Gables Story.  Inspiration University is a great resource for women in South Florida looking to learn, share and expand their networks through quality programming that's not some bozo pitching a business.  No bait and switch here -- expect real learning and informative, educational events.  Check out Inspiration University.

WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL HOLISTIC CONFERENCE

And speaking of stuff that's good for women: Dr. Elizabeth King, founder of The International Holistic Center in Fort Lauderdale, is putting together a day of speakers and panels at the Ritz Carlton on July 13.  The tag line for the conference, which claims to be more of a movement rather than a one-day affair, is "Suits, Stilletos and Lipstick: The Balancing Act." Yours truly will be speaking and moderating a panel on social media focused on the balance between online and "real" life.

Of particular interest to Sex and the Beach readers: Julia Yarborough, an Emmy Award winning broadcast and print journalist who created the road trip blog Highway to a Husband, will be speaking at the conference.  Dr. Sonjia, who opened the School of Sensual Satisfaction in Miami Beach (yes, it's a real school) and authored Sex in South Beach, will also be behind the podium.

To register, visit Women's International Holistic Conference. A portion of the silent auction proceeds benefits Big Mama's Team of Life, a local charity.

Silicone Bitch: Ted Rubin Was Like the Dos XX Guy and Other Takeaways From Hispanicize

Last week, a flock of bloggers, social media influencers, brand representatives, news agencies and more -- to the tune of nearly 1,000 -- alighted upon downtown Miami for an intense 4-day conference. Now in its third year, Hispanicize is the Latino equivalent of SxSw, with over 60 panels and activities ranging from interactive brand experiences, film screenings, lavish parties and more.

Principal founder Manny Ruiz, a Miamian who writes Papi Blogger, definitely impressed Silicone Bitch with his brainchild. It was a marathon, non-stop event, where of course, there was plenty of opportunity to share and learn, but also to network like mad.

Mass breakfasts and lunches with keynote speakers on stage made the already delicious fare taste even better at downtown's swanky JW Marriott Marquis. Attendees heard Cesar Millan, host of Dog Whisperer talk about how he got started in his career. "I asked people if I could walk their dog for free."

Emilio Estefan -- do I really have to tell you who he is? -- regaled us with stories about his humble beginnings and insanely successful career as a musician and producer. Bumping into another Cubano, Stephen Bauer of Scarface and Que Pasa, USA? fame, wasn't too shabby either.

But the real celebrities here were the bloggers. So many of them, in fact, that it was dizzying, but in a good way. Faces I have seen on avatars and names I have tagged on blogger communities in Facebook became real for me for the first time.

At the core here was simplemente pasión -- passion for self-publishing and homegrown entrepreneurship which is the motivation for many bloggers.

TENGO BLOG: WILL TRAVEL

Yours truly presented on a panel about travel blogging along with Manny Ruiz, Laura Spencer, a PR representative from Disney and Tracey Friley from One Brown Girl.

A general takeaway from the panel, via One Brown Girl: "don't just write because you're expecting something from a brand or a sponsor. Write about it because you were going to write about it anyway." And from me: "You don't have to travel to China to be a travel blogger. Focus on what's unique in your own backyard. Become a travel resource for visitors to your own community."

WARM AND FUZZY MAGIC HAPPENED

No business cards were harmed during Hispanicize.

I wasn't able to attend all the events because of work commitments (it's hard to go on vacation when you're a local), but even with my limited participation I made great connections with filmmakers, other journalists, brand agencies, PR reps and of course, many bloggers.

At one of the parties, hosted by McDonald's on a yacht, I ended up doing some impromptu coaching for a young blogger I truly admire, and there among the noise and disco lights, I helped assuage certain doubts and anxieties about her blog.

In a funny moment, someone confessed he'd been stalking my food porn on Twitter for over a year and a half.

Dinner with three other bloggers turned into a great mini-forum in sharing our best practices.

Someone who stopped me in the hallway asked if she should quit trying to get published in print. My answer: "Don't quit trying, but don't put all your eggs in one basket when the world of online publishing is your oyster. A byline on paper isn't the same it was 10 years ago."

I helped another blogger figure out how to plan a travel series without depending on brand sponsors.

The panels were great, but it's these moments in between the seams, the personal connections, that I carry with me. The sense of community and bonding was my best takeaway.

MOST OF ALL, IT WAS JUST SUPER FUN!

A smart marketing move: print your blog logo on a tote bag.

Yes, it was divertidísimo, with lots of dancing. Oh yeah, mucho bailando.

And in case you are wondering about Ted Rubin, he's a dynamo of a guy, a great motivator whom I always bump into at conferences. His talk on ROR (return on relationship) was extremely popular, so he was quite possibly the most interesting man at Hispanicize. I'll let the video do the talking … (and thanks to Ted for being a good sport.)

Kudos to Hispanicize leaders, staff and volunteers for putting together this event. Follow them @hispanicize and track the hashtag #hispz12. Year-round, Hispanicize is a resource of Hispanic social media marketers and Latino bloggers.

More photos on Facebook.

Silicone Bitch: Is Pinterest a Cult?

The original "social pinning." Photo courtesy of Brendajos on Flickr.

Speaking of religious fervor, oh, I don't know, a bazillion users daily in a short period of time? Pass the kool aid. Not even Jesus can get so many people to attend church.

Pinterest seems to sum up what is inherently narcissistic about social media. (I'm the first guilty party to raise her hand, by the way.) "Here's pictures of shit that I like, and I absolutely must share them with you, even if I violate someone's copyright beyond creative commons."

If you must create a pin board about something you're planning, why feel compelled to share it with the rest of the universe? Wouldn't you want to share your wedding dress options with your nearest and dearest in a private board?

I know the answer: it's because we all want some validation and don't want to exist in a vacuum.

By the way, I created one Pinterest board about fishing called Angler's Cove and it's pretty boring because it's not about girly things like fashion and kittens.

As I always say: in social media, if the shoe fits, wear it. But don't feel obligated to be an adopter unless the platform really works for you in an organic and authentic way.

How quick are you to adopt social media trends? Do you see dollar signs immediately or are using new platforms for personal enjoyment?

Silicone Bitch: Should You Throw a Party in the House of Facebook?

You want a crowd on your Facebook page, but how do you manage it when you can't possibly know how your page members treat each other? Photo via Mararie's Flickr.

I've been professionally involved in online communities for over a decade, either as a blogger, moderator, participant, event planner, and so on -- you name it, I've done it. One particular travel community I used to moderate was hugely successful. Currently, I have my hand as an admin in several Facebook pages. I also enjoy Facebook personally, as I am able to find like-minded folks there involved in a few hobbies I love and causes I espouse.

My observation of some bizarre, erratic member behavior in one of these communities has recently given me food for thought.

So social media managers, riddle me this ...

Let's say you host a party for your client in a house called Facebook. It's a really, really big house; there's room for everyone ... no worries, no problem. Pass the canapés and cocktails, we're good to go.

Thousands of people show up to talk about how awesome your client is and chat about stuff that's related to your client.

Everything is flowing smoothly. User-generated content just keeps pouring in. Great!

Occasionally, a few ornery and obnoxious people show up to your party and that's ok. You're the host. You throw them out and the rest of the guests carry on.

But one day, one of your guests decides that it's no longer your client's shindig, but their own. Oh really? Wasn't I managing my client's party? Well no, you weren't.

In the house of Facebook, you can throw a party, but you have no control over what kind of relationships your guests have with each other. Let's say John Doe takes exception to Jane Doe. Maybe John doesn't want to hear what Jane has to say. Maybe John doesn't want Jane to overhear his conversations with others. You can't throw John out for not liking Jane. He has a right to privacy. The house of Facebook is cool like that.

Here's the problem, however:

Jane never really did anything to John. In fact, John doesn't even really know Jane very much at all. And instead of simply ignoring Jane, John goes one step further, by throwing her into the closet -- blocking Jane from his timeline. So she finds herself wondering why she was in the living room enjoying a cocktail with other guests and is now suddenly locked up in a closet with a bunch of other folks, hearing only one-sided conversations. John might as well have put a muzzle on Jane and she wasn't even a troll.

You see, here's the thing. John talks all the time. He holds court in your party that you have thrown in the house of Facebook at your expense. Maybe John has a lot of cool things to say about your client, but your purpose in throwing this party was not to limit conversations, but to expand them. He keeps Jane and lord knows how many others in the dark in what is supposed to be an open, joyous, community-driven, crowd-sourced event.

John is basically sabotaging your party in the house of Facebook. It's disruptive. It censors information from folks who didn't do anything to offend John in the first place.

Yet there's nothing you can do, because John has every right to not like Jane. And so you sit and watch, as an insidious, underhanded cyber bully of sorts takes over your own soirée.

Lesson to be learned: Find a better banquet house for your next party -- a forum platform where you can not only block spammers and trolls, but also where you can supervise the flow of editorial for all guests to see.

Silicone Bitch: Shit Miami Social Media Say About Pinterest

News and notes about the South Florida social media and blogging scene, with a little tech thrown in for good measure. And maybe some other random events, too. Representing Silicon Beach since 2005.



Tuesday's Social Media Club South Florida meetup at The Stage in the Design District was a mixer in collaboration with @rbbPR to discuss SXSW. Rbb will be at SXSW representing South Florida with the hashtag #sxswsfl. Now, I'm not sure if much talk about SXSW actually happened -- I personally had 1.2 conversations about the mothership Austin conference -- but what did come up was the subject of the latest social network hot potato: Pinterest.

(Yeah, I'm missing SXSW yet again this year. Sorry, but I was busy starting a movement with HeartCamp, saving a local park from over-development and making short films about Hialeah.)

When I asked attendees what they thought of the platform, which is basically an online board where you can "pin" images of whatever you fancy, the responses were varied, pro and con. @mimi2point0 thought it wasn't good for law firms: "What are you going to do? Post a picture of OJ?" But @aubreyswanson loves it because she's a foodie and is into recipes. The recently betrothed @jeffzelaya -- who claims he is the only straight guy who uses Pinterest -- uses the platform as a vision board, mind you, not for girly stuff.

Karla from @giglogo thought it was good for bloggers to have pin buttons for SEO and @carlosmiller wants to post his most prized collectibles -- parking tickets. Clever guy @grantstern would use Pinterest to not post pictures of things he likes, which makes you wonder what's going on in that head of his ... and speaking of naughty things, @daniellaveras thought it was a pity Pinterest can't be used by couples to post their favorite sex positions. Well, heck, think about it: you're posting honeymoon ideas, right? Kama Sutra, meet Pinterest!

As for yours truly: "Pinterest is like a boob job. Just because it looks good doesn't mean everyone should have one." A couple of weeks ago, I tried posting photos of things I like, such as fishing tackle, and got frustrated after 2 minutes when Bass Pro Shops wasn't pin friendly. I think of Pinterest as I do of any social media platform: if the shoe fits, wear it. If not, stay where your tribe is, baby.

All in good fun, of course. See the video above for more. I hope to make this a regular series here in the Silicon Beach community.

STUFF YOU SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO

Knight Foundation is encouraging you artsy types out there to apply for this groovy grant called Arts Challenge. Here's the great news: you do NOT have to be a 501 (c) 3 to apply. Even better: the first round of the process simply requires a one-page proposal. Boy, I wish things had been that easy when I was writing grants for New World Symphony. If you've got a creative idea that can help the community through the arts, don't be shy about applying. Learn more at Knight Arts. The deadline is March 19, so start cranking.

Speaking of philanthropy, don't miss Philanthrofest in April.

Silicone Bitch: No Rest for the Social Media Weary

News and notes about the South Florida social media and blogging scene, with a little tech thrown in for good measure. And maybe some other random events, too.

Super cute geeks from WP Engine were giving out t-shirts and basic free hosting to WordCamp attendees this weekend.

No sooner did HeartCamp end than a flurry of activity ensued with Social Media Week, WordCamp and BarCamp taking place in a span of seven days, in some cases overlapping. There was definitely no sabbath for the hardcore last week.

Yours truly is still recovering from HeartCamp plus one panel and one presentation on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. Here are a few thoughts on last week's social media orgy -- three very different yet somewhat related conferences done in three very different ways.

SOCIAL MEDIA WEEK

A packed house at Social Media Week for the Real and Organic Panel. Photo by Soul of Miami.

Social Media Week was great to attend either virtually through the hashtag (#smwmiami) and/or in person at the beautiful Arsht Center in downtown Miami. A full week of panels with diverse professionals from all walks of life made this a cross between a curated conference and a free camp style unconference. Some folks complained it was too 101 (good point) but it seems that the audience was hungry for information at that level. (Yours truly was on a panel with colleagues, Keeping Social Media Real and Organic, to a packed house. Check out the live stream recording.)

There were fabulous parties, too, some officially organized through the event host BRPR group at the Mandarin and Betsy hotels, as well as one rogue tweetup by the Miami Rat Pack ("drinkers with a social media problem").

Kudos to the BRPR Group for organizing this intense week of panels. Pulling this off ain't easy, so it's very much appreciated.

Yet Silicone Bitch is not so sure the idea of a Social Media Week should even be an entire week. While the idea of Social Media Week is brilliant -- founded and owned by Crowdcentric in New York City -- each community should really tweak to its own needs. In Miami, workshops from beginner to advanced, as well as solo presenters, would have been useful.

Also, something so broad as this shouldn't be owned by any one particular agency but designed with community think tank -- including local chapters of Social Media Club -- in what could very well become Miami's own version of SXSW if you throw in WordCamp and BarCamp. This week had "interactive" written all over it. And while many panels at Social Media Week Miami were crowdsourced, voting SXSW style by attendees would have provided community vetting. Silicone Bitch is also beyond perplexed why the Social Media Week Miami Facebook Page has a closed wall. Isn't it all about community sharing?

Silicone Bitch feels that while we have made great strides in Miami's social media community, there is still too much division between the public relations agencies that are selling social media services and those who are actually pioneers in the movement or are have just been simply living social media. No one is a guru, remember?

We should work together, not apart. Social media is open source in nature. Let's not forget the original mantra of Social Media Club: "If you get it, share it."

WORDCAMP MIAMI

Ah, the beauty of WordPress.

And speaking of open source, WordCamp Miami gathered WordPress novices and professionals from all over the country, featuring a beginner's track on Friday followed by sessions the next day for beginners, power users and developers. All curated sessions included blogging basics, community building, using BuddyPress and widgets, networking skills for geeks, how to avoid and recover from a site hack and all kinds of code technique that's even way over Silicone Bitch's head. What's the beauty of open source? You can see slide versions of many presentations even if you couldn't attend. Yours truly posted her Blogging Basics presentation over at SlideShare.

It wasn't all just shop talk. Great times followed at Bougainvillea's in South Miami where many of the geeks gathered for cocktails.

BARCAMP

The truest of the true -- a complete unconference schedule.

Back-to-back with WordCamp, BarCamp finished off the weekend with a full day of talks at Miami Dade College downtown in the true camp style, followed by a happy hour at Amuse Lounge. Speakers who showed up discussed Pinterest, career coaching, a beta social search called Tawlk, social networks, Startup Bus and even mental health, plus so much more. What really impressed Silicone Bitch this year was the diversity of the audience -- it wasn't just your wonderful software and game developers but also folks from legal, law enforcement and other industries not necessarily related to this kind of tech. The cross-pollination was refreshing.

Even more impressive? The event was fully crowdsourced in about three weeks, with no website other than an Eventbrite host page. Over 400 people signed up.

Thanks to Social Media Week Miami, WordCamp and BarCamp organizers and volunteer teams for giving us an intense week of activities.

COMING UP

Don't forget: Superconf and Refresh Miami are this week.

Yours truly is working with a hotel partner in Key Largo to plan a SOCIAL MEDIA WEEKEND sometime this year either before or after the SXSE tweetup. This will probably be in the community crowdsourced, unconference camp style though some sessions may or may not be curated. Any agency or individual interested in more information or being part of a think tank, please follow @sxse. Everyone is welcome to participate.

We missed adding She Streams to our last post about upcoming social media events and conferences. It takes place in Fort Lauderdale, March 30 to 31. Yours truly will be on a panel on producing quality content. Details to follow.

GEEKS AND SOCIAL MEDIA FREAKS

Got anything newsworthy coming up? Don't forget to pitch me by email (find it via my profile). Silicone Bitch loves to hear about what cool things you are doing and we can also feature you on my co-hosted radio show at Social Chats.

If you were part of all or any of these events, please feel free to share below in comments -- anything you want, including links to other posts about the events.

Silicone Bitch: Occupy Miami and Citizen Journalism

News and notes about the South Florida social media and blogging scene, with a little tech thrown in for good measure. And maybe some other random events, too.

Last night, I was on video duty at the Social Media Club South Florida panel on protests and citizen journalism. From my laptop, I was able to live stream the prior Occupy Miami press conference as well as the panel, which featured recently arrested photojournalist Carlos Miller as well as Janie Campbell of The Huffington Post, Jared Goyette, Online Producer at The Miami Herald and Founder and Producer of Open Media Miami, as well as Muhammed Malik, Co-Producer, Let’s Talk About It Radio (880 AM).

You can see it all below. If you are coming to this late, scroll through the archives. It's the first two broadcasts.



Here's one pet peeve of mine: citizen journalist or not, it's everyone's responsibility to broadcast responsibly. It's one thing if you capture a moment on your phone camera and put it out to the world, but if you are writing something post-event, please always fact check your information if it's something that warrants fact checking -- rule number one of blogging. And as you know, I don't even like the word blog. It's a self-published product, call it a blog, apple, orange or whatever. I think in this day and age, everyone should get an education in basic journalism principles as early on as elementary school, just like we get lessons on avoiding plagiarism and learning academic research. Citizen journalism need not be sloppy or unreliable. If you're gonna do it, do it right.

Silicone Bitch: February is Bangin' in Miami!

News and notes about the South Florida social media and blogging scene, with a little tech thrown in for good measure. And maybe some other random events, too.

Photo by Rosaura Ochoa on Flickr.

Sex and the Beach is slowly coming out of a brief hiatus and is happy to report that the social media and tech season is starting out with a huge bang this month.

HeartCamp (organized by yours truly) was a smash success this past weekend in Fort Lauderdale and set the tone for a month of great events. Visit HeartCamp on Facebook for follow-up coverage.

OK, so here we go!

Social Media Club South Florida follows TONIGHT February 7 with a surely controversial session featuring recently-arrested photojournalist Carlos Miller of Photography Is Not a Crime. Social Media, Protests and Citizen Journalism takes place at 7 PM at The Stage in the Design District with additional panelists Janie Campbell of The Huffington Post, Jared Goyette, Online Producer at The Miami Herald and Founder and Producer of Open Media Miami, as well as Muhammed Malik, Co-Producer, Let’s Talk About It Radio (880 AM).

Next week presents a trifecta, traditionally known as Tech Week Miami.

Social Media Week Miami starts on Monday February 13 as part of a week-long global movement. Sessions featuring many local social media thought leaders will be at the Arsht Center and other venues all week. Best of all -- most events are free, but make sure to register.

Members of the Miami Rat Pack will be presenting on Thursday, February 16 at 2:30 PM on Keeping Social Media Real and Organic, followed by a free tweetup later that day organized by Soul of Miami. (Details to follow on the tweetup.)

WordCamp Miami is even better this year with not one, but two days of informative topics on everything WordPress at the University of Miami. Friday, February 17 is dedicated to beginners while Saturday, February 18 is for all -- newbies to developers. Get your ticket soon.

The weekend continues with BarCamp Miami on Sunday, February 19 at the beautiful new Little Haiti Cultural Center. Who should be there?

Anyone working on a new startup that wants to get some great feedback.

Anyone looking for talent. Anyone talented looking for work.

Anyone looking to invest in brilliant new ideas.

Anyone looking to find partners for their brilliant new ideas.

Anyone who wants to practice a presentation s/he is working on.

Anyone who has a passion for blogging, wikis, design, coding and the web in general.

Everyone is welcome. Everyone is encouraged to present.

BarCamp is totally free and an excellent source of what is hot, new and upcoming.

Tickets are free but registration is suggested. Sponsorships are kindly appreciated as well.

Geeky goodness continues February 24-25 when Superconf comes to the Miami Beach Convention Center. SuperConf 2012 is where web development and entrepreneurship converges with 9 startups and 8 speakers over 2 days.

It doesn't stop after this month of geek love. Save the dates: Hispanicize, a conference for Latino trendsetters, April 11-13 in Miami; Foursquare Day Miami on April 16 (details to follow); and SheCon, a Florida-founded blogger's conference in Orlando, May 25-27.

By the way, yours truly is presenting at Social Media Week, WordCamp, BarCamp, Hispanicize and SheCon. Whew ... hope to see you there!

Did I miss any events? Feel free to list them in the comments section.

Silicone Bitch: South Florida Social Media Year 2011 Review

News and notes about the South Florida social media and blogging scene, with a little tech thrown in for good measure. And maybe some other random events, too

Silicone Bitch wishes the South Florida and tech scene a great, prosperous and productive 2012. Seen here, year's end old skool tweetup at Monty's in Miami Beach.

It was a pretty good year for the South Florida scene. Here are some random notes in no particular order, stream-of-consciousness style ... if we missed anything, feel free to leave a comment!

SheCon (@sheconexpo), a blogging conference and new media expo for women but not limited to women, got its start. Bloggers from all over the country gathered in Miami Beach.

Speaking of conferences, Women's Success Summit hosted two kick-ass events -- Michelle Villalobos (@mivi), Jessica Kizorek (@jessicakizorek) and others inspired people to do and be their best right here in our own backyard.

WordCamp (@wordcampmia) was chock full of great panels.

Startup Forum (@thestartupforum) breathed some fresh air into the community.

Refresh South Florida (@refreshmiami @brianbreslin) continued on its usual course, bringing great tech info to locals and awesome speakers, including tech heads like the founder of PHP.

Mark Laymon's (@marklaymon) New Tech Community gathered the geeks in Palm Beach County as well.

Social Media Club South Florida (@smcsf) brought great speakers to town, including Rohit Bhargava.

Social Media Club Palm Beach (@smcpbc) was pretty active too and the ladies at Association of Women in Communications in South Florida (@awcsf) weren't lagging behind, either.

Tedx Miami (@tedxmia) simply rocked. It doesn't get better than that.

Sketchy Miami (@sketchymiami) turned the simple idea of a portrait into a social phenomenon.

The 4th annual SxSe (@sxse) in Key West was the most fun you could have while tweeting and drinking.

Sea Tweetup (@seatweetup) sailed away on its virgin launch.

Miami Beach 411 (@miamibeach411) went to SXSW. (Silicone Bitch wishes they would also keep up with local social media and tech events.)

A startup bus from Florida went to SXSW. (It's too bad Miami Beach 411 and them didn't connect.)

Carlos Miller (@carlosmiller) got pissed off on Foursquare Day, which, by the way, was a huge success, in spite of the drink problem. (Silicone Bitch wishes that Mr. Miller would revive @socialmediaputo.)

Miami Beach 411 hosted several wonderful social gatherings with locals, Miami rookie residents and out-of-town visitors. No company in Miami has a better online and IRL community for locals and visitors, period. If you want to learn how to manage an online community, 411 is a great model.

We love brands that love us back! GM Southeast (@gmsoutheast) won a prize for doing just that.

And speaking of awesome brands, don't drink and drive, but Martin Miller's Gin (@martinmillergin) gave South Floridians some thirst-quenching social media love in 2011.

Worstpizza.com founder Craig Agranoff (@lapp) started writing for Huffington Post and became a Palm Beach tech TV star. Oh, he also published a book about social media and election campaigns, Socially Elected. He's so hawt, we dare not even look at him!

And speaking of books, Miami-Dade locals also published an internet security tome, Securing the Clicks. Additional kudos to Alex De Carvalho (@alexdc), Gary Bahadur (@garybahadur) and Jason Inasi (@jinasi).

Let's not forget Miami author girl Tedx Miami founder Gina Rudan (@ginarudan), who wants you to see the best in you via Practical Genius.

And because we all need sustenance, Christine Najac @sflfoodandwine published the Food Lover's Guide to Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

And speaking of foodies, if you're not following @wokstar, @4theloveoffood and @rjflamingo, you're missing out on some good social media nosh stuff.

Spearheaded by the very talented and dynamic @janiec, Miami Rat Pack emerged as a great group -- "drinkers with a social media problem," Silicone Bitch once remarked.

LATISM (Latinos in Social Media) got its own South Florida chapter, co-directed by @miamishines.

Some very cool hashtags sprang forth from the 305 with great success: #top10lies, #foodiechat and #biochat.

Social media darling Trish Forant (@dayngr) started working as Community Manager for social media monitoring company Radian6 (@radian6). Represent!

And speaking of groovy South Floridians who work in social media ...

Agustina Prigoshin (@agustinap) became the Social Media Publisher at Entertainment Benefits Group. Her online show, Meet South Florida (@meetsfla) also turned one year.

Emily Taffel (@emilyontheave) became the Social Media Coordinator for LXR Luxury Resorts. (Silicone Bitch particularly loves this appointment as it works with social media friendly @hyattpier66!)

Amanda Stewart (@amandastewart) founded a new cool lifestyle and clothing company called Water Zombie (@waterzombie) based out of Fort Lauderdale.

Sebastian Rusk (@sebrusk) was social media gone wild with his videos for Social Buzz TV.

Natascha Otero (@nataschaos) turned mofongo into a social object at Jimmy'z Wynwood.

James Echols and Annette Peikert of (@soulofmiami) continued to change the face of our community with their Life is Art events.


Who dares to say this isn't an innovative, vibrant community partaking of "social" for many interesting reasons? This list could go on forever! Silicone Bitch kindly requests that you leave a comment if we didn't mention you. What resonated with you this year in local social media and tech? What did you accomplish?

Silicone Bitch: GM Southeast Grassroots Awards

News and notes about the South Florida social media and blogging scene, with a little tech thrown in for good measure. And maybe some other random events, too.

Some South Florida social media and blogging royalty, left to right: @zipporahs, @dayngr, @johnnybond86, @miamishines, @vicequeenmaria, @thetinyjewelbox, @lapp,@midtownchica, @teachme2save. Visit each Twitter account for links to their respective websites. Missing here: @lizawalton.

In my last column, I bitched about the sometimes conflicting relationship between brands and bloggers, pointing out some of the confusing and negative aspects of those connections.

Well, this column is going to highlight a positive relationship and a brand that does it right.

Yesterday, a bunch of bloggers and social media influencers gathered at the South Florida Auto Show in the Miami Beach Convention Center for a GM Southeast "thank you" reception. For all of us who have worked with Chevy and other GM cars, it was a nice affair with food and drinks.

GM Southeast has been collaborating with bloggers and social media influencers on a hyperlocal, grassroots level for a while now, sponsoring fun events like pizza and croqueta crawls, among others.

They have supported my crazy travel and fishing trips as well the big tweetup SxSe, which I have been organizing in part with other co-conspirators for the last 4 years. GM also sponsored my participation at the National Association of Hispanic Journalist's conference this summer.

(Boy, FTC, hope you are happy now? I've disclosed so much, you can practically see my titties! Better get my pasties on.)

The women on the team, one who happens to be local blogger Midtown Chica, are a pleasure to work with, open to ideas for all kinds of creative projects that help content producers fulfill a vision or facilitate some event. They keep a fleet of cars for journalists and others just for this purpose, all managed by the very cute guys at Prestige, who deliver the car loans to your door.

GM events are always flawlessly organized, despite many logistical challenges. I know how hard it is to organize social media events, so I appreciate their work.

I was talking to a head PR honcho from GM yesterday about my relationship with Ford, which never really flowered after the Fiesta Movement; it was like a sudden divorce. Mind you, Ford was nothing short of spectacular during the Fiesta Movement. They were wonderful to work with during the project and I am extremely grateful to have been part of it; however, the follow-up was nil and I never heard back about some of my proposals to continue producing great adventure stories with Ford cars. I just assumed Ford had a similar fleet of cars like GM does for local bloggers, but I guess they don't or didn't.

Do you see what I'm getting at here? After seven months of being surgically attached to a Ford Fiesta, the umbilical chord was severed and the relationship fizzled quickly. Not good, right?

This is the big difference. I have said this before and will say it again. It's not about the car, it's about great things that happen with the car on an on-going basis.

It's all about community outreach and support -- yesterday, one guy who won an award actually went out of his way to take his Corvette loan to an under-served school in Liberty City so the kids could enjoy a ride.

I have worked with other car brands but GM and Chevy get my thumbs up for a regional department that gets it. It's no wonder the agency won the PR News Award for Best Digital PR Campaign of the Year in the $100K budget or under.

Our very own Jewel's Fab Life and Craig Agranoff won recognition that was well deserved; they are movers and shakers that make cool things happen. Unfortunately not pictured here, Heather Radi-Bermudez from FIU.

See brands? This is how it's done. Not once in all my work with GM was anything expected of me out of obligation, but out of mutual support and gratitude. They treat me like family. This is why I work with no other car brands and have stayed mainly loyal to GM.

Not that I wouldn't work with other car brands, but I have turned down projects because of this great relationship. I once passed on food crawl with Infiniti because I had just done a Chevy project. I told Midtown Chica: "I'm not a car ho. I'm not going to cheat on GM."

And by the way, GM is loaning me an Equinox for my last Trail of the Pirates investigation, which will be at Pirates in Paradise in Key West this December. This means I don't have to put miles on my old jalopy Toyota, which is a huge help for the long drive. Does that count as my FTC disclosure? (Insert eye roll.)

Silicone Bitch: Bloggers and Brands Make Strange Bedfellows

News and notes about the South Florida social media and blogging scene, with a little tech thrown in for good measure. And maybe some other random events, too.

Nothing is safe on the interwebz these days. Beware of what comes out of your yapping mouth. You might get in trouble!

We had a superb Social Media Club South Florida meeting yesterday at Florida International University North Campus. The subject? Social Media and the Law.

I would tell you who the presenters were but they actually told us that we might get in trouble for videotaping the session (that's unusual at Social Media Club) and so I'll leave it up to you to follow the link above, wink wink. But it was hilarious -- something tantamount to "please consult an attorney before considering this free advice from attorneys."

All kidding aside, the presenters were great and offered much valuable information on what is legal in any form of expression on the interwebz these days. It's actually so complex, it's a miracle anyone ever speaks at all through a tweet, a Facebook update or a blog post. Good grief, it's like every time you utter a word, you're walking on eggshells.

Applying for a job? Watch your ass. Own a blog? Feel free to moderate comments. It's yours and your not responsible for trolls engaging in defamation.

Or so they said. Please seek legal counsel because what I'm not liable for what I'm writing here.

Moving on ...

FOR YOUR BLOGGING EYES ONLY

I'm a huge proponent of self-publishing, so I want to focus on the topic discussed that would be of interest to bloggers -- the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rulings on disclosure. It basically boils down to this: if you get free shit, you're supposed to tell your readers that the shit was free.

But here's the deal, in all my years as a travel journalist for "magazines" and "newspapers" -- remember those types of publications? -- I never had to disclose anything. Why are bloggers treated differently than journalists?

I'd go on press junkets, fam trips and write an article for Caribbean Travel and Life or other publications and I never had to say it was sponsored. Why now?

It's basically understood that writers who focus on lifestyle subjects such as travel, food, drink etc; generally get some perks, media passes, free stays at hotels, complimentary meals, gifts and so forth. A "journalist" doesn't have to disclose anything when he or she is given a media pass. Why should a blogger?

It begs the basic question: what is a blog? what is a blogger?

I have said this before and will say it over and over again. I am a professional writer who just happens to use the blogger format to self-publish my stories to share with the world. I am NOT a blogger.

IT'S ALL GOOD, BUT WHERE DO YOU DRAW THE LINE?

Don't get me wrong. The FTC ruling is good; it basically prevents bloggers from being asshole shills who promote products. When celebrities make paid endorsements and they need to follow up on that in their social networks to keep it real and transparent. The bottom line here is to keep anyone from making misleading claims. The FTC law protects the consumer.

It comes down to type of content.

Check out this great post over at MomCrunch about Aveda and paid compensation for bloggers, which became a little scandal during the EVO conference this past summer. MomCrunch does a great job of explaining the BIG difference between editorial and sponsored content.

If you are writing advertorial and don't tell your readers, then you deserve a slap on the wrist.

However, do you think a beauty editor at Cosmo has to disclose she got a free sample of shampoo? Do you think a food critic at a newspaper has to tell you whether or not every meal was complimentary? No! This is standard practice, especially in the travel and lifestyle industries.

It's a tricky question for bloggers.

A savvy, reasonable and ethically responsible blogger isn't going to write misleading editorial.

I think it's bad blogging to do product reviews, I don't care how much you are getting paid, because that is sponsored content.

In that case you can say "my blog is endorsing this product," but then the issue is whether or not you have original content that is worth reading or your blog is suddenly "owned" by a brand and you are slaving over a hot stove for a few bucks.

Many brands are highly abusive of bloggers who just want a second in a spotlight. Seriously, would you have blogged so much and done a Youtube video for one freakin' bottle of shampoo from Aveda? I don't think so.

Bloggers, don't sell your soul for some corporate interest without making an equitable agreement that supports the quality of your work.

Ask yourself: is it worth it? In some cases, it is. That brand or business better be giving you something touched by Midas. Ideally, the partnership is so organic and germane to your topics of interest, that it makes sense to partner with a brand and get compensated for it whether in cash, goods or services. And you don't give up your voice at all; it flows seamlessly.

It's a true endorsement agreement that works for both the brand and your blog. And yes, that you definitely should disclose, but if you're good at it, you'll produce great sponsored editorial, not just content.

I hope that makes sense: sponsored content, editorial, advertorial and "sponsored" editorial.

THE SITUATION HERE AT SEX AND THE BEACH

In my case, I have worked with brands such as Ford and GM, as well as numerous travel entities, venues, businesses and events. For the most part, I try to tell my readers who is supporting what, but I'm not going to disclose every single stinking penny that I didn't spend. That's just ridiculous.

I have accepted "media" perks and passes in order to produce great content for my readers. I have never lost my voice or become an exclusive brand ambassador. I'm a lifestyle blogger. I get invited to stuff. So does the same editor or contributor at Miami New Times, Sun Sentinel and the Miami Herald. What's the difference?

Regarding the FTC ruling, I pride myself on being obnoxiously honest, but you all know that I tell it like it is. If I don't like something, the heavens roar. Or maybe I just won't write about it. PR loses. Rogue journalists like myself have to maintain a delicate balance with businesses and interests in their communities.

I don't see why or how I could possibly get in trouble with the FTC, but the question did cross my mind last night and I think it's a hugely important one for all bloggers to consider as they evolve. When should I disclose? Why am I working with this brand or business?

You will not believe the many requests I get to do straight on product reviews or offers of text links, which I always flat out refuse. Oh and as if I needed content, some companies offer me blog posts that they write in exchange for nothing. Are they nuts? Why would I put something unoriginal on this blog? Nobody parks their ass on Sex and the Beach just because. A blogger has to choose their partnerships carefully. Keep your integrity and dignity.

There are two kinds of bloggers in the world -- those who want to monetize with ads and are forced to kiss the ass of brands and those who can monetize indirectly, like myself. I will not have any brand take over my blog, not even Google Ads. I will not have my content controlled by businesses and for this reason I don't accept advertising of any kind. I used to have barter ads, but no longer. If I link to anything, it's because I genuinely believe in it and enjoy it. Or it's a business that's supporting a particular project so I can bring you great content.

Also, keep in mind that when you start engaging advertisers, you are no longer a writer or a blogger. You are now not only a publisher, writer and editor of your own content, but a god damn salesperson, marketing department and coffee maker plus janitor. It's exhausting. That will sap every living ounce of creative juice out of you and then what's the point? You started a blog because you loved creating unique content, right? Who can wear so many hats?

Read my friend Stephanie Quilao's post on why she decided to move on from blogging to mobile publishing for some additional insight from a highly experienced top blogger.

BRANDS MAKE STRANGE BEDFELLOWS

I started this blog because I am a writer who loves to share and I find self-publishing to be a an exhilarating exercise that opens many doors. But if I were to sleep with brands every day, the spark and inspiration would be gone. It would have to be some excellent collaboration, like the Ford Fiesta Movement, to make me have that affair for a spell. I partnered with Ford because I knew it would give me opportunities to provide fun reads. It was never about the car. It was about the experiences that the car afforded me. Remember, I went gator wrestling. You can't top that.

So I want to say it now: every time I go to a "media" event, you will notice that I tell you it was a media event, so you better assume it was free, just like it was for the "journalist" from Miami New Times or the Miami Herald or whatever. And when I plan a travel series like Trail of the Pirates, I tell you in a final paragraph what businesses and institutions supported my travel and vision, just like the credits at the end of a PBS documentary.

I only work with businesses and brands that I genuinely like, but I am not an "endorser" of anyone brand or business in particular. I love many and am attached to none -- call it promiscuous.

My favorite PR people? Those who offer something for nothing. That's RESPECT ... because then it's coming from me because I want to, not because I have to. Those PR people get it.

You know you are getting 100% original opinion from yours truly, with no bullshit. There is no way to be a lifestyle blogger and get around this. If you are going to write about life and be a travel, food, drink, adventure blogger or whatever, you are inevitably going to be out there in the world and have to deal with the reality of brands and businesses who court you. You are writing about your niche; opportunities are there to be seized. Nothing wrong with that.

But that's it. You can and should do it all with transparency and integrity.

And if you are a business or brand, don't even bother to send me a request for a text link or blog post inclusion. I don't give up my Google juice or SEO any more than I spread my legs for some jerk.