Clive Thompson's piece in the latest issue of Wired magazine addressed the issue of microcelebrity and the reality of how it is changing society. The lines between real life and second (online) life are becoming blurred as our digital persona is gradually having more impact outside of the interwebs.
A microcelebrity, as defined by Thompson, "is the phenomenon of being extremely well known not to millions but to a small group - a thousand people, or maybe a few dozen."
The internet is not creating these individuals, be it Peter Hirshberg, David Winer, or even yours truly. But with every blog post, video or photo upload, we are allowing web users throughout the world, be they known to us or not, to get a better picture of our lives. Therefore, all our actions require us to manage our identity more stringently than before as paparazzi start rummaging through the garbage and skulking in nearby bushes (well not really).
And like real celebrities, even the most mundane or arbitrary acts take on greater importance, as the article's Hirshberg photo calculation exhibits. Facebook's Beacon has raised the most concerns from famed microcelebrities and average joes alike as their every online act becomes telegraphed. As someone who is not on Facebook, I turn to the well-known blogger Charlene Li of Forrester, wrote about her own personal experience with Overstock.com.
Other social media pundits, much smarter than I, state that Beacon is paving the way for what will become microadvertising, where identity (claimed interests, hobbies, and actions) replaces demographics as the way that ads are served up. And I tend to agree that as the Internet, which like direct marketing, can be measured, analyzed, and quantified, is gaining ground as the lead channel of communication. Messaging will no longer need to rely on whether or not 18-34 year old males might be watching, they are watching AND they're watching right now!
But, my argument to this point is that, microadvertising is very similar to word-of-mouth marketing, which conveys an individual's advocacy or disdain, not just general acceptance. What if Charlene hates here coffee table? is her profile going to say that she returned it to overstock? And what weight do her purchases carry on my decisions or interests. I don't need any furniture right now. Several comments to the Internet Evolution post voice this same point.
The main argument against Beacon has been about privacy issues. Most sites which have implemented the code don't announce that this will be posted on facebook. Users have been caught unaware of what their network has been told. And Public Relations experts are also concerned as to how much involvement marketers should have in the conversation that is social networking. There is a place, but is it as ads served up by our friends. Sometimes, this is best put in the succinct art of Hugh Macleod.
I remain optimistic as I do hope to gain some microcelebrity from freescribbles. I wouldn't write if I didn't want someone to read what I have to say. But I don't need you to know that I bought a circular saw at homedepot.com until I've cut something with it and promote it myself. Advocacy over purchase.
UPDATE: As I wrote this, Facebook apparently caved to the privacy criticism and will update Beacon to have a clearer opt-in option to allow users to understand and participate freely. Small steps to make the system more friendly to the users while allowing marketers to still play.
