A.Connector

Well friends your “A.Connector” pal had the distinction of making Amanda Chapel’s list and being “linked by CC Chapman on Managing the Gray on the same day.

The aforementioned “honor” was being called a “Whore of Babel” for affirming that I had no conflict with bloggers taking merchandise or money “with or without conditions” attached as long as they are “transparent” in revealing that any time they write on “topic.” Hmm, now that I think about it, two of my linked new media connectors were also “listed” CC & Eric Rice. In my comment I cited another “connector” Dave Slusher. Dave once commented in his podcast, “I don’t believe there is such a thing as “selling out” that anyone should be ashamed for taking money or getting sponsored in their new media work, I only believe that you can sell too cheaply.” Wise words from a wise guy, er… man.

Think about that-reality check time friends! What is a fair price to you? What will make you smile. Maybe not smile for a lifetime (of course the bigger the smile the better), but in essence what can you accept? This answer and number are different for every individual.

One of the things I love about new media is that there is no rule book. We are writing as we do it and in this wikipedia age we live in, it’s gonna change again and again until the new “mediaists” of any given time are happy with it (meaning it will be edited forever ).

OK, now I’m kind of fired up about this so I’m gonna tell you a funny story that occurred in Taiwan. I’ve been living and doing business here in Taiwan for some time. Most of that time on a “resident visa.” This visa allows me to stay within Taiwan for a given period without “having” to leave the country.

The rules governing this type of visa changed about a dozen times in as many years which was very confusing and disruptive, not in a good Seth Godin Purple Cow kind of way. There was one time where they changed the rules, didn’t publicize that and didn’t remind you when you showed up for visa renewal.

My family and I including my youngest child Kevin(who was still a small toddler at the time) went to the US and returned to Taiwan only to find out there was a visa “issue.” We asked the government official at the airport what could be done and we followed his instructions.

The following year when we went to renew the visa again, “boom” a major storm cloud came in and settled over my head. The police official(at that time resident visas were administered by the police dept. then) gave me rash of “you did this and shouldn’t that’s” until finally it came down to the final scene. Are you thinking “High Noon” or any other good western with the gunfighters squaring off at 20 paces?

What took me over the edge or to my “tipping point” if you will was this comment, “You know, it’s no joke if you’re working here in Taiwan without a work visa.” You see technically he was right if you go by law, but in truth no self-respecting Taiwanese man would allow the law to get in his way of doing the right thing by his family. So I looked him right in the eye while holding my young son in my arms (he was the top dog of the foreign affairs police office mind you) and said to him , “I’m “not working” I’m just helping my wife taking care of the baby. She is working!”

OK, so I got long-winded here to make my point, but the point stands. Where do people get off being so holier than thou when someone has a chance to make an honest buck or in this case try out a piece of nice “gear porn”? I hear echoes of Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman’s as Colonel Slade with his righteous indignation soliloquy, “Baird man, Baird man, Baird Bums more like it.”

Moral of the story-Don’t let the “Baird Bums” dictate to you what you do and how you live your life if your conscience and common sense tell you that you are within the bounds of reason. Baird Bums don’t like “connectors.” They are disruptor’s of the bad kind, they love privilege and exclusion and hide behind thick “walls” of artifice. Hope to persuade, but learn when to evade.

Update: CC chimes in with some words about being called a “Ho.” He does good job of putting whole issue into perspective here.