Doc Searls

On Thursday, November 11, the TummelVision crew welcomes a special guest star, someone who’s worked on the web for a longtime as a leading advocate for customers advocating for themselves Doc Searls.

If you have a question for Doc, or suggestion for topics you’d like to hear discussed, please leave a comment below, tweet @TummelVision or #tummel, or email us at tummlers [at] gmail.com.

Please also join us for the live audio stream of this episode at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT on Thursday at Tummelvision.tv/Live.  During these broadcasts (and “after parties”), be sure to check out our always-lively chat room.

As one of the authors of the seminal Cluetrain Manifesto, Doc Searls has been a tireless advocate for many of the ideals cherished by the Tummlers.  Among many other current activities, he runs Project VRM as a fellow of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. VRM stands for Vendor Relationship Management. Doc wants tools and platforms to allow people manage the way vendors (companies that sell you stuff and services) have relationships with them.

Doc’s very committed to a more humanized world, so how does tummeling fit into his vision for VRM? At what point do tummlers manage the relationship between customers and the company and when do business recognize they need tummelers to manage the company in a networked environment? How will the new VRM technologies work for real people doing this work? Or was the Cluetrain Manifesto a pipedream and a wish that peopel working for companies treat people as people?

 Doc’s perspective is a rare blend of seasoned wisdom and up-to-the-minute expertise.  We hope you’ll join us for this “very special episode” of TummelVision.

There are many people in our industry who think they are a lot more important than they really are…People who measure themselves by false metrics such as Twitter followers, Facebook friends, LinkedIn connections, or any other data that doesn’t actually measure the amount of good you’re bringing to the world.

– from a commentary about Jason Calacanis’ fake pre-launch tweets about the iPad Never Dupe Your Readers, Mike Industries

Related video: my web 2.0 talk Authenticity Is the New Authority and Tummelvision 4 w/ Kathy Sierra