SEMPO forum

[I, Brian]

- Brett Tabke of WebMasterWorld is listed as one of the Directors - so why isn't there a SEMPO board for Q&A at WebMasterWorld?

- Danny Sullivan of SearchEngineWatch is on the baord of Advisors - so why is there no SEMPO board for Q&A here?

Why has SEMPO never even set up a forum on it's own site?

Jill whalen doesn't appear to be on any SEMPO board - yet she's started a board at HighRankings for SEMPO members to answer questions.

If SEMPO is a cause worth representing, then why have none of members from the various boards set up forums for Q & A of SEMPO issues on their own forums - let alone SEMPO set one up themselves on their own forum?

I'm not trying to be critical here - simply asking a constructive question.

[Daria_Goetsch]

I,Brian, from what I understood from the last SEMPO member communication, it sounds like SEMPO has a forums in the works for their website. This may be helpful to members and prospective members to answer the many questions posted in this and other forums.

[Nick W]

If I were DS or BT, i'd be desparately trying to distance myself from DUMPO right now... ;-)

Maybe that's why?

Nick

[I, Brian]

I,Brian, from what I understood from the last SEMPO member communication, it sounds like SEMPO has a forums in the works for their website. This may be helpful to members and prospective members to answer the many questions posted in this and other forums.
Yes, I read that - but how long does it take to set up a forum?

SEMPO is in dire need of credibility at the moment - and Jill Whalen's really forcing the issue by opening a board just for SEMPO questions - she is effectively pushing the issue squarely in their faces.

[Daria_Goetsch]

It shouldn't take too long to get a forums up and running. I think it would be in their best interest to get the forums up and running as soon as possible.

[bwelford]

I think, I Brian, your last post shows the problem.
Jill Whalen's really forcing the issue by opening a board just for SEMPO questions - she is effectively pushing the issue squarely in their faces.

No one is going to get involved with a Forum where fighting stances have already been taken. For the record, there has been a Forum where SEMPO officials have answered questions posed by members of the Forum. In the Cre8asite Forums, a thread entitled "So What Does SEMPO Mean To You? (http://www.cre8asiteforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=7143&start=0) is where you'll find that happened. The thread started on March 9, 2004: in total there were 220 replies and over 9000 views. The last post from a SEMPO official was April 2 acknowledging that the thread had given much useful fuel for the SEMPO FAQ web page that was produced.

Even then it took a little time for the momentum of the thread to be established. The questions now on the table are very much tougher. We then get to the question of the moderation and how it should be handled. Even on this Forum, it appears that a significant post was deleted on a SEMPO thread. I'm not sure that a Forum can handle some of the issues that are now being vociferously debated.

[Elisabeth]

- Brett Tabke of WebMasterWorld is listed as one of the Directors - so why isn't there a SEMPO board for Q&A at WebMasterWorld?.

You'll have to ask him that. and jill has stated her own reasons for opening up her discussions at HighRankings.

-
- Danny Sullivan of SearchEngineWatch is on the baord of Advisors - so why is there no SEMPO board for Q&A here?

I'm not trying to be critical here - simply asking a constructive question.

Perfectly acceptable question.

Danny & I feel it's not appropriate for us to set up a SEMPO only/specific forum - it is their responsibility to communicate directly to members or prospective members. From what we have been told, yes, there is a SEMPO member forum in the works now- whether they have an open area for non-members to get information from is unknown. I certainly hope they do that - I believe that would be a useful tool to keep unnecessary discussions off this & all the other forums as well. But if it truly is a members-only forum, then we'll continue to host helpful discussions for non-members here.

However, we have/are evaluating the need for a general forum or subforum on professional Marketing & Webmaster organizations/events, meaning it would include several groups, it would not be SEMPO specific.

[donut]

No one is going to get involved with a Forum where fighting stances have already been taken.

It looks like Jill Whalen is bending over backwards to make it easy for them to answer questions without being attacked- she's not letting anyone else post their responses in that thread and the questions are legitimate... like, where's the forum? Who can be a moderator?

She's asking the same things you are asking! It's hardly a fighting stance. SEOPR has already posted there, as he has here. I don't see that she was getting in anyone's face- just giving them a forum clear of bashing to post their responses.

It would be helpful if they'd just launch their own forum and answer questions there. I think the answer is not that it's "too hard" to set up a forum, but that they are scared to answer questions in a format where they are semi-permanant.

Ever read how Barb shuts down the Q&A portion of a SEMPO Meeting? She DOESN'T WANT TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. I'm sure a SEMPO forum where she is expected to respond is a nightmare of an idea for her.

[Jill Whalen]

Personally, I don't care WHERE they answer the questions, I just want them to answer them!

Every minute, every hour, and every day that goes by with no answers simply makes things look more and more suspicious. The fact that they refuse to answer (as far as we can tell) it really has to make me wonder what they are hiding.

By not even saying as much as "we have been advised by our attorney not to answer any forum questions at this time" they just open themselves up for more speculation.

Either that, or they're hoping we'll all just get sick of the issue and eventually shut up.

I'm not planning on shutting up about it at this point, however, until I get some answers that can be made public, one way or another.

[bethabernathy]

I checked this earlier and they have announced that a forum is in the works in the members communications section:

"Member Discussion Forum
Coming Soon - Committee discussions, member comments and general feedback."

:)

[dannysullivan]

I'm on vacation this week, but you can see how well that's not going :)

Just seconding what Elisabeth said. Ironically, we had another member already ask us if we were hosting the SEMPO forums, because of all threads we had going on the topic. And when Mike's story first broke, like Jill is now, I was very actively involved in trying to get some answers out of the board of directors, to pass along to members.

Frankly, I'm happy to let Jill take this round. I'm still recovering from the last. I'd like to see the board of directors provide their members with as much information as possible. That doesn't mean they have to do it via public forums. But a much more detailed newsletter than what was sent out, and greater frequency -- yep, that would be great. And forums for SEMPO members themselves, to talk about issues among themselves, would be a great help in turning SEMPO into a more bottoms-up group.

Back to vacation...

[I, Brian]

Danny & I feel it's not appropriate for us to set up a SEMPO only/specific forum - it is their responsibility to communicate directly to members or prospective members.
Indeed, I quite agree - I sort of get the impression that Danny has been squeezed between a rock and a hard place on this issue - so apologies if I was seen to be adding to the woes.

My comments were intended as more rhetorical - the illustrative point is that people involved in SEMPO have existing opportunities to communicate with members, as required.

Whilst I'm sure Brett has his own reasons, and Danny is an advisor rather than a director, it shouldn't need to be left to people like Jill to try and get official SEMPO comment.

SEMPO still has a lot of opportunity to ride roughshod over the current events and make something of itself. While SEMPO is given such a high public profile, though, that should be an opportunity for SEMPO to spread its wings, rather than be construed to be hiding behind them.

[donut]

It looks like her persistence paid off.

http://www.highrankings.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=8797

[bethabernathy]

I guess Jill had to delete Dana's email as it wasn't authorized. Anyway, it would be my opinion that this has run its' course. Time to get on with taking care of business and moving ahead. Whatever that means to whoever ????

Too many weird things going on. Clicked on the post prior's link and I got some popup, I think to track the click through.

So that is all you will hear from me. I have done my research and am not on Vacation, yet. Silence is deadly, as Sempo has illustrated. :)

[Jill Whalen]

I've reposted the "authorized" version of what Dana told me:

http://www.highrankings.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=8797

Happy vacation, Danny! Now stop peeking in the forums before your wife sees!

[ihelpyou]

And that Todd email shed light on something? What did it say we all did not already know? Why even post it as it did nothing and said even much less?

They can pay BarbC and PR guy outragious monies, but can't hire an attorney for about $1000 to do a thorough review of their business practices? LOL Tooooo darn funny.

What SEMPO simply does NOT get is that the "majority" in this industry are "not" SEMPO members. They fail to understand they have claimed from day one to represent this same industry. Keeping things secret ain't the way to win friends and influence people. I highly doubt they change much of anything with their business. These people are out for one thing only, and we certainly know what that is.

[Jill Whalen]

Doug, I thought you were gonna stay put back at your place?

FWIW, the fact that Dana said anything at all, was good enough for me. She assured me that they are working very hard on all the issues and that in time we will see the fruits of their labor.

Sure, that might mean that they're simply scurrying around shredding documents and covering their tracks. But it also might mean that they're really and truly working to fix the mistakes they made, and make things better. Regardless of what they do, you already know that you won't like them Doug, so why keep wasting your breath on them?

You're welcome to despise SEMPO all you want, and you're welcome to not become a member. But there are many people who would like to see SEMPO succeed. How does constantly trying to bring them down at all costs help anything?

Bringing to light the problems and concerns of the members and the SEM/SEO community is a good thing.

[ihelpyou]

Have they not said the very same thing for aloooong time now? Where have you been Jill? And why do you insist on backing up this organization when it's obvious they are not behind the 'whole' industry? Get off yourself please.

Since they have Circle members using sempo for promotion purposes on their very own sites..... AKA: Dana Todd, their business practices and how they conduct themselves affect ALL of us, whether or not ALL of us join them.

[donut]

She answered the question about the marketing, but nothing else. Are you going to continue to push for answers to the rest of the questions or are you happy enough that Ms Todd sent you some happy spin info?

How hard is it to answer some questions? How hard is it to produce bylaws that are already written?

They can whine about "forum time" and "no one cared about these issues til now" but it doesn't make much difference; the information either exists or it doesn't. In the time it took Ms Todd to e-mail you a response, she could have posted that info for everyone to see, not just to you.

[Jill Whalen]

Well, hopefully this is just the start of some answers. We have to start somewhere, no?