Point 82: Marketing Tech News Roundup 8/9-8/13

We didn’t quit this week, but it seemed as though everyone else did (or wanted to). We had two interesting “exits” this week, both of which dominated Techmeme and the Twittersphere, but weren’t necessarily tech related. On Monday, our friend Steve Slater went out GANG-STAH style from his employer, JetBlue while Tuesday brought Whiteboard Jenny and her obvious fake exit from a imaginary company X.

Funny at first, but as of Friday, the clock was ticking dangerously close to 15 minutes.

At any rate, we promise that other things did happen this week.

1. Regulation Strangulation: Google/Verizon Net Neutrality

Other than Steve Slater, this topic dominated the Twittersphere this week and a new article on the subject has appeared about every 15 minutes.

Here’s our take: If Google and Verizon are on the same side, who is going to stop them? Can we be on Team Facebook?

2. 98% of Enterprise is using Open Source Software

If you’ve been at an enterprise company for 15 minutes, you know IT loves when you download open source software to the desktop. It wasn’t that long ago we were scolded for downloading Firefox (BUT THE TABS!). What this really means is the open source isn’t going anywhere, or as cnet describes it,  the “inevitability of the pervasiveness of open-source software.”

3. How to Steve Slater is Stifling JetBlue Social Media Strategy

Yeah, we can’t let this go. As of Wednesday, no one at normally social-friendly JetBlue has said anything. The closest thing we had was a leaked memo on TMZ. The lesson? AdAge’s guess (and ours as well): the lawsuits are a-comin’, from passengers or possible even Slater himself.

By Thursday, JetBlue responded, but honestly, this incident shut down their social media efforts.

4.  Internet Content Syndication Council Proposes Content Guidelines

Content heavy hitters Associated Press, The Tribune Company and Procter & Gamble, believe that poor content is going to destroy the internet. Yet they have no problem with putting out another top 10 list with bonus lame picture slideshow and call it “content.”

Bonus points if you’ve ever heard of the ICSC, because we haven’t, and we don’t think anything they do will have any impact on anything.

5. The Searchable Calvin & Hobbes Archive

Ok, Ok, maybe this isn’t marketing-related, but it’s certainly tech-nerd cool. Plus it’s Friday.

There’s a very good chance this link doesn’t work when you actually click on it.