Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet?

Probably one of the most amazing and thought-provoking stunts I have ever seen. World-class violinist Joshua Bell with time-revered Stradivarius plays for 45 minutes at a busy Washington Metro. This is one of the nation's most respected musicians, winning the Avery Fisher prize which recognizes America's best classical musician. Over a 1000 people pass by during the rush hour, only a few stopped to listen. He made $32.17. The same man who could command over $100 for the cheapest seats and playing to standingroom-only packed houses, hardly gets the time of day in this context. Would you have stopped to listen to the music played by one of the most accomplished musicians of our time, using a world-famous violin?

I was so compelled by the story that I needed to write this post because I see the same every day in the blogosphere. Terrific bloggers, bloggers who write from the heart, bloggers with a story to tell, all struggling for exposure. These are the unsung heroes of the long tail. Orwellian theory suggests all blogs are equal but some are more equal than others. It did make me wonder if folks like Mike Arrington, Guy Kawasaki, Seth Godin, Mark Cuban, Cory Doctorow started blogs today under pseudonyms, would they still be heard. The material would remain great, compelling pieces, but would they have the same level of readership and following and if not, how long would it take for them to achieve that without their personal brand. If Seth is right, the experiment would be the same, without brand, there is little trust, without trust, there is no permission, without permission, there is little chance of engagement. With no engagement where is the conversation?

conversations