At What Point Ethics?

I don't see your ethics being tainted here. I do see that sponsorship of PodCamp, etc, gives ISMA political clout when hawking their wares… gives them some kind of credibility.

way to get out in front of this, leslie. the description of your thought process on receiving the last-minute donation is familiar to anyone who has been involved in staging an event. I was a pcnh attendee and benefited directly from your efforts to make it a “learn free or die” experience. I appreciate all of those organizations and (especially) individuals that stepped up to help make the event the success you envisioned.

that said, any major conference or event will have its share of “gray area” sponsors. I think that will be even more the case with social media-focused events for two reasons. first, the discipline is still coalescing. as with any new sector, there will be snake oil salespeople as surely as there will be customers to be bilked. second, the social media community is an open community. leading practitioners are the first to admit they don't know all the answers and actively solicit suggestions and new ideas from the community. this openness is a good thing. however, it also means that any idea that comes out of the community is not rejected out of hand for unorthodoxy.

I said above that I appreciated all the event sponsors. I have a special warm spot for those who weren't looking to get anything out of it, but I thank those with more mercenary goals as well. that doesn't mean I will blindly buy what they're trying to sell, any more than I will change the breakfast cereal I eat because brand x buys advertising on glee. nor does it mean I will necessarily judge what is being sponsored by the sponsors – it's about content, right? : )

Leslie, I feel like a big light has just been turned on in a dark room. Shedding light on a problem almost always makes it go away or it gives you the power to deal with it. Ethics is always such a gray area. However research shows it's those who actually discuss, and question their own ethics who actually behave more ethically. I'm touched by your transparency as you share about a mistake/decision you made and the possible consequences.

The part I like the most is that from this your looking for a learning process. We should always be looking to improve what we are doing professionally.

Kudos to you for being real.
Chuck

Hi Leslie – Mari here, President, International Social Media Association.

I'm confused by your post – it seems you're basing your assessment of ISMA entirely on Olivier's opinion piece. (I agree it turned into an industry-wide discussion that released much tension; and I felt many points made in the post and comments were valid. Despite the harsh tone by many, my team and I listened intently and are integrating what's appropriate).

However, I feel your post here is unjust. I notice you didn't link to Olivier's more level-headed follow-up post about the whole concept of certification in the social media industry. Or Jason Fall's thoughtful post in response to Olivier's original one.

I do agree it makes complete sense to do proper due diligence prior to accepting sponsorship funds. But to assert ISMA is a scam taking advantage of people is not fair or accurate.

I wonder how much due diligence you've done in really researching what ISMA is and does. I would certainly welcome the opportunity to speak with you – I don't know that we've met or spoken before and this is the first time I’ve read your blog.

What puzzles me most about fellow professionals in the social media industry, such as yourself, is the fact the entire industry is about relationships, connecting, engaging, listening, collaborating… and yet there seems to be a big “them and us” great divide. There are those self-appointed social media “purists” who feel justified in pointing fingers at anyone they deem not “fit” for the industry… yet the finger pointing is done without possession of all the facts.

Yes, I see the “free-for-all” going on in this emerging industry. You just tweeted this morning with a link to yet another social media certification “out there.” I’m keeping track of them all myself – they’re going to keep springing up no matter what. Each course offers something unique to different audiences.

Of course, there is a shakeout happening too. These are natural phases with anything new. Our intent with ISMA is to establish a solid reputation as one of the industry leaders in social media training and education.

And, my style is – unless someone is really causing grievous harm – to allow others to follow their path and I follow mine, knowing that I am staying true to myself, my integrity, standard and ethics. I've been in the social media industry for close to three years, and have eight years' solid experience prior in relationship marketing. I'm a widely recognized social media keynote speaker and trainer, with a long list of top clients. I have a stellar “in-the-trenches” track record as does Mark.

What’s fascinating about the great divide is, had I approached and befriended someone like Olivier say six months or more ago and he’d agreed to be on our board and actually contribute his smarts to a collaborative effort, would there be so much judgment going on about ISMA?

With the benefit of hindsight, Mark and I may have launched ISMA slightly differently. But our trainings – both free and paid – are solid.

ISMA is a strong, professional organization and will only become stronger as we progress and grow. I invite anyone to reach out to any of our members, students and graduates to find out what they are learning from ISMA and what they’re doing for their clients and the real tangible results their clients are achieving.

Leslie, I applaud you for stepping up your own ethics and sponsor-vetting system. Yet, as I say, I’m at a loss to understand specifically why you’re so intent on calling my organization a scam?

Perhaps if our course was a training, not certification, that would make a difference to some. Or if there was no money involved and we offered everything for free, suddenly it's not a “scam?”

As I said to Olivier, I’m always open to feedback – good, bad or indifferent – it’s all valuable to me. My team and I take what makes most sense and integrate where appropriate. At the same time, everything we have done and everything we offer is done so with heart and integrity.

Best,
Mari

Thanks, Leslie.

Okay, fair enough. I agree there is implied association with sponsors. In fact, it's more than implied, and due diligence is a must.

I do, however, maintain that your choice of words in this post (“scam, taking advantage, sucker, fly by night”) are/were direct hits at ISMA without full knowledge or facts.

At PCNH Jay and I talked with Mark and Mari during lunch. They were very excited about the new organization that they were starting. I listened intently and afterward told Jay I felt uncomfortable about it. I'm all for making money don't get me wrong but it just didn't sit right. The “certification” part is what I didn't get. They seemed like very nice people but the “international certification” program as I understood it seemed to me just like someone trying to capitalize on the social media wave. Maybe my impression was wrong but that was how I felt.

I'm sorry… I should have checked the name on the business card. It was Lyn-Dee and she was very nice.
Sorry about that.

Leslie I'm glad you've posted this. Let me just share some thoughts as a Podcamp Boston organizer.

Last year we had some of the same issues *just* prior to PCB going on with a few last minute things needing to be covered. We were lucky, we managed to find sponsors that we've worked with before and some brand new that were cool to work with. (All of our sponsors rocked it! <3)

I would have had the exact same reaction in your place.

It'll make me think twice in the coming year with PCB planning and knowing that the companies we exchange sponsorship ties with are getting something important in that endorsement so we have to be aware of who we're backing. It's easy when you know the company you keep but not every Podcamp has that option.

No your ethics aren't damaged. You made a decision in good faith. You've been open and honest the outcome here which I think is important and I'm very appreciative for that.