WWJeffD?
I have WWGD? on the brain, because I’m writing a book under that title and because the title has been the subject of discussion the last few days. I went looking around for references to the namesake — WWJD — and found all sorts of amusement, including this year-old video, magnificently blasphemous:
Which answers the now-classic question, what would Jesus drive?
Here’s Andrew Nachison complaining about my title:
I have to admit, the tongue-in-cheek play on the more serious “What Would Jesus Do†irks me. Google is a splendid example of a new role for media companies - they connect people to each other. In Google’s terms, they index the world. Dale and I say Google “remediates†the world - reconnects people to each other through information. The humans create the knowledge and actions that follow - but Google is there to expedite the process as much as possible. In that sense, yes, I think WWGD is right on.But in other ways, I don’t think Google is the ultimate test of a digital business or a perfect example of how digital businesses should function. WWGD may be a good exercise to reveal practices that others should avoid, like WWMSD (what would Microsoft do). . . .
And he goes on. I’m not sure what his point is: the tangentially religious joke or dislike for Google (Christ v. antiChrist?).
Here are WWJD rubber bands. I don’t get the point of that, either.
And WWJD visors and door hangers and earrings and doo rag. WWJD fashion spelled out in rhinestones because Jesus likes Liberace.
Here’s a reminder that Jesus doesn’t steal Poptarts.
What would Jesus buy at Amazon?
WWJD the game.
What would Jesus smell like?
: MORE: Friend Scott Heiferman sends us to the great Rev. Billy trailer:
Friend Janice Abrahams sends us to Cafe Press and T shirts I have to buy:
Tags: wwgd
April 9th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Jeff, your takeoff on WWJD as a journalistic technique has been described as a snowclone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowclone).
For example, “Katie Couric is the new Larry King.”
April 10th, 2008 at 6:01 am
“Stigmater?” Plus highly doubtful it would be a Ford as Henry was a rather notorious if harmless anti-Semite. Dodge sold thousands of 4×4s to the godless commies during WWII so that leaves only Chevrolet!
April 10th, 2008 at 8:27 am
What Would Jesus Buy?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=sGi21YQFjMM
GREAT
April 11th, 2008 at 8:24 am
Thanks Jeff. I don’t know for sure what I meant either. Consider my personal blog a slow-simmering “alpha.” I’m pre-judging your book concept - WWGD - before you’ve written the book. I’m judging the book by its cover. Or title.
The title nags at me the same way Google does - moral and righteous overtones applied to a company that seems to me to be remarkably amoral (I’m not not saying immoral). It’s a quibble. There’s clearly a lot to learn about digital business and media from Google - and I look forward to what you come up with. I think the WWGND - what would they NOT do - could be a chapter, or another way of looking critically at how the company has behaved in areas where it has come under criticism. That’s not just China, censorship, etc. Last I checked they’ve also still not revealed the list of sites they index at Google News. They’re under no obligation to do so - but I find it odd for a company that claims to want to index the world that this particular index is off limits.
And the idea I’m thinking about a lot lately is the last one I mentioned:
Maybe the things that Google would not do are things that non-profits or social entrepreneurs would do - or should. That’s not a dig at Google - just another way of thinking about who does what in a digital, connected We Media culture.