Google Wave invites are still a hot ticket, even though most of the initial reviews have been somewhat tepid. I think most of those reviewers are missing the larger point about why Google Wave matters, but I'll get into that in another post soon.
Today I need to do my part for the internet, and alert people against getting false hope.
I've written before about Google Wave scams, and even Google Wave scams designed to look like they are helping combat other scams.
Now there's another flavor of scam which has the wrappings of something that could look legitimate: Companies offering help with Google Wave invites that is actually no help at all. I've seen a few, but to my mind the worst offender is CC: Betty, which is actually a legitimate company that has a modestly interesting product.
Whoever is running the @ccbetty Twitter page, unfortunately, is breaking the rules of netiquette.
They are finding all the people who tweet about the desire for a Google Wave invite, and urging them to click a link that just goes back to CC:Betty. It's like they are saying to someone who is hungry: "Hey! Here's something that can help: Go outside and with some chalk write down the things you'd like to eat."
Look, if you don't have a Google Wave Invite, don't worry. It's just a function of the fact that you aren't lucky enough to be in the particular right place at the right time.
I've compared Google Wave to time, but let me make another comparison. It's like Google is building an amusement park, and everyone wants to go check it out. The problem is that the only thing built right now is the parking lot, and the little shuttle that takes you around the park. A few rides are under construction, but they are pretty much just versions of what you can do on the web now.
So, just relax and be sure to subscribe to this Examiner so that you will know when it will actually be important to be on Wave, and by then it will be easy to do so.
Thanks for reading.
I am playing with Wave every day and reading lots, but I am open to all suggestions about what aspects of Wave to cover. If you have a tip, well, I'm like a waiter: I live on the tips. Contact me on Scott, or via Twitter using the button below.
Comments
I'm the alleged here. You wrote: "They are finding all the people who tweet about the desire for a Google Wave invite, and urging them to click a link that just goes back to CC:Betty". Respectfully, this is just not true.
We're not a Wave invite scam by any means. A Wave invite scam would mean we're saying "Come get your Wave invite here: ccbetty dotcom". That's NOT what we're doing.
Rather we're simply getting in the conversations. When someone says they're desperately waiting for their Wave invite, we're saying: "Hey, while you're waiting for your Wave invite you might like this service Cc:Betty (and we provide a link). It's not quite the same as Wave, but kinda similar".
Most times people @ back and say "thanks this is cool". And later, many of them tweet about it.
Is this really bad netiquette or just social media at play?
Michael Cerda, CEO @ Cc:Betty
Seriously Scott, referring to CC:Betty's tweet activity as a scam is just irresponsible. I've been seeing their tweets and invites. They're clearly NOT attempts to trick anyone. Those tweets are not a scam by any definitions. Tagging a new product and startup with a "Scam" descriptor could be very damaging to a very real service with credible founders and honest social media communications. Think about what you just did. You reached for an example to support your ongoing series of posts, and you victimized a small startup.
Are you proud of yourself? Do you wish you'd have looked around for a better example for your "Wave scam" posts? I hope so.
I'm the alleged here. You wrote: "They are finding all the people who tweet about the desire for a Google Wave invite, and urging them to click a link that just goes back to CC:Betty". Respectfully, this is just not true.
We're not a Wave invite scam by any means. A Wave invite scam would mean we're saying "Come get your Wave invite here: ccbetty dotcom". That's NOT what we're doing.
Rather we're simply getting in the conversations. When someone says they're desperately waiting for their Wave invite, we're saying: "Hey, while you're waiting for your Wave invite you might like this service Cc:Betty (and we provide a link). It's not quite the same as Wave, but kinda similar".
Most times people @ back and say "thanks this is cool". And later, many of them tweet about it.
Is this really bad netiquette or just social media at play?
Michael Cerda, CEO @ Cc:Betty
I feel very sorry for those waiting. So sorry that I want to tell you I received my second invite today. Hmmm... one for the biz and one for personal.
I'm glad you came and commented here, it helps the readers understand your point of view.
I disagree that tweeting people who are looking for a Wave invite with an introduction to Cc:Betty is legitimate marketing. Your tweets do not say what you say they say here, they present Cc:Betty as a way to get an Invite. That's deceptive.
Seriously Scott, referring to CC:Betty's tweet activity as a scam is just irresponsible. I've been seeing their tweets and invites. They're clearly NOT attempts to trick anyone. Those tweets are not a scam by any definitions. Tagging a new product and startup with a "Scam" descriptor could be very damaging to a very real service with credible founders and honest social media communications. Think about what you just did. You reached for an example to support your ongoing series of posts, and you victimized a small startup.
Are you proud of yourself? Do you wish you'd have looked around for a better example for your "Wave scam" posts? I hope so.
Unlike Google wave, i've actually been invited by an existing cc:betty user to participate in a group conversation / thread on cc:betty. cc:betty is delivering a useful service and not just talking about the hypothetical future. I saw the blind link in the tweet by ccbetty that you referenced - at best this is an err in netiquette. You are being UNFAIR using the s-c-a-m label. You need to retract that comment now before you lose credibility as a product reviewer or "examiner."
I seem to have upset some people with my characterization of CcBetty tweets about Google Wave.
I linked to the CcBetty tweets, but just in case they delete them, a whole bunch of times they responded to people looking for Google Wave invites with this:
"If you didn’t get your Wave invite, you might try (link here). It’s a way to organize discussions."
(Sorry, Examiner doesn't allow links in comments, even from me! The link is in the original story above.)
That link goes to a page which in no way will help anyone on earth get a Google Wave invite, so I think that's deceptive.
The letter writers are somehow trying to say that because it's a corporation that did this, and not some teenage jerk, that it should be OK. I disagree, and think CcBetty and others should be held to a higher standard, not a lower one.
And if CcBetty honestly thinks that it can compete with Wave by tweeting people looking for a Wave invite, they have bigger troubles than whatever I might say.
I've posted two of their more common tweets and it doesn't seem like a scam. They are just targetting people who posted they want invites. Never did I see that CC:Betty say or offer any invites. They are offering a similar (sorta) type product to those who need a similar (sorta) type service. Kinda smart and easy actually.
@CodyClark311 If you didn’t get your Wave invite, you might try ttp://bit.ly/LpP6e. It’s a way to organize discussions.
@myvibe If you aren’t one of the lucky 100K, you might try ttp://www.ccbetty.com. It ain’t Wave, but you might find it useful
Thanks!
Sean
fairlycommonsense.com
You are a culprit scott. You unnecessarily accuse starters like GoogleWaveCommunity.com, Cc:Betty etc just to earn some bloody penny from Examiner. This way you are working against the Examiner's reputation. You are the biggest scammer in the Google Wave circle.
Look, if you read the posts you will see I make a clear distinction between CcBetty and GoogleWaveCommunity. CcBetty made what I think is a deceptive marketing decision, but I said that it is a legitimate company, and I still think that.
You, "volanath" are smearing CcBetty by lumping them in with the other one, which is clearly 100 percent created as an SEO scam.
So, let me get this straight, Scott. Your now drawing distinctions of netiquette in reference to CC:Betty's tweets. But the title of your post and the lead sentence of paragraph four hasn't changed to reflect your distinction -- "Now there's another flavor of scam...".
Scott, your own CC:Betty tweet example is innocuous, and a pretty standard example of twitter promotional activity. And your tone in these comments is increasingly defensive.
Because you're not "owning" your overreach and bad example, I'm starting to wonder if you're picking a fight just for the SEO?
And, before you start accusing commenters or startups of SEO efforts, you might want to check that your repeated google Wave posts aren't giving you any SEO benefits...kettle, pot, black.
Dude, just own your sloppy post and apologize before anyone with an axe to grind notices.
Dont talk about things you dont know. Google is far far smarter than you to find out which is the original post. And you are going to every single blog on earth related to Google Wave just to post your Examiner link in the comment section. What happens to SEO then ? For a backlink issue u hav made a scam stamp on 400+ Google Wave Community !!!
And everyone knows Twitter is a viral marketing tool. Lots of companies are now in the Twitter ecosystem because of that. Dell used it. Can u fight with them. Why u r against Cc:Betty ? Just to get some cheap attention ?
I guess ur masters at Examiner may fire u netime n u r running mad to save ur job. Dont fight with startups for ur own benefit. And ask ur masters to activate the backlink in the comment zone.
Aaron, I'm not "picking a fight." I posted what I thought to be true. I thought it would be interesting for people, and it was worthwhile for me to write that if you want a Google Invite there is no way you'll get one by signing up for CcBetty, which is what those many tweets implied.
As for the other commenter, who I am sure is the same scammer who runs GoogleWaveCommunity.com, you are clearly trying to improve your lot in life by associating yourself with an actual company in CcBetty. It won't work.
You, sir, are a thief (you stole my copy, which is how I found you in the first place) and you are running a deceptive site, playing off the frenzy of people who want invites.
I am not going to "every google wave blog on earth." I went to one other to call you out for stealing content from that site the way you stole it from mine.
If you had an original thought in your head, you could certainly post it, but you don't. You are just a thief and a scammer.
The tweets require some serious misinterpretation to become a "scam"
Cc:Betty clearly says "this is a service that is similar" not claiming it is a way to get Wave. End of story!
-RiXx
Get at me @RiXx
No, Rixx. What CC:Betty is doing is definitely a scam, more accurately phishing.
And for the other Google Wave Community thing, I dont understand what is the issue as this is nowhere mentioned in the post !!!
- Scott, u r doing a good job. Keep it up :)
Agree with you completely. Lot of google wave invite scams / spams are out there. I didn't get one but will wait till I get one - no need to hurry. I would say the surf of Google wave has just started and it will pick up drastically in future. If you are interested in learning more about Google Wave check out the link below. It has more than 250 videos from all the popular video sites like youtube, ustream, veoh, sohu, vimeo, viddler etc.,
markthispage.blogspot.com/2009/10/google-wave-videos-huge-collection.html
I don't see how CC:Betty is a google wave scam either and after I read this the first time, I thought it was until I checked out their site. I came back and re-read your post. It is confusing and makes it sound like they are a google wave scam.
Having said that, I do agree that bombarding people on Twitter with messages is like spamming, because if we all did this, to promote our products, it starts to get very hard to determine what is legit and what is spam. I think that is what Scott is talking about. If you are a legit start-up, then get legit coverage and stop spamming people on Twitter.
Your product does look interesting, and frankly I would rather support a start-up than the big goliath on the block. Write Techcrunch, or other influential sites and get them to try it out. Don't spam on Twitter! So annoying!
I have to say, I Agree with Scott here, its a bit dirty to use highly anticipated product names to gain attention for own benefit.
And trick so well that people defend this is even worse. If its not a "scam" then its just another word of same quality, either way, its as said many times now "Deceptive".
I have to say that I agree with the anti-spam, however I do not agree that CC:Betty is a Google Wave invite scam. If they were using the Google wave invite trend to get people to go to their site then that is very deceptive. However, I personally do not feel that they scammed the person into or out of a Google Wave account.
Maybe I misunderstood what you were saying, but it definitely came off confusing.
I was one of teh lucky invites, not directly from Google... I did know someone that did get one and that is where I got mine.
You are totally correct in the fact that is it wrong to give false hope just to get page impressions. Horrible netiquette as you put it.
Jay
Jay's Saving Your Money
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