Imagine if Chevron Had Used a Blog Instead

Listening this morning to a BBC World Service Chevron oil company, I was struck in particular by his commentary about a website where the public can join Chevron in an online discussion about the future of energy. Overall, I found it a fascinating interview, with its Concerning the online discussion, Robertson was talking about Community Guidelines page, this is actually a substantial undertaking (and clearly part of a willyoujoinus.com is not a blog. Instead it's a beautifully-designed and clearly well thought through corporate website with some blog-like naming (the words 'post' and 'comment' are used, for instance). It's gatekeeper heaven, too, with its completely un-blog-like methodology of contributing your opinions via a web form that goes off to some unknown person or group of moderators - what Chevron describes as "experienced outside moderators" (without giving a sense of who these people are: could be the PR agency for all I know) and, elsewhere in the site, as "contracted specialists in community moderation" (sounds scary!). Imagine if Chevron had used a blog instead. With RSS feeds. With trackback capability. It could certainly still require registration and login in order for anyone to participate, and have comment moderation. Most important, though, a blog could give this place personality and authenticity - two of the attributes which it currently and starkly lacks. And identify who the moderators are. Build some trust. You're about 80 percent there with this, Chevron. Why not go the full 100? Put your NevilleHobson.com blog which focuses on business communication and technology.

Neville is currentlly the VP of New Marketing at NevilleHobson.com