In a recent post analyst watcher Carter Lusher claims:
“Gartner is not serious about social media”
I see things a little differently and as co-founder of the firm that has arguably done more to innovate industry analyst business and research models than anybody (paving the way for some outstanding new entrants into the field such as Altimeter, and helping to encourage folks like Merv to go it alone with Market Strategies) my opinion might have some value.
We built RedMonk on social media. Its as simple as that. We had a good run on it through the late noughties. But honestly – the differentiator has been significantly eroded of late. One of our significant differentiators is now business as usual. Our competitors are just as fast to the news as us, if not faster, with solid analysis on either side of the firewall. Gartner and Forrester are both doing outstanding work in real time analysis. Seriously. And Gartner analysts are joining the conversation. Blogs may not have put paid to the industry analysts must not collaborate idea, but twitter, twitter has punched a big hole in the porous membrane. If analysts have to ping outside the firewall and back to collaborate with their own colleagues then so be it. And this is happening in public.
Luckily RedMonk has a unique value proposition that goes beyond the tools we use- we know developers better than anyone else, and developers are defining the new economies, which is why people consult with us.
Social media is just another tool. Its something we use, not something we are. Lusher points to power laws in his analysis of Gartner social media output, but power laws define literally any community. Some people blog and tweet more – doesn’t tell us much, except that some people blog and tweet more.
Gartner already has an effective model, and is augmenting it with social media. That’s about as serious as it needs to be, isn’t it? You might as well ask if Gartner is serious about the telephone. So let me reiterate – we see Gartner as joining the conversation, and doing good work on twitter and blogs. RedMonk has to up its game – that’s how I know they’re serious. And if you want to know just how we’ll up our game I would suggest you follow me and Stephen closely over the next 12 months. Evil Plans.
monkchips says:
May 12, 2010 at 4:49 pm
“Gartner is not serious about social media”. Ya Think? http://monk.ly/am6CTf
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Nick Gall says:
May 12, 2010 at 5:07 pm
Thanks James. You nailed it! Can’t wait to see your evil plans.
ironick says:
May 12, 2010 at 5:14 pm
Thanks James: I enjoy puncturing porous membranes RT @monkchips: “Gartner is not serious about social media” Ya Think? http://bit.ly/cWMnoE
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
chirag_mehta says:
May 12, 2010 at 5:49 pm
“Social media is just another tool. Its something we use, not something we are” says @monkchips http://bit.ly/azMvsJ
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Small Town Editor says:
May 12, 2010 at 5:50 pm
“innovate” is an intransitive verb. Please don’t give it an object.
bfr3nch says:
May 12, 2010 at 5:59 pm
@monkchips makes sense in this candid post: Gartner, FORR, other analysts eroding RedMonk’s soc media differentiator. http://bit.ly/bfhnLd
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Taking a fresh look at analyst blogs | Sway says:
May 12, 2010 at 8:47 pm
[…] read in a very long time on blogging among the analysts. Here’s an excerpt from his excellent post: We built RedMonk on social media. Its as simple as that. We had a good run on it through the late […]
Merv Adrian says:
May 13, 2010 at 2:58 am
Thanks for the mention, James, and I confess that your model was something I saw as worthy of emulation. I’m a fan, as you know.
As for participation by the old guard, they have a way to go. Just today I heard of an analyst being called out for putting “too much good stuff” in his/her blog. The notion that it might be a way to draw eyeballs to the for-pay content is still beyond all of them. And with rare (though exemplary) exceptions, twitter is for broadcast, not for dialogue; even if they tolerate some limited interaction with those outside the paywall, it’s probably that they aren’t noticing it. They are most definitely not encouraging or motivating it.
merv says:
May 13, 2010 at 2:59 am
@monkchips has a take on Gartner in social media. I disagree, but he’s articulate & well-reasoned as always. http://bit.ly/clxlLt
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Barbara French says:
May 13, 2010 at 3:37 pm
James, You’ve written the most intelligent view I’ve read in a very long time on blogging among the analysts. Blogging has become an integral part of analyst business processes. We’re way past counting noses. You helped pioneer this change, leading by example and by being an outspoken champion of innovating the analyst business through open platforms and dialogues. Excellent post.
Agree with Nick – looking forward to what’s next from RedMonk.
James Governor says:
May 13, 2010 at 3:50 pm
thanks barbara. never really sure if honesty is the best policy, but i saw things differently enough to comment. 😉
have been subsequently thinking about the different modes of twitter use by analysts. clearly for example, the huge following that jeremiah has is an invaluable research sounding board. even my 8k+ doesn’t suck – especially given my focus on software development.
bfr3nch says:
May 13, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Must read for analysts, analyst relations: @monkchips’ intelligent view on state of blogging in the analyst business http://bit.ly/bfhnLd
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Tekrati says:
May 13, 2010 at 3:48 pm
Bravo! Would like to see more analysts comment on @monkchips’ post on the state of blogging in the analyst business. http://bit.ly/bfhnLd
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
Barbara French says:
May 13, 2010 at 4:17 pm
Some marketing agencies plan to replace older opinion polling with Twitter. Right idea, personally not convinced it’s mature enough for that. Also shows strong pull Twitter has among marketers.
I’m watching several dev communities with great hope. Ripe for a game changer of some sort. You can feel it.
bfr3nch says:
May 13, 2010 at 5:43 pm
@robcur understood. @monkchips renowned editorial stylings aside, he zeros in on a key shift in analyst use of blogs. http://bit.ly/bfhnLd
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
James Governor's Monkchips » Google I/O is the new Java One. Thoughts on Developer Conferences and Industry Analysts says:
May 13, 2010 at 6:18 pm
[…] James Governor's Monkchips An industry analyst blog looking at software ecosystems and convergence About & Contact « “Gartner is not serious about social media”. Ya Think? […]
Bryankorourke says:
May 13, 2010 at 6:59 pm
“Gartner is not serious about social media”. Ya Think?” I see things a little differently and as co-founder of the… http://bit.ly/cUTE6H
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
hornbeck says:
May 13, 2010 at 8:43 pm
“we know developers better than anyone else, and developers are defining the new economies” – http://bit.ly/cW3CJT
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
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May 14, 2010 at 1:22 am
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John says:
May 16, 2010 at 8:26 am
that is the issue with technology these days, it is so ubiquitous that it is hard to differentiate yourself by using one tool… that is why going back to the fundamentals is important.. in your case, creating and maintaining real relationships with developers… etc
Mchael Dortch says:
July 8, 2010 at 6:36 pm
Bravo to James (whom I’ve found inspiring since our first meeting lo these many years ago), Barbara, Merv and the other contributors to this exciting and important discussion. Frankly, the reason I joined Focus a year ago was its potential to build upon what pioneers like James and Barbara have done with social media and other modern technological tools to liberate, democratize and share expertise more broadly and economically than had been done by “legacy” firms such as Gartner, Forrester and Yankee Group (where I was employee #5 in the 1970s, and where Forrester founder George Colony and I shared an office for a while).
Whatever happens to their firms, it is all goodness that analysts from more traditional professional backgrounds are, as James put it, “joining the conversation.” The next step, I think, is to blend analyst expertise with the real-life experiences and knowledge held by users, vendors and others with their “feet on the street” (and, sometimes, their careers on the line). How that plays out, and who pays for what, are questions we’re all trying to answer. But I think the shared goal is to ensure that all engaged stakeholders — observers, buyers and sellers — have a place at the table and a role in the conversation. As the saying goes, “many paths, one mountain.”
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October 14, 2010 at 5:27 pm
[…] My opinion of the firm has actually improved in recent years (please read further coverage from me here and […]
Marshall Kirkpatrick, Technology Journalist » Well Socialized Analyst Merv Adrian Goes to Gartner says:
November 20, 2010 at 3:16 am
[…] can participate in social media and offered a good critique of standard practices in response to a James Governor blog post criticizing Gartner last Spring. As for participation by the old guard, they have a way to go. Just […]