Comments on: Better To Light a Single Candle http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/2006/08/14/better-to-light-a-single-candle/ Specializing in Bovine Fecal Detection Since January of 2002 Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:29:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bill http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/2006/08/14/better-to-light-a-single-candle/#comment-191399 Bill Tue, 15 Aug 2006 23:48:00 +0000 http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/?p=2652#comment-191399 I think the only honorable course is to eat crow and come completely clean. Companies are made up of fallible, mortal human beings. Individuals make mistakes, and companies make mistakes. Sometimes these mistakes are huge. I hope AOL high-ups come to recognize, admit to themselves, and then admit publicly, that using "the rogue agent defense" was and is a very rotten thing to do. (The AOL representatives who spoke ill of, and fired, John owe him a personal apology.) And then admit: "Our business model stank. It victimized thousands of people in the process. It also intrinsically promoted things like the rogue agent defense, and other disingenuous denial -- particularly denial of responsibility from those who truly had responsibility. It made our company into something like a cult, where terrible treatment of both customers and employees became acceptable and common. Otherwise nice people became inhumane. It was a scary experience. The best and only thing we can do is learn from it." I think the only honorable course is to eat crow and come completely clean. Companies are made up of fallible, mortal human beings. Individuals make mistakes, and companies make mistakes. Sometimes these mistakes are huge. I hope AOL high-ups come to recognize, admit to themselves, and then admit publicly, that using “the rogue agent defense” was and is a very rotten thing to do. (The AOL representatives who spoke ill of, and fired, John owe him a personal apology.) And then admit: “Our business model stank. It victimized thousands of people in the process. It also intrinsically promoted things like the rogue agent defense, and other disingenuous denial — particularly denial of responsibility from those who truly had responsibility. It made our company into something like a cult, where terrible treatment of both customers and employees became acceptable and common. Otherwise nice people became inhumane. It was a scary experience. The best and only thing we can do is learn from it.”

]]> By: Bonejob http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/2006/08/14/better-to-light-a-single-candle/#comment-191398 Bonejob Tue, 15 Aug 2006 13:57:00 +0000 http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/?p=2652#comment-191398 Exactly - the whole environment was rank and ripe for something like this to happen. But to blame it all on 'the call' instead of themselves is crazy. I think they are recognizing that after years of issue avoidance and the rogue CSR defense no longer working they have to eat crow. I mean really you can only use the rogue agent excuse once or twice but when you have thousands of customers complaining of the same thing it isn't a rogue agent. I think they were forced 'straight' and so spin it to make it sound like they are evolving again - yes they are making drastic changes finally but all this could have been done alot more proactively and without AOL receiving 2 black eyes and a kick to the groin. Exactly – the whole environment was rank and ripe for something like this to happen. But to blame it all on ‘the call’ instead of themselves is crazy. I think they are recognizing that after years of issue avoidance and the rogue CSR defense no longer working they have to eat crow. I mean really you can only use the rogue agent excuse once or twice but when you have thousands of customers complaining of the same thing it isn’t a rogue agent. I think they were forced ‘straight’ and so spin it to make it sound like they are evolving again – yes they are making drastic changes finally but all this could have been done alot more proactively and without AOL receiving 2 black eyes and a kick to the groin.

]]> By: Bill http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/2006/08/14/better-to-light-a-single-candle/#comment-191397 Bill Mon, 14 Aug 2006 16:09:00 +0000 http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/?p=2652#comment-191397 I appreciated how this article indicated that AOL was "really a victim of its own practices." I hope Jason Calacanis eventually understands this: It was not "the call" that fundamentally brought AOL down, it was "the practices." I appreciated how this article indicated that AOL was “really a victim of its own practices.” I hope Jason Calacanis eventually understands this: It was not “the call” that fundamentally brought AOL down, it was “the practices.”

]]> By: Jenn http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/2006/08/14/better-to-light-a-single-candle/#comment-191396 Jenn Mon, 14 Aug 2006 13:09:00 +0000 http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/?p=2652#comment-191396 Hey there Vinny...long time no talk. Dropped by and noticed how your an even bigger star than ever! =) TV even... impressive. Well done and its definitely about time... I went through that with AOL myself years ago! Anyway, wanted to say hello... hope life is fantastic. Take Care! Jenn Hey there Vinny…long time no talk. Dropped by and noticed how your an even bigger star than ever! =) TV even… impressive. Well done and its definitely about time… I went through that with AOL myself years ago!

Anyway, wanted to say hello… hope life is fantastic. Take Care!

Jenn

]]> By: Jenn http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/2006/08/14/better-to-light-a-single-candle/#comment-12749 Jenn Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/?p=2652#comment-12749 Hey there Vinny...long time no talk. Dropped by and noticed how your an even bigger star than ever! =) TV even... impressive. Well done and its definitely about time... I went through that with AOL myself years ago! Anyway, wanted to say hello... hope life is fantastic. Take Care! Jenn Hey there Vinny…long time no talk. Dropped by and noticed how your an even bigger star than ever! =) TV even… impressive. Well done and its definitely about time… I went through that with AOL myself years ago!

Anyway, wanted to say hello… hope life is fantastic. Take Care!

Jenn

]]> By: Bill http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/2006/08/14/better-to-light-a-single-candle/#comment-12750 Bill Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/?p=2652#comment-12750 I appreciated how this article indicated that AOL was "really a victim of its own practices." I hope Jason Calacanis eventually understands this: It was not "the call" that fundamentally brought AOL down, it was "the practices." I appreciated how this article indicated that AOL was “really a victim of its own practices.” I hope Jason Calacanis eventually understands this: It was not “the call” that fundamentally brought AOL down, it was “the practices.”

]]> By: Bonejob http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/2006/08/14/better-to-light-a-single-candle/#comment-12751 Bonejob Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/?p=2652#comment-12751 Exactly - the whole environment was rank and ripe for something like this to happen. But to blame it all on 'the call' instead of themselves is crazy. I think they are recognizing that after years of issue avoidance and the rogue CSR defense no longer working they have to eat crow. I mean really you can only use the rogue agent excuse once or twice but when you have thousands of customers complaining of the same thing it isn't a rogue agent. I think they were forced 'straight' and so spin it to make it sound like they are evolving again - yes they are making drastic changes finally but all this could have been done alot more proactively and without AOL receiving 2 black eyes and a kick to the groin. Exactly – the whole environment was rank and ripe for something like this to happen. But to blame it all on ‘the call’ instead of themselves is crazy. I think they are recognizing that after years of issue avoidance and the rogue CSR defense no longer working they have to eat crow. I mean really you can only use the rogue agent excuse once or twice but when you have thousands of customers complaining of the same thing it isn’t a rogue agent. I think they were forced ‘straight’ and so spin it to make it sound like they are evolving again – yes they are making drastic changes finally but all this could have been done alot more proactively and without AOL receiving 2 black eyes and a kick to the groin.

]]> By: Bill http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/2006/08/14/better-to-light-a-single-candle/#comment-12752 Bill Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.insignificantthoughts.com/?p=2652#comment-12752 I think the only honorable course is to eat crow and come completely clean. Companies are made up of fallible, mortal human beings. Individuals make mistakes, and companies make mistakes. Sometimes these mistakes are huge. I hope AOL high-ups come to recognize, admit to themselves, and then admit publicly, that using "the rogue agent defense" was and is a very rotten thing to do. (The AOL representatives who spoke ill of, and fired, John owe him a personal apology.) And then admit: "Our business model stank. It victimized thousands of people in the process. It also intrinsically promoted things like the rogue agent defense, and other disingenuous denial -- particularly denial of responsibility from those who truly had responsibility. It made our company into something like a cult, where terrible treatment of both customers and employees became acceptable and common. Otherwise nice people became inhumane. It was a scary experience. The best and only thing we can do is learn from it." I think the only honorable course is to eat crow and come completely clean. Companies are made up of fallible, mortal human beings. Individuals make mistakes, and companies make mistakes. Sometimes these mistakes are huge. I hope AOL high-ups come to recognize, admit to themselves, and then admit publicly, that using “the rogue agent defense” was and is a very rotten thing to do. (The AOL representatives who spoke ill of, and fired, John owe him a personal apology.) And then admit: “Our business model stank. It victimized thousands of people in the process. It also intrinsically promoted things like the rogue agent defense, and other disingenuous denial — particularly denial of responsibility from those who truly had responsibility. It made our company into something like a cult, where terrible treatment of both customers and employees became acceptable and common. Otherwise nice people became inhumane. It was a scary experience. The best and only thing we can do is learn from it.”

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