PPC Management
Hell Yeah Dude!
Reverse Funnel System for Beach Bums
Blogoshpere Gone Wild: Top Blogs Play Telephone with Nissan
I saw an interesting article pop up last week about Nissan developing color changing paint… Sounded like something perfect to blog about on my color + design blog, so to confirm the story, I sent an email into Nissan Motors and they were nice enough to call me back. Turns out Nissan has no idea where this current web urban legend originated from and they confirmed that they aren’t developing color changing paint.
As I tried to search for where the story originated, I stumbled into the blogging equivalent of a childhood game of telephone. How exactly did this rumor spread in 3 days from a small energy news site to some of the highest trafficked auto & technology blogs on the web? Could Wired, GizModo, Engadget, Jalopnik, etc. really have been part of such a badly spun web of news?
Follow us post by post in the latest game of Blogophone…
Around November 6th, NextEnergyNews.com put up a story about the color changing paint technology being developed. They explained the basics of how this technology works, but they set this all off when they mention Nissan in passing::
Scientists Develop Auto Paint That Changes Color With the Press of a Button
|
What seems to be the first blog to pick this up, luxvelocity doesn’t add much to the story, but a little suggestion of a sexy Nissan spotscar to imagine this feature on…
Paramagnetic Paint: Change the Color of Your Vehicle at the Touch of a Button
|
This is Where the Blognannegans Really Begin…
Motor Authority picked up the story, and definitely got inspired by luxvelocity… they added fancy image of a red, black and white Nissan GTR and connected the recently released Self-Healing paint by Nissan to this new technology.
Paramagnetic paint changes color at the touch of a button
|
World Car Fans didn’t like all the white that Motor Authority used in their example picture and scaled it back to just a strip… but what they added as the source tag for the image is probably what helped this thing rocket out of control.
Advanced Paintjob that Changes Colour at the Touch of a Button
|
Taking the same red and black car from WordCarFans, Jalopnik continues the story:
The New Switcheroo: Electrical Chameleon Paint Changes Color
|
Going off of Jalopnik’s connection of the color changing paint that Nissan actually has developed Mobile Magazine merges the two:
Nissan’s Magical Electric Paint Changes Colors on the Fly
|
Crediting Mobile Mag as the source for thir post, but playing off Jalopnik’s Chameleon title… Wired goes full in on the Nissan invention thing. At least Wired knows that red is so 2006 and it is all about going Green in 07… they updated the example car image:
Carma Chameleon: Nissan Developing Color-Changing Auto Paint
|
Gizmodo doesn’t credit a source for their story, but judging by the Red and Black Nissan image they use and considering they are in the same blog family as Jalopnik… we have a pretty good idea where they were getting their information:
Nissan Developing Color Changing Paint
|
Another Strain of the Motor Blog Rumor…
I’m not sure how Auto Blog picked this story up so late in the game from Motor Blog and managed not to credit or even mention Nissan with this new technology, they even used a multicolor Polo image too.
Don’t dig your paint? Change it with the touch of a button.
|
Engadget credits Autoblog as their source, but obviously went all the way back to Motor Blog for a majority of their content. They apparently weren’t digging on the Rainbow-Polo and went back to the Red, Black and White Nissan and started back up the conversation again:
Paramagnetic paint lets you change your car’s color on a whim
|
Continuing On from World Car Fans…
It wasn’t just Jalopnik that picked up the story from Word Car Fans, Daily Tech continued on connecting even more dots. Oh and they weren’t all about the red either… they went with a subtle Gray and Black color choice. (Unfortunately most of the readers of DailyTech were more concerned with the use of word Twist instead of Torque to notice that there was no truth to 90% of the article.)
Nissan Develops Color Changing Paint for Vehicles
|
And finally from NewLaunches…
Nissan’s “paramagnetic” paint coating allows you to change car color at the flip of a switch
|
Yeah, they’ve been working on it for about 3 days or so according to the blogosphere.
From This… to… What?
So in only 3 days, the details of the story went from:
“viewed by Nissan and other auto companies”
to…
“Nissan talking up their bogus but juicy claim to have developed a self-healing paint system that can actually change color based on your mood, will be on production vehicles by 2010″
In the interests of full disclosure, I accidentally started a pretty major game of blogophone early last week. I was pointed to an article about T-Mobile having a German trademark on the color “magentaâ€? and wrote up a post about it, doing some quick research and grabbing what facts I could find about the trademark and the lawsuits they had filed against companies who were using that color.
When I posted the article, with the title “BEWARE T-Mobil Owns the Color Magenta”, the blogosphere erupted with buzz about t-mobile “owning” magenta, partially due to my playful use of that word in the blog title. Despite this trademark being in effect for 6 years, the post spread like wildfire, becoming more and more twisted as it went from blog to blog.
So what can bloggers learn from all of this? It is far too easy to pick-up and push along stories in the blogosphere. Every time we “hear and tell,” a few of the details get transformed into something else. Bloggers and readers should do more to research the facts and original sources before jumping to the publish button. How else will we establish blogging as a credible, journalistic endeavor?
P.S. Did you guys hear that Apple has developed the first artificial intelligence home automation system? It will act like a butler turning lights on and off, answering the phone, playing your favorite songs based on your moods… And the iHome will be in stores by Christmas!
53 Comments
Naomi Dunford said on November 18, 2007
This was just about the best blog post I’ve read in…ever. I love it! While I adore blogs and blogging, sometimes I want to write in big ugly letters in the comments “SAYS WHO?”
Push-button publishing is great and all, but we’re just bloggers. There is often zero editorial process involved from conception to clicking “publish”.
Yes, Virginia, there is a color-changing Nissan and you can have it in two years.
IttyBiz » Yes, Virginia, There IS A Color Changing Nissan said on November 18, 2007
[…] Blogoshpere Gone Wild:Top Blogs Play Telephone with Nissan. […]
Michael Castilla said on November 18, 2007
Nice post Darius! Pretty detailed as well.
It’s funny to see how saying one thing can be changed around in so many ways.
Question is, how much is that iHome gonna be?
Harrison McLeod said on November 18, 2007
I guess if anyone were to automate a home, it would be Apple. I’d hate to see what would happen if Microsoft got a hold of an idea like that. Can we say Vista For Home? I don’t think so.
Seriously, your post was a work of art in itself. Excellent job!
Sharif said on November 19, 2007
Great work. I was amazed that so far Gizmodo is the only blog that put a correction section at the end. Never been a big fan of Wired, specially after reading about faking wired news few times in the past.
Lifehacker rocks, get to learn some cool tricks. Both Engadget & Gizmodo are just telling people what is cool, what they should buy next & what not.
Travis said on November 19, 2007
Writing a post about the iHome as you read this. :)
shane said on November 19, 2007
Makes me wonder, is there an internet fact checker? Socially moderated leaves something to be desired, especially when the bulk of youngsters day (28 = internet grandpapa) quote wikipedia as a viable source in scholastic papers.
Thanks Darius - pretty sweet post.
Dinu said on November 19, 2007
Haha….nice detective work. That is some awesome stuff BTW. I’ve been dreaming of paramagnetic paint ever since I was a little boy watching Viper
ronbailey said on November 19, 2007
Funniest thing I’ve read today…
Online Television said on November 19, 2007
It’s a nice game of follow the first to break the news, and write the story.
Jason said on November 19, 2007
Now that was some good detective work!
007 said on November 19, 2007
You are about to uncover a secret that you cant handle. Back off while you still can.
The Progression of Rumors in the Blogsphere said on November 19, 2007
[…] can find the full article over here: http://www.younggogetter.com/2007/11/18/blogoshpere-gone-wild-top-blogs-play-telephone-with-nissan/Â and it talks about the progression of a rumor about a supposed color-changing paint that Nissan […]
Jason said on November 19, 2007
@Sharif: Be wary. Those “reports” about “fake wired stories” were fake themselves.
Blogoshpere Gone Wild: Top Blogs Play Telephone with Nissan at Maszman Speaks! said on November 19, 2007
[…] Blogoshpere Gone Wild: Top Blogs Play Telephone with Nissan […]
Paramagnetic Paint by Nissan a Hoax - Zerotohundred.com Forums said on November 19, 2007
[…] The “colour changing paint” by Nissan has taken auto blogs by storm last week. As everybody was raving on and on about how this development could change the world, only one site decided to double check with Nissan to confirm the story. Turns out, you’ve all been taken for a ride! The True Story […]
Dirk said on November 19, 2007
Now isn’t this article in itself the proof that bloggers DO research their posts thoroughly? So what’s the worry ;-)
Quick fake news replication in the blogosphere using simple and clean illustration « Hot Chaud said on November 19, 2007
[…] using simple and clean illustration Publié novembre 19, 2007 Chaud devant Here is the well-documented story of “Nissan’s Paramagnetic paint”, a totally […]
Advice Network said on November 19, 2007
Wow, what a great job you did of tracking that all down. And to imagine, you slapped it all down with one phone call. You deserve an award.
Color changing paint would be cool though, too bad i don’t like Nissans.
fc said on November 19, 2007
I guess we bloggers have to make the mistake of not doing our research properly to understand how important it is to..well research properly.. :|
Think Christian » Blog Archive » Check before you blog! said on November 19, 2007
[…] the line, the message has been distorted beyond recognition? Here’s an amusing analysis of a simple news item about automobile paint that got hugely distorted as it was passed from blog to blog. In this case the real-life consequences of the distortion are pretty harmless, but it’s a […]
rosalab said on November 19, 2007
Great research, shocking to see some of the top blogs posting false articles.
This has to make us think about what sources to believe.
Tom Bonner said on November 19, 2007
Great article. Great detective work.
On the other hand, if Nissan was in fact, secretly developing something like this, maybe their PR department would deny it if someone asked them.
How’s that for a conspiracy theory?
Tom Bonner
http://alphatracks.com
Dave Nofmeister said on November 19, 2007
Really good article. I have to say, I’m not suprised that you had a “he said, she said” path that that article went through.
Mat said on November 19, 2007
Sensational article Darius, really well done.
Tech News » Blog Archive » There Will Be No Color Changing Paint From Nissan For You said on November 19, 2007
[…] Top Blogs Play Telephone with Nissan [YoungGoGetter] […]
Paul Dubuc said on November 20, 2007
Color changing paint is real. It doesn’t work in quite the same way that these stories suggest but paint that changes color depending on your viewing angle does exist and you might see it on cars some day soon.
http://www.jdsu.com/index.cfm?pagepath=Products/Decorative
F.D. Athow said on November 20, 2007
First rule of Journalism (not blogging)…. GO TO THE ORIGINAL SOURCE and if possible, cross check it with another one. Obviously in a world where quantity counts more than quality, that’s a difficult thing to do.
When you’ve got limited resources and only 24 hours in a day, churning out 12 quality news articles with one part time staff is something of a challenge.
web design portfolio » Blog Archive » Blogging News :: - Which Search Engine Optimization ( SEO ) Company/Firm to Choose ? said on November 20, 2007
[…] shows off how online tech blogs played the telephone game with Nissan’s color-changing paint. Is fact-checking really so […]
erin said on November 20, 2007
that is incredible, but not surprising with all of the douches in blogland. nice working on tracing the origin; that’s fantastic stuff.
next week, i’m writing an article on how humans can breathe water. and how i taught my yellow lab to talk. and how acura has added an option to the new tsx: wings.
actually, that would kind of be a fun game. start something on purpose and track it to see exactly who picks it up and what it turns into after 7 days in the blogosphere. i know you said you already kind of did it on accident, but it would be a fun experiment/trick to play.
He Said-She Said: Blogs Making Things Up!? said on November 20, 2007
[…] Read More Other stories breaking the silence… […]
Al Brown said on November 20, 2007
As I understand it, the iHome system will be distributed for free on future iPods using flash memory.
The first time you plug in your iPod, the system will download itself into your electrical system and begin mapping your home’s appliances. Then it will short out any non-Apple devices and email you a list of the Apple replacements you’ll be needing.
To support the launch of iHome, Apple is readying a slew of new devices, including iCold, iMicro and iBulb, to followed up by iShave, iTwist and iPoke.
Eric said on November 20, 2007
@Al Brown - YGG doesn’t partake in the game of telephone
Giavasan » Blogosphere Gone Wild said on November 21, 2007
[…] Link: Top Blogs Play Telephone with Nissan. […]
Mak said on November 21, 2007
A thus proof, if you read it on a Blog site, take everything with a pinch of salt.
Xbox owners should take the most note of this, as Microsoft are notorious for posting crap on blogs, and letting Xbots suck it up and pass it on. Morons.
Enlaces interesantes de la semana - Online said on November 21, 2007
[…] importancia para el blogger de comprobar las fuentes y llegar hasta el final de la noticia (Young Go Getter), algo de lo que pecamos muchos, solo leer nuestra fuente y no ir más allá, como si nuestras […]
Margie said on November 21, 2007
Love this post, and it really speaks to the scary place we are right now in terms of information. While the poster above is correct that we should always go to the original source, few people do and that is how we have so much crap spread around with very little verification … but let’s not kid ourselves, this “write first verify later” attitude is hardly limited to blogs and bloggers.
Rudy said on November 21, 2007
Well done, Darius.
Research your blog. Something most of us bloggers are starting to forget often.
» Bloggers Gossip and Spread Lies! Heavily Trafficked: Spike that Alexa rank said on November 21, 2007
[…] the gist of the Digg title that really spiked YoungGoGetter.com when they wrote this article on the Blogosphere Gone Wild. If there is one way to get a true Alexa spike, its to target bloggers with a controversial and racy […]
... everything's a blur ... said on November 21, 2007
A game of broken Blogophone…
Darius Monsef over at YoungGoGetter.com and COLOURlovers.com has written probably the best and most insightful blog post on blogging that I’ve ever read. It is a sordid tale of a simple scientific research story about colour changing paint that gets…
Alan Brown said on November 21, 2007
Perhaps one solution to this problem might be a blog that first gets presented to the relevant experts before being released to the general public, so that errors of this sort can be caught. Priority could be given to their feedback if the story was still published as is so the general public would see all sides straight away.
Nisssan Chameleon: The Car That Changes Color - P163 Interactive : Singapore Web Design and Development said on November 21, 2007
[…] there is no Nissan that changes color, but Nissan was one of those interested in the product. I won’t be surprised if I see […]
Everything is true on the internet at Lepus Lepidus said on November 22, 2007
[…] know why cousins don’t marry, right? Here’s a fantastic story of new media inbreeding and feeding on […]
The Dangers of the Blogging Rumor Mill said on November 22, 2007
[…] Monsef posted a fascinating article over at YoungGoGetter this weekend that points to some of the current major weaknesses in […]
Congratulations to Epiar, Top Draw & A Roundup of the Last Week | SEO News! said on November 22, 2007
[…] shows soured how online school blogs played the ring game with Nissan’s color-changing paint. Is fact-checking rattling so […]
TerminalDigit - Blogs Lie said on November 24, 2007
[…] read more […]
Would You Exaggerate the Truth for a Good Story? | Net Writing said on November 25, 2007
[…] is an interesting story picked up by Darius Monsef at Young go Getter about the dangers of exaggerating initial stories so that we end up with […]
Satish said on November 26, 2007
Great timeline of events there, and good to hear Nissan responded back to you. But, really guys, Apple would have no idea how to automate the home. Domotics is far out of even their reach…
Mark said on December 5, 2007
Where can I get one of those cars?
Seriously, click my name for undeniable proof that everything on the internet can be mathematically proven as fact.
Sounds like something you’d see on James Bond, “And this James is your remote key-less entry, starter, and paint job changer. Please try not to destroy this one”
snisditwonner said on January 11, 2008
Make peace, not war!
November 20, 2007 | TechTV Update said on April 1, 2008
[…] run. Ironic, as Quarterlife began life as a failed TV pitch. The anatomy of a rumor - see how a weird game of blog telephone resulted in a widespread (and false) story that Nissan had created color-changing […]
Leave a comment