July 2nd, 2008

Martha Stewart's parlor seeks open source writer-flies

Posted by Dana Blankenhorn @ 8:25 am

Categories: General, Internet, business models, content, marketing

Tags: Journalist, Martha Stewart, Intellectual Property, Open Source, Research & Development, Business Operations, Dana Blankenhorn

NOTE: Veronica has written to say that the premise of this post is false. Red Room Omnimedia is a completely separate operation from Martha Stewart Omnimedia. My apologies.

It came by e-mail, signed with the fantasy-inducing name of Veronica.

I represent Red Room the online home for many of the world’s greatest writers. I wanted to bring this new website to your attention because, as a journalist, Red Room will be a great way for you to help promote your own career and connect with other journalists and literary professionals.

Have I become discovered at long last? I’d like to thank my agent, the academy…look. Here are Candace Bushnell and Maya Angelou and the late Norman Mailer! Am I home at last?

But whoa. My internal scam detector begins firing. Who is this, anyway? And from what hat did they pull my poor name?

Here’s a copyright and intellectual property policy. But this reads like someone’s more worried about my stealing from others than someone stealing from me. Where’s the money? How do I get me some?

Still, these are nice people running the site. Young, earnest, most with writing projects on the side. Building an open source bridge between the great writers and the wannabes, like me. What a clever idea.

But that company name is faintly familiar…Red Room Omnimedia. Where have I heard something like that before?

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Martha Stewart! And then, looking all through the site again, where is the money? Looks like all of it is in the hands of that young earnest staff. Or maybe that big house they office in.

I think I’ll stay with you guys for now…