Chris Brogan Never Pisses Me Off: RfL New Media Cynic

I started the New Media Cynic section here at Reaching for Lucidity to talk about myths and outright idiocy that lurk in quarters of the online media world. As such, I tend to skew towards the negative at times. Here is a post that skews the opposite way.

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C.C. Chapman and Chris Brogan by C.C. Chapman

Chris Brogan is the only person that never, ever pisses me off. Yes, that is a bold statement. You can learn from that. Especially coming from a media producer that labeled himself the “New Media Cynic.” But, with that in mind, the statement is 100% true. I don’t always agree with him, but agreement has nothing to do with emotions. To me Chris is a 100% stand up guy. Let’s dig into the why.

1. Unlike others in the world of social, new, or whatever media, or even  just the echo chamber, he never puts out anything that does not add value to someone or some group.

2. If he does add something that adds less value than other things, such as Digg baiting posts, he often admits to it in the post.

3. He not only does not know it all, he let’s you know he does not know it all and asks for input to help him, and his readers, grow in knowledge.

4. He never puts anyone down, except in jest.

5. As with #4, if he has nothing good to say, he tends not to say anything, or at least changes the subject.

6. Even the more opinionated echo chamber types that do all of the above can’t bring themselves to drag Chris through  the muck.

7. He is not afraid to leave things open for others to finish. This is a tactic he uses often on his blog. Thus he can start a dialog on subject in which he may not be an expert, but still gets to the heart of the matter at hand. Chris’ comment sections are just as active, and often as enlightening, as his original blog posts.

8. Even though I don’t personally make contact with Chris but maybe once or twice a year, he always engages me when I do. He makes time for everyone. I have learned more from this side of Chris than any other. I also have changed the way I deal with others due to this.

9. He is humble enough to think this post probably should not have been written.

10. He is bold enough to promote his work tirelessly. Not in the “Look at me” fashion as many others do, but from that confident place of someone that knows he is adding quality. He never seems to overstep his boundaries.

11. Repeat, he never seems to overstep his boundaries.

12. Chris leaves things open for all to see. When he was questioned about his use of Creative Commons photos in a presentation, and how he made attribution, instead of backing away and letting the criticism go, he posted about  it and started a conversation.

13. Chris loves his family. I have never met him personally, but I know this just by his writings and the way he carries himself.

14. Chris values his friends. See above for how I know this.

15. Chris can tame Julien Smith, nuff said.

16. Everything else I have forgotten to write.

That list is not complete, not by any means. I felt I needed to write this as things sometimes get negative here in the New Media Cynic world. I don’t mean for things to get negative, I just feel the need to talk about the 800 pound gorilla in the room that nobody, save a small minority, wants to address.

Chris is not part of that which I am out to expose. He is the exception that proves the rule. He is not alone either. There is Julien Smith, Paisano, Christopher Penn, C.C. Chapman, and many others. Chris though, sticks out to me the most.

So there, I can be nice.

Cheers,
Eban