Davos Newbies

Chekhov’s Mistress: “You guys remind me of those people who proudly resisted getting a cell phone for so many years before finally giving in. Perhaps instead of celebrating how great you are, you should just join the conversation. There is no need to triumph over blogs.”

I did think that blogs versus traditional media discussion was over. I guess not.

The other day I wrote an angry post about Home Depot. It has generated some interesting replies, both on the side that the company is getting many things wrong under Bob Nardelli and on the side that, however outsized Nardelli’s compensation may be, it is wrong to judge the company’s performance on share price.

The most revealing comment, however, has come from Home Depot’s public relations department. Sheryll Campbell provides the complete text of a press release from the company detailing the votes at their annual meeting and stating that they will return to a more conventional format for meetings in future — not one that seems designed to ignore dissident opinions.

Whatever final judgement anyone reaches on Home Depot, I think their corporate willingness to engage with a lone blogger like me is a good sign. It’s a sign that major corporations are understanding the importance of conversation and openness, and the futility of cowering in a bunker until a storm blows over.