There is something mischievously satisfying about mixing a Fight Club quote about consumerism with a statement about your own market. Now I have finished congratulating myself on how clever I am, let’s consider what the implications are about not being your own customer.

I hate sales letters, absolutely, with a passion, abhor them. It is a constant surprise to me that they work. Why would anyone get sucked in to parting with cash by a wall of text in a bad font? Because I am not the average user of the internet.

This also goes for Facebook, I used to truly love it. Clean open spaces, Google-like in the pristine landscape of the monitor, like fresh snow untrodden. Then came the march of the applications, the millions of pokes and requests and demands for my time that I just DO NOT WANT

Keeping in mind that I am not my customer, I asked my sister a few questions about her Facebook usage. I would class her a complete n00b when it comes to the internet, PCs or anything remotely geeky. She has 2 children, is studying to become a Steiner teacher and works a couple of part-time jobs to pay the bills. She discovered Facebook about 8 months ago and has been using it ever since. I asked her 10 questions about her usage (via Facebook naturally) and asked her to respond.

1. how often do you use Facebook a day
3 – 4 times

2. Do you have a favourite application
Yes…chat

3. Do all the application requests affect you in any way
Yes…get tedious after a while. Sick of same shit from new people.

4 . Does Facebook help you in any way
Yes…expand my social circle, locate old friends/classmates, find love, keep in touch with friends and family.

5. Do you notice the ads in facebook?
I notice ads but not sure if I notice them all.

6. what do you dislike about facebook
Forced requests, poor spelling….everywhere!

7. do you use any other social networking sites on the internet (like myspace or twitter etc)
No

8. Do you like Facebook any more or less since you started using it
Like it more

9. How would you rate your PC and internet expertise
Out of 10?….5. (AR: pfft she is SO a 2, maybe a 3)

10. How would you improve Facebook if you could
Easier control over News Feed items.

Ok so she puts up with the application requests, even though they clearly irritate her, she uses it as a tool for social contact (as it is designed to be used), and she likes it more now then when she started. Contrast that to me who stopped using it regularly because the social contact I got was not satisfying, the application requests were annoying, and the barrage of groups demanding time and attention for dire social issues, and crappy marketing efforts used up my sympathy quota very quickly. Yep we are definitely not alike in our opinion of Facebook!

So this week when Stompernet opened its doors and Ed Dale video responded to the Open Letter To Stompernet I was thinking along different lines. I have always applied the “quality product” tag to Stompernet due to what I have heard from people who run Stompernet. To me this is a premium learning experience that is expensive but also valuable, like a good certification or university course. I also thought it was not for beginners.

Yet the launch of the open door seemed….aimed at a lower common denominator than I though the market would be. The lead up had been great, the free content awesome but the same old, same old on opening day was a let down. This confused me, these guys are marketing geniuses and yet they are pitching way lower than their product deserves. Aren’t they going for people like me that kind of sorta understands some stuff and wants to take the next step up?

Then it hit me, I am not their customer (even though I thought I might have been) , just like I am not my own.

Kind of like quantum physics, my observation of something will affect the outcome. In this case my “marketing” brain and my “customer” brain collided. I had expectations that I was going to get X but I got Y. A valuable lesson for me, and one I will keep with me as I go forward.

I am not my customer, I am not my customer…..