Ask Kalena: LookSmart shareholder can't take a joke

Seems I annoyed a LookSmart shareholder with my little joke in the Pandia interview today. Check out this email I received shortly after it was published:

I look forward to the day so called pundits in the SEO/SEM crowd stop bashing LookSmart at every opportunity. I suppose it's trendy or posh to take a stab at a company with a poor past but people who do, like you did should reconsider the snickers and backhanded commentary as you did in the Pandia interview.

It's old school, childish and rude to "pile on" a company who has over 100 employees and numerous shareholders who maintain a faith they company will not only survive but thrive in the growing sector they share with the big guns. Have you stopped to take a look at LookSmart lately? I doubt it because if you had you would know it is no the same company that it was the day Microsoft dumped them.

Finally, I did respect your knowledge and reputation more before I read you slight than I do now. You have lost the desire to be objective and still play to the SEO "old school" crowd and that shows sadly little desire on your part to evolve.

Regards,
M, Looksmart Shareholder

My response? I probably should've ignored it but I couldn't resist:

Hello M

Thank you for your email. It might interest you to know that I have looked at LookSmart lately, as they are considered one of the more popular Pay Per Click services behind the big three and as such, I thoroughly reviewed their offering in our latest Pay Per Click training course offered to Search Engine College students. My inclusion of them in the course material was unbiased and factual and I provide a summary of the service offered, despite my own disinterest in using it.

My personal opinion of LookSmart does not stem from a desire to appeal to the SEO "old school" crowd. It is based on my poor experience with them since I signed up as one of their original customers back in 2000 and paid their "one time fee" only to be forced to rollover to a different service than what I paid for. I used to be angry at LookSmart, very angry. Then I became frustrated and took my frustrations to their Australian CEO via a published interview with him. Now I can at least joke about it. I might have the memory of an elephant, but I have the right to my opinion and I certainly have the right to express it in a personal interview.

I don't need someone whose own bias about a company is financially motivated telling me that my personal bias is childish and rude.

Kalena