« Transmeta slowly fades away | Main | You suck... at searching at least »
Silicon Valley's 100 cleanest buttocks
A group of 100 of Silicon Valley's most connected and influential persons have recently received a free electronic bidet toilet seat from a San Francisco start-up that shall remained unnamed (I'll explain later).
The 100 are members of an elite group that will receive free high tech gadgets through a programme conceived by San Francisco marketing firm The Stonebrick Group. Since us mere mortals look up to the likes of Netscape founder Marc Andreessen, venture capitalists Tim Draper, Yahoo vice president Katie Mitic, Siebel Systems cofounder Pat House and Electronic Arts senior vice president Rusty Rueff, we will want to wear the clothes they wear and the gadgets they play with.
The Stonebrick Group hopes that its top 100 list will create appeal out of thin air, in a way similar to what David Beckham did for Siemens Mobile and Michael Jordan did for Nike. The entrepreneurs and executives are supposed to start blogging about the products and recommend them to their friends.
Although I'm saddened by the idea than anyone thinks a product is cool because Marc Andreessen says it is, I fear it will work. Just don't expect me go along with this. That's why I refuse to name the maker of the toilet seat.
The Stonebrick Group won't include journalists on its list, because: "Those people have a different standard and shouldn’t be keeping free products," CEO Auren Hoffman of the marketing firm told Newsweek. In other words: journalists actually have codes of ethics that keep them from blatantly endorsing products because they got them for free – but it's fine to do so for bloggers, entrepreneurs and executives.
My respect for Marc Andreessen just made a nosedive all the way to the bottom and beyond.
January 24, 2005 at 05:52 PM | Permalink
Comments
Ever used a vibrating toothbrush? Ever used a tivo to pause live TV? The "Sonicare" & PVR are becoming standards for many Americans. Though you may not like the SV100 angle, A SV Sleuth like yourself must know that any press is good press. American's are normally very quiet about what happens in the bathroom. Yet guess what: every man, woman, & child on this earth goes to the bathroom. So we are Brondell are just making it a better experience. Who likes cold toilet seats? Have you ever washed your hands without water? a true sleuth would do more investigation. stop by our HQs in SF. give the Brondell Swash a ride :)
Posted-by: David Samuel | 26 Jan 2005 17:46:03
I'm SO glad that I can now buy a heated toilet seat with a "warm, aerated water spray" - I've not been to the toilet for years because toilet seats are SO cold!
Posted-by: Paul | 21 Sep 2005 10:12:15
Spanish
