I laugh every time I see it. “We do this, we do that”, all the while I know it’s one person running the show. Many of the businesses and sites are one man shows yet they always write in the “we” tense. There are a few reasons I believe people seem to feel more comfortable by pretending to be a company or a team, rather than a person.
The first is the most obvious. They want to appear larger or more “professional” by making us think there are several people working at the company. That you are not dealing with a a guy working out of his basement office. “We work hard to provide you with the best service on the net” actually translates to, “I check my email a lot” Or the office just happens to have a bedroom and a kitchen and the website owner actually live.
A second reason is Google. To get on the Google news feed you have to have more than one author. This is the reason you see multiple writers listed under the authors sections of blogs even though the entire blog is written by one person. You need have a few articles written by someone else to qualify. I think its a stupid rule of Google’s because one person can handle the workload to keep up quality ,Google worthy articles. Look at the domain blogs that are on the Google feed and it proves it. Three great guys that do it by themselves.
Finally, it’s a shield. A shield from the pressures of being the face of an entity. All praise and blame come right to that one person. You have to deal with things directly when everyone knows it’s just you. It usually is a legal shield as well. Reducing the personal liability. On the Internet you can be several different people. Nobody sees your face or knows your real name. You are only a few keystrokes away from being whomever you like.
Another common act on sites are claiming to be the best or number one. “Your #1 source for” something or “The top choice for” something else. I’ve always wondered who made them number one. It’s not ever based on data or some accredited award. For instance, TNTNames said today “thank you again and again for making TNTNames.com and making it your number #1 place to find some great domains” . I missed the awards ceremony for “#1 place to find domains”. I thought for sure Godaddy would have at least been nominated. But we can make any claims we want on the Internet and usually get away with it. They are a great place to find domains, but #1?
And despite all this, it is the same things that make the Internet such a wonderful place to make money. You don’t need big staff. You can be number one. You can be whatever you want. You have the world at your fingertips. It’s why most of us will achieve great wealth. We understand this and we are the pioneers of this relatively young space. It’s also the reason that reviews are one of the biggest businesses on the Net. People need conformation from others that this site is legit because there are so many sites. That whether it’s one person or 1000, they can deliver what they promise. That multiple others agree that they are number one. And that leads me to the secret to building a business on the net. Not the big claims or pretend company payroll, it’s building trust. A trust that that can’t be built through posted claims but real reviews, word of mouth, and articles from trusted sources. Everything else is a facade.
Shane, great post! 😀 Domain forums and blogs are full of guys who do domaining as a part time job or in their spare time and yet refer to themselves as “we”. I can’t help but chuckle everytime I see this.
Oh grasshopper how little you know still. I use I for my small site but my bigger sites I use ‘we’. People like you to be more humble and by saying I and taking credit you walk a tough road. So by saying we you don’t have to worry about them thinking you are an arrogant meglomaniac.
Steve,
Telling the truth isn’t arrogant. How can one give credit to others if there aren’t others? How can one be arrogant for taking credit for work that only they did? Silly silly man you need to go to Keene Mill Elementary School
The Unibomber did the same thing in his manifesto. It’s Walter Mitty bullshit, obvious to everyone but the poor, deluded souls engaged in it.
Shane,
I put a poll up on TNTNames.com so we can say whether were #1 or #4. lol. Its all in good fun. BTW thanks for the mention!
Dave
David,
Sounds fair to me :). Although I think running a poll on your own blog pretty much guarantees you will get this most votes. Not exactly an independent study. I’m happy with being A source of domains. I don’t make the time to be the best at anything. It’s why I run a slow 3:14 marathon and an old lady like 13 hour Ironman. If I would put the time into them that I needed I could do well. Same goes for my list.
@Shane I agree its defenitly a bias poll being on my site. I just wanted to have a little fun with this. Maybe we can get an outside source to put a poll up. In all it really doesnt matter. I love what I am doing and so do you so thats all that really matters.
Dave
David,
You hit the nail on the head. We’re having fun and making a little money. I don’t think you need to seek praise and acknowledgement, the results will come without asking. Keep up the good work.
BTW your winning right now. 🙂
Thanks Shane! I appreciate it. I am doing my best and it will only get better as the site grows.
Dave
BTW R U going to Traffic? If so we should meet up.
Depending on the situation, I think people find comfort believing that a business is larger than it really is, and they believe their service needs will be tended to more quickly with more than one person involved.
I also laugh a bit when I see people throwing around “we” in blog and forum comments knowing full well that the only way they are a “we” is if they include their invisible friends. Either that or there are two or three people sitting at a desk reviewing and editing a comment to post on TheDomains.
Regarding the drop lists, I’ll throw a poll up tomorrow AM.
I am already 100x bigger than you will ever be. But since I am modest I won’t swing that club. Dealing with people is an art. Most people are disturbed beyond help. I just need to know how to get the money which I know well. Or should I say we.
lol
lots of comments
Shane, sometimes I think we’re separated at birth
check out my posts, for YEARS I have made the statement on forums that 99% of people who say ‘we’ can be concluded that they are a tragic figure sitting in their underpants typing, lol
Entertaining post Shane, and look even a big guy like Berkens says we when its only him.
The great guys you mentioned all must have lied to Google because they do not meet the requirement.
You do a good job as one.