The firehose of OCRN content has been turned on! The next whitepaper is has been posted, and this one is entitled: Community Netiquette: How to Avoid Stepping on Virtual Toes.

Most of us know that in the typical online community, it’s not kosher to post blatant marketing materials. But when confronted by other more nuanced issues, such as how to introduce ourselves (or our company) to a community, or how to react to someone calling us names, things get a little murkier. This guide shares some of the basics of conducting yourself properly when engaging on behalf of an organization within the existing Social Web, with tools and communities your company has created and especially with those it hasn’t.

Contact me if you’re interested in joining the network and I’ll get you introduce.

Remember Skirtgate? Southwest Airlines escorted a young woman off a plane because they didn’t like the shortness of her skirt. It turned into a debacle, especially considering the hot pants history of Southwest.

Somehow I missed the Southwest apology, and since I’m caught up in talk of quality communication over on the OCRN, I wanted to pass it along.

Southwest Airlines Issues an Apology and Lowers Fares to Match Now Infamous Mini Skirt

DALLAS, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — In classic Southwest Airlines flair, CEO Gary Kelly today made a public apology to one of its Customers whose trip several months ago has become the subject of recent television and newspaper commentary. Company President Colleen Barrett has reached out to the Customer directly, and Kelly issued Kyla Ebbert an apology and invitation to again fly on Southwest as she taped a television show.

“From a Company who really loves PR, touche to you Kyla! Some have said we’ve gone from wearing our famous hot pants to having hot flashes at Southwest, but nothing could be further from the truth. As we both know, this story has great legs, but the true issue here is that you are a valued Customer, and you did not get an adequate apology. Kyla, we could have handled this better, and on behalf of Southwest Airlines, I am truly sorry. We hope you continue to fly Southwest Airlines. Our Company is based on freedom even if our actions may have not appeared that way. It was never our intention to treat you unfairly and again, we apologize.”

Kelly took an additional step and is sharing his direct comments about the incident by recording ads for national radio. Those comments detail a national fare sale launched today featuring “mini-skirt” fares.

To learn more about these low fares, available only at southwest.com, visit: http://www.southwest.com/?src=PR_FS_091407

SOURCE
Southwest Airlines

Very impressive. Fun, yet clearly apologetic. You also have to give them huge kudos for give ALL their customers a discount, rather than just the one person wronged. That’s taking Skirtgate seriously and showing it!

I’m pleased to share that last week published my first whitepaper for the Online Community Research Network: 9 Tips for Inspired (and Inspiring) Text Communication. Here’s the synopsis:

Text is the base language of community interaction and engagement, yet far too many community professionals don’t put the focus on it like they should. This whitepaper looks at nine important tips anyone can apply to improve their text-based communication skills.

If you were a member, you’d be reading it right now. Just saying. Seriously though, why aren’t you? It’s valuable and inexpensive… quite a combo! This whitepaper is the first of many. Stay tuned for this week’s whitepaper announcement.