It falls within No. 1, but the worst thing I hear about social media is "it's free." Social media is not free. The platforms may be free, but the time it takes to be active on them and maintain them isn't.

I don't think public relations practitioners should ever go off the record, since their comments legally could be used. I also don't think anyone in a PR role should "no comment." It's your job to comment. By not commenting, you make yourself and your organization look guilty, therefore becoming the news, just like in the above example. I agree with you. It's best to make a general comment than to say nothing at all.

I was interested yesterday to see many publications (newspapers and magazines, specifically) offering Cyber Monday subscription deals. I hadn't noticed this in previous years. It seems like a good idea. What do you think?

My mother-in-law and I were in a store shopping once when I saw a little kid throwing a tantrum. The child's mother was frazzled, trying to figure out how to make the child behave without creating a bigger scene. I rolled my eyes at my mother-in-law and said one of those ridiculous "when I have children..." phrases. My mother-in-law just laughed at me and said "Never say never." I have two children now (8,10). Needless to say, I thought of my mother-in-law's words often when they were younger. Everything looks a lot easier when you're judging instead of performing.

Thanks, Ron, for the great post. It really made me think!