Being Naked Online

I saw this tweet from the start of Howard Lindzon's talk in Boulder yesterday:

 

 

I don't know exactly what Howard means by "naked" but I feel the opposite way. I have always tried to be naked online. To me that means real, authentic, and who you are.

I suspect that is what Howard is talking about but he will have to stop by and comment to explain his meaning to us.

We've talked about this ad naseum here at AVC, but the blogging revolution is more than a free publishing platform and a new model for media. It is self expression at its core. It is people being who they are, talking the way they talk, and doing it in public.

I have an agenda. I do not hide it. I wear it on my sleeve. I believe in certain things. I want the world to be a certain way. I make investments. I promote them. I want them to be successful. And hopefully everyone knows all of those things when they show up here. I think that is being naked online and that's how I want to be.

#Weblogs

Comments (Archived):

  1. William Mougayar

    So it all feels like being in big nudist camp? But if you’re going to be naked, you’d better be buff- as goes the saying.In your case, you’re as interested in the conversation as you are about voicing your opinion & beliefs,- and that’s a good thing for everybody.Even your personal/family life is half-exposed as many of us know what you choose to share about what you are doing on your holiday. That’s not an easy thing to maintain.

    1. Donna Brewington White

      It’s a remarkable and well-crafted balance. I appreciate the role model. There was some discussion back and forth on whether the “25th anniversary” celebration was an infringement upon their private space. There can be a false sense of familiarity with people whose lives are on display to some extent. We are having to learn and create an appropriate etiquette for online presence. It gets fuzzy but the key, I suppose, is respect. That is always a good place to start.

      1. William Mougayar

        Yup. I was glad to see Fred check-in about it only the next day.

  2. Paraic Hegarty

    Surely it was just a joke about you guys being the first non-pornstars he met on the Internet?

    1. fredwilson

      Yes. It was most certainly a joke. But most of Howard’s jokes have some meaning to them.

      1. Kyle Porter

        Thanks for catching my tweet at Big Boulder Fred. Howard used the porn reference to grab the crowd’s attention, and…it worked!I’m sure he’d agree there aren’t too many folks as “naked” as you & @bfeld. Being out here in Boulder for the summer has definitely showed me that about Brad. @howardlindzon:disqus’s big emphasis was how you guys influenced him & opened his eyes to a new world of entrepreneurship & most likely openness as well. It’s a great way to introduce ones self…basically: “I’m a student of Brad & Fred way”. Which I see there are many in this camp!

        1. fredwilson

          I hear its hot in boulder this week. Don’t go on one of Felds 20 mile runs

  3. David Nagy

    Respect Fred.Thank you for being an exemple to me and hopefully to others too.Being *NAKED* online is good.

  4. Paraic Hegarty

    Not that your points aren’t perfectly valid, of course. Pretending is exhausting and damaging to everyone in the long run

    1. Carl Rahn Griffith

      Indeed.Oh the tangled web we weave…

    2. Carl Rahn Griffith

      Sadly, some of the most ‘successful’ people it has been my misfortune to encounter in work/business are fundamentally bullshitters (at best) and liars (to be blunt about it). Sadly, they also probably sleep pretty soundly at night.I toss and turn most nights.So much for karma, lol.

      1. falicon

        being able to sleep well at night has long been a part of my philosophy…I have had many an opportunity to make the extra buck, or advance my own agenda/reputation at the expense of my ‘inner voice’…I like to believe I have never done it though…I would much rather finish last and happy than first and miserable (of course the reality is that I won’t finish last, because as it turns out in the end, I’m in a completely different race than the people just chasing profit at the expense of everything else).

  5. VincentWright

    Fred, I ain’t flritin’ with ya but, your being naked online is one of the top five things which make your VC-oriented community one of my top ten places to check into on a daily basis. (There are thousands upon thousands of places where the AVC *nudists* could turn their attention to and interact with on a daily basis but, I’d wager that most keep coming here for the business *nudity* presented by you and other key AVC participants – and not just for your pretty face…)

    1. awaldstein

      Everybody wants something.That doesn’t mean you don’t have fun, make fun and learn the unexpected.It the process itself isn’t valuable not just the upside of a result, then this is the wrong way about it.

    2. fredwilson

      πŸ˜‰

  6. awaldstein

    We all have personal agendas.To me, how we pursue our interests and beliefs and share them is what makes us interesting. In a networked world, you can only get others to care and help you if its reciprocal. That’s the beauty and power of it.

    1. jason wright

      we all are personal agendas

    2. Matt A. Myers

      Well said. It’s the selfish gene, though we all want peace, love, understanding in our life.

      1. awaldstein

        Having an agenda is not the same as being selfish Matthew in my book.Having purpose and focus is defining. Personality and poise is just how you play it…

        1. Dale Allyn

          I agree, Arnold. In fact, having an agenda can take many forms, including “giving”, as in the opposite of “selfish”. One must look beyond the surface.

        2. Matt A. Myers

          I agree an agenda is separate from selfishness, though I’d say it’s the underlying layer that’s needed to know what you want in the world, what makes you comfortable, feel safe, and therefore what allows you to enjoy the world around you – and then an agenda can come from that.Selfishness usually is used with a negative tone, though it’s a neutral word. Definitely agree you can be and live kindly in the world, while having a path, purpose and focus.

  7. Carl Rahn Griffith

    Being naked on the ‘net (and in that odd thing called ‘real life’) is infinitely preferable to being an overdressed dandy*.There is still an awful lot of pompousness, duplicity, mendacity and pseduo-intellectual claptrap out there, to be avoided. Wasting both one’s time and senses.I increasingly feel the ‘net/and life – and our presence on it/in it, respectively – is best served by remembering Plato, Socrates and the merits of being a gadfly… A “cult of Self”* vs “I know that I know nothing”http://en.wikipedia.org/wik…

    1. VincentWright

      But, Carl, how can we be “naked” online if we have to keep dressing ourselves, our thoughts, our notes, our speech, our status updates in the speech patterns of thinkers who stopped thinking centuries ago? While I want to be aware of Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Jesus, Buddha, Confucius, Sun Tzu, Musashi, Patanjali, et. al, I want to rid myself of having to refer|defer to them rather than speaking “nakedly” from myself, from what *I* am, at this moment…(as it is, we remember so much stuff it makes us stutter, stammer, and regurgitate the same old stuff which barely has the force to move humanity along, any more…)

      1. James Ferguson @kWIQly

        @VincentWright:disqusSorry, the notion that you (or indeed any of us) can come up with some truly novel thinking rather than “the same old stuff” is a little puffed up.- Show me a moral or ethical principal, that we can generally agree to as “righteous”, and I or one of the community – will be able to point you to an antecedent, from wisdom passed down in written form ie. The “scriptures”. – Every society with the technology of writing has “scriptures” for this reason – it is not a mold that you will easily break.The Golden Rule for example holds water. If you want to show us how you have the “force to move humanity along” then I invite you to come up with anything close to this obvious wisdom.We do not have to style our commentary to refer to these, precisely because they are an indexed shorthand in a modern language agreed by consent – so “The Golden Rule” for example could be spelled out “Do unto others as ..etc” or could be written in Aramaic but it need not be. – it is precisely because this thinking has been done that we are wise to “Stand on the Shoulders of Giants”, and carry it forward with us, and that we must be aware that with wisdom comes the certainty of fallibility (Socrates).Show me how you are infallible, and faultless and need no parity in your treatment by others and I will be the first to sign up to your great new teachings – you will not only join the list you cite above (but you will have bested them in part – I think it unlikely).Yes – our moralities must evolve to regulate new technologies – eg Genetic Engineering, but I for one would vote that we base our values on those principals that have been forged by the tests of time , rather than random modernities that have been thrashed into a keyboard without thought or validation.I would go as far as to say that anything not passing the winnowing process of ancient wisdom is firstly extremely suspect, and probably if lost, not of great interest.So with no offense to AVC or even the Internet, If we were to lose one of these, it would be a lesser tragedy, than if we lost the teaching of our heritage. Cultural Ground Zero, in caves with clubs – no thanks !

        1. VincentWright

          What are you “sorry” for @kwiqly:disqus ? Though you’re off point on reading and interpreting what I said, I don’t need an apology, But, first, please tell me where in my statement did I mention ANYTHING – AT ALL – about my being infallible or that infallibility was a criteria or that it was an issue – at all? If you’d like to argue about infallibility, please feel free to enjoy yourself but, it wasn’t part of anything I wrote.My point was simple enough: letting things originate from yourself…and not treating Socrates, et al, as those they are demi-gods to whom we have to refer to before we can speak.A huge percentage of the humans on this planet permit themselves to speak what they feel… (If you insist on having to regurgitate the same old stuff as if we’re eternally indebted to Socrates for having once opened his mouth, go read Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self Reliance”…or look at Bertrand Russell’s and Alfred North Whitehead’s attitude towards Aristotelian logic… or look at Descartes’s attitudes towards Greek Geometry or look at fractal geometry…(there *are* new things under this sun – and more to come…but, they’re not going to do us much good if we keep thinking that all the thinking has already been done…what work do we have, if that’s the case? We might as well demote ourselves to being mere regurgitation robots…if that’s sufficient for your life, enjoy yourself…)))

          1. James Ferguson @kWIQly

            @VincentWright:disqusMy use of the word “sorry”, was for feeling it appropriate to describe you as “puffed up,” but now I see from your retort and since this blog post is about clothing, that “if the hat fits” – I hope this is less apologetic and suits your dress sense more closely.When you deny having said “ANYTHING – AT ALL – about my being infallible” allow me to cite you.You said: “I want to rid myself of having to refer|defer to them” .”Them” in your list includes Jesus, Socrates and Plato.In DEFERENCE to their works – we need to learn from them. To argue that we need not defer or refer to them is your petard, allow me to help with the hanging.In Platos’ Meno we can read the following:”Meno: And how are you going to search for [the nature of virtue] when you don’t know at all what it is, Socrates? Which of all the things you don’t know will you set up as target for your search? And even if you actually come across it, how will you know that it is that thing which you don’t know?”We are thus introduced to the concept of “Anamnesia” (- the falling away of loss of knowledge). Plato makes the first known recorded use of the word. Christ at the Last Supper in Greek accounts of the Gospels is recorded as having used the same word, apparently first conceived some 300 years previously. So Christ himself builds on the conceptual wisdom of Plato who defers to Socrates – but you would rid yourself of this support.Note this concept – (and not in reference of recall to Grace, but recall of truth as ascribed to Socrates under the term The Sophistic Paradox). It refers to the wisdom of acknowledging of our inherent fallibility, You by wishing not to “defer” to any of these three main characters surely cannot be ignorant of them. Either you must acknowledge your ignorance or or deny it and thereby paradoxically ignite the fuse of your petard. So are you are fallible or not ?I thought it my job to emphasize that you implicitly rely and defer to all human cultural history when you rely on arguments to build new ones – I was not sufficiently clear on the first comment and so am more manifestly so in this response.However, I must accept that my argument is inherently limited by your argument – These texts – the Works of Plato, The Bible, and of Socrates are not “ANYTHING AT ALL” – about infallibility so I cannot remind you of or cite them, furthermore you do not wish to refer to or defer to them (though felt it necessary to deploy them in your rhetoric) and therefore I must concede you did not refer to you infallibility at all – I need not try further, you are intact and fully clothed.

          2. VincentWright

            @kwiqly:disqus if you’re going to insist on trying to force the word “infallible” in between the words I wrote, you’re just making yourself look silly, James.The matter is not about my being infallible or about any of us being infallible – for I’ve seen no one who fits that category – not even you, JamesInsist all you want but, my seeking to break the relentless monotony of reliance on quoting doesn’t mean I have any interest – AT ALL – in infallibilityI’m seeking authenticity – the “nakedness” to which Fred refers in the post under which we’re now wrestling…Since you’re seemingly making yourself an advocate for regurgitated thought, my point was about speaking “with original energy” (As Walt Whitman intimates in Leaves of Grass.)Our reliance on “SET” patterns of thinking and the endless repetition of the same old references endangers us because we become so conspicuously predictable… (And, yes, I know Emerson said such in the 1840’s-1860’s…)

          3. James Ferguson @kWIQly

            @VincentWright:disqusHi Vincent – I see you are indeed very well read. – I agree absolutely on authenticity. – I am also bored by regurgitated thoughtSo I have deliberately reset my “silliness” setting as you phrase it (generally I suffer it most as a result of Bacchanalia).Sometimes verbal tussling provides a nakedness from which all can learn.So – I enjoy the engagement and it seems you do, However you might concede that you do not fail to defer to wisdom and you certainly refer to it. – You even seem to rather enjoy it, so …I think your choice of words – to “rid yourself of having to defer” rose in me.In reality we do not need to constantly refer to what forms us, any more than a great painting is great because of the oils from which it is drawn.We are formed by our cultural background, and we are better for it (and it seems you adopt this), If there is a feeling of clothing or deference it might be that is comes from within. Certainly as I write I am not deliberately formulating to appeal to rhetorical niceties, but, I notice that a good argument often complies with classic forms. That is not to deny the new, but it is to say that the new is often more a reconfiguration of existing insights – This is why great ideas often trigger the question”Why didn’t we think of it before ?” – Anamnesia – perhaps we did, but in different clothes.

          4. VincentWright

            @kwiqly:disqus If I speak using a common language, I’ll have to defer to others – INDIRECTLY.There is almost no way to use a common language without connecting to the earliest users of the words we choose to use…But, just imagine our having a good breakfast, lunch, or dinner conversation and the person whom we really want to talk to and get to know points us to links with quotes – rather than just speaking… (If someone asks a question as to the origin of a thought we share, can always point them to origins, then. (Much as I’d ask if your penultimate sentence in your last comment might ask me if you got the sense of your question from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self Reliance” (QUOTE: “and we shall be forced to take with shame our own opinion from another.”)In closing, as someone who spent most of his life contemplating or playing music, it’s virtually impossible for me, in listening to some of the wonderful new contemporary artists, to not hear musical allusions that are 20, 30, 40, 50 years old… But, I’m so happy that these young musician don’t put a link in their songs to precisely where they first heard the musical phrase they’re sharing with us. (I WOULD love to hear them say who their musical influences are, though…)By the way: I’m not a fan of Bacchus’ and he wouldn’t like having had me at one of his Bacchanlias since I don’t drink alcohol…nor indulge in any other intoxicants – in that I prefer facing life…naked…

          5. James Ferguson @kWIQly

            Great last line – but alcohol is nothing if not a means many choose to expose themselves – hence the expression “from the mouths of drunks and babes”.Regards RWE – I will defer to him his point is more concise (also from “Self-reliance”_ …” speak your latent conviction, and it shall be the universal sense “

          6. VincentWright

            After 40+ years of reading it and recording it and memorizing it, I can feel when a quote is from that particular essay, @kwiqly:disqus (But, being on that essay, on a personal level, I certainly would like to ask RWE *WHICH* “universal sense”? Internal universal sense? or external universal sense? (I’ve spoken my latent conviction for decades and it hasn’t yet become the external universal sense. But, it certainly seems true of the internal universal sense – in the sense that it colors or uncolors (vairagya (Patanjali)) hugs parts of my belief system… )))

          7. James Ferguson @kWIQly

            OK – I LOVE IT – Have just clicked your follow button !I think what we have done (occupying half the real-estate of this particular blog post of Freds (thanks Fred) ) has been getting naked in public. – We tussle we rumble, we hurt (I sometimes find being honest very painful – hence my sorry earlier) and we learn. Thank you !If there is a closing point for me it is that until your conviction is universal internally without holding back – it cannot be so externally – why because we surely only exist as defined by our environment. , – Patanjali is outside my knowledge – will do some reading πŸ™‚

          8. JLM

            .@kwiqly:disqus & @VincentWright:disqusGet a room.I think I may apply for a couple of academic credits reading your exchange.JLM.

          9. James Ferguson @kWIQly

            ROFL – to cite the ancients πŸ˜‰

          10. VincentWright

            AGREED! (By the way: Patanjali is well worth the read…(He may be a bit arcane for most contemporary Westerners but, so much of what contemporary gurus (in the literal sense of the word ((gu (darkness)) ru (light))) espoused is based upon Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras from thousands of years ago. (Interestingly, he was formally a grammarian who codified the sutras from other yogis.))Thanks kindly for the conversation as well as for the Disqus follow, James…Keep STRONG!

          11. James Ferguson @kWIQly

            Hmm in my previous response i totally overlooked the line “In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts: they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty” – If RWE is not referring to some form of Anamnesia here then I’m a Dutchman πŸ™‚ maar ik geloof dat ik Engels ben

          12. ShanaC

            is there anything really authentic out there – one of the first things you learn in art criticism these days is about the death of authenticity – there is no back to original source once you put your hands on it.

          13. Guest

            Yes, there are “new things under this sun – and more to come…” but its fascinating to notice how much of what we come to know as “Eureka moments” are so fundamentally tied to the bedrock of what we should call “fundamental knowledge.”We have knowledge “fads” and then we have knowledge “advancement” and the difference is basically nothing more than is the knowledge grounded in the “regurgitated same old stuff.”

          14. VincentWright

            @tao69:disqus As fine as the line of distinction may be, it’s important to distinguish between “knowledge grounded in the “regurgitated same old stuff.” ” and the “regurgitated same old stuff.”New knowledge based on principles is sound knowledge, good knowledge, great knowledgeBut, even if knowledge based on an “eternal” principle such as “love”, none of us will want to have to endure being sentenced to listening to just the word “love” incessantly repeated without variation – nor to be pointing to “love” links – nor to having to sit through a recitation of the top 100 renaissance love quotes – for the remainder of our time on Earth.I love Shakespeare’s sonnets and Gerard Manley Hopkins’ poetry and the Sermon on the Mount of Christ but, even as much passion as I have about those, I don’t want them to be substitutes for a good conversation…that quaint old thing sans links and citations

          15. Guest

            Vincent,You are right, but what you are referring to is education not knowledge. Terms such as “listening” “sit through a recitation” are terms used to describe educating.As I see it that is totally different than the “knowledge” of love. Knowledge of love comes from making love, losing love, and experiencing love first hand.

          16. VincentWright

            No, @tao69:disqus I didn’t refer to education so, when I referred to “knowledge”, I meant knowledge. I’m comfortable with the etymology and meaning of both words and both concepts associated with both words and am not confused about my choice of the word “knowledge”.Thus, as good as it, too, may sound in substituting the word “education”, I did NOT mean “New education based on principles is sound education, good education, great education”What I meant was what I originally wrote: “New knowledge based on principles is sound knowledge, good knowledge, great knowledge”AFTER education (or observation) there is a resultant thing called “knowledge”.That resultant thing is the thing I mean when I use the word “knowledge”.(My frame of reference for this is influenced by John Locke’s “Essay on Human Understanding” and by Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga Sutras)

        2. falicon

          Words are the ‘big bang’…actions are everything that comes after that.

          1. James Ferguson @kWIQly

            Hmm – The Word, The Reason, The Truth – could almost be summed as “Logos” – Wonder where that comes from ? πŸ™‚

        3. ShanaC

          we’re all in the cave according to plato – we’re never going to see the real.

          1. another cultural landslide

            Also see “The Veil of Maya.” (Or don’t see, actually. ;))

      2. testtest

        ‘What I mean by reading is not skimming, not being able to say as the world saith, “Oh, yes, I’ve read that!,” but reading again and again, in all sorts of moods, with an increase of delight every time, till the thing read has become a part of your system and goes forth along with you to meet any new experience you may have.’ ~ C.E. Montague

  8. kirklove

    #punkonoclast-pimpPS: You’re blowing up my Foursquare with awesomeness. Looks like you’re having a blast.

    1. fredwilson

      Yes. I am creating and curating. I am loving foursquare this trip

    2. William Mougayar

      That’s about what I’m doing too & bit of tumbling. It’s fun and light.

  9. Kasi Viswanathan Agilandam

    That is absolute non-sense unless he is not joking about pornography on the net which made the internet popular (without porn internet would have been restricted only to universities OR would have taken another decade to get this far).No one can be naked in public life … I want to mention a quote from ex-Prime Minister of India.He once told the reporters when they are asking about transparency in the running the government … he said …”What else you want me to do … we told what we are going to do … we are telling what we are doing … we are showing what we done so far … the only transparency i can think of next is running without cloths in front of all these camera… naked”.

  10. Kasi Viswanathan Agilandam

    I donno whether my comment about friends about couple of weeks back on your “Sixteen Years Ago” makes any sense here…. here it is again.—————————————————–In reply to JLM’s 5-good friends comment.Yes. Yes. and YES.If you want something… you be that first.And also i agree that you cannot have more than 5-true friends… i will put it like “Naked friends” … you can be as NAKED as you want and still they are there for you… no masks … no politeness … no ego … no nothing … just yourself….that yes not more than 5 … i am not sure whether we can get more than 5 … if someone got it … we should consider them GOD’s gifted….Yes there are hello friends, good friends, nice friends, and NAKED FRIENDS.

  11. jason wright

    Scandinavia

  12. James Ferguson @kWIQly

    So we may be comfortable by participating and exposing our thoughts, or we may be voyeurs who watch but do not embrace.This post would be a great post for readers who have not yet commented, to respond to, step forward, declare themselves and get intellectually naked for a the first time.Come on in – the water’s lovely. I am relatively new, but have already been invited to meet up with people in real life, I have profited from honest feedback on my poorer ideas, and I have I hope in small part contributed.Give us your seed, impregnate our thoughts – that they may flourish :)Haha – We should perhaps also celebrate the “IDEA” ‘s – The Intellectual Darwinian Evolutionary Awards, for those ideas so poor that they never surfaced in the gene pool to start with.

  13. Jan Schultink

    It is interesting to see that some of the artists of centuries ago who are now most famous are the ones that kept a public diary of some sort that enabled them to express themselves, putting their art in context (Van Gogh etc.)

  14. William Mougayar

    I like AVC’s summer hours ;). And I’m loving my 3 hr lunches that start at 1:30pm

    1. Carl Rahn Griffith

      3hr lunches, William? That sounds very European (SER) … πŸ˜‰

      1. William Mougayar

        I’m on vacation πŸ™‚

        1. Carl Rahn Griffith

          Cool, lol. Enjoy!

  15. Dan Lewis

    “I have always tried to be naked online.””I have an agenda. I do not hide it. I wear it on my sleeve.”That made me laugh. πŸ™‚

    1. fredwilson

      i didn’t mean to mix metaphors

      1. Dan Lewis

        Of course not, and if anything, I’m the worse violator of that. πŸ™‚

  16. Wells Baum

    It’s the openness (nakedness) that keeps the AVC tribe together.In fact, it’s the honesty that makes writing easy.So many people say they’ll start a blog and never do. It’s a combination of the lizard brain telling them to watch what they say and the fact that blogging takes work, if you look at that way. It’s ironic that the people that want to blog and talk a lot are the less likeliest to do it.Blogs require openness and revelation. For me, writing is an opportunity to get it out of my system. My words are not even meant to provoke but a chance for me to be accountable for something I’m trying to put together in my head. I want to figure it all out.Blogging is an undone activity. There’s always something new to talk about and while you may have your core principles, the glut of ideas on the Internet can convince you to think otherwise. Blogging is for the elastic brain.”Glasnost”: http://bombtune.com/#!/post

    1. testtest

      the word “tribe” comes from european colonists *. africa had no tribes!to quote* “It was easier to place people into categories based on perceived divisions of ethnicity than it was to try to understand the multi-layered, fluid identities that prevailed…”to quote*2 “It is important to note that the word ‘tribe’ is a contested term due to its roots in colonial anthropological foundations…”if you think in terms of tribes then it’s as false, incorrect, and as wrong as the people who made up the concept in the first place–they didn’t understand the real, more fluid situation.* http://worldhistory.tumblr….*2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wik

        1. testtest

          i’ve seen that, and read the book. it doesn’t make it right. or past questioning.maybe it was an easy idea to sell, rather than the more nuanced reality, wells.

          1. Wells Baum

            Right on Chris. Next time I’ll just use word “community.”

      1. kidmercury

        i appreciate this comment. educational, and thought provoking. thanks!

    2. LE

      ” It’s a combination of the lizard brain telling them to watch what they say and the fact that blogging takes work”Agree. I would add to that that it has to do much with who your commenters are. I cringe when I read some of the comments on, say, two other blogs that I follow somewhat regularly that are more related to what I do. And I rarely comment.The people sound and act like uneducated morons alternating between taunting the blogger (who typically takes the bait and gets annoyed and shows it) and slapping the blogger on the back and telling him or her how great they are.It’s a total buzz kill. It’s painful to read what people say and how they say it. Even places like techcrunch.com and now uncrunched.com suffer the same problem.One particular blogger (speaking of “agenda”) is always pointing out how when he mentions a particular company and gives a link he stand to gain nothing. And he still gets taunted by his readers about a hidden agenda which he then becomes defensive about. To me it’s annoying that he constantly says that. I think he’s a schmuck. I don’t pay anything to read his blog why shouldn’t he be able to do what he wants to do? To me it’s obvious.So the point is if someone who blogged could develop the type of audience that avc has maybe they would blog. Assuming as you say they are willing to put in the effort and most importantly the time to develop an audience.

      1. andyidsinga

        I’ve always been perplexed at how easy it is for people to have horrible online behavior. Good news is there are always good places like AVC ..you just so sort of stumble into them. One of the reason I try to sort of browse around the web pseudo-randomly.

        1. Timothy Meade

          Good thing we have someone here dedicated to changing that.

        2. awaldstein

          Discovering new communities worth frequenting is a large challenge.Smart companies are trying to solve this but honestly, at times, you have to wonder whether places like avc are so much the corner case from others.Not necessarily in civility but in broad based substance and just plain community dynamics.

          1. Dale Allyn

            The quality found here is rare, Arnold, but it seems to me that slowly there are more such communities occurring. Perhaps it’s an illusion as I’ve narrowed my participation, but it “feels” like there is a bit of a trend toward an effort to improve online discussion environments.In each case that I think of as examples of such quality communities, there is a primary theme of discussion that brings people there – even though many tangents occur. I’m certain that this shared passion (plus host moderation) is a key factor.

          2. andyidsinga

            Or you’re getting better at finding them πŸ™‚ …which begs the question : Have you been trying harder to find quality online communities since your positive experience here at AVC?

          3. Dale Allyn

            I’m not sure, Andy. I do know that my tolerance for rude online climates has decreased significantly – even as just a lurking reader. I’m much quicker to disengage from any community in which the tone is not respectful or if arrogance is a substantial component among the “primary players”.AVC is not the first of this type (high quality) that I’ve found. It is certainly a special online environment and I treasure the community, exchange of views and shared information here.

          4. andyidsinga

            Right on – I get what your saying.I don’t even bother commenting if the tone is already wrong ..which usually leads to me just read the posts and move on without even looking at the comments section.This is why the leader(s) of the community are so important .. if they are ok with effing aholes in the comments sections – probably not the place for me.Usually a minor spanking will drive the aholes away or let them know that this is a place where “you’re welcome to be here as long as you’re civil”.On the other hand ..the community needs to tollerate a little dickishness – otherwise I would have been banished a long time ago πŸ˜‰

          5. Dale Allyn

            You’d never be banned, Andy, but you’re right about a bit of tolerance.

          6. andyidsinga

            Yup – big challenge, but big reward too.trying to channel my inner “seth godin” for a second – it seems to me as though the best places are always the corner cases …on the margins.I find it hard to believe that algorithms and machine intelligence will help me find these places through a more direct route.Reading this article about Peter Thiel’s class makes me thing twice – see the graphic that includes human intelligence, evolved intelligence and all intelligence : http://blakemasters.tumblr….

          7. andyidsinga

            BTW Arnold ..and anyone else interesting in AI… I just saw this great guest post at Brad Felds blog that touches the subject amont others : http://www.feld.com/wp/arch

          8. awaldstein

            Thanks Andy…Best discovery mechanism to me is the circle of blogs that are connected through these discussions.I’m going to check how much traffic on my blogs comes from avc.

  17. howardlindzon

    OYThe continuation of that quote was : ,,,and Brad Feld got naked within 15 secondsThe first name that came up in 2005 When I searched Term Sheet was Brad Feld. When I later went through his blogroll, I found Fred Wilson. The two of you have from that point changed the trajectory of my lofe as I started to invest heavily in startups, start more companies myself and start blogging pretty openly about topics near to my heart,The ‘naked’ is just what I chose to use as a reference to grab everyone’s attention as we started a panel …the context being I am a man and I had used the internet up until than to surf the web for nudity (which sadly before I found you I surfed the web for stock quotes ).Safe Travels.

    1. JimHirshfield

      Uncovered puts….very sexy.

      1. Carl Rahn Griffith

        Fox News has it covered.

    2. Carl Rahn Griffith

      Porn and Tickers. Eclectic mix, lol.

    3. Guest

      Yes, the golden age of the internet; when we surfed for porn and stocks to make a killing on day trading. The late 90’s were fun times! :)Now, I can’t remember the last time I surfed for porn or stock tips; its all blogs, ideas, and knowledge.I think your attention grabbing term was apt, because it really puts into perspective how much the web and our use of the web has changed…

      1. James Ferguson @kWIQly

        Hmm – but isn’t there still something marvelous about a voluptuous new idea, a well-rounded turn of phrase, or a passion that beats in your breast.Men (and our betters) are still driven by the those who bare the new, especially as it relates to appearance, power, and pleasure.In German “curiosity” is best translated as Neugier – “greed for what is new”. And that’s why we are here.

        1. Guest

          “Voluptuous” and “new idea” in the same sentence? That’s pretty good! :)Yes, “voluptuous,” “new,” and “passion” all in one sentence is also nothing more than a description for adultery and eventually divorce.This probably explains why VC’s fund less than 1% of the ideas they are presented; too many people are making love with their own thoughts…

          1. James Ferguson @kWIQly

            Happiness is when you love your partner in such a way that every day is newer, richer and more experimental and more experienced than the day before. Success is finding her !

          2. Guest

            JLM? JLM is that you?OMG, another one! :)So, basically its not a “new idea” that we are passionate about but rather our love of AN idea?Its not “new” knowledge but rather the process of being knowledgeable that we fall in love with?

          3. James Ferguson @kWIQly

            Hmm @JLM:disqus – I assume I am missing out on an inside Joke – HELP !Anyone – To another “what” is @tao69:disqus referring ?To the best of my knowledge I am not a @JLM , but if being happy to look stupid while quoting “Love Is…” and referring to “she who must be obeyed” is a qualification then “yup that’s me – you got me bang to rights”

          4. JLM

            .@kwiqly:disqusHe may think you are the Duke?.

          5. James Ferguson @kWIQly

            Merely an underling M’Lord

          6. Guest

            One of the weaknesses of communicating within a community via a blog; you miss the facial expressions and the spontaneity of face to face communication.JLM is our resident “seducer” who’s use of words is legend in these parts; you too exhibit the same gift.So, we now have gone from the “voluptuous-ness” of new ideas to the sheer bliss of the tried and true…If referring to “Love is…” as “she who must be obeyed” then obviously, its not the idea that matters any longer but rather that we “love” or following this string from beginning to end, its not the idea, whether a new idea or an old idea that matters but rather that we love….something.Thus, its not new knowledge, as Vincent Wright would like us to believe that is important or the old ideas of “Buddha, Aristotle, or Plato, that matter but rather that we love….knowledge, any knowledge, it really doesn’t matter because all that matters is that you love…Or, you could very easily just not pay me any attention; that works for lots of people! πŸ™‚

          7. James Ferguson @kWIQly

            Nope doesn’t work for me at all – You have just beautifully described a wonderful disease that should consume the world.Not as a contagion (unless an emotion is carried by a touch rather than a word) but as an infection, an air – playing lovingly as on a G-String perhaps.Not love, but what we love that is our knowledge and its unrelenting pursuit – for the fun is in ( Symphony No. 73 (Haydn) ).Or as my wife might have it “chatting to your pretend friends again” ! (Actually some of the things JLM has written elsewhere have raised her up – Irony is just impossible to convey)So lets call it what it is #Cognophilia to coin a #tag.In terms of the seducer – Thank you – my strategy shall be to stand aside and allow JLM to empty himself like a spent party balloon:) – but if what he lets out holds water let us refill vessel (or vassal) and launch him at our friends with great aplomb πŸ™‚

          8. VincentWright

            No one I’m aware of has focused a greater percentage of their time focusing on love but, my obsession with that subject demonstrates that, unless we check into truth from time to time, we can romanticize ourselves into oblivion.One of the reasons why I have zero interest in drugs and intoxicants is because of the residual intoxicating effects still residing in me from my having heavily pursued romantic, platonic, agapic, bhakti, anthropomorphic, and other forms of love over so many decades of my life. (It is represented as the “yellow” section of my “Wright Hand Icon”)Love is a communication and, thus, it is the business of all of us to love but, unchecked love can endanger us as much as no love at all.If love is a communication, loving in a vacuum is just as fruitless as creating or communicating in a vacuum…without feedback, without response…As for new versus old knowledge, believe it or not, @tao69:disqus those two aren’t the only choices which concern meSo what if you know a bunch of old stuff?So what if you know a bunch of new stuff?Knowledge which MOVES us is the most important type of knowledge to share with one another.The archaeologist and the astronaut seek to explore things which move us…They risk their lives to bring back *something*, *ANYTHING* which moves us…forward…(time travel is an impossibility so moving ourselves forward is the only real choice we have.)Even Pavlov’s dog probably yearned for something other than that same old bell continually ringing, ad infinitum.in his sensitive ears….(yes, I want to eat but, not to the same doggone tune…forever…)In closing, try kissing your spouse the exact same way with the exact same formulaic embrace with the exact same sounds and see if one day you don’t wake up to the nightmare of catching them rolling their eyes at your same old, non-moving love…

      2. pointsnfigures

        if you go to Howard’s new company, Stocktwits, you can find some good info to trade off of! But no porn.

        1. CJ

          Yet… J/K

      3. ShanaC

        this sounds so much better than then.

        1. Guest

          Yes, now we have replaced day trading with gamification (aka Zynga) and porn with hanging out with Fred, who is naked, at AVC….

          1. James Ferguson @kWIQly

            Exactly what hangs out when Fred’s naked – #WayTooMuchInformation πŸ™‚

          2. ShanaC

            Nudity is as Nudity does.

    4. fredwilson

      ah, got it. thanks for stopping by and explaining that. i would like to see your entire talk from yesterday.interesting that you got to Brad and me through Google.

      1. Seth McGuire

        We’ll see if Gnip can get you a video of that session Fred.

        1. William Mougayar

          It would be great if it can be shared here. Thanks

      2. CJ

        Oddly enough,I found you and Andy Swan through Howard’s blog

    5. William Mougayar

      And I was following your footsteps not knowing there was nudity involved πŸ™‚

    6. Cam MacRae

      And here I was over thinking things: first clothed emperors etc.

    7. ShanaC

      hahaha. Great story. Though I hate to say it, the internet is not for Pron….

    8. Guest

      Here’s a point of interest. Does being naked work?I’ve looked for funding for eMOS for over a year now, with no able takers. I got naked from the start but it hasn’t worked. People have given me advice that I’ve seen work for others. Should I have used that advice?When I re-designed my medical office solutions system just recently I realized I could use the “start small and build” approach. But, I wanted to find investors who could see and understand the market encompassing value of the system. My goal was not to force the system into the market it was to find people who think big and understand what it takes to build big.So, naked may work sometimes and not others. Which leads to another question. Is naked the best approach?I could use the start small and build approach. But, what impact will it have on the offering? Will the system become a mixed batch of shit code and revenue streams unlikey to take advantage of a unified approach? Will it cease to be the game changer I envisioned?I went naked in my approach to finding funding for eMOS. Did that approach derail the project?

      1. Timothy Meade

        Still haven’t been able to figure out what you are building, maybe investors have the same problem? As an aside, eMOS makes me think of CMOS and the e reinforces that. Branding also matters. Should we call you effective, or eff for short?

        1. Guest

          Investors do have a problem understanding. But, I went naked on purpose. I tell people right up front that it will take time and money to build the business I want to build.All the people who have taken the time to understand have said it is a great idea. One guy called it the holy grail.I have other things I can work on that take a more “conventional” approach to startup funding. I’ll keep trying to get people to listen to the eMOS pitch, but it will take the right investor with the right knowledge to see it.One thing about medical software solutions is you must be focused on software excellence. You can’t throw together just any old system.Thanks for the interest, that alone helps me feel good.

          1. CJ

            Then the problem you have is investors having a problem understanding what you want to build. Fix that and you fix the issue.

          2. James Ferguson @kWIQly

            (Whoops linked to wrong comment )I just took a look at http://www.emofficesolution… – I assume this is you.I think your concept is simple and compelling – if you say what it is – So after 5 mins reading some feedback – harsh but I hope helpful. I read an emblazoned ‘SOAPware is now “Meaningful Use certified” , ‘SOAPwareβ„’ is the EHR ….This makes no sense to me – it is not meaningful to anyone who doesn’t know SOAPware = hygiene product or the concept of Simple Object Access Protocol ?I guess what you mean is :”We help 30,000 stressed medical professional hold themselves together when a tiny slip can kill.When the blood and shit hits the fan – 7000 healthcare facilities across the US use SOAPware – to keep it clean !SOAPware is an agile health record maintenance tool that keeps it current, correct and organised – avoid liability challenges while saving lives of children – call us!”

          3. Guest

            Cool, thanks for the interest.That’s not my site. SOAPware?I want to create a business not just a software tool. There would be many tools the business would create over time. All the avenues I took with my funding search continously wanted me to talk about my eMOS technology. I wanted to talk about streams of revenue, agile market attack, unified cores, etc. All business related issues.I was a techie for 15 years, the technology is a no brainer in my view. What’s important in my mind is to build a successful market leader in the medical office solutions industry.Thx.

          4. Guest

            I’ve been changing my pitch a little as I go along. Maybe a totally new approach is needed. Thx.

  18. JimHirshfield

    Where are the pseudonymites and anonymites in this thread? They’re not naked. But that’s OK.

    1. Carl Rahn Griffith

      I’m Spartacus!

      1. JimHirshfield

        Good one. He was practically naked, and buff.

        1. Carl Rahn Griffith

          And he got screwed. But, he had his dignity πŸ˜‰

    2. James Ferguson @kWIQly

      I thought God destroyed them shortly before seasoning Lots’ wife

      1. JimHirshfield

        Salt of the Earth, indeed.

  19. JimHirshfield

    I was born naked and I will die naked. (Who said that? )In the interim, not so naked. I try to just be myself. Be genuine. Be open.

    1. Matt A. Myers

      I’m in boxer shorts right now! I’d be naked – however I have company over that I shouldn’t tempt. πŸ˜›

      1. Guest

        Please stop! I’m a guy I don’t want you do draw a picture here of youself naked (or in boxer shorts). Please PM the women if you want to draw that picture.

        1. thinkdisruptive

          Naked lunch, anyone?

          1. Guest

            I’m reading the book “Disrupt” by Luke Williams. I just got started on it. I hope it turns out to be as good as it looks.

          2. thinkdisruptive

            He has a few interesting (usable) ideas, but he mostly misses the point regarding disruptive innovation.

  20. thinkdisruptive

    Is any of us ever truly naked anywhere, except in our own mind? Wearing one’s agendas and desires on one’s sleeve says you’re transparent about what you want, but it doesn’t imply nakedness, rather choosing a perspective on what you want to share, which isn’t a lot different than how we choose to dress ourselves.When I go to my closet and choose what to put on, it’s partly to portray how I feel, who I am, and the context I’ll be acting in that day. When I comment on a blog, or write one, I’m being honest, but not naked. Each of us has a self-image, a construction of our own fantasy and thought that comes out in what we say, whether we intend it or not.Then, there’s nakedness, in the way that Howard meant it, which is pornography. I’d prefer to avoid intellectual pornography.

    1. Rohan

      Well said. Agree 100%.Transparent not equal to naked.We are in an age of increased transparency. Not sure if there’s any other way. But that’s very different from being ‘naked’ in the intellectual sense.

      1. Carl Rahn Griffith

        I prefer ‘deconstructed’ as a term to symbolise one being devoid of bullshit, ego, pretence, gameplay, etc…

        1. Carl Rahn Griffith

          Caveat: ‘The Deconstructed Chef’ doesn’t have quite the same ring to it as ‘The Naked Chef’ – let alone a host of other works incorporating the term ‘naked’, and ones with rather more gravitas than Jamie O’s TV cookery series… πŸ˜‰

      2. ShanaC

        So what is naked then?

        1. Rohan

          Naked = thoughts without any filter.Everything we think passes through some sort of filter. There are no positive ‘people’ – there are only people who filter away the crap and choose to focus on the positive. And then again there are others who see anything but the positive and that’s their filter.Taken on a more basic level, we all have a civility filter of sorts. And most of what we say passes through that filter before we utter it in public.And thank god for that.

          1. thinkdisruptive

            So, not truly naked?

          2. Rohan

            Definitely not, my friend.Transparent, but not naked.Some would say it’s the same.. but I say it makes all the difference in the world. πŸ˜‰

        2. jason wright

          I would reference Plato’s Cave, and that nakedness is only skin deep.

          1. thinkdisruptive

            This is an interesting perspective. It implies nakedness is in the eye of the beholder. If I don’t perceive or recognize nakedness, then that’s not my reality. Very metaphysical.

        3. thinkdisruptive

          I think to be that naked in an intellectual sense, means to be completely without artifice. Child-like. No strings attached. 100% open, honest and true. Is that possible?

    2. fredwilson

      good point, good critique.

      1. thinkdisruptive

        Thanks Fred. I noted also the irony in your statement that you “wear your agenda on your sleeve” — the one that you aren’t wearing? or is the agenda your clothing?I agree that most here on your forum are trying to be authentic, and to explore what that means. Maybe we’re in process of becoming naked, but never quite getting there.

    3. Matt A. Myers

      I would like people be able to see who I am when I am naked, and I think that becomes easier with the internet, etc.. I think it would help people feel more connected, to know that others have gone through similar events.

  21. Abdallah Al-Hakim

    I don’t know what it says about me but my first thoughts about nudity line were related to surfing web for porn!! I was bit relieved to read @howardlindzon:disqus explanation below πŸ™‚

    1. fredwilson

      you got it right.

  22. Tom Labus

    Like the new StockTwits beta.

  23. JLM

    .I have come to think of AVC.com as Freddy’s Place where Fred Wilson, the proprietor and bartender, lays out an intellectual buffet — and the regulars and chance passersby nibble and chat.The passersby are as welcome as the regulars and therein lies the appeal.Some wander in having been ridden hard and put up wet and others have carefully crafted their on line splendor.The conversation benefits both from a bit of earthy experience and a spot of pretentiousness. Crusty entrepreneurs who have paid considerable tuition for their lessons and wannabee poseurs who are still clinging to their precious virginity with both hands while auctioning it off to the highest bidder.In this mix is the exchange of ideas and thoughts which makes Freddy’s Place so damn interesting. It is a mix of ideas, geography, ages, industries, life experiences and cultures. It is pretty damn diverse.What you really have to ask yourself is this — is this for real?I think the issue of authenticity is what makes Freddy’s Place work. Fred Wilson is authentic and speaks in that certain grown up voice. You know the one.It is a new world out there and we are all feeling our way along. Not everyone is comfortable skinnydipping immediately but it is one less thing to have to remember to bring along.And, no, your generation did NOT invent sex..

    1. Carl Rahn Griffith

      I especially enjoy the complimentary bar nuts – no names, no pack drill πŸ˜‰

    2. fredwilson

      only a select few call me freddy. but i am so pleased to have you join that club.

      1. JLM

        .Thank you.Actually I was very, very careful not to call YOU “Freddy” but rather to refer to AVC.com as “Freddy’s Place” as I appreciate that sensitivity.It is funny what different circles of friends call one.My family calls me “Jay” and my childhood friends called me “Duke”.The nickname has gone the way of the hula hoop, alas.Of course, I will also respond to Shithead..

        1. William Mougayar

          Can I call you Duke? That’s what I thought of when I first met you:)

          1. JLM

            .OK, Wm, but don’t tell anyone else..

          2. James Ferguson @kWIQly

            So @wmoug:disqus @JLMit appears that.We must ask.If Will will “out the Duke”, will the Duke “duke it out” with Will ?

          3. William Mougayar

            Only in private, not online.

          4. ShanaC

            why?

        2. Carl Rahn Griffith

          Lol. Made my day, that ending πŸ™‚

        3. DonRyan

          And with the last sentence you killed it. Magnificent.

      2. Carl Rahn Griffith

        Whenever I hear the nickname ‘Freddy’ I always think of the larger than life character (so wonderfully portrayed by PS-H) in The Talented Mr Ripley. One of my favourite films of all time. Great name/nickname.My wife’s younger brother (now in his late 30s) is known as ‘Ted’ even though his given name is Andrew. He refuses to use it. Even his email address is ted@ … Derives from as a young child he went everywhere with his beloved teddy bear, Ted. Nice.

      3. jason wright

        Is this linked to Gotti?

    3. ShanaC

      No, but we did invent sex postivism!Sex (ideas) used to be behind closed doors. Now we talk about sex (ideas) in public.It is a huge change in emphasis in life.

      1. thinkdisruptive

        Your generation may have invented the term, but not the concept. Sodom and Gomorrah were “sex positive”. It didn’t last.

      2. JLM

        .Actually, darling (big brother intonation here, please), there was a revolution fought back in the ’60s — the 1960s, not the 1860s — called the Sexual Revolution.Being one of the few on this blog old enough to have actually soldiered on during the revolution, I can assure you that your generation has invented nothing pertinent to the issue of sex — ideas or otherwise.Not your fault, mind you but just saying.As the actual revolution, while I was always seeking the front lines alas the Sisters of Charity sufficiently dampened the enthusiasm of my lovely Irish and Italian classmates who were unwilling — usually — to whiff even a bit of the cordite of that particular revolution.Now there was the odd brave soul — back when girls actually could earn a “bad reputation” like a Bronze Star — who threw themselves into the fray with particular intrepidity. Inventors all.So, no, your generation………………….

        1. Guest

          I was under the impression that all the 60’s stuff actually happened in the 70’s?

          1. Dale Allyn

            You need to go back and view the Dragnet television series (1966-ish) in which Joe Friday tried to straighten out a few of those “hippies”.;)

          2. JLM

            .It never ended. The ’60s were a time of an enlightened, novel and mischievous misbehavior while the ’70s were a time of disappointed, entrenched and cynical misbehavior.In the ’60s young folks still wanted to be their fathers.In the ’70s young folks had decided their fathers had already screwed the world up.By the end of the ’70s, my youth had been squandered and I decided just to be myself.it has worked out OK so far.Today we have misbehavior with room service, valet parking, latte, high speed Internet service, mobile phones, LL Bean uniforms and with a bit of faux bad hygiene..

  24. Rudyc

    HBO has a show out right now called, ‘Girls’. What is attractive about that show 4 me at least is the brutal honesty of the shows’ writer which happens to also be the star. She’s completely naked. Everything is exposed, her personality, her fears, her body, everything.Sometimes when you write an ‘agenda’ does show but for the most part you expose yourself as well. If someone ever said I would follow a blog, esp. a technical blog, I would have laughed. But your blog I find myself reading to the point of becoming a habit.You’ve done that with your honesty. Its’ actually intriguing is a way. Most celebrities (4 lack of a better word) portray themselves as this or that to the public. You’ve tried a different approach, one that for 4 me at least works..Just thought you should know…

    1. fredwilson

      We know some of the folks on that show. It’s a downtown NYC crew. And my daughters are so into the show.

      1. ShanaC

        being close to your daughter’s age – dude, that is our lives in a way.

    2. ShanaC

      I love that show – but it isn’t honest in a way. that is what makes it interesting, the fact that it reveals that it is distinctly Hannah’s perspective.

  25. LE

    I have an agenda. I do not hide it. I wear it on my sleeve. I believe in certain things. I want the world to be a certain way. I make investments. I promote them. I want them to be successful.From my perspective the reason that this works here, the reason this works for Fred, is very simple.Like the mafia, like John Gotti [1] did, Fred spreads around the cheer as I like to say.Fred promotes people and talks about people who have nominal connection to him and obviously we’ve all seen Fred make investments in companies of commenters here. I also know of at least one case where Fred took a meeting with a relatively new commenter just to discuss and advise on an idea they had. And I’m sure that actually has happened frequently.As a result readers are less likely to take issue with any promotion or agenda that Fred has once they understand that. And more likely to jump in and defend Fred or provide some resistance to any detractors.That goes a long way to creating the good will that works in promoting Fred’s agenda.[1] Gotti had tremendous support from the local community because of all the things he did for them. Some things as simple as giving out a Turkey at Christmas. As a result they allowed him to get away with murder. Gotti had loyalty. I am in no way a fan of or promoting his behavior but there is definitely a lesson to be learned in his behavior and the actions of other powerful people that have used the same strategy.Pigs get fat. Hogs get slaughtered.Share a little of yourself if you are also going to take from the world.

    1. fredwilson

      First time I’ve been compared to a mob boss πŸ˜‰

  26. ShanaC

    I’d like to remind people that sexy is also covered up – both for men and for ideas. Keeping people wondering and interested in what will happen next often causes repeat visits as much as anything else.

    1. James Ferguson @kWIQly

      So true – My grandfather had a machine shop many years ago (still run by my Cousin) – My grandmother did not like the calenders on the walls as they were (in her words) provocative.My grandfather ruled that pictures of nudes (male or female – this was in the 1960’s) could be shown in the workplace – but only so long as they were indeed naked, rather than scantily clad.Gran was completely satisfied with this solution.

    2. thinkdisruptive

      Sexiness is the art of what you choose to show. It is opposite to nakedness for most of us most of the time.

  27. awaldstein

    Been thinking about this post at the gym.Years ago, during the height of the Facebook privacy uproar, I blogged about how we best get used to living in public and act accordingly ( http://awe.sm/mVcD ).But that doesn’t mean we are ‘naked’, it means that we need to be conscious and deliberate. This is not a cam in our living room, it is a camera that we are intentionally speaking into.Different thing.Naked means the emperor has no clothes. In public means to be aware that if you go on stage someone will be watching so show what you want to seen.

  28. William Wagner

    The internet is the biggest sweaty nude love-in in history

  29. Matt A. Myers

    I declare a Naked party for the next AVC Meetup!!!

  30. Matt A. Myers

    I find being naked online lets me discover who I am, and of course lets others see who I am, where I am evolving. People can better know if they want to associate with me, get to know me more – be a friend – or they can avoid me and not be a friend, and I probably don’t care to attract those people into my life anyway (though you can learn from them).

    1. Matt A. Myers

      Wow, I just re-read this, taking it literally, and broke out laughing…

  31. another cultural landslide

    To us, naked = authenticity + honesty + sincerity. And it’s the only way we know how to be.Which is why we love this place (even if we don’t post often.) πŸ˜‰

    1. another cultural landslide

      (Lots ‘o naked people here, too.)

      1. Donna Brewington White

        Some seem to jump in naked from the beginning, whereas others are strippers.

        1. FlavioGomes

          So true

  32. Elia Freedman

    I like this idea of “being naked,” being straight with people and putting oneself out there in a way that leaves one vulnerable. You and Brad both do that, Fred. It is how someone like me, who had never met you in person until two months ago, could feel like they have some sense of you.Being naked didn’t come easy to me. I was hurt at a young age by divorce and cheating women, not comfortable putting myself out there. But I forced myself because I realized there was no way to have deep relationships with that risk. It also happened that at the same time I started caring less about what others thought of me and therefore made being naked so much easier!

  33. Donna Brewington White

    The time you said that VC is your religion, you pretty much put it out there. That was a defining moment for me in my early days at AVC.

  34. Eric Leebow

    Yes, but you use the same exact painting picture everywhere. I think a lot of others are doing the same or started to do it. Would “naked” be a new picture of you everywhere? Most all of your investments are successful? How do you define success for an investment, by the return, the exit, or the entrepreneur being able to move closer to a vision or reach a vision? In the tech industry there are many successes that go unnoticed until they exit or go public.

  35. katherinegaffney

    I think he meant that when the internet first launched most of it was porn.

  36. FlavioGomes

    Naked honesty. What u see is what u get.

  37. Carl Rahn Griffith

    Nice one, Charlie!

  38. Guest

    “To which I say fuck it, I am what I am…”I think that’s the wrong way to see it. I think you should see it as, “Well, I’ll have to educate them on their failure to see my strong points.”Don’t let people who waste their lives marching to a hater’s drum influence you to be less than your best. How many people out there are of Fred’s or Brad’s caliber when it comes to promotion and selling? Not a bunch. People who fit into the “average” category are there because they don’t get what life is about. They fear being who they really are and spend their lives judging others to make theirselves feel important at someone else’s expense.Another very important thing to keep in mind. There are few companies with CEO positions that fit you (or anyone else) exactly. It would be a huge coincidence if you found one of those without a period of focused and intense searching.