Given the vocal nature of bloggers, the snub I received today from Sony is a little strange. Perhaps Sony doesn’t fully understand the outspoken immediacy of many blogs, or perhaps they really don’t care.

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to attend Sony’s latest BRAVIA ad photo shoot in Miami. I must admit, I was a little bemused to have been “chosen”, given that — at that time — only a handful of bloggers had been invited, but given my work on Tech Digest and HDTV UK, it was justified enough.

For an expenses-paid to trip to Miami, I’d be able to report to close-on half-a-million monthly visitors to both sites about the photo shoot, and some of Sony’s latest camcorders.

However, today I was informed — most apologetically — by one of Sony’s PR companies that I’d been dropped from the trip, due to a change in filming dates, “logistical issues”, and… because “Sony is only keen to get US based bloggers”.

OUCH!

It seems that, despite Sony being happy enough to use a tower block in Scotland for their exploding paint ad (perhaps an exploding high rise in America wouldn’t have gone down so well?), when it comes to filming an ad in the US, and despite the likelihood that it will be used worldwide, Sony only wants US bloggers to cover it.

Now, I must make it clear that I’m not particularly bothered about the trip. Yes, it would have been an interesting thing to do, and I’ll happily accept the offer of free travel and accommodation, but the “logistics” of planning a trip away when there are still the same number of targets and deadlines to achieve is no small task.

It wouldn’t have been a holiday.

However, the supposed snub is rather unfortunate. As a freelancer and a blogger — even for a relatively large UK new media company — I would never expect to be invited on these kinds of trips.

So, to be invited — I thought — showed some forward thinking on behalf of a company that should already be forward thinking — technology, after all, is nothing less than shaping the future.

What should have happened? Sony should have been more organised, and decided exactly what they wanted before trying to entice bloggers out to their PR event.

Filming dates rearranged? Flights do that too.

Apparently, I’m on the list for “next time” — whatever and whenever that might be. Thing is, I’m not sure I’m particularly interested now.

Companies, listen up — bloggers tend not to like being used as pawns in your PR games. Actually, I reckon most media professionals don’t, either, though I’d imagine (perhaps wrongly) that the most established media gets slightly better treatment.

If you turn to today’s Technology Guardian (available online) you’ll see a lovely shot of me standing in my garden with my wife’s laptop, looking seriously at the (blank) screen. It’s for the article Porn bill firm opens new front.

It’s part of The Guardian’s ongoing coverage of the MBS billing software debacle which I first covered in March last year.

It’s given some positive press to the MBS Victims Forum Liz and I set up towards the end of last year.

I wonder what (if anything) it will do for me: “Professional blogger Andy Merrett”.

Welcome to any Guardian readers who’ve been following links!

Here’s the best way to really hack off a blogger whose article about your company, product, or service, was actually improving your image online:

1. Scour their web site for the one infringing image / logo that was used in good faith to illustrate your brand and that encouraged people to read about you.
2. Instead of sending a polite and friendly note asking if the image could be removed or replaced with something more appropriate, send an official, verbose, legal document outlining every global right your company or brand has.
3. Ensure that the blogger in question is made to feel like a Class A criminal for daring to even look at a picture that represents your company or brand.
4. Totally ignore the thousands of spam blogs and web sites which are stealing your identity knowingly, on multiple occasions, with no regard for your brand or the message they are portraying, and with the express intention of making money.
5. Ensure that the blogger is required to send a formal declaration of the removal of infringing material, at their own expense.
6. Never make any reference or imply that anything of any worth was found on the blog in question. A copyright or trademark infringement automatically means that everything the blogger has touched must be tainted.
7. At no time treat the blogger as a human being who made a minor mistake, but only as another check mark on your to-do list.

I made a mistake, and it’s been rectified, but it wasn’t intentional and it would have been so much more pleasant (and less time consuming) for a representative of the company in question to send a short, informal note (companies are allowed to be informal) asking for the single image to be removed.

I won’t be writing about their product again.

In just under an hour’s time, the New Media Knowledge conference kicks off in London.

Yes, a decent new media show this side of the Pond!

Speakers will include Jason Calacanis, Dan Gillmor, and Jyri Engeström.

The ‘blurb’ is as follows (yes, it’s cut and pasted, as their description is better than my paraphrase):

Want to know what lies beyond the revolution in social media and what it means for business? 2007 is the year to cut the hype and start doing business in this new online environment.

Want to really get under the skin of digital innovation? Want to know what world-class players are thinking and doing about Web 2.0?

NMK Forum 07 will help you get under the skin of digital innovation and give you an unrivalled opportunity to hear leading industry figures talk about the future of the digital landscape. Delegates will also be able to participate in the debate about the digital industry’s future on stage, online, on mobile and offline.

This one-day conference will bring together some of the foremost thinkers and experts from both the UK and across the globe to discuss and debate the new wave of innovation sweeping the digital media industry. NMK Forum 07 aims to cut through the hype of new media and create a forum to discuss the latest trends, predictions and strategies for the digital sector.

The event will also address how businesses can actually start using and benefiting from the boom in social networking and user generated content as consumers and users start to “talk back� in ever growing numbers. Agencies and new media producers are now grappling on a daily basis with the issue of what this means to their business model. Add to this the almost daily launch of new technology startups and the increasing incorporation of Web 2.0 tools and services into large media businesses and it becomes clear there has never been a more important time to attend this event.

NMK Forum 07 will examine in detail the impact of these new trends and innovations on the media, marketing and advertising industries, and work out exactly where the role for professional new media creatives and entrepreneurs lies in the new digital landscape. It is a must-attend event providing delegates with unprecedented access to key players from the global digital industry.

Unfortunately I’m not one of the lucky attendees, though several of my colleagues from Shiny Media will be there, and live blogging and Twittering the whole event. Should be an interesting one – and if SM are in attendance it could well end up affecting what kind of work I do for them, so I’d better pay attention!

There are also official podcast links which promise to be “in ‘almost’ real time”. Here’s NMK’s blog and home page.

I’ve just heard that Linda Jones and Craig McGinty have started a new web site called Freelance Writing Tips.

It includes an interview with Keith Richards by Hunter S Thompson and a debate about whether journalists are getting lazier through using online forums too much.

Linda runs Passionate Media, writes on You’ve Got Your Hands Full, a number of Shiny Media blogs, and has contributed to the Family Relationships blog, so certainly has plenty of experience.

Do take a look and support this new venture.

I love seeing pestering journalist photographers messing up. I don’t know how expensive this guy’s equipment is, but here’s a classic shot of one inept paparazzi who, attempting to pursue Madonna’s car today, instead dropped his camera all over the road. I suppose it gave the other guys a laugh.

I couldn’t grab the video, but here’s some stills. Watch the guy wearing his black cap backwards: