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The tree-shaking that I started earlier this week (with a visible push from Dave Winer) over Google Toolbar's ...

... Autolink feature has caused a cacophony of commentary in the blogosphere and now in the mediasphere with Network World, eWeek and CNET taking notice. I guess that makes me this week's walking guinea pig for the power of citizen journalism. So long Eason Jordan, our next "big game hunt" is to put a Google over the blogosphere mantle. Damn, it sure would look great next to our stuffed Joe Nacchio. But that was never my intent.

My purpose, rather, was to initiate a thoughtful discussion. On one level, that has already happened. Google sounds like they are open to making changes to the Toolbar if they are indeed required (uh, yeah). Dave Winer says he spoke to Google's Marissa Mayer who said the company is open to having a dialogue. But this is sort of an empty promise for a company that has shown they deeply understand social media.

Here's what I wish for this President's Day weekend. Dear George Washington, I wish in the spirit of democracy that Google would use its sleepy blog to really kick start a dialogue with the community on this important topic. Open yourself up Google and let us in to chat over tea, won't you? Otherwise this critical direct conversation with you will take place behind closed doors and we won't be able to have a debate with you much like the commenters are still engaging in on my initial post. And that, Google, might be just as big a shame as a toolbar that changes online content. So friends, Romans, Googleans, won't you lend us your ears?

Additional Links:

Blog post... Google Gets Away With What Microsoft Couldn't
Dave Winer blog post

Steve Rubel is a PR strategist with nearly 16 years of public relations, marketing, journalism and communications experience. He currently serves as a Senior Vice President with Edelman, the largest independent global PR firm.He authors the Micro Persuasion weblog, which tracks how blogs and participatory journalism are changing the public relations practice.