Blogger Scoops Mainstream Media on HP World Cancellation - Another Example of the Speed of Grass Roots Journalism

Blogger Ted Demopoulos reported the cancellation of HP World 2005 on July 17 in his blog The Ted Rap, at thetedrap.com, beating the Mainstream Media by at least 2 days.

Durham, New Hampshire, 19 July 2005 -- Blogger Ted Demopoulos reported the cancellation of HP World 2005 on July 17 in his blog The Ted Rap, at thetedrap.com, beating the Mainstream Media by at least 2 days. He received and confirmed the information from his extensive personal network. HP World was cancelled because Interex, The International Association of HP Customers and the sponsoring organization, suddenly shut down due to financial difficulties.

"This is simply another case of grassroots journalism," Demopoulos stressed. "The Ted Rap has about one thousand regular readers, mainly business people and technologists. Blogs, like any media, are all about trust, and my readers trust me. They know that I wouldn't publish anything unless I could confirm its validity. I've had several readers thank me for stopping them from booking non-refundable travel."

"It's now almost 48 hours since I reported the cancellation, the HP World website is still accepting registrations, and there has been no mention of the last minute cancellation of this significant conference in the press," Demopoulos stated. He added that the Moscone Center, where the conference was to be held, heard news of the cancellation from him and eventually was able to obtain independent confirmation. "The conference speakers were told about the cancellation about 20 hours after my announcement," Demopoulos added.

Ted Demopoulos is a professional speaker and consultant who helps companies profit from the intersection of technology and business.

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