Calling your self official

[adamnichols45]

Can anybody tell me why I cannot do this?

OR can I indeed call my guide the office guide about widgets?

Who decides?

Post your thoughts

[axgrindr]

Wouldn't the widgets company decide if you were their offical guide?
If the widgets are a product that is.

[adamnichols45]

This is more like a place.

Ie. The official spain guide

[LifeinAsia]

I would say the "owner" of Spain gets to make that determination. :)

Why not call yourself the Unofficial Guide to Widgets?

[D_Blackwell]

'Official' and other such terms always strike me as just so much hot air. 'Official', in my experience, also usually means 'bought off and paid for'.

[rocknbil]

Official is most often determined by committee. If it's a proprietary product, the "owner" decides, as in the official Coca Cola website. If it's an established topic or group, only the originating party or group can claim it as the offical site - such as W3C or a particular North American Radio Control Association that organizes all the sanctioned events.

Officiality (word or non-word? :-) ) is only official if backed by some authoritative documentation. But if you've got only one 5th Street Bar and Grill in Pawtucket Kansas, owned by the proprietors, and everyone in town recognizes it as the "official" one, I would say that's a valid claim. But just saying it doesn't make it so.

[adamnichols45]

Calling my self un-official does not have the same appeal in my eyes.

I just dont want to be carted off to court as such!

[vincevincevince]

Is there somebody (a person, a council, a government or a company) who would seem to have the right to officially endorse things in that area?

Examples:-
- Official BBC Blog - endorsement by BBC
- Official France Guide - endorsement by the Government of France
- Official Tony Blair Site - endorsement by Tony Blair himself

If there is then you won't be able to call yourself official without getting your endorsement there. On the other hand, the direction and quantity of payment for an endorsement varies greatly.

The body may end up paying you for the right to be associated with your site (advertising payment), or you may end up paying (contributing to) the body for its endorsement.

[tke71709]

Generally anyone who is the "official" anything pays to be that and has exclusive rights to supply them.

The official supplier of bottled water to the NHL.
The official credit card of the Olympics.

etc...

[JohnKelly]

I've always found that the "Unofficial Guides" are much more helpful than the "Official Guides". I've Just purchased a book called the "Unofficial Guide to Washington, D.C." that is the most complete guide book I've ever read, period.

Maybe personalize the Unofficial title -- "Adam's Unofficial Guide to Spain", or "Nichols Unofficial Guide to Spain".

Besides, "Unofficial" sounds like it will provide info that the "Official" guide would rather not ;)

[edited by: JohnKelly at 11:15 pm (utc) on Mar. 15, 2007]

[centime]

I think that when you use a term like official, any viewer might be entitled to believe that

You are a legally constituted holder of title to the subject your officialdom refers to, i.e, you are the manufacturer, or writer etc

You are a recognised and sanctioned agent of the title holder or government etc

So, I don't think that official is a term that can be assumed without being sanctioned,

just opinions an thoughts

[adamnichols45]

>> I've always found that the "Unofficial Guides" are much more helpful than the "Official Guides".

Very Interesting point and one I find very true. Interesting sping on it from my point of view.

Hmmmmmm what to do what to do.............

[Automan Empire]

Keep thinking about the "unofficial" angle, I bet it will grow on you.

It seems counterintuitive, but OTOH, can you go to the bookstore and find an entire section of books called, "Widgets for Geniuses?"

Besides, calling yourself the official anything when you are obviously not... what does that do for your credibility? Kind of like the tiny "Original World Famous" sandwich shop in my town.. if it were so, why do they have such a dumpy single location and change ownership about every 2 years?

[adamnichols45]

Just like to post back that indeed "un-official" did indeed grow on me.

Must say im very pleased and I look forward to getting higher than the more offical pages lol

[stever]

Normally, it's the tourist office of a place that gets to call itself official (in fact, it's not uncommon in some other languages for local travel guides to put a disclaimer on their site with a link to the official site for "official information").

But I agree, unofficial guides or "the truth behind the glossy brochures" often work far better.

[LifeinAsia]

Just like to post back that indeed "un-official" did indeed grow on me.
Must say im very pleased and I look forward to getting higher than the more offical pages lol

As the suggester of that idea, does that mean you'll buy me a beer when it happens? Unofficially, of course. ;)

[jtara]

I think the term has been so abused that it is now a negative.

Just substitute "cheesy". As in:

"The Official David Hasslehoff Fan Site" ->

"The Cheesy David Hasslehoff Fan Site"

[BradleyT]

I like "unofficial" guides.

[adamnichols45]

BUY YOU A BEER! - Im sure I could do that - Where in the world are you?

[dragsterboy]

I wonder if it could be called the official "unofficial" :)

[LifeinAsia]

an45,

West Coast (U.S.).

[adamnichols45]

Im London Uk - Might take some time mate lol

[LifeinAsia]

No one said life would be easy.

But this gives me one more reason to visit the U.K. "Hon, I've got a business-related meeting to go to in London. I need to get paid for some consulting work." :)

MasterCard commercial:
Round-trip ticket to London- $1200
Hotel room- $200/night
Beer- free
Look on accountant's face when client tries to claim it as a business expense: priceless!

[edited by: LifeinAsia at 4:14 pm (utc) on Mar. 27, 2007]

[adamnichols45]

HaHa sounds good to me. I have to visit the USA someday.