From the fabricator: The Must Follows

There are certain authors, actors and musicians that I absolutely must follow, and whenever they come out with new material, I am sure to get it. Well, lately in the blog world, there have been a few people that fit that role. Every time they post, it evokes thought and reaction. Here are some that just deliver again and again.

First up, Jenni Chase on Glass Magazine’s site is on an absolute roll. Last week’s post on the low-cost competitor had the industry buzzing. The comments to her piece were insightful, interesting, and for some, controversial. When a true class act like Bob Lawrence weighs in, like he did here, you have to pay attention. The give and take, in the mature manner that took place, was refreshing. More debate is sure to come on that issue, and that’s the beauty of Jenni’s takes. Whether it’s this piece or being a glass “geek,” she gets people talking.

I am also a fan of Jeff Razwick’s blog on the Technical Glass Products site. This past week, Jeff took on the subject of school safety and laid out several arguments and insights. In some cases, blogs are meant to just get you thinking, and Jeff usually takes that task.  Basically every time he writes, it leads to discussion. Great stuff. The post can be found here.

Others? I miss the old Division 8 blog. That one had a ton of potential, but it went away and I am not sure why. I do like when guys like Mark Silverberg of Technoform blog, and I am a huge fan of anytime Jon Kimberlain of Dow Corning posts. Plus, the great takes of folks like Rod Van Buskirk, Bill Evans and Chris Mammen are in that must-read category.

Elsewhere…

• Is the fact that we are in such a relatively slow industry news cycle right now a good sign? I think so; less turmoil is best. But it is tough to be a blogger who loves to comment on relevant news.
• I recently completed the first of four interviews I am doing for Glass Magazine and I am very excited about it. Being able to shine the light on some serious talent in our industry is exciting. The first one for 2013 will be out soon!
• One of the architectural sites I love to follow had a good thread on one of their message boards that asked, “What are some of the ‘coolest’ new products you have seen lately?” Being a site for architects, it had responses on some wild self-healing concrete along with other marbles and gypsum. No glass or aluminum has been mentioned... yet.
• The same thread included a post from someone who wrote how she was annoyed by people promoting “green” products with no documentation or basis. It's amazing that still continues, despite FTC fines and a focus on ”greenwashing."
• Last this week, can you believe it is March? Get ready for baseball to kick in, and March Madness to take place in College hoops. Maybe spring weather will actually make an appearance too… would nice to be warmer, but I’ll take cold over a wet spring, since rain is bad for jobsites.

Read on for links and clip of the week...

The author is founder of Sole Source Consultants, a consulting firm for the building products industry that specializes in marketing, branding, communication strategy and overall reputation management, as well as website and social media, and codes and specifications. E-mail him at MaxP@SoleSourceConsultants.com.

The opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Glass Association, Glass Magazine editors, or other glassblog contributors.