'''Christopher Locke''' (November 12, 1947 – December 20, 2021) was an American business analyst, consultant, journalist, author and speaker. He is known as a coauthor of ''The Cluetrain Manifesto'', and author of two other books: ''Gonzo Marketing: Winning Through Worst Practices'', and ''The Bombast Transcripts: Rants and Screeds of RageBoy''. In a ''Financial Times'' Group survey from 2001, Locke was named as one of the fifty leading business thinkers in the world.<ref name=ft> {{Cite news |title= Top Fifty Thinkers |work=FT Dynamo |accessdate= 2015-03-17 |date=2001 |url= http://www.ftdynamo.com/top50.cfm?sFunction=bListingGurus |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20010413010658/http://www.ftdynamo.com/top50.cfm?sFunction=bListingGurus |archive-date= April 13, 2001 }}</ref>

==Career== In the late 1970s, Christopher Locke was working as a construction contractor<ref name=ticket /> and cabinet maker, but was forced out of business in the housing downturn of the early 1980s.<ref name="wsj" />

His interest in artificial intelligence secured him a number of jobs in Tokyo between 1983 and 1985: He was working as a documentation editor for Fujitsu<ref name=ticket /> and the Ricoh Software Research Center,<ref name=knowledge /> and as a technical editor at the Japanese government's Fifth Generation Computer Systems project.<ref name=fifth>{{Cite news| pages = 35| last = Sorensen| first = Karen| title = Fifth Generation: Slow to Rise| work = InfoWorld| date = 1986-06-09}}</ref>

In 1986, Locke was working in the marketing department of Carnegie Group, an artificial intelligence firm in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,<ref name=fifth /> where he became vice president of corporate communications,<ref name=geisel>{{Cite journal| issn = 0883-7910| volume = 6| issue = 37| pages = 3| last = Gannon| first = Joyce| title = Geisel Acquires On-Line Unit from Control Data| journal = Pittsburgh Business Times| date = 1987-04-27}}</ref> a position he also held at Intelligent Technology, another AI firm in Pittsburgh.

He was director of industrial relations for the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University before joining Cimlinc in a similar capacity in 1991.<ref name=knowledge>{{Cite journal| issn = 0360-5280| volume = 17| issue = 6| pages = 245–252| last = Locke| first = Christopher| title = Making Knowledge Pay| journal = BYTE| date = June 1992}}<!--| accessdate = 2015-03-15--></ref>

In 1993, Locke founded ''Internet Business Report'', an industry newsletter owned by CMP Publications. Serving as the publication's chief editor, he argued for the commercial use of the Internet.<ref>{{Cite news| issn = 0362-4331| last = Markoff| first = John| title = A New Information Mass Market| work = The New York Times| accessdate = 2015-03-15| date = 1993-09-03| url = https://www.nytimes.com/1993/09/03/business/a-new-information-mass-market.html}}</ref> His emphasis on respecting the norms of the "Internet community" provoked a disagreement over editorial direction with the publisher and led to his departure.<ref name=hype />

In 1994 he initiated and oversaw the development and launch of MecklerWeb, an ambitious project that sought to introduce commerce to the Internet<ref name=hype>{{Cite news| volume = 1| issue = 7| title = How Hype Sank MecklerWeb| work = Dot.com| date = October 1994}}</ref> and garnered much attention in the business press.<ref name="wsj" >{{Cite news| issn = 0099-9660| last = Petzinger| first = Thomas| title = Four Web Rebels Try to Make Managers Talk Like Human Beings| work = Wall Street Journal| location = New York| date = 1999-04-09}}</ref> Locke's e-commerce concept was abandoned two weeks after the launch by the site owner, who chose to turn MecklerWeb's into a conventional product catalog.<ref name=rebel>{{Cite news| last = Schofield| first = Jack| title = Rebel without a pause| work = The Guardian| accessdate = 2015-03-12| date = 2002-05-09| url = https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2002/may/09/internetnews.onlinesupplement3}}</ref><ref name=mecklerweb>{{Cite news| last = Locke| first = Christopher| title = MecklerWeb| work = Panix.com| accessdate = 2015-03-12| date = 1994-03-01| url = https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2002/may/09/internetnews.onlinesupplement3}}</ref>

Locke subsequently worked as editor and publisher of the Net Editors segment on {{proper name|internetMCI}},<ref name=displaytech /> and as Program Director for Online Community Development at IBM.<ref name=displaytech>{{Cite web|title=Displaytech People |work=Displaytech |accessdate=2015-03-15 |date=1996-12-11 |url=http://www.displaytech.com/people.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/19970112004518/http://www.displaytech.com/people.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=1997-01-12 }}</ref>

After leaving IBM, in 1996 and 1997, Locke served as vice president of business development for Displaytech in Longmont, Colorado.<ref>{{Cite journal| issn = 1528-6320| volume = 16| issue = 6| page= 1| last = Lane| first = Hilary| title = What's return on Web site? Companies starting to ask| journal = Boulder County Business Report| date = 1997-06-01}}</ref> In 1997, he set up as an internet consultant under the name Entropy Web Consulting<ref name="wsj" /> in Boulder, Colorado,<ref name=rebel /><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Jossi |first=Frank |title=A Lesson From the Ancients |magazine=Wired |accessdate=2015-03-12 |date=2000-03-15 |url=https://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2000/03/34920 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090821053835/http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2000/03/34920 |archive-date=August 21, 2009 }}</ref> practising an alternative to mass marketing he named 'gonzo marketing' after Hunter S. Thompson's gonzo journalism.<ref name=rebel /><ref name=gonzo /><ref>{{Cite news| last = Rosenstein| first = Bruce| title = Get personal to market on Web| work = USA Today| accessdate = 2015-03-12| date = 2001-12-10| url = http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/moneybooks/2001-12-10-gonzo.htm}}</ref> Gonzo marketing asserts that companies are ineffective in their use of the Internet as a marketing tool when they insist on lecturing instead of conversing,<ref>{{Cite news|last=Neuborne |first=Ellen |title=From One-Way Marketing to Cyber Dialogue |work=Business Week online |date=2000-04-27 |url=http://www.businessweek.com/ebiz/0004/ep0417.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030824100326/http://www.businessweek.com/ebiz/0004/ep0417.htm |archive-date=August 24, 2003 }}</ref> and that companies need to improve their communications with customers to improve the quality of their products and services.<ref>{{Cite journal| issn = 8750-6874| issue = 816| page = 46| last = Locke| first = Christopher| title = The customer as co-developer| journal = InformationWeek| date = 2000-12-11}}</ref>

In 2004 Locke accepted a job as consultant and Chief Blogging Officer for HighBeam Research.<ref name=newtitle>{{Cite news| last = Sullivan| first = Tom| title = A new title in IT: Chief Blogging Officer| work = InfoWorld| accessdate = 2015-03-14| date = 2004-11-30| url = http://www.infoworld.com/article/2646818/techology-business/a-new-title-in-it--chief-blogging-officer.html}}</ref><ref name=cbo>{{Cite web|last=Locke |first=Christopher |title=About Chief Blogging Officer |work=ChiefBloggingOfficer.com |accessdate=2015-03-14 |date=November 2004 |url=http://www.chiefbloggingofficer.com/aboutcbo.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041119032857/http://www.chiefbloggingofficer.com/aboutcbo.html |archive-date=November 19, 2004 }}</ref>

==Works==

Locke's first publications in print were introductory articles on Lisp and natural language processing.<ref name=ticket>{{Cite news |last=Locke |first=Christopher |title=Ticket to Write |work=The Industry Standard |date=1998-09-25 |url=http://www.thestandard.com/article/0,1902,1823,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010611053848/http://www.thestandard.com/article/0%2C1902%2C1823%2C00.html |archive-date=June 11, 2001 }}</ref> He has since written for Wired, Release 1.0, The Industry Standard, Harvard Business Review and many other publications. From 2005 onward, he wrote the ''Mystic Bourgeoisie'' blog.<ref name="mystic">{{Cite news| last = Schofield| first = Jack| title = Web watch| work = The Guardian| accessdate = 2015-03-12| date = 2005-08-18| url = https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2005/aug/18/internet.onlinesupplement}}</ref>

In 1996, he launched ''Entropy Gradient Reversals'',<ref name=rebel /> a "strange webzine"<ref name=tether>{{Cite web|last=Locke |first=Christopher |title=End of your tether computing |work=Forbes |accessdate=2015-03-14 |date=1997-06-09 |url=https://www.forbes.com/1997/06/09/untethered0609.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010418120216/http://www.forbes.com/1997/06/09/untethered0609.html |archive-date=April 18, 2001 }}</ref> that specialized in "dissecting transparently clueless corporate Internet strategies"<ref name=gonzo>{{Cite news| last = Locke| first = Christopher| title = Fear and loathing on the Web: "Gonzo" marketing thrives| work = CNN| accessdate = 2015-03-12| date = 1998-07-16| url = http://edition.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9807/16/gonzo.idg/| archive-url = https://archive.today/20130119132213/http://edition.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9807/16/gonzo.idg/| url-status = dead| archive-date = January 19, 2013}}</ref> and introduced RageBoy, Locke's intemperate alter ego who had a penchant for ranting against business orthodoxy.<ref name=rebel /> As of April 1999, the publication counted nearly 3,000 subscribers.<ref name="wsj" />

Locke was a co-author of ''The Cluetrain Manifesto'', a tract that admonishes businesses to join the "networked conversations" of the Internet. The ''Manifesto'' was first posted to the Web in March 1999<ref>{{Cite news| last = Rosenberg| first = Scott| title = Why Bill Gates still doesn't get the Net| work = Salon| accessdate = 2015-03-17| date = 1999-03-30| url = http://www.salon.com/1999/03/30/bill_gates_4/}}</ref> and became a business bestseller in an extended book version the next year.<ref>{{Cite journal| volume = 247| issue = 14| pages = 28| last = Rosen| first = Judith| title = Riding the "Cluetrain"| journal = Publishers Weekly| date = 2000-04-03}}</ref> In 2009 the book was re-issued as a tenth anniversary edition<ref>{{Cite book |edition= Anniversary |publisher= Basic Books |isbn= 9780465018659 |last1= Levine |first1= Rick |last2= Locke |first2= Christopher |last3= Searls |first3= Doc |last4= Weinberger |first4= David |last5= McKee |first5= Jake |title= The Cluetrain Manifesto: 10th Anniversary Edition |location= New York |date= 2009-06-30 |url-access= registration |url= https://archive.org/details/cluetrainmanifes00rick }}</ref> with a new chapter from each of the original co-authors and commentaries by three new contributors. Locke's new chapter, "Obedient Poodles for God and Country," offers a scathing critique of the fake spirituality the author deems pervasive in contemporary American culture.

Locke was also the author of ''Gonzo Marketing: Winning Through Worst Practices'', a book that expands on the ''Cluetrain Manifesto's'' themes,<ref name=release>{{Cite journal |pages= 2–25 |last= Locke |first= Christopher |title= Gonzo Marketing: Winning Through Worst Practices |journal= Release 1.0 |date= 2000-02-14 |url= http://cdn.oreillystatic.com/radar/r1/02-00.pdf}}</ref> and of ''The Bombast Transcripts: Rants and Screeds of RageBoy'', a compilation of ''Entropy Gradient Reversals'' pieces.<ref name=rebel />

Locke has been praised by The Economist for the "wisdom of RageBoy."<ref>{{Cite news |issn= 0013-0613 |title= Lost in cyberspace| newspaper= The Economist |access-date= 2015-03-19 |date= 1999-12-16 |url= https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/1999/12/16/lost-in-cyberspace}}</ref> In a Financial Times Group survey, he was named as one of the fifty leading business thinkers in the world.<ref name=ft/>

He died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on December 20, 2021.

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

==External links== *[https://www.facebook.com/kat.herding Kat Herding/Facebook] *[http://www.rageboy.com/blogger.html The EGR Weblog] (Archives: [http://www.rageboy.com/blogger-archive.html Aug 30, 2000 &ndash; Dec 23, 2006]) *[https://mysticbourgeoisie.blogspot.com/ Mystic Bourgeoisie] *[http://www.rageboy.com/index2.html Entropy Gradient Reversals] (Archives: [http://www.rageboy.com/bakissues.html May 1, 1996 &ndash; Apr 20, 1999] · [https://archive.today/20150411230702/https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/egr-list/info Jul 27, 1998 &ndash; Jan 26, 2003] · [https://web.archive.org/web/20150413102028/http://lists.topica.com/lists/egr/read?sort=d&start=0 Jul 2, 1999 &ndash; Oct 24, 2005] · [https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/Entropy-Gradient-Reversals Oct 22, 2005 &ndash; Oct 21, 2011]) *[http://www.cluetrain.com/ The Cluetrain Manifesto Online] *[http://cluetrain.com/Cluetrain_10/ The Cluetrain Manifesto Tenth Anniversary Edition] *[https://books.google.com/books?id=CwWfqEDlfcwC&dq=cluetrain+%22Obedient+Poodles+for+God+and+Country%22&pg=PA37 Obedient Poodles for God and Country] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20021223071106/http://www.corante.com/adhominem/ Ad Hominem @ Corante] *[https://gonzoengaged.blogspot.com/ Gonzo Engaged] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20071005084032/http://lists.topica.com/lists/egr/ The EGR List] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070704204352/http://lists.topica.com/lists/cluetrain/ The Cluetrain List] *[http://tonygoodson.typepad.com/the3moments/2009/06/the-3-moments-chris-locke-cluetrain-10-years-on-gonzo-marketing-and-mystic-bourgeoisie.html Tony Goodson Interviews Locke 2009] *[http://listics.com/sandhill-interviews/chris-locke Frank Paynter Interviews Locke 2003] *[https://www.amazon.com/dp/0738204315 The Cluetrain Manifesto: The End of Business as Usual] *[https://www.amazon.com/dp/0738207691 Gonzo Marketing: Winning Through Worst Practices] *[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006B6VO The Bombast Transcripts: Rants and Screeds of Rageboy]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Locke, Christopher}} Category:1947 births Category:Living people Category:American bloggers Category:American male non-fiction writers Category:American technology writers Category:Writers from Boulder, Colorado Category:21st-century American non-fiction writers Category:American male bloggers