I love your question #5 as I think we’ve had this discussion before as well. I have two copies of Rohit’s book on the way so I don’t know how much of this is addressed in the text. Before online “communities”, I’ve had the experience of existing clients come to me and let me know that new employee X does not have the personality of the rest of the company. They didn’t state that it was a problem, but merely that it was different (and evidently notable).

In at least some situations, it seems the personality is general enough to be embodied by all those at least with customer facing positions.

One of the organization’s concerns on the imprinting is that the Community Manager takes a competing position and takes some of the community with her. I’ve seen a similar situation here with a local TV News personality. He made a move to a competitor and had to contractually (from previous employer) remain off the air for 1 year. In the case of Scoble, he didn’t move to a competitor, and he’s an interesting case I’m sure.

Most non-competes don’t legally stick (I say this with no authority), but I do understand that non-solicitations of existing clients do. How that applies to following? Perhaps a celebrity spokesperson model would apply.

What fun! It’s going to be interesting.

Rohit’s book launch plan and blogger interviews is amazing. I really like the questions that you’ve posed and his answers are fantastic. I particularly liked the small business example of @garyvee.