In our acutely religiousized culture today I am not sure Xerox could do this campaign now. But it'll always be one of those classic ad campaigns that makes me smile most.
Two pages per second! And look at the size of that thing. My, how times have changed. My $300 desktop printer does 3 in one square foot of desk space.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Conde Technica???
Just read that one of my favorite online blogs, Ars Technica, has been acquired by Conde Nast's Wired. Ars Technica is definitely a first go-to source for me when I need reliable info and opinion on technology issues. For example, my recent post on the NY bill to regulate ad networks and BT was helped immensely by several posts on that site.
I hope that the acquisition brings them more resources to do the excellent work they do. There are very few online resources as strong and truthful as Ars Technica.
I hope that the acquisition brings them more resources to do the excellent work they do. There are very few online resources as strong and truthful as Ars Technica.
Blabnote? Your Call!
I read a post on TechCrunch about a new voice only social network out of the UK called Blabnote. Absolutely mindtwisting. Have a look. I don't really have an opinion on this one other than that it is something to watch.
The basic premise is a social network conducted totally by mobile phone. Assuming the voice recognition works, this seems very intriguing. But as Tech Crunch notes, that's a preety big assuming.
I see how this service could be a good add for an established social network -- another way to interact and certainly preferable to keying everything in on a phone keyboard. But my jury is out...
The basic premise is a social network conducted totally by mobile phone. Assuming the voice recognition works, this seems very intriguing. But as Tech Crunch notes, that's a preety big assuming.
I see how this service could be a good add for an established social network -- another way to interact and certainly preferable to keying everything in on a phone keyboard. But my jury is out...
iMedia: United Online
I just finished my first iMedia event, a dinner hosted by United Online. The dinner itself was very low sell (a wise move for a Saturday night,) but the back of the invitation really got me to thinking. United Online, in case you live under a rock, is a collection of web businesses including:
Classmates.com: The site that can put you in touch with the people of your past. Built on a subscription model and an extensive email sponsorship program.
NetZero and Juno: Value-priced ISPs that essentially trade consumers lower dialup service for liberal privacy policies that enable marketers to get insights and precise BT.
MySite: A web hosting and site builder offering not unlike parts of register or GoDaddy, but less expensive.
Names Database: Classmates broadened into a searchable database to find people you know or want to know.
MyPoints: The loyalty cum marketing platform.
FTD: They of flowers fame.
At first glance, it seems an odd collection of businesses. But look closer, and you begin to see the essence of the new web – the database and behavioral marketing. United Online has, through its various businesses, a massive collection of people’s profiles that could prove extremely useful for marketers. Whether as a research platform or as BT-enabled ad and marketing platforms.
Naturally the amount and types of info that they have from these disparate businesses varies, but in sum you can see how their core is data. With MyPoints, they probably have access to people’s bloodtypes ( ;-) ) while with Classmates considerably less. But United Online is widely considered one of the richest database companies around that is marketer friendly. Definitely an option to consider next time you want research or BT.
One interesting aspect of their businesses is to consider the health and stage in the product life cycle. A look at their annual report demonstrates steady declines in dial-up ISPs, but very strong growth in selling premium subs to Classmates. And the recent acquisition of FTD adds another interesting layer to their operations. And I’m guessing that being a data delivery device for florists is about as profitable as would be printing money. Attract eyeballs, match orders to florists, get a big cut. Good eatin’.
United Online makes solid money too, so the model seems to have some merit.
Sort of a new definition of synergies in what otherwise looks like a mapcap collection of stuff. But perhaps Untied Online is like McDonalds, which is really a real estate company that sells burgers.
United Online is a data company that provides a variety of disparate ancillary services. They serve a nice bowl of chili, too, and for that and the thoughts their company has driven for me tonight, I am thankful.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
iMedia: popsauce network
I should start this post by telling you that popsauce is a client of Catalyst:SF’s, so take that for what you will. Popsauce was the transportation sponsor of iMedia, offering attendees transit from the airport to the location.
Popsauce network, in case you didn’t see the press last week, is the new network that links a variety of UGC- and premium-video and other content sites, anchored by venerable ebaumsworld.com. The positioning is that the sites offer brands a brand safer way to participate in the phenom of UGC and buzz. The sites, according to a recent quantitative survey, attract an opinion leader audience, which adds to the appeal of buying from them.
It reminds me of how standards of content appropriateness are evolving, not necessarily weakening, but certainly changing from the days when Lucy and Ricky slept in separate beds and Westerns rarely showed blood.
Popsauce’s approach is to strike a balance between giving users freedom to post what they want and the needs of advertisers not to have wet t-shirt contest vids adjacent to brand messages. Using Scan Scout’s brand protector solution, the network screens content on advertiser supported pages while allowing maximum freedom in areas where brand messages do not appear.
It’s an innovative concept and one whose time has come. Over the next several months, major brands will get to vote on the methodology with their dollars. I think (and not just because they are a client but you have to trust me on that bit) that this solution is fascinating and worthy of support. As the percentage of popular web content that is citizen-generated explodes, brands need ways to participate. Popsauce may be the way for your brand.
Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to write.
Friday, May 16, 2008
iMedia Bound
Headed off to iMedia in Austin tomorrow, so expect a few posts about it over the next several days. And a personal shout out to the folks at iMedia for invitin' me! Many thanks.
A09275 Third-Party Internet Advertising Consumers' Bill of Rights Act of 2008
Well, that is a seemingly dry title for a post on a blog that features lip syncs on Fridays. But this bill, currently before the Assembly of the State of New York, has some wide reaching implications for our industry. Though I have to say, upon reading the bill, it's a little less scary (to my nonlawyer eyes) than industry mavens would seem to believe.
Currently with 57 sponsors, this bill would seem to make law what the NAI is trying to do on a voluntary basis. The bill was inspired by the acquisition of DCLK by Google, and the justification submitted with the bill reads as follows:
Recent acquisitions of third party advertising companies by large Inter-net companies have raised serious and important privacy issues with respect to who is monitoring an individual`s online behavior for marketing and other purposes. While many companies have implemented rules and polices to protect consumers, other have not. It is the responsibility of the State to adequately protect and inform its citizenry of who is tracking their legal online activities and subsequently selling that information.
Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, who appears to be the force behind the bill, is, it should be noted, not without understanding of digital. He has written numerous internet related bills, and his concerns in this case appear to be related to the fact that while many of the ad networks out there are voluntary participants in NAI, some are not.
It won't surprise you that I hope the bill is not enacted. Though, it should be noted that state law regarding the Internet generally is toothless because the Internet is by its very nature Interstate, which makes it the purview of the Federal Government. But the bill is significant, and the number of sponsors should alert all of us to the fast that consumers are not comfy with the current state of affairs (or perceived state of affairs) as regards BT.
I think part of the challenge is that US communications law was almost entirely written before the Internet was even a gleam in Al Gore's eye, so rules and best practices regarding the space go forward in fits and starts. The FTC made a concerted effort to address the internet in the period 1998-2001, and held a major set of discussion on BT specifically not all that long ago, deciding at that time that opt-out was an acceptable way for us to go forward in the US. Their recommended privacy guidelines live here.
This post on Ars Technica outlines a lot of research on how consumers feel about BT, or what they believe BT to be. And based upon my reading, there really is a great deal of consumer discomfiture on the topic. Which brings us to what I think would be 5 ways we can begin to address consumer concerns going forward:
1. Be transparent. Every time someone tries to do something BT related without full disclosure or CLEAR AND CONSPICUOUS disclosure, the conspiracy theories start flying.
2. Be real about benefits to consumers. I accept that there are some benefits to consumers re targeted advertising. But being real, in my opinion, requires that we state the whole truth -- that that the real reason our industry needs the higher CPMs made possible via BT is to pay for the web. I read 35 newspapers a day (or at least the page one headlines) and I don't pay a nickel for any of them via subscription. I pay $25 for DSL a month. About the price for a subscription to ONE of those 35 papers. Something connected to me has to pay for that usage.
3. Give people a reasonable way to opt out. I think that if people know there is a way to opt out, that will satisfy them -- that they won't all go rushing to opt out. This isn't like getting telemarketing calls -- this won't be like the DNC registry. Making the opt out system voluntary as well as easy to find online wil head off a lot of legislative efforts.
4. Stop with the 35 page T&Cs. Check out the eBaum's World privacy policy. This is how it should be done.
5. Not be Chicken Littles every time anyone in government brings up the topic, but rather engage them and ensure we're on the same page. Hey, I am opposed to legislation, but the way to avoid it is for us to act responsibly, not to villify people with concerns.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Currently with 57 sponsors, this bill would seem to make law what the NAI is trying to do on a voluntary basis. The bill was inspired by the acquisition of DCLK by Google, and the justification submitted with the bill reads as follows:
Recent acquisitions of third party advertising companies by large Inter-net companies have raised serious and important privacy issues with respect to who is monitoring an individual`s online behavior for marketing and other purposes. While many companies have implemented rules and polices to protect consumers, other have not. It is the responsibility of the State to adequately protect and inform its citizenry of who is tracking their legal online activities and subsequently selling that information.
Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, who appears to be the force behind the bill, is, it should be noted, not without understanding of digital. He has written numerous internet related bills, and his concerns in this case appear to be related to the fact that while many of the ad networks out there are voluntary participants in NAI, some are not.
It won't surprise you that I hope the bill is not enacted. Though, it should be noted that state law regarding the Internet generally is toothless because the Internet is by its very nature Interstate, which makes it the purview of the Federal Government. But the bill is significant, and the number of sponsors should alert all of us to the fast that consumers are not comfy with the current state of affairs (or perceived state of affairs) as regards BT.
I think part of the challenge is that US communications law was almost entirely written before the Internet was even a gleam in Al Gore's eye, so rules and best practices regarding the space go forward in fits and starts. The FTC made a concerted effort to address the internet in the period 1998-2001, and held a major set of discussion on BT specifically not all that long ago, deciding at that time that opt-out was an acceptable way for us to go forward in the US. Their recommended privacy guidelines live here.
This post on Ars Technica outlines a lot of research on how consumers feel about BT, or what they believe BT to be. And based upon my reading, there really is a great deal of consumer discomfiture on the topic. Which brings us to what I think would be 5 ways we can begin to address consumer concerns going forward:
1. Be transparent. Every time someone tries to do something BT related without full disclosure or CLEAR AND CONSPICUOUS disclosure, the conspiracy theories start flying.
2. Be real about benefits to consumers. I accept that there are some benefits to consumers re targeted advertising. But being real, in my opinion, requires that we state the whole truth -- that that the real reason our industry needs the higher CPMs made possible via BT is to pay for the web. I read 35 newspapers a day (or at least the page one headlines) and I don't pay a nickel for any of them via subscription. I pay $25 for DSL a month. About the price for a subscription to ONE of those 35 papers. Something connected to me has to pay for that usage.
3. Give people a reasonable way to opt out. I think that if people know there is a way to opt out, that will satisfy them -- that they won't all go rushing to opt out. This isn't like getting telemarketing calls -- this won't be like the DNC registry. Making the opt out system voluntary as well as easy to find online wil head off a lot of legislative efforts.
4. Stop with the 35 page T&Cs. Check out the eBaum's World privacy policy. This is how it should be done.
5. Not be Chicken Littles every time anyone in government brings up the topic, but rather engage them and ensure we're on the same page. Hey, I am opposed to legislation, but the way to avoid it is for us to act responsibly, not to villify people with concerns.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Bali-Woods
I've been meaning to link to this post for awhile, about a revolutionary branded online gaming experience. Thanks to Kevin Long for spotting it.
Apple Digicrest
Thought provoking post over at Adam Bergman's (aka Ryan Digicrest's) blog about iPhone 2. Funny, I never pegged Adam for an Apple freak. But there ya go.
Cory and Winston C.
Excellent post from my colleague Cory Treffiletti on his blog about the difficulties of getting more brand dollars to shift to online. Check it out here.
Digital Thought Leadership Outside of Area Codes That Begin With 9 or 1
I had the good fortune to speak at the Las Vegas Interactive Marketing Association's "Behavioral Bustle" event yesterday, and I am so glad that I did. It was great to meet such a smart and energetic bunch of people doing so many innovative things with digital.
And it got me to thinking about how coastally biased our industry is. There's seemingly a major digital event every week in NYC, LA and SF. But what about the Second Cities? We're not talking about small markets. Over 110 people showed up to hear me drone on about privacy issues with BT, and these are not digital dabblers. The industry in LV is apparently very strong, particularly in the area of BT.
LVIMA's head, Shawn Rorick, put on a great event featuring Specific Media and DrivePM, both of which put together great presos on the state of the industry and where it is heaed. Liberty Callas of DrivePM did one of the best presos on the topic of BT I have ever seen, explaining nuances and really getting to the heart of one of the most critical issues: scalability.
So why is our industry so coast centric? It made sense perhaps 5 years ago during the digital nadir, I mean, you have to fish where the fish are.
But the digital ocean is now truly global, and markets like LV -- and DC -- and Portland -- and Seattle -- and Atlanta -- and Minneapolis -- and Chicago -- and St Louis -- and Dallas -- and and and are growing dramatically, and are clearly underserved. Wander on over after you read this to Lee Odden's Online Marketing Blog for a more complete list.
Fortunately, the associations for these markets do seem to be getting some sponsors, but the rest of the world needs to wake up to the dollars and minds being showcased in cities other than those served by SFO, LAX, and JFK.
And thanks again, LVIMA!
Thanks for reading and don't forget to write.
And it got me to thinking about how coastally biased our industry is. There's seemingly a major digital event every week in NYC, LA and SF. But what about the Second Cities? We're not talking about small markets. Over 110 people showed up to hear me drone on about privacy issues with BT, and these are not digital dabblers. The industry in LV is apparently very strong, particularly in the area of BT.
LVIMA's head, Shawn Rorick, put on a great event featuring Specific Media and DrivePM, both of which put together great presos on the state of the industry and where it is heaed. Liberty Callas of DrivePM did one of the best presos on the topic of BT I have ever seen, explaining nuances and really getting to the heart of one of the most critical issues: scalability.
So why is our industry so coast centric? It made sense perhaps 5 years ago during the digital nadir, I mean, you have to fish where the fish are.
But the digital ocean is now truly global, and markets like LV -- and DC -- and Portland -- and Seattle -- and Atlanta -- and Minneapolis -- and Chicago -- and St Louis -- and Dallas -- and and and are growing dramatically, and are clearly underserved. Wander on over after you read this to Lee Odden's Online Marketing Blog for a more complete list.
Fortunately, the associations for these markets do seem to be getting some sponsors, but the rest of the world needs to wake up to the dollars and minds being showcased in cities other than those served by SFO, LAX, and JFK.
And thanks again, LVIMA!
Thanks for reading and don't forget to write.
LIP SYNCH FRIDAY!!! TELL ME HOW I'M SPOSED TO BREATHE WITH NO AIR?
And how...do you 'spect me...to live without Lip Synch Friday?
I am delighted to have found a lip synch category where women dominate. There has been entirely too much bad drag on this blog for the past two weeks.
I am delighted to have found a lip synch category where women dominate. There has been entirely too much bad drag on this blog for the past two weeks.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
ENGAGEMENT AND QUALITY EDIT
So yesterday I put forward the idea that online engagement requires an experience that drives physical activity -- clicks, rolling over, customizing the marketing experience.
I've gotten a couple of emails in response, finding my idea simplistic. And I agree, it is. But it is concrete and measurable, which is an excellent set of qualities for a topic as nebulous as this one. I deliberately suggested this measure because it is so binary -- something either requires physical interaction, or it doesn't.
Also, every piece of research I have ever seen indicates that the interaction rates of experiential messages are higher than for billboardy banners by a factor of 2X+. This is really significant because it means that physical activities are driving greater message processing. Which is the essence of brand engagement in my book.
Which got me think about what might be the ideal editorial environment in which to drive engagement. Does good content surrounding a marketing experience offer benefits, or drawbacks? Does great content enhance or distract engagement?
Well, in reviewing the available data on the topic, the evidence seems pretty clear that great content keeps people on a page longer, which invites more opportunities for the consumer to take physical action in an engaging unit.
Of course, there are exceptions. Content can be TOO interesting -- for example, banners on dating sites offer notoriously low click rates, because they are largely invisible to the user who is hell bent on getting a date. But in most cases, content that slows the relentless clicking of a consumer is likely to have a positive impact on brand engagement. When you measure page view time in the single seconds, there are hardly opportunities to engage someone with a brand.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
I've gotten a couple of emails in response, finding my idea simplistic. And I agree, it is. But it is concrete and measurable, which is an excellent set of qualities for a topic as nebulous as this one. I deliberately suggested this measure because it is so binary -- something either requires physical interaction, or it doesn't.
Also, every piece of research I have ever seen indicates that the interaction rates of experiential messages are higher than for billboardy banners by a factor of 2X+. This is really significant because it means that physical activities are driving greater message processing. Which is the essence of brand engagement in my book.
Which got me think about what might be the ideal editorial environment in which to drive engagement. Does good content surrounding a marketing experience offer benefits, or drawbacks? Does great content enhance or distract engagement?
Well, in reviewing the available data on the topic, the evidence seems pretty clear that great content keeps people on a page longer, which invites more opportunities for the consumer to take physical action in an engaging unit.
Of course, there are exceptions. Content can be TOO interesting -- for example, banners on dating sites offer notoriously low click rates, because they are largely invisible to the user who is hell bent on getting a date. But in most cases, content that slows the relentless clicking of a consumer is likely to have a positive impact on brand engagement. When you measure page view time in the single seconds, there are hardly opportunities to engage someone with a brand.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
ENGAGEMENT
The whole world is looking for a definition of brand engagement. For the past several months I have been listening hard to the definitions being put forward on the topic. Listening, but perhaps not really thinking about the problem. What I mean is, it's easily to see the flaws in various definitions, but more challenging to actually put forth an idea for inspection ones self.
So for my next several posts i want to put forward some ideas about what I think engagement is.
To me, engagement must be experiential. People learn by doing things themselves. Not by being told things, or perhaps not as well.
Sometimes a seemingly passive experience like watching an ad on TV can be experiential -- what's necessary in my view is an ad that contains an idea that forces the individual to process a brand message. Not forces like a welcome screen but rather one that puts forward an idea so interesting - no, fascinating -- that we stop what else we are doing and actually give it a thought. Apple 1984 was like that. Imagery so powerful and evocative that we made mental connections -- to a book we read in 12th grade, to what we view ourselves to be (individuals and free thinkers), to what we accept as true about a brand without much question.
Another example would be the Mercury ads in the mid 1980s that used songs from the 60s and 70s to evoke associations in Boomers about who they "really are", and tied those to some fairly revolutionary car designs that were a departure from the Grand Marquis of the past. We listened, we connected, we evoked, and we remembered.
There aren't too many ideas like that out there -- ideas that can turn passive exposure into genuine engagement. In my 22 years of advertising, I think I worked on about 5 of those out of the hundreds of campaigns I helped to field. Not that I haven't worked on a lot of good campaigns, but rather that there aren't a lot of ideas out there that cause rich cognitive processing when delivered passively like in a TV or print ad.
Engagement of this sort was always a good thing, but definitely not as critical before as today, when the proliferation of media options, products, and distractions fairly overwhelms consumers.
What digital technologies allow us to do are offer many forms of concrete experience, with or without evocative ideas. Give me a banner with 5 tabs to click on, or a way to customize the content, and you have achieved engagement whether or not your brand can truly support a genuinely evocative campaign. Combine that sort of interactivity and you can create powerful brand engagement.
Don't get me wrong, it absolutely helps to have a great idea. But digital enables us to physically engage people in ways heretofore impossible. And those physical interactions are, in my opinion, a key component of what constitutes engagement online. I am completely convinced that physical activity with a marketing message always causes brand engagement -- physical engagement but mental and emotional engagement as well. Serve me a big square that lets me click and change the color of a new cellphone, and you have achieved engagement. You've given me a reason to give a sh*t, and have dimensionalized the relevance of that brand to my personal world.
So my first principle of digital brand engagement is that the marketing message must offer and drive physical activity, because this enables the user to personalize the brand and make it theirs. A magnificent example was the avatar maker that was fielded in support of the Simpson's movie last summer. I could make a Simpson of myself -- connecting me directly and dare I say completely with the franchise. This is an infinitely richer consumer connection than, say, a preroll vid of Homer saying D'oh in 127 different situations. The former is engagement, the latter is fun, but ultimately passive. And I submit, the former makes it far more likely that I will want to see the movie, remember to see it, or log on to Fandango to buy a ticket.
The implication of this, of course, is that the best web environments for brands are the ones that allow and encourage users to physically interact with marketing messages. The thing I am going to think about for the next day or so is whether content quality on the page that surrounds that physically interactive message plays a role in the task of brand engagement.
More coming.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
So for my next several posts i want to put forward some ideas about what I think engagement is.
To me, engagement must be experiential. People learn by doing things themselves. Not by being told things, or perhaps not as well.
Sometimes a seemingly passive experience like watching an ad on TV can be experiential -- what's necessary in my view is an ad that contains an idea that forces the individual to process a brand message. Not forces like a welcome screen but rather one that puts forward an idea so interesting - no, fascinating -- that we stop what else we are doing and actually give it a thought. Apple 1984 was like that. Imagery so powerful and evocative that we made mental connections -- to a book we read in 12th grade, to what we view ourselves to be (individuals and free thinkers), to what we accept as true about a brand without much question.
Another example would be the Mercury ads in the mid 1980s that used songs from the 60s and 70s to evoke associations in Boomers about who they "really are", and tied those to some fairly revolutionary car designs that were a departure from the Grand Marquis of the past. We listened, we connected, we evoked, and we remembered.
There aren't too many ideas like that out there -- ideas that can turn passive exposure into genuine engagement. In my 22 years of advertising, I think I worked on about 5 of those out of the hundreds of campaigns I helped to field. Not that I haven't worked on a lot of good campaigns, but rather that there aren't a lot of ideas out there that cause rich cognitive processing when delivered passively like in a TV or print ad.
Engagement of this sort was always a good thing, but definitely not as critical before as today, when the proliferation of media options, products, and distractions fairly overwhelms consumers.
What digital technologies allow us to do are offer many forms of concrete experience, with or without evocative ideas. Give me a banner with 5 tabs to click on, or a way to customize the content, and you have achieved engagement whether or not your brand can truly support a genuinely evocative campaign. Combine that sort of interactivity and you can create powerful brand engagement.
Don't get me wrong, it absolutely helps to have a great idea. But digital enables us to physically engage people in ways heretofore impossible. And those physical interactions are, in my opinion, a key component of what constitutes engagement online. I am completely convinced that physical activity with a marketing message always causes brand engagement -- physical engagement but mental and emotional engagement as well. Serve me a big square that lets me click and change the color of a new cellphone, and you have achieved engagement. You've given me a reason to give a sh*t, and have dimensionalized the relevance of that brand to my personal world.
So my first principle of digital brand engagement is that the marketing message must offer and drive physical activity, because this enables the user to personalize the brand and make it theirs. A magnificent example was the avatar maker that was fielded in support of the Simpson's movie last summer. I could make a Simpson of myself -- connecting me directly and dare I say completely with the franchise. This is an infinitely richer consumer connection than, say, a preroll vid of Homer saying D'oh in 127 different situations. The former is engagement, the latter is fun, but ultimately passive. And I submit, the former makes it far more likely that I will want to see the movie, remember to see it, or log on to Fandango to buy a ticket.
The implication of this, of course, is that the best web environments for brands are the ones that allow and encourage users to physically interact with marketing messages. The thing I am going to think about for the next day or so is whether content quality on the page that surrounds that physically interactive message plays a role in the task of brand engagement.
More coming.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Friend Connect and Data Portability
Data portability has become a hot hot pipin' hot topic -- and it's about time. Let me try to nutshell this concept without butchering it too badly: you probably have profiles and networks of contacts scattered across the web, like on
Facebook
LinkedIn
MySpace
Outlook
Match.com
Fantasy Baseball
Second Life
XBOX Live
That second email account you use for illicit connections
AIM
And so on. So the idea that someone or something will enable you to connect all those disparate blobs of data and personal social communities is rather appealing. It's great for the consumer, and I am guessing not so great for second tier social media, but it's clearly an idea whose time has come.
Google's initiative called Friend Connect is the latest in a series of announcements that flag applications or functionality that -- with your permission -- will scan all the disparate communities and ask you if you want to port individuals and information to new environments. Last week I told you that YOS, the Yahoo Social initiative, offers similar promises. MySpace and Facebook have also announced such initiatives.
And of course Open ID is the granddaddy of this stuff.
Naturally, this demonstrates what we've been seeing for months and years -- that companies are beginning to realize that their isolated databases have less value than the collaborative relationships and connections that their members can bring.
I first became familiar with this from Linked In, which frequently offers to scan my Outlook and Yahoo email for members that I can decide to link to. And that's nice. But how cool will it be when this stuff removes the potentially enormous switching costs that keep us using lesser platforms when great replacements have emerged?
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Dang the word iodophore
Well, my nephew did very well, but was stumped by the word iodophore -- which, in case ya didn't know, is an iodine based sterilizer. But to last seven rounds in a national competition is something I for one am very proud of him for. His final place was a tie for tenth.
Yay Jack!
Yay Jack!
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