It's moments like this that I am happy I didn't go into corporate PR.
Mommy, why is Peter Pan being arrested? Was he bad?
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Jippidy: Yellow Pages Go Hollywood!
This morning I got a comment on my post about Yelp from someone named George at a company called Jippidy. Intrigued, I had to check it out. I liked the concept a great deal -- a social video yellow pages site that's just getting rolling.
The concept is right there in five words, which is nice in a world of outsourced distributed workforce interactive collaborative computing platform solutions with robust realtime analytics applet synergies.
This video shows you how much richer of a sense you can get about a place or thing with 74 seconds of video.
(Sorry, Blogger is suppressing the sound on this file. Go here to hear: http://www.jippidy.com/watch?viewkey=fa04aaf37f137a1d9d3e)
Sure beats
Clothing - Miscellaneous
Horror Business
Address Area Code Number
on a yellow sheet of onion skin at giving you a sense of the store, hunh?
Here's one for the awesome Bulo shoe store:
(Sorry, but Blogger is suppressing sound on this file. Go here to hear.
http://www.jippidy.com/watch?viewkey=754953b57a32e2841bda)
But there is more to this site than just some nice videos. By layering in proven social interaction functionality into their site, they offer a way to truly connect consumers and businesses.
They describe themselves thus:
Jippidy is a free video business directory that takes do-it-yourself advertising and social networking to the next level. You can pretty much advertise or promote anything you can think of. Create a profile, show the world the service you offer, advertise a home for sale, tell people about your home based business.
* watch video clips
* get recommendations
* find events
* announce a local event
* save money with coupons
* participate in online discussions
Jippidy will change how you connect with your town. We make it easy to share what's best about your town and minimize uncertainty. Looking for that perfect little whole in the wall? Just ask your neighbors on Jippidy. Video gives advertising an added dimension that was previously only available in high-cost television advertising. With Jippidy, you can film your own short commercials and post them in your local community. Jippidy levels the playing field for smaller businesses allowing them to compete effectively with larger ones in their local markets. You can even network with other business professionals and reconnect with old friends. The best part is, it's all FREE! – the possibilities are endless.
I think they are just getting started given that their first blog post was on 6/28. My Yahoo searches didn't turn up much that's more than a month old either. So don't let the current low level of content on their site get in the way of your seeing this idea for what it is -- a transformative small business advertising concept that, by layering in social functionality, also helps these small businesses develop loyal followings and dare I say it brands.
I really like this site and idea and think a bit o' publicity can get that snowball a lot bigger. So while I have significantly lower reach than say CNN, I hope this blurb helps just a little because their concept is great. I'll definitely be watching this company in the months ahead.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
The concept is right there in five words, which is nice in a world of outsourced distributed workforce interactive collaborative computing platform solutions with robust realtime analytics applet synergies.
This video shows you how much richer of a sense you can get about a place or thing with 74 seconds of video.
(Sorry, Blogger is suppressing the sound on this file. Go here to hear: http://www.jippidy.com/watch?viewkey=fa04aaf37f137a1d9d3e)
Sure beats
Clothing - Miscellaneous
Horror Business
Address Area Code Number
on a yellow sheet of onion skin at giving you a sense of the store, hunh?
Here's one for the awesome Bulo shoe store:
(Sorry, but Blogger is suppressing sound on this file. Go here to hear.
http://www.jippidy.com/watch?viewkey=754953b57a32e2841bda)
But there is more to this site than just some nice videos. By layering in proven social interaction functionality into their site, they offer a way to truly connect consumers and businesses.
They describe themselves thus:
Jippidy is a free video business directory that takes do-it-yourself advertising and social networking to the next level. You can pretty much advertise or promote anything you can think of. Create a profile, show the world the service you offer, advertise a home for sale, tell people about your home based business.
* watch video clips
* get recommendations
* find events
* announce a local event
* save money with coupons
* participate in online discussions
Jippidy will change how you connect with your town. We make it easy to share what's best about your town and minimize uncertainty. Looking for that perfect little whole in the wall? Just ask your neighbors on Jippidy. Video gives advertising an added dimension that was previously only available in high-cost television advertising. With Jippidy, you can film your own short commercials and post them in your local community. Jippidy levels the playing field for smaller businesses allowing them to compete effectively with larger ones in their local markets. You can even network with other business professionals and reconnect with old friends. The best part is, it's all FREE! – the possibilities are endless.
I think they are just getting started given that their first blog post was on 6/28. My Yahoo searches didn't turn up much that's more than a month old either. So don't let the current low level of content on their site get in the way of your seeing this idea for what it is -- a transformative small business advertising concept that, by layering in social functionality, also helps these small businesses develop loyal followings and dare I say it brands.
I really like this site and idea and think a bit o' publicity can get that snowball a lot bigger. So while I have significantly lower reach than say CNN, I hope this blurb helps just a little because their concept is great. I'll definitely be watching this company in the months ahead.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Generation Gap
Supposedly True Story:
Bob Woodward: "Hi, I am Bob Woodward, and I am here to get my press credentials."
Summer Intern: "And...what publication are you with?"
- From Politics Magazine
Not Every Big Marketing Idea Is Digital
To announce the debut of its new 100% whole wheat crust pizza, Papa John's has created a branded crop circle near the airliner approach to Stapleton International Airport.
Why Denver? Well, a little thing called the Democratic National Convention and the thousands of reporters descending on that city.
And why not Minneapolis, site of the Republican National Convention? Well, I'm guessing it has to do with the whole wheat thing. Who eats whole wheat, Dems or Reps?
Seriously, it probably has something to do with the availability of wheat fields on airline approaches. And the fact that Denver airline traffic is a bajillion times higher than MPLS traffic.
I'm not sure if the dough being spun here is wheat, but I thought this video fo the Papa John's prep was cool.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Why Denver? Well, a little thing called the Democratic National Convention and the thousands of reporters descending on that city.
And why not Minneapolis, site of the Republican National Convention? Well, I'm guessing it has to do with the whole wheat thing. Who eats whole wheat, Dems or Reps?
Seriously, it probably has something to do with the availability of wheat fields on airline approaches. And the fact that Denver airline traffic is a bajillion times higher than MPLS traffic.
I'm not sure if the dough being spun here is wheat, but I thought this video fo the Papa John's prep was cool.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
UGC EvilDoers and Yelp
I like Yelp. A lot. I have consistently found the comments on the site insightful, often witty, and here's the best bit - useful - when I am trying to figure out where to go and get something.
So it came as somewhat of a shock to me when I read yesterday's article in Theregister.co.uk about the service and accusations by some small businesses that Yelp offered them a pay to play scenario in which they could move negative comments to the bottom of the list, or eliminate them altogether.
Hey, I am not getting in the middle of that googly - I am neither a restaurant or store owner, nor familiar with the back end of Yelp, so I have no idea whose right or wrong in this instance.
I will say that if it was PROVEN that Yelp was gaming its own system for pay, that would be the end of using Yelp for me. I don't think I am alone in this, and I am sure that the Yelp people know it. But I also know that money pressures are horrible and things get done that no one likes on occasion. I am remmebering back when people would hire temps to sit at desks in the dot bomb to "look busy" when prospects came.
So Yelp and the small business owners have their fight. I do believe in a presumption of innocence. I also think that if it did happen it was more likely the act of a desperate salesperson than a company policy. That however, is no consolation for the gal or guy running her or his own biz, and if that was the case, heads should roll in that sales dept.
But the article pointed out some interesting things that I think we all sorta know but don't necessarily like to focus on -- the most important being that wild popularity does not necessarily begat profitability. Yelp has proven rather difficult to monetize, much as was/is CitySearch and YouTube and and and.
Part of the reason for this is that advertisers are so reticent to be in places like these - places where people instead of editors and brands control the content.
I am a big believer in brand safety but I am coming around to the notion that people get it that the people who pay for the banners on a page are not endorsing the people who write negative stuff -- rather they are supporting media outlets that allow people to express themselves, more or less regardless of whether they agree with those messages.
I am not saying that a banner on Youtube is a noble act of corporate citizenry and largesse but that rather the banner reflects what people like and where they are, and that a dwindling number of people will find a link between the content of a flame UGC post and the advertiser message elsewhere on the page.
The other thing is that users of UGC need to recognize that every F F F post they make -- and every absurd allegation -- ultimately limits their future ability to express themselves because advertisers won't want to be a part of it.
And one more -- UGC pubs need to understand the tightrope they walk -- that their sites can break small business owners if irresponsible people are allowed to make outragous allegations. Monitoring is both a cirtical aspect of the business and a moral responsibility.
Thanks for reading and don't forget to write.
The Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, Lawsuits, and the Portals
The Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, Lawsuits, and the Portals
Did you read that the Indian Supreme Court sent notices, to Google, Yahoo, and FaceBook warning them that if ads that market services that help aspiring parents preselect the gender of their child, they will be liable under the Act and subject to punishment?
Hunh, you might be saying?
The law is rather complicated but essentially prevents the advertising of services and techniques that help parents predetermine the gender of their unborn child. The law is not aimed at so called “medical” gender selection, which could for example enable parents to avoid having babies of a gender if their family lineage genetically predisposed them for an illness. Rather, this law is intended to curb what is euphemistically called “elective" gender selection where parents want to have one gender (read: boys) over another (read: girls) for political, economic, misogynist, or other reasons.
The law was enacted in 2000, and was successful in drastically reducing such ads in PRINT, but the web has not been targeted so intensely until now.
Interestingly, the Supreme Court also warned the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Communications and IT that they were also complicit because they took no action against the publishers.
This is a big stir both because of the nature of how web ads work (so many sellers and servers) but also because of the odious nature of this practice. Here’s an article about this vile custom. Over 900,000 girls are killed annually in India. That’s three St. Louses a year, people. What it's about is sexism, having to provide a dowry, and the traditional role of men as earners and women as expenses.
I’m frankly not sure how such tracking would occur given the distributed nature of ad serving, though there must be a way given that genitalia do not often greet our eyes on web pages unless we seek them. You could certainly reduce the number of ads drastically. But eliminate entirely would be tough.
Hey, it’s a country with a billion people – they get to decide how sites can operate in their borders. I mean, China tells them to block content and few even bat an eye. Certainly the number of these ads could be drastically reduced. But here’s an idea to go along with that that might enable the police to focus on the most pressing aspects of the problem: imprison more of the people that kill their daughters, and work to develop a society that values women equally. I’m not saying Google and Yahoo don’t have a role they can play in helping people rethink their misogyny, but using them as Western scapegoats for what is a vastly complex social ill is hardly addressing the real issue, is it?
And hey, I am well aware that the US has some absolutely deplorable practices as well – more murders in US HIGH SCHOOLS annually than in all of Britain, 1 in 101 people now incarcerated, judging the value of women by bust size or marketing t-shirts with slogans like these at the fine purveyors at Abercrombie and Fitch.
(BTW, I can't remmeber where I pulled this graphic from. If it was your site and you want a credit, just drop me a line.)
Oh and continuing to export Camels and Marlboros, and starting new smokers in the developing world as young as 8.
Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to write.
Did you read that the Indian Supreme Court sent notices, to Google, Yahoo, and FaceBook warning them that if ads that market services that help aspiring parents preselect the gender of their child, they will be liable under the Act and subject to punishment?
Hunh, you might be saying?
The law is rather complicated but essentially prevents the advertising of services and techniques that help parents predetermine the gender of their unborn child. The law is not aimed at so called “medical” gender selection, which could for example enable parents to avoid having babies of a gender if their family lineage genetically predisposed them for an illness. Rather, this law is intended to curb what is euphemistically called “elective" gender selection where parents want to have one gender (read: boys) over another (read: girls) for political, economic, misogynist, or other reasons.
The law was enacted in 2000, and was successful in drastically reducing such ads in PRINT, but the web has not been targeted so intensely until now.
Interestingly, the Supreme Court also warned the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Communications and IT that they were also complicit because they took no action against the publishers.
This is a big stir both because of the nature of how web ads work (so many sellers and servers) but also because of the odious nature of this practice. Here’s an article about this vile custom. Over 900,000 girls are killed annually in India. That’s three St. Louses a year, people. What it's about is sexism, having to provide a dowry, and the traditional role of men as earners and women as expenses.
I’m frankly not sure how such tracking would occur given the distributed nature of ad serving, though there must be a way given that genitalia do not often greet our eyes on web pages unless we seek them. You could certainly reduce the number of ads drastically. But eliminate entirely would be tough.
Hey, it’s a country with a billion people – they get to decide how sites can operate in their borders. I mean, China tells them to block content and few even bat an eye. Certainly the number of these ads could be drastically reduced. But here’s an idea to go along with that that might enable the police to focus on the most pressing aspects of the problem: imprison more of the people that kill their daughters, and work to develop a society that values women equally. I’m not saying Google and Yahoo don’t have a role they can play in helping people rethink their misogyny, but using them as Western scapegoats for what is a vastly complex social ill is hardly addressing the real issue, is it?
And hey, I am well aware that the US has some absolutely deplorable practices as well – more murders in US HIGH SCHOOLS annually than in all of Britain, 1 in 101 people now incarcerated, judging the value of women by bust size or marketing t-shirts with slogans like these at the fine purveyors at Abercrombie and Fitch.
(BTW, I can't remmeber where I pulled this graphic from. If it was your site and you want a credit, just drop me a line.)
Oh and continuing to export Camels and Marlboros, and starting new smokers in the developing world as young as 8.
Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to write.
Zuola Twitters Minute By Minute of His Arrest Abduction
This post on Valley Wag reports that Chinese dissident Zhou “Zuola” Shuguang was recently…well, kidnapped is really the only way to describe it…picked up by the police, transported into the country, and dumped.
Apparently this isn’t rare. Random abductions are not uncommon. But what is is that Zuola Twittered throughout his abduction, so Twitterers could follow along in 140 character installments.
See the Twitters and read the translations. Amazing. Now THIS is the power of digital. It also shows the incredible courage of remarkable individuals. The dude's got chutzpah.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Microsoft Takes on Vista CW
Have you seen the minisite www.mojaveexperiment.com?
The idea behind it is that Microsoft recognizes that Vista is perhaps the most maligned piece of software in recent history. But that people's negative preconceptions can be combatted with actual time spent using Vista.
So, like a Folger's Crystals commercials of yesteryear,
they tell people they are being chosen to test Windows Mojave, when they are actually given a copy of Vista.
And of course they LOVE it immensely.
It's a well executed site and campaign, and a tried and true advertising idea. Will it work? Well, it's gonna take time. There's a difference between spending hundreds on an OS and $2 for a jar of instant joe. But they had to do something, and this is emphatically something.
And BTW, I LIKE Vista. It's not perfect, but it's pretty nice in my view.
And BTW, campaigns like this tend to get spoofed.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
The idea behind it is that Microsoft recognizes that Vista is perhaps the most maligned piece of software in recent history. But that people's negative preconceptions can be combatted with actual time spent using Vista.
So, like a Folger's Crystals commercials of yesteryear,
they tell people they are being chosen to test Windows Mojave, when they are actually given a copy of Vista.
And of course they LOVE it immensely.
It's a well executed site and campaign, and a tried and true advertising idea. Will it work? Well, it's gonna take time. There's a difference between spending hundreds on an OS and $2 for a jar of instant joe. But they had to do something, and this is emphatically something.
And BTW, I LIKE Vista. It's not perfect, but it's pretty nice in my view.
And BTW, campaigns like this tend to get spoofed.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Mobile Video's American Idol Moment
We all know how SMS voting on that first season of Idol got us started texting. Well, apparently NBC's decision to put 2200 hours of video online is paying big dividends for mobile video trial in the US. Check out this excerpt from ARS Technica:
Now that the games have started, NBC says that roughly 494,506 people requested content on their phones on Sunday and 476,062 on Monday—relatively small numbers when compared to the millions that are watching on the TV. The interesting part, though, is that it's the first time that about half of those users have ever tried to access video on their mobile devices. "To some extent, the Olympics are beginning to influence how people use new technology," NBC Universal research president Alan Wurtzel told the Associated Press.
The article later points to this NBC PDF which outlines the incredibly high usage of the online videos...online.
Since this is the first truly webbed Olympics, these figures are pretty damned impressive. Naturally, it helps that the events are occurring NOT at a convenient time for TV viewership, so if you wanna see em you gotta go digital. Making inconvenience into a driver of new media usage is a great idea -- the classic example of that Dilbertism - it's not a defect, it's a FEATURE!
All kidding aside, NBC has clearly got a lot of vision for digitaland using this sort of must-see TV to drive it is a great strategy.
Bravo, peacock!
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Intro to Twitter from the Brazen Careerist
A shout out to blogger DJ Francis at the blog "Brazen Careerist" who has put together a nice intro to Twitter for Dummies. Thanks DJ.
Will Two Mommies and P&G Change the Face of Video Podcasting Audiences?
P&G is no stranger to video production. CBS's soap lineup is proof of that.
Want proof that P&G was a first mover in TV? Watch this:
BTW: The promo is from 2006 - they are well over 16,000 today.
And Procter is also no stranger to video. Of all the CPG companies, P&G is consistently in front with innovative web sites and advertising programs to reflect the changing media environment.
Well, their latest move is all digital, and it's a great idea.
Basically, they're taking the hottest W 18-49 podcast and taking it to video. MommyCast, a podcast with more than one million regular listeners, is extremely popular with Mothers across the country -- hardly the techy dude you might expect for 'casts.
Their show, a discussion of real world Mommy issues (diaper blowouts, anyone?)presented in an empathetic, "We've been there..." tone, is always entertaining, and this visual presentation promises to be a nice addition to the Two Mommies media empire.
Watch the promo:
Hey, Martha, hey Rachel Ray, it may be time to move ova'. Cuz these Mommies have star power. Oh, and audio only fans, the Mommies assure us that they will still do the audiocast.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Want proof that P&G was a first mover in TV? Watch this:
BTW: The promo is from 2006 - they are well over 16,000 today.
And Procter is also no stranger to video. Of all the CPG companies, P&G is consistently in front with innovative web sites and advertising programs to reflect the changing media environment.
Well, their latest move is all digital, and it's a great idea.
Basically, they're taking the hottest W 18-49 podcast and taking it to video. MommyCast, a podcast with more than one million regular listeners, is extremely popular with Mothers across the country -- hardly the techy dude you might expect for 'casts.
Their show, a discussion of real world Mommy issues (diaper blowouts, anyone?)presented in an empathetic, "We've been there..." tone, is always entertaining, and this visual presentation promises to be a nice addition to the Two Mommies media empire.
Watch the promo:
Hey, Martha, hey Rachel Ray, it may be time to move ova'. Cuz these Mommies have star power. Oh, and audio only fans, the Mommies assure us that they will still do the audiocast.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Miro: TiVo for the Web
Heard of Miro yet? It's a special video player that can be set to automagically record webisodes much like TiVo does it for TV.
Using the player you can:
Watch: It's an HD player that can also play virtually any video file, not just HD. It works with MPEG, Quicktime, AVI, H.264, Divx, Windows Media, Flash Video, and others. BTW, Miro says it gives you access to more HD than anyone.
Organize: Miro can organize your videos into folders, and finds and indexes any video currently stored on your PC. Miro can display videos full screen for a better viewing experience.
Download: Works with Bit Torrent, and automatically deletes videos you download after a few days to save disc space. You can also set it NOT to delete keepers. And yessiree, you can snag and download all your favorite YouTube flicks easy peasy.
Subscribe: One click to subscribe to video channels. It downloads the videos and keeps count of new stuff with counters.
Search: Provides a multisite, multiplatform search feature that makes it easier to find what you want wherever it sits online.
Share: Lets you share links or downloaded videos with friends.
Miro works on PC or Mac, Windows and Linux. It's a pretty cool way to make the world of video more accessible and easy to watch on your terms. With over 2500 free channels built in, there's sure to be enough to keep your time well wasted for months and years to come. ;-)
This is a really fascinating development. I did not expect the need for an online video DVR for some time, but the emergence and early popularity of Miro shows that I am a little behind the times in recognizing the importance of online video in our daily lives. Since heavy online video users are watching hour upon hour of this stuff per month, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
By fostering an open video environment, Miro is truly helping to change the shape of "sight sound and motion" in our lives.
Get it at getmiro.com.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Yaari Deception
So, I was surprised to receive an invitation from Weiden digistud Renny Gleeson to join Yaari, a social network focused on Indian (subcontinent) teens. It smelled a little fishy so I ignored it. And now I've found this post on Renny's blog discussing his saga of trying to combat Yaari's terrible business practices. Excerpts below:
Remember when I said "Yaari.com Sucks"? Well, they continue to suck. But don't worry - it's apparently my fault they suck, not theirs.
Last week, I screwed up and I signed up for a social site called Yaari.com.
In the signup process, I was asked to import my contacts. It's not optional. Then I was asked to check the boxes for those I wanted to receive an invite to join me on Yaari. What I didn't realize until I started getting a wave of emails from friends I'd not heard from in some time was that they ignored the one box I checked and sent invites to EVERYONE IN MY ADDRESS BOOK.
Then some of those folks, when they got an invite from me, in turn registered. And guess what? THEIR ADDRESS BOOKS GOT SPAMMED, TO.
So I wrote to Yaari:
"..I sent a single invitation to a friend to join Yaari, but instead, apparently Yaari has sent an email to all the people on my email list. Please RETRACT THE INVITATIONS IMMEDIATELY WITH AN APOLOGY, and notify me when this has been completed. Thank you."
This is what I got back from Yaari.com's Prerna Gupta (my bolds):
"I appreciate you contacting us regarding this matter. However, please note that we have not emailed your contacts without your approval. By registering for Yaari and agreeing to the Terms of Service, you authorized Yaari to send an email notification to all the contacts listed in the address book of the email address you provided during registration. This is clearly stated in our Terms of Service and on the Registration Page...Based on feedback we are receiving from users like you, we are making changes to our invitation procedure to avoid any misunderstandings in the future. If you send me a comma-separated values list of email addresses that were affected by this, I would be happy to send an apology email."
Interestingly, it's Renny's fault that Yaari has a misleading and predatory privacy policy. Well that clears that up.
This is not a customer service error. It is a CEO error. Prerna Gupta is the CEO of Yaari. I wonder if Prerna knows that Renny is the digital czar of Weiden, and an influencer of thousands.
Crap like this is just an attempt to artificially boost member numbers for some financial reason.
Here's an idea, instead of asking for a comma separated list, you could go into your system and do as Renny asked, so that you can make amends for this plainly wrong business practice.
Renny contacted the Georgia BBB. Bravo.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
POST SCRIPT: CHECK OUT THE BOTTOM OF THE REG FORM. "If you do not want Yaari to send an email notification to your email contacts, do not register for Yaari."
Hmm. "...do not register with Yaari." Sound advice.
Portal Time Way Way Down, Except for Sunnyvale
So I am looking at a copy of the JP Morgan research report entitled "The Rise of Ad Networks, and one of the most interesting charts shows the chnages in the amount of time that people spend on each respective portal:
What seems clear to me is that Yahoo's diffuse communities business model seems to make good sense from the perspective of holding eyeballs, as the other poortals have experienced deep declines.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
What seems clear to me is that Yahoo's diffuse communities business model seems to make good sense from the perspective of holding eyeballs, as the other poortals have experienced deep declines.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
White Paper Thursdays: Digital Darwinism
A beautiful and tight preso on the changing nature of branding. By Joe Crump of Avenue A-Razorfish. A really rich read.
New OLDM Article on iMediaConnection
Many thanks to iMedia for publishing another piece of mine. I deeply apopreciate everything they do.
JP Morgan 2008 Internet Investment Outlook
JP Morgan's Internet Investment Outlook doc is available here. It's an incredibly detailed look at our industry and what they think the prospects are by segment. Get it while you can.
Thaks for reading, and don't forget to write.
ISP Blocking or Metering: A False Choice?
An interesting report from Free Press on the value (actually the lack of value) of bandwidth caps for ISPs—presumably published as a follow on to the FCC’s decision a couple weeks ago about Comcast slowing traffic to Bit Torrent users.
The first thing they try and put to rest is the misnomer “metering” which is the euphemism of choice for bandwidth caps. No ISP is considering charging by the byte but rather charging more if a user goes beyond a cap.
The ISPs claim web congestion demands such a model, but the paper claims that recent FCC study disputes those findings. It also states that the ISPs have not provided documentation of congestion.
The report also outlines the “limitation throttling model” used by Cable One, a Washington Post owned ISP. The way they work it is to offer unlimited downloads Midnight to 8AM, and somewhat limited downloads during the rest of the day. Note: those limitations are EVENLY applied, not just to Bit Torrent users, so they would not violate the PCC’s principles of neutrality. What better works about this model is the idea of eliminating congestion by time shifting band width heavy usage to slow hours.
This paper also disputes the doom meister prediction of “exaflood”, an explosion of internet usage that will bring down the net. The paper states that such “The Sky is Falling” claims are not new and that increased bandwidth needs are actually rather predictable – 50-60% a year is typical.
The final argument of the paper is that limitations will ultimately hurt the ISPs that use them because we have two competing high speed internet access systems in use, and limitations would hamper their efforts to develop low cost bundles of telecom services for set prices. I am not sure I agree with that – I could certainly foresee a lead ISP like Comcast imposing such a scheme and all the other ISPs magically going along with it. I am not suggesting conclusion but rather leader-driven price advances.
Anyway, it’s an interesting paper whether you agree with the info or not.
Thanks for reading, and don’t forget to write.
ThoughtFarmer Brings Order to Organization 2.0
One of the greatest inventions of the naught decade is the wiki, a place for democracy style collaboration and information sharing. I know of many companies that are currently using this marvelous system to speed information sharing and just plain make things better through shared knowledge and perspective.
ThoughtFarmer, a product of Vancouver-based OpenRoad Communications, is an enterprise scale intranet solution that starts with the wiki, but then thicks it up with a variety of other social media apps and platforms, including a bona fide internal social network.
Check out the feature list:
Blogs: A Feature to enable employs to blog on work and project related issues.
Branding: A customizable branded environment.
Calendars: A great way to track projects and people and get people staying on a schedge.
Discussions: Nuff said. No more email strings.
Documents: Ways to address the leading organizational problem, communication.
Feeds: To push out team and project information so it goes to people instead of vice versa.
Microsoft: Compatibility with Office applications
Multilingual: It ain't English only.
Org Chart: A way to know who's who and what's what.
People: Profiles for teammembers that work in the familiar FaceBook/MySpace format.
Search: What I am told is a pretty good search engine.
Security: Nuff said.
Tags: An ability to tag data, info, and projects to spread info across projects and teams
Version History: An automatic versioning system that keeps the latest on "top of the stack."
Wikis: The core
Workstream: A slider that shows you the "news" that is relevant to you, the core team, or the total network of involved people.
Checkout their 60 second Crunchy pitch:
I am impressed with the impact that 2.0 can have INTERNALLY on a company -- it really is amazing how people ache for ways to communicate better and make more progress. I must admit I was a skeptic about this stuff -- by which I don't mean ThoughtFarmer but rather Internal 2.0, but I am a believer now, and Thoughtfarmer would appear to be a comprehensive collection of such features that uses structures and functions that people are already familiar with. That has to help in the training process.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
White Paper Thursdays: Email Acquisition
White Paper Thursdays Cloud Computing
A really nice deck on the basics and advantages of the cloud computing phenom. It's worth your time to give it the 8 clicks start to finish. Cloud computing is becoming enormously important as a means for companies to access computing capacity and you should know about it.
Ben and Jerry Go Social UGC
Well, Ben and Jerry are subsidiaries of Unilever now, but their newest brand effort, designed to both foster social purpose and pitch the new "Imagine Whirled Peace" flavor, is yet another example of how the face of marketing has changed so profoundly. The program asks people to upload pictures of themselves as well as a message designed to bring greater harmony to the earth.
So very on brand. So very them. Upload yours on the Ben and Jerrys website.
And if you are really more interested in the flavor than the promo, read how B&J describe it:
We hope this whirly mixture of toffee cookies and fudge peace signs enlightens your bellies and souls and makes you ask what you can do to promote peace in your lives.
Is it my imagination, or has the markeitng over at Unilever gone up a notch or three since they acquired this company?
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Jeez: When I Was In the Candy Business, Most Things Were 45 Cents
Did ya see that Comcast paid $125 Mil for Daily Candy? Holy Milk Duds! Now, don't get me wrong, Daily Candy is one of the most amazingly differentiated brands online, but that is a lot of dough.
Read this interview betwixt the leaders on Daily Content.
That's a lot of Jolly Ranchers, people. Though given the Daily Candy logo, perhaps I should say starlight mints.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Two Footed Digicrest
One of the myriad great things about Ryan Digicrest aka Adam Bergman is posting courage. He puts up stuff I would never have the chutzpah to post.
Lest you think his blog is all fun and games, though, check out this post on the iPhone App Store. Nice stuff!
And as long as I am shilling for C:SF blogs, check out Digital Two Footed Tackles -- another rant on the i-culture. The best thing about Chris is the placid exterior surrounding a rich collection of pet peeves. I like obsession in people. But then you probably knew that given that I average about 40 posts a week here at OLDMTA. But seriously, Chris's perspective on the sheepy nature of marketing -- if an idea works in one place it must be a great idea in every category and every markeitng situation imaginable -- is spot on. A toast to the C:SF dojo (the dojo is two cubes in which we currently have about 7 people stuffed.
Lest you think his blog is all fun and games, though, check out this post on the iPhone App Store. Nice stuff!
And as long as I am shilling for C:SF blogs, check out Digital Two Footed Tackles -- another rant on the i-culture. The best thing about Chris is the placid exterior surrounding a rich collection of pet peeves. I like obsession in people. But then you probably knew that given that I average about 40 posts a week here at OLDMTA. But seriously, Chris's perspective on the sheepy nature of marketing -- if an idea works in one place it must be a great idea in every category and every markeitng situation imaginable -- is spot on. A toast to the C:SF dojo (the dojo is two cubes in which we currently have about 7 people stuffed.
Viral: It's Just Like the Lincoln Douglas Debates!
Yes, you heard that right. The Dem is accused of wanting to cut the throats of US troops in Iraq.
New Way to Count Ad Network Reach from Comscore
Beginning in August, Comscore is going to be issuing two numbers for the potential audience reach of ad networks -- a POTENTIAL reach number, which adds up the reach of all the sites they offer, and an ACTUAL reach, which reflects the reach of ads actually served by the network.
YuMe has already felt the pinch of this decision -- in earlier Comscore reports, YuMe was being credited with "extra reach" (extra in competitors' view, not in YuMe's) from MSN that reflected not the actual reach of the ads but the potential reach of the network.
I'm not sure how I feel about this one (and I should point out that we are working with YuMe competitor BrightRoll right now producing a roadshow so take my opinion with that proverbial grain) -- the reach number networks offer is generally to demonstrate to advertisers what they could get. The actual perhaps offers a surrogate for the network's business level. I can see both sides of this argument, and it's important that when people look at these counts they understand the difference. There is a big potential for planners to mistakenly mix apples with oranges here.
I think this is going to be more of an issue in video where there is less demand for the sort of sub $1 CPM junk that can help a banner network live up to its potential reach. There's always a University of fill in the blank to buy banner junk. That just isn't really done in video. Yet.
In any case, the two numbers show different things and I hope the world understands that ongoing.
Check out this MediaPost article for more info.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
If You Don't Like the News, Lay Off the PR Folks
NebuAd has let go both its internal PR team and its PR firm. Their PR firm, The Horn Group, confirmed the parting of ways according to this piece on The Register.
One understands why the layoff occurred, though in the defense of the team, NebuAd is certainly in new waters where there is little precedent as to how to shape public opinion. Dustups about BT were pretty minor in the past, and there are plenty of companies collecting PII, which would seem on some level more serious than what NebuAd does.
What's interesting about the layoff is the accompanying info that they are going to hire a new PR team focused less on business press and more on regulatory issues. What THAT says is they expect a tough row of hoeing over the fate of their ISP based out opt model.
I'll say this for NebuAd's now separated PR people: these folks know how to spread the word. This is not left handed praise. Before Robb Topolski's report, NebuAd was travelling with full sails of largely excellent press coverage. Their CEO was EVERYWHERE touting the power of their model.
You can fault them for not having a better plan for the regulatory and PR problems that befell the company beginning a month or two ago, but for pure corporate hype and PR these people knew their stuff.
Perhaps you will find that an odd point to make -- what I think it means is that PR< like virtually every other area of marketing these days, is increasingly becoming a field for the versatile. While the web seemingly ushered in an era of experts, the opposite seems to have occurred. Companies are moving away from the dedicated digital team toward a model where EVERYONE is expected to know about digital, because it is the central core of current and future marketing.
In the PR vane, operating a powerful PR organization will be about more than a hype team -- it'll be having a sound strategic approach to both the hype development mandate and the contingencies for potential public or industry backlash.
Here's a piece of what MediaPost's Wendy Davis wrote on the topic of the layoffs and the future of NebuAd:
It's not surprising that NebuAd would be feeling an economic squeeze, given that several broadband providers have suspended plans to work with the company while Congress investigates. Lawmakers are now questioning whether companies like NebuAd and Phorm, which purchase data about users' Web-surfing activity to send them targeted ads, violate federal wiretap laws. Rep. Ed Markey, for one, has said he believes ISP-based behavioral targeting requires users' opt-in consent.
Still, the layoffs, combined with the new PR strategy, make clear that NebuAd didn't anticipate the degree of pushback it's now facing, both from policymakers and privacy advocates. Of course, until this summer, NebuAd didn't have much reason to think Washington would take an interest in its activities.
For the most part, online behavioral targeting seemed to fly under lawmakers' radar earlier this decade, when companies like Tacoda and Revenue Science were getting started. That situation had started to change by 2006, when the Center for Digital Democracy and U.S. Public Interest Research Group filed an FTC complaint about behavioral targeting techniques. The FTC held a town hall meeting last November, but few people were yet discussing NebuAd and other companies that rely on data purchased from ISPs.
But when news that NebuAd was testing its ISP-based targeting model trickled out earlier this year, it was clear that behavioral targeting was entering new territory. Older companies only know when users visit a site within one of their networks, but ISPs know about all sites that are visited and all search queries entered.
SO what IS the future of NebuAd??? Naturally as an outsider I have no idea, but here are my guesses:
1. A name change. Whether deserved or not, they may as well be called KGB Industries at this point.
2. A freeze on making efforts to sign up for ISPs AT LEAST through the end of the year. My understanding is that they have already begun this free period. I think this would make sense not because it'll actually make a difference in sign-ups from ISPs -- my guess is that the doorbell isn't ringing right now -- not when BNET is reporting that the feds are investigating the company under wiretapping laws. But rather as a signal throughout the organization that they need to make their model right.
3. Some sort of consumer communication solution that will make opt-out a more palatable solution. I don't think they will go opt-in -- I don't think opt-in is a realistic approach for an ad network. There's no consumer value to all this beyond the dubious possibility that it lowers ISP costs.
Will this stuff come to pass? I have no idea. But I do know that those layoffs were probably necessary given the burn rate. Even after the layoffs, 60 people is a big pile of salary and bennies.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Zumanity Online: More Fun to Watch Than a Cross Dresser in Your Dad's Lap
I saw the Cirque du Soleil show "Zumanity" a couple of years ago, with my parents. One should always read the label before making a purchase decision. Not that I didn't enjoy the show. I did absolutely. But sitting next to one's parents during it, and especially (this is the gospel truth)having a cross dresser look out across the aisles at hundreds of people and select my father to give a lapdance to, was positively an otherworldly experience. My parents are not prudes by any means, but Zumanity is no slightly edgy production.
Because of this, I expect selling tickets is very different than selling them for Dralion or something. You've got to have some people aching to go, and others who walk out after three minutes. But what is plain is that the show is absolutely unique and incredibly produced, so ensuring a full and receptive house is a critical task.
And what better way to provide a taste of the program than the Internet, where a full range of sight sound and motion is possible on a "choose to watch" basis.
The Zumanity website provides just that. This rich and muiltilayered environment provides a tantalizing and accurate perspective on the show. It's like a window on a pasta box -- showing you what you are going to get. And the beauty of that is that with Cirque you truly get a lot. It must be rather challenging to really represent a production so awe inspiring as a Cirque online. Back when bandwidth was more limited, the Cirque site, like most entertainment sites, was pretty informational.
But now, through the enhanced interactivity made possible by new technologies and greater bandwidth, you can really give people a flavor of what they're getting.
Which is absolutely critical for a show as unique as Zumanity, and the crew at Cirque should be commended for making such an incredible online production. Which has, I might add, Shawn Rorick in the slot of Director of Marketing. Shawn also runs LVIMA, which I happily shill for whenever I can because it is a great organization.
I could post a pirate video here to show you the show, but that would be wrong. So let me direct you to their site which is loaded with such things.
Absolut Boycott Over An Absolutely Different Map of North America
Have you been following the hubbub over the Absolut ad that ran in Mexico last week? Well! It's quite a little tempest in the teapot apparently. This article on BNET gives us the complete rundown but in a nutshell Absolut ran an "In An Absolut World" ad with a decidedly nationalistic and political tone, in which Mexico maintains possession of pretty much the entire southern half of the US West. A US blogger spots it, posts it online, and soon the Rightie NetRoots are all over it. BNET published the text of one of the many many letters the distiller received, which reads:
Absolut -
I run a bar in Pt. Richmond, California — where the Kaiser Liberty Ships were built during WWII. After seeing your ad Campaign where you show a western map of the United States in which California is part of Mexico again, I’ve decided to do the following…
1) Never carry Absolut. Ever.
2) Lower the price of Ketel One vodka to $2 a shot indefinitely to build loyalty.
3) Print a copy of your ad and put it above the Ketel One drink special.
4) Tell all my friends and family what Absolut thinks of the United States of America and our right to enforce border laws.
I am on the front line of illegal immigration and its effects. Where are you? Oh yes, Sweden.
Good riddance.
Yeouch! Given that US vodka sales > Mexican vodka sales, I am guessing that the potential business losses could be or are significant.
Absolut was quick to apologize, as explained in this excerpt from Fox News:
Absolut said the ad was designed for a Mexican audience and intended to recall "a time which the population of Mexico might feel was more ideal."
"As a global company, we recognize that people in different parts of the world may lend different perspectives or interpret our ads in a different way than was intended in that market, and for that we apologize."
Actually, I think that the interpretation was the same, it was the feeling about the interpretation that was different.
Moral of the story: Politics is a tricky business. Maybe Svedka's tongue in cheek approach is a better way to tackle politics.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Spreeder: Evelyn Wood 2.0?
Have you seen Spreeder, the speedreading app available at Spreeder.com? By inputting text into spreeder, you activate an app that presents the text very rapidly in chunks that force you to focus and removes some of the things that slow readers down like vocalizing in your head or backtracking. Spreeder appears to increase reading speeds by a healthy chunk.
It's weird yet oddly intriguing.
Not sure I would want to read a book like this, though I did find it useful for catching typos, oddly enough.
Go ahead, copy paste some text in the window and see what you think.
Note: This is NOT an Evelyn Wood product.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
500 Posts!
Today marks my 500th post on OLDMTA. Thank you all for both your positive and negative comments, and of course your visits and links. I so enjoy hearing from you and hope that what I write is useful, entertaining, and (for Republicans) not too exasperating. ;-)
Thanks very much for reading, and don't forget to write.
Thanks very much for reading, and don't forget to write.
Will Toufee Be The New Video Making Verb?
Wanna make a Flash movie? Well, until quite recently making a movie required software and knowhow that the great unwashed like me didn't have.
But no more. Toufee is a new web based Flash movie making platform that lets you upload, drag, and drop content into a nice looking movie, all in far less time than it would take a novice to do so in most software packages.
Check out the 60 second pitch from the Crunch:
There's a demo on the web site that I tried to post here, but it is autostart and I thought that would drive you bonkers. Head over to Toufee 'n see.
Toufee offers quite an impressive feature set, indeed:
Creates Stunning Flash Animations and Websites with Ease
No HTML or Technical Skills Required - It's all click and point!
Includes 127 Effects, 75 Transitions, 23 Filters and 200+ Presets
Direct Import Images, Sound and Video from YouTube, Flickr, etc
Export Your Movies to SWF, Video, or Publish them on the web
Create flash banners for your websites in less than 5 minutes
Repository of 5000 photos, videos and a full fledged music library comes bundled free of cost!
YouTube uploader for directly uploading your movies to YouTube.com
10GB free hosting space for your Flash Movies
Ability to distribute your Flash movies on DVDs, Screensavers, etc
4 Different skins to control your Flash Movies
101 Font Pack (Multilingual)
Bundled Animated Backgrounds, Clipart, and Shapes
Download flash movies
Upload flash movies to YouTube
You get this set of features for $20 a month -- ah, a revenue model I understand! ;-) Your first month is $5.
So the proof of a pudding is in the eating, and the eating is pretty good over at Toufee, which takes its name from the idea that "Toufee is sweeter than toffee." As I am on Atkins I cannot do a side by side comparison, but Toufee is pretty sweet.
But lest I leave you with the idea that Toufee is only for movie making, let me assure you that you can make a variety of Flash apps, including banners. The website offers some examples here.
Another step forward in the DIY march and democratization of technologies.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
But no more. Toufee is a new web based Flash movie making platform that lets you upload, drag, and drop content into a nice looking movie, all in far less time than it would take a novice to do so in most software packages.
Check out the 60 second pitch from the Crunch:
There's a demo on the web site that I tried to post here, but it is autostart and I thought that would drive you bonkers. Head over to Toufee 'n see.
Toufee offers quite an impressive feature set, indeed:
Creates Stunning Flash Animations and Websites with Ease
No HTML or Technical Skills Required - It's all click and point!
Includes 127 Effects, 75 Transitions, 23 Filters and 200+ Presets
Direct Import Images, Sound and Video from YouTube, Flickr, etc
Export Your Movies to SWF, Video, or Publish them on the web
Create flash banners for your websites in less than 5 minutes
Repository of 5000 photos, videos and a full fledged music library comes bundled free of cost!
YouTube uploader for directly uploading your movies to YouTube.com
10GB free hosting space for your Flash Movies
Ability to distribute your Flash movies on DVDs, Screensavers, etc
4 Different skins to control your Flash Movies
101 Font Pack (Multilingual)
Bundled Animated Backgrounds, Clipart, and Shapes
Download flash movies
Upload flash movies to YouTube
You get this set of features for $20 a month -- ah, a revenue model I understand! ;-) Your first month is $5.
So the proof of a pudding is in the eating, and the eating is pretty good over at Toufee, which takes its name from the idea that "Toufee is sweeter than toffee." As I am on Atkins I cannot do a side by side comparison, but Toufee is pretty sweet.
But lest I leave you with the idea that Toufee is only for movie making, let me assure you that you can make a variety of Flash apps, including banners. The website offers some examples here.
Another step forward in the DIY march and democratization of technologies.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Get on the Map with Lat49
5,000 years ago when I was first introduced to online maps, the provider I used had these little location ads from Jiffy Lube and Holiday Inn festooned across its visuals.
It seemed like a pretty good idea for franchise networks and distributed businesses to me, so I was happy to see that an outfit called Lat49 appears to have reinvented the concept, enabling businesses to choose geographies and feature ads whenever consumers ask to see a map of that area.
An advertiser picks a geography at one of four levels -- the bigger the region, the higher the price. Then s/he has exclusivity in that region for the life of their campaign. So, for example, you can be very local, or a neighborhood level, or a city level, or a regional level. From there you select an ad size and level of functionality, ranging from small text only to Flash. Ads open and can be clicked to visit web sites or landing pages. Finally, you choose an ad duration and you are ready to go. Advertisers pay per impression, which I think is good for both advertiser and publisher.
The ability to choose ad types, geography, and duration through a self serve interface -- these are all great improvements on the original concept and make this ad product relevant for the tiniest Mom and Pop or a regional or national company.
The distribution model of Lat49 is also powerful I think, because so many advertisers simply link by default to Google maps without any form of compensation. If they replace their mapping destination to Lat 49, they can earn revenue through a new money stream on evergreen inventory.
I was talking with someone about this idea who felt that GPS made the concept moot. I disagree. I think before you know what to type into that Magellan on your dash, you need to know where you're going. And platforms like Lat 49 give consumers and advertisers a powerful way to connect.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
It seemed like a pretty good idea for franchise networks and distributed businesses to me, so I was happy to see that an outfit called Lat49 appears to have reinvented the concept, enabling businesses to choose geographies and feature ads whenever consumers ask to see a map of that area.
An advertiser picks a geography at one of four levels -- the bigger the region, the higher the price. Then s/he has exclusivity in that region for the life of their campaign. So, for example, you can be very local, or a neighborhood level, or a city level, or a regional level. From there you select an ad size and level of functionality, ranging from small text only to Flash. Ads open and can be clicked to visit web sites or landing pages. Finally, you choose an ad duration and you are ready to go. Advertisers pay per impression, which I think is good for both advertiser and publisher.
The ability to choose ad types, geography, and duration through a self serve interface -- these are all great improvements on the original concept and make this ad product relevant for the tiniest Mom and Pop or a regional or national company.
The distribution model of Lat49 is also powerful I think, because so many advertisers simply link by default to Google maps without any form of compensation. If they replace their mapping destination to Lat 49, they can earn revenue through a new money stream on evergreen inventory.
I was talking with someone about this idea who felt that GPS made the concept moot. I disagree. I think before you know what to type into that Magellan on your dash, you need to know where you're going. And platforms like Lat 49 give consumers and advertisers a powerful way to connect.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Rule Number One: No Chicken Suits
One of the legends of the ad biz is that JWT once pitched KFC, inviting the restaurateurs to their offices and meeting them in chicken suits. The client took one look and turned around and left. This was clearly an agency that didn't understand that chicken is serious business.
Well, Blaise Hutter has put a great article and set of tips up over at iMediaConnection. Have a look and avoid these pitfalls.
Well, Blaise Hutter has put a great article and set of tips up over at iMediaConnection. Have a look and avoid these pitfalls.
Sportgenic's Robert Tas - Article on iMediaConnection
Great post from Robert Tas on iMediaConnection on selecting an ad network. Check it out.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Senior McCain Foreign Policy Advisor...Wikipedia?
D'oh! From TPM:
The McCain campaign is staying quiet on allegations that the candidate's statement yesterday on Georgia -- designed to bolster the candidate's appearance of expertise on foreign policy -- lifted sections on Georgia's history from Wikipedia.
Taegan Goddard first pointed out the similarities, noting that in some instances it looked like only a few words had been changed. If this is true, it would obviously contradict the idea that McCain knows everything he has to know about foreign policy and the intricacies of different regions.
We e-mailed the McCain campaign for comment yesterday, and they still have not replied.
Late Update: The campaign is denying the allegation, saying that there are only so many ways to state the historical facts and that any similarities between their statement and the Wikipedia entry are purely coincidental.
New Revelations in DC ISP-Based "Deep Packet" BT Scrutiny
Early emanations from the House Energy and Commerce Committee's examination of privacy issues primarily related to ISP based BT are pretty interesting and revealing. Here are some highlights:
30 companies were asked about their Deep Packet BT and other tracking practices. Based upon the information provided to the committee, Chairman Markey has stated his intention to introduce opt-in privacy legislation next year. Reports WaPo:
Markey said he and his colleagues plan to introduce legislation next year, a sort of online-privacy Bill of Rights, that would require that consumers must opt in to the tracking of their online behavior and the collection and sharing of their personal data.
But some committee leaders cautioned that such legislation could damage the economy by preventing small companies from reaching customers. Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) said self-regulation that focuses on transparency and choice might be the best approach.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves in this post. Here are some of the things that the inquiry uncovered.
On August 1, the committee wrote to a long list of companies (ISPs mostly) asking them to detail their "deep packet" and other tracking programs and policies. The list reads like a who's who of connectivity:
AOL LLC (ISP and Content Provider)
Bresnan Communications (ISP)
Cable One, Inc. (ISP)
Cablevision Systems Corporation (ISP_
CBeyond (ISP)
CenturyTel (ISP)
Charter Communications (ISP)
Comcast Cable (ISP)
Covad Communications Company (ISP)
Cox Communications, Inc. (ISP)
Earthlink (ISP)
Frontier Communications Corporation (ISP)
Google (Nuff said)
Insight Communications Inc. (ISP)
Knology, Inc. (ISP)
Mediacom Communications Corporation (ISP)
PAETEC Holding Corp. (ISP)
Qwest Communications (ISP)
Suddenlink Communications (ISP)
TDS Telecom (ISP)
Time Warner Cable (ISP)
TW Telecom, Inc. (ISP)
United Online, Inc. (ISP, among other things)
Verizon (ISP)
Windstream Corporation (ISP)
XO Communications (ISP)
Yahoo (Nuff Said)
All of their responses are available in pdf form here.
Check out a copy of the request here.
The 11 questions they asked each company to respond to were (paraphrased):
1. Do you or have you tailored ads to user web surfing patterns?
2. If so, how did you address sensitive health, financial, PII, and how were those policies developed?
3. In what communities have you engaged in these practices?
4. How many consumers were affected?
5. Did you do an analysis of privacy laws as you developed your programs?
6. Did you notify consumers? How? Provide a copy of the notification.
7. Did you do opt in or opt out, and if opt out, why?
8. If opt out, how many did so?
9. If opt out, did you do a legal analysis of the opt out procedure and notification?
10. What is the status of the data collected? Has it been destroyed? Is it periodically destroyed?
11. Do your systems and process allow for the tailoring of ads based upon behaviors?
If you read my recent post on Embarq and NebuAd, you will see a high degree of similarity between this list and the list Embarq was asked to complete a few weeks ago.
Here are my response summaries (I read each doc carefully but I am not a lawyer, so if in doubt click on over and read it yourself.):
AOL: Nothing surprising here. They do BT, privacy policy notification, opt out. Estimate that "tens of thousands" have opted out.
Bresnan: NebuAd Test 4/1-6/26, in Billings MT, 6000 customers, users notified by email and a web site page in addition to privacy policy. Opt out, 18 opted out (3/10ths of one percent.)
Cable One: Small test, beginning last year, undisclosed vendor. Based upon the description of the vendor, it is likely NebuAd. Tested in Anniston, AL for 180 days beginning 11/20/2007. 14,000 customers. Notification via inclusion in acceptable use and privacy policies. Opt out, no indication of the number of people who opted out. Says they would do opt-in if they we're going to deploy network wide.
Cablevision: Hasn't done it.
CBeyond: Hasn't done it.
CenturyTel: Small test in Kalispell MT - small numbers of people in Idaho and Wyoming, NebuAd, 20,000 person test. Sent email notification to users affected in the test. Email said changes were made to the privacy policy but did not specify what they were -- invited the user to click and read policy to figure it out. Says they also sent email notification and bill stuffer to people noting the change in policy. Opt out. 82 persons opted out (4 tenths of one percent.)
Charter: Cancelled plans for a test.
Comcast: Hasn't done it.
Covad: Hasn't done it.
Cox: Hasn't done it.
EarthLink: Hasn't done it.
Frontier: Hasn't done it.
Insight: Hasn't done it.
Knology: Tested via NebuAd in parts of Panama City FL, Columbus GA, Knoxville TN, Huntsville AL, and Augusta GA. Stopped test as a result of Congress raising concerns. Opt out, notification via customer service agreement change. Change unannounced. No info on number of households affected or opt outs/opt out rates.
Mediacom: Hasn't done it.
PAETEC: Hasn't done it.
QWEST: Hasn't done it.
Suddenlink: Hasn't done it.
TDS: Hasn't done it.
TimeWarner: Hasn't done it.
TW Telecom: Hasn't done it.
United Online: Has considered deep packet inspection based BT, but has not implemented.
Verizon: Hasn't done it.
Windstream: Hasn't done it.
XO: Hasn't done it.
Yahoo: Does use BT but not deep packet, over 75,000 opt outs in July 2008 (still a fairly low number given that Yahoo reaches several hundred million users a month.)
Of all the responses, Google's have so far received the msost attention, chiefly because of the tremendous reach and market power of the giant. Here is what WaPo had to say on the topic in a recent article:
Alan Davidson, Google's director of public policy and government affairs, stated in the letter that users could opt out of a single cookie for both DoubleClick and the Google content network. He also said that Google was not yet focusing on "behavioral" advertising, which depends on Web site tracking.
But on its official blog last week, Google touted how its recent $3.1 billion merger with DoubleClick provides advertisers "insight into the number of people who have seen an ad campaign," as well as "how many users visited their sites after seeing an ad."
"Google is slowly embracing a full-blown behavioral targeting over its vast network of services and sites," said Jeffrey Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy. He said that Google, through its vast data collection and sophisticated data analysis tools, "knows more about consumers than practically anyone."
Microsoft and Yahoo have disclosed that they engage in some form of behavioral targeting. Yahoo has said it will allow users to turn off targeted advertising on its Web sites; Microsoft has yet to respond to the committee.
Said Markey:
Increasingly, there are no limits technologically as to what a company can do in terms of collecting information . . . and then selling it as a commodity to other providers," said committee member Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who created the Privacy Caucus 12 years ago. "Our responsibility is to make sure that we create a law that, regardless of the technology, includes a set of legal guarantees that consumers have with respect to their information."
I am sure there'll be more to come, and the oldest living gumshoe reporter will be there to parse it all for ya. ;-)
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to write.
Redmond Free PCs
The world of Linux is not one I follow to closely, but IBM's "Microsoft PC" initiatives which surfaced at last week's Linux World, is worth a post. The company is attempting to break MSFT's lock on desktops with a partnership involving RedHat, Cononical, and Novell.
From ARS Technica:
IBM hopes that disillusionment with Vista and uncertainty about Microsoft's long-term roadmap will create an opening for Linux to emerge as a stronger contender in the desktop market. The Linux and Lotus bundle will give consumers a low-cost desktop productivity option that is built around open standards from the ground up.
IBM's Jeff Smith describes the desktop as "one of the last bastions of proprietary technology" and notes that it is "disproportionately dominated by one vendor."
He says that IBM aims to change that and he believes "bring[ing] openness and choice to the client and desktop side of the [IT] environment is one of the next things to explode in the march for Linux."
Of course, what this REALLY is is an effort to restore Lotus Notes to relevance, and I think that is a great idea because one player in PC desktop software isn't enough for such a critical environment.
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