Social Software Explored

Why isn’t anyone talking about how stupid this is. Who cares about Cleveland, their fans or their owner. Cleveland sucked before Lebron (minus a few good Mark Price years) an they will suck after Lebron.

This is stupid because it doesn’t really make sense. Lebron in Miami? 3 players does not a team make. The “Big Three” in Boston became the “The Big Four + amazing bench + coach” and still couldn’t get past the lakers.

Only person I feel worse for than any mark price fan is Byron Scott. Seriously, that dude is fucked.

If Miami doesn’t average 112 PTs a game next year they won’t win and lebrons hour long special will prove how far from being “the king” lebron truly is.

Name anyone on the Miami bench who is capable of scoring 10 points and grabing 8 rebounds during an NBA finals series?

Better yet, who are the other 2 players starting for Miami.

Better still, who is their sixth man? You know the one that leads the offense in the middle of the second and third quarters (a la Odom)

Maybe the idea of NOT being the center of attention suits lebron just fine. The biggest notSuperstar ever.

Miami just sold out every home game through 2012. (not technically possible, but can u imagine what courtside seats will coat for game 7 of the 2011 eastern conference finals?)

IF, lebron wins a ring he has done nothing to improve his spot in history as one of the greatest.

Comparing this to the Bird, McHale and Parish years is despicable. The celtics of the 80’s had:
- bench, bench and more bench
- history, history and more history (you don’t think that helps win championships? Think again)
- Eric Spoelstra vs. K.C. Jones (take ur pick)

Do the matchup with the current NBA Champions:
- Lebron vs. Kobe - toss up but you have to give the edge to Kobe since he has 5 rings
- Dwayne vs. Farmar/Fisher/Blake - together they need to focus on defense but scoring edge goes to wade obviously
- Bosh vs. Gasol/Bynum/Odom - scorng wise Bosh and Gasol are equal. Add youth of Bynum (should he remain healthy) and championship experience of Gasol and it’s clear that the Lakers have the edge
- ??? vs. Artest
- Spolestra vs. Jackson - really?? Really? He had trouble coaching one superstar let alone three. Jackson took two of the beat players in the league and not only made them win he made them build respect for each other. Jackson is to coaching as dahli lama is to Buddhism.
- ??? vs. Bench - farmar, vujacik, Walton all have won 2 championships.

At best what lebron has done can only be compared to what the Denver nuggets did when they acquired iverson. And they had one of the best coaches in NBA history.

Uncategorized Lebron, NBA

We have recently hired a new consultant who for reasons that I will not go into is taking a leave of absence from his current employer.  The employer happens to be a client of ours (they use CommonSpot).  We hired the consultant on to our Professional Services team because he has experience with our product and therefore brings instant value to our organization.

It is not uncommon for developers today to be highly specialized (and often certified) with a particular piece of software.  In some cases, it might be the only software package that developer works with.  For some developers this can be a double edged sword.  If the software package presents enough challenges and allows the developer to be creative on daily basis then their work can be rewarding enough to keep them interested.  And while there may also be some level of job security present with being so closely tied to that software it also can get boring.  Working in the same software day in and day out.

Enter the “Vendor Sabatical” Concept

The idea itself is rather simple, a developer at company who is closely tied to a particular software package takes an unspecified break from the organization (possibly a paid leave).  During the break the developer joins one of the vendors team and works for that vendor directly.  In our case we hired the developer to join our Professional Services team and I think this makes the most amount of sense.

Our Professional Services team essentially uses our product just like a customer would so it made a lot of sense to put him to work there.  He has intimate knowledge of the product and understands first hand what our other customers might be interested in doing with the product.

So, why should everyone do this? It makes a ton of sense.  Here are the benefits to the developer:

1.)  Get a break from the mundane tasks that they are accustomed to within their environment
2.) Interact with other developers and learn new development techniques related (or unrelated) to their current work
3.) Intimate knowledge of other cultural work environments

Here is the benefit to both the developer and the client

1.) Learn new implementation or development techniques that could be beneficial internally
2.) Become more knowledgeable about the product
3.) Build a better relationship with the vendor

And of course the vendor benefits:

1.) Increased relationship with client
2.) Augment internal staff member work and increase profit

I think this type of engagement could be so beneficial for the organization that they would continue to pay the developer and the vendor would gain the use of this employee free of charge.  (Well maybe that last part was kind of more hopeful than possible :)

Uncategorized Client, Software, Vendor

Recently my mom not only asked me to join her on Facebook (or maybe more likely she asked to join me on Facebook) she also created a Twitter account and posted “@notronwest I lost your number can you call me?” (as her first post ever) She recently took down her Twitter account when I told her not to follow me there cause she wouldn’t understand a word I said but, I think she is pretty serious about Facebook.

Facebook and Mom - matched made in ??

Not unfamiliar territory for most of us but I thought it would be a good idea to talk about the expectations a mother should have should one of her offspring decide to connect on social media sites (like Facebook)

1.) Don’t expect to understand everything that your offspring says. We are in a different world now and for some of us the language is different. I am not talking about words like “wicked” or “phat” or other social slang - I am talking about Doppelganger, Pandora, Hipster … words that have real connotation but are best described to those that don’t understand with a role of the eyes.

2.) Don’t pretend to understand everything that your offspring says. Nothing worse than a “hip” mother sharing their favorite 60’s Pandora radio station link on your Facebook wall.

3.) Don’t take anything that your offspring says or does personally. What you get on Facebook is sometimes easily taken out of context. This is a relatively new medium for most of us and we ourselves are trying to figure out the right way to use it. We may (and often do) say something that isn’t quite politically correct or goes against the morals you taught us. Remember that sometimes we drink before we update Facebook and therefore can’t be held completely responsible for our actions. Unconditional love - right?

4.) Keep your distance. Let it come to you (and it will). Eventually, over time, you will understand that less is more. Again you are gaining a unique view into your offspring’s life. One that you were never afforded before. Imagine what you would have thought should you have bugged the bedroom when I was 10 and had my friends over for a sleepover or gasp when I was 16 and my girlfriend and I … well you get the picture.

5.) Get involved but don’t offer advice (not online anyways). We are past that stage in our lives (most of us anyways) where we don’t want your advice. We get it - your smart - you’ve been there and done that. Most of us don’t want our friends to see that we are still attached at the hip - I mean were in our 30’s for goodness sake - if we can’t demonstrate that we have figured it out by now we will never make it.

6.) Don’t be surprised if we call less and post more. We are creatures of the net. Our jobs and home life have equal parts human contact and digital contact. If we feel we can get our point across or have our questions answered online - that’s where it will happen. It doesn’t mean we won’t call - ever - just not as much.

7.) This is a huge opportunity - don’t blow it.

Oh - and by the way - we love you!

Uncategorized facebook, Mom, social media, Twitter

I am very fortunate in many ways but, one of the fortunate things I get to do is to meet cool people. All of the people that I meet add a lot to my life and the combination of their knowledge feeds my own thoughts on a daily basis. I share with you today a conversation that I had on Twitter with a very intelligent marketing person at Seton Hall (Rob Brosnan - @brosnaro).

He posted the following:

Facebook Showing Worth?

Being that I don’t know a ton about marketing I replied (ignore the “tweet so rarely” dig - just trying to get more frequent posts out of him :)

What is 18 30d?

And the answer is:

First Click from Facebook is more valuable than same source Google view

Essentially, what Rob is saying is that you can’t always count on “same session” information to tell you the story about a conversion and that what he concludes is that Facebook as a lead in or introductory source, is becoming more successful.

Do you count “30d first click” information on your conversion rates? What are you seeing?

Uncategorized Conversion, facebook, Marketing, Twitter

Take a few minutes (3 minutes and 13 seconds to be exact) and watch the following video. While watching it take note of the ease in which both characters select content and move it around to make it easier to view and work with.

Now think about the iPad. The single reason why I think that the iPad will work (and why other previous inventions similar to the iPad failed) will work is because we are ready. The iPad represents the closest representation to the Minority Report UI that we have seen. Yes - there have been touch screen devices but I think the “multi-touch” approach is going to separate the iPad from its predecessors pretty quickly.

Whenever someone makes good on science fiction and can bring a product to market that meets the expectations of the general public - it works. Bringing the truth out of science fiction is ultimately why we will see a shift in technology use in the year 2010.

Uncategorized Apple, Design, iPad, Minority Report, User Interface

Bill Gates is on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/billgates) . Yay! (really?) I find it quite amusing that in the first 3 hours he demonstrated the real power of Twitter - Open Connections in a Real Time World.  Take a look at his second post:

RT @RyanSeacrest: Just got a call from cnn. here are the final numbers raised from last nights show.. for unicef + american red cross $8 … about 6 hours ago from web

RT @RyanSeacrest: here are the final numbers raised from last nights show for unicef + american red cross $8,944,956

RT @RyanSeacrest: here are the final numbers raised from last nights show for unicef + american red cross $8,944,956 [double it - call me]

Uncategorized Bill Gates, social media, Twitter

This was too big for Twitter and I didn’t want to lose it.

From an excerpt I just read (from John Bargh a social psychology professor at Yale)

“We know now that there is a very high likelihood of finding unconscious influences that effect our decisions, preferences, etc.”

Have you ever heard of a third party cookie? Do you know what it is? Are we breaking free from a prison placed on our brains by experience, culture and the thoughts of others or are we entering into a time where we are innately predictable and defensive our perceived notions of free will?

Uncategorized free will, Google, John Bargh, Social Psychology

I want to drag and resize everything. Put my grubby hands on it and handle it like a “thing”.

As I go through the interface for our new software version I can’t help but want to drag items around on the page and put them where I want. Even with the increased real estate of a 15 inch laptop it doesn’t seem like its enough. I want to open a Rich Text Window - hold the bottom left corner and the top right corner - slowly stretch it apart and resize it to about 24 inches across. Then when I want to insert a link, I want to touch (physically touch) like where I can feel the rounded beveled edge of the button under my fingers (the button should be about the size of 3 fingers) and when that dialog appears to choose a link - I want to drag it to the center of my viewing area. Resize it the way I did the Rich Text Block.

Cool Plastic Feel

It would be nice to feel the cool plastic of these windows in my hands too - while I am handling them. I then want to push all other things away while I work on this link. When I am done with the link and click the “finish” button with my index and middle finger, I want the most relevant window (which I previously slide away) to reappear in the same dimension and size as it was when I started linking.

Is this really too much to ask?

Uncategorized

1.) Man in the Mirror

2.) Remember the Time

3.) PYT (Pretty Young Thing)

Uncategorized

What Facebook chooses to do with your content in the coming months/years will unequivocally determine its fate. Period.  I really could stop the post here and we could all move on but for some of you that have been reading and I suggest the following:

1.) Facebook Change of Policy: Why You Should Care

2.) How do You Feel About Facebook Owning Your Content?

3.) Zuckerburg On Who Owns User Data On Facebook: It’s Complicated

lets spend a minute to talk about the possibilities.

What if Facebook did sell your photo to and advertiser and they made a commercial which sold a product which made millions and Facebook got half.

What if Facebook took your idea that you posted in your note and sold it to a VC company who turned your idea into a multi-million dollar product which in turn made millions for Facebook

What if….

The list goes on and if you read Mona’s examples you may be left with an uneasy feeling that you should be protecting your information.  You might even go so far as to stop posting pictures, and notes and comments for fear that your information will be sold to the highest bidder.  You might even become an ultra  radical and remove your profile from the site and start an "I Hate Facebook" Bebo site.  Go ahead, its a free country.

I am going to tell you why you shouldn’t though

Content is King

First of all everyone at Facebook knows that as long as there is fresh new content by new users each day - people will continue to show up.  The content (which some people are losing site of) is the only thing that Facebook has going for it.  From pictures, to status updates and comments.  From videos and links to (yes even) those stupid Bumper Sticker requests.  Its all good.  Facebook has more content then it knows what to do with and that’s why they are wrestling with how they handle it.

The recent updates to the TOS is really just a sneaky way for Facebook to value its site.  Advertising sucks and will continue to suck as users become more savvy towards old school marketing tactics.  Although there is still some value in the number of people that visit a site its the information that is placed into this site which ultimately holds this thing together.

Erich Schonfield sums it up like this:

When you share your data with someone else, whether it be an email or a photo, it becomes their data as well. You cannot normally rescind data you share with other people in an e-mail. So why should a social network be any different?

And I for one agree. Facebook is a digital history book of all your interactions (good or bad) with all of the people that participate in your network.  If that digital history starts to get holes in it the site loses its luster.  The changes are an insurance policy to investors and suitors which Facebook will use to improve its valuation.

What If?

So back to the what if.  Well what if one day Facebook started to use your content for profit with or without your knowledge.  What would you do?  You would do the same thing that everyone else would do.  You would leave.  But before you left, you would leave your mark.  You would tell your friend, your friends friend and anyone else who would listen.  You would start a group.  You would reach out to advocates and you would tell them your story.  You would inform them that Facebook has used your content and is now profiting and that you got nothing.

It will become easier and easier for ordinary people to be heard.  The walls of communication have been knocked down.  Facebook knows this.  They understand this very well.  They don’t want you leave and if they are going to put this at risk then they will fail.  Miserably.

Up to know Facebook and I have an agreement in writing and one in principal. Until either of these agreements are broken I think we are safe.  And if any of you think that its hard to re-build something like Facebook - think again.

Update (2.18.2009): Facebook posts this message at the top of the home page today:

Terms of Use Update

Over the past few days, we have received a lot of feedback about the new terms we posted two weeks ago. Because of this response, we have decided to return to our previous Terms of Use while we resolve the issues that people have raised. For more information, visit the Facebook Blog.
If you want to share your thoughts on what should be in the new terms, check out our group Facebook Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.

Hmmm… thank you for validating my point. No need to worry.

Uncategorized Content, facebook, social media, TechCrunch, TOS