2007 October

From the monthly archives: October 2007

the nonexistent web 2.0 bubble

on October 31, 2007 · No Comments

It’s all about the bubble these days – the “web 2.0 bubble” that is. Everywhere I look there’s a new article or blog post talking about the bubble and more specifically assessing when it’ll pop. The bubble has been so poorly constructed. Companies have (and continue to) exploit web 2.0 to the financial max – [...]

The bubble has been so poorly constructed. Companies have (and continue to) exploit web 2.0 to the financial max – from consultants to marketers – they’re all looking to gain. This corporate extreme offers a talking point riddled with buzzwords and advice on how to gain financially. Not too mention a tangible entity with boundaries and a “life cycle” that will mean it’s eventually end.

Please bear in mind that I’m a graduate student currently pursuing my MBA. I’m all too familiar with the bottom-line and the notion that everything pursued from a corporate standpoint should satisfy that sole goal.

But web 2.0 (social media) isn’t about the bottom-line. It’s about community engagement, human interaction and conversations. A concept that’s difficult for many to grasp, because it doesn’t seem inherent that human interaction can be synonymous with anything related to the internet and/or technology. The key is to understand that social media isn’t about the technology – though it’s the profitability of technology-based companies or those leveraging it that has become the primary focus – it’s about a means of facilitation. Technology is nothing more than the vehicle that provides additional outlets for the conversation to thrive.

So while companies attempt to cash in on the bubble that they have defined (for the purpose of it’s own creation) they’ve missed the brilliance of what the bubble cannot contain. And maybe social media will ultimately burst that bubble, because how can companies harness a human condition? In the end, such a burst may enable corporations, institutions and individuals to attain understanding of what it is that’s actually occurring – even enable them to develop an appreciation and a desire to truly become part of the conversation.

Because how can something that is symptomatic of being human – human interaction and the desire to communicate as well as engage – burst and therefore cease to exist?

buy handmade

on October 30, 2007 · No Comments

kitchen gadgets on a mission

on October 29, 2007 · 1 Comment

The following is from an email I received this evening via my Aunt about PKU (Phenylketonuria) that I’d encourage you to read – it’s a great summary of the disease as well as offers a quick and easy way to help promote awareness and offer support: PKU is a rare inherited metabolic disorder. PKU has [...]

PKU is a rare inherited metabolic disorder. PKU has an incidence of about 1:10,000 births in the US, which means about one case per year in Maine. Those with PKU are lacking an enzyme needed to break down the amino acid phenylalanine which is found in all proteins. If untreated, phenylalanine builds up in the bloodstream and causes brain damage; before newborn screening, PKU was a major cause of mental retardation.

Thankfully today, all babies in the US are screened through state mandated Newborn Screening Programs. Treatment requires following a severely restricted low protein diet – avoiding anything one would usually consider a source of protein – dairy, meat, poultry, fish, legumes, soy as well as products made with regular flour and pasta.

You might ask, what CAN be eaten? The answer is measured amounts of most fruits and vegetables, fats, sugars and specially formulated low protein pastas and baked goods that are ordered from specialty companies. For the protein needed for growth and development, a metabolic formula containing all the essential amino acids except for phenylalanine is drunk.

As the need for family education and support became clear, combined with the good fortune of being on the receiving end of a grant from The Children’s Hospital in Boston, in 1994 the first Family Camping Weekend was held for families raising a child with PKU. Educational programs for parents and children, cooking classes and support activities filled the weekend.

These annual weekends have continued over the years providing needed support and education to families. The problem is that over the years, funding has been more and more difficult to secure. For the past two years, fundraising efforts have been entirely spearheaded by families. The commitment is to provide this opportunity for every family whether or not they have the ability to pay.

To that end, Laurie, a Pampered Chef consultant, who also has a teenage daughter with PKU, has organized this fundraiser.

If you want to participate, you can do so easily online. Please follow these easy steps:

· Go to Laurie’s website: www.pamperedchef.biz/lauried
· Select “Order Products”
· Enter “Maine PKU & AD” as the organization
· Place order – all orders must be placed by 11/6

a great read

on October 29, 2007 · No Comments

“Choose Your Own Ethnography: In Search of (Un)Mediated Life” by danah boyd The Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) Annual Conference October 13, 2007 THE BLEEDING EDGE For as far back as I can remember, I was intrigued by edges. It was always a love-hate relationship. A certain amount of healthy fear of heights [...]

“Choose Your Own Ethnography: In Search of (Un)Mediated Life”
by danah boyd
The Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) Annual Conference
October 13, 2007

THE BLEEDING EDGE

For as far back as I can remember, I was intrigued by edges. It was always a love-hate relationship. A certain amount of healthy fear of heights kept me a safe distance from the most daunting cliffs, but I couldn’t help but wonder what was on the other side of a given edge. As I began my career as a researcher, I couldn’t help but chase after the carrots presented by the bleeding edges of technology.

Having grown up online and began my career as a computer scientist, I’ve always had a healthy skepticism of new technology and found joy in unpacking reality from hype. Nothing gives me more pleasure than understanding the differences between how a technology is conceptualized by its creators versus its users. I love weaving in and out and between circles of developers and users. But this position destroys the magic of supposed bleeding edge. The blood of venture capitalists and the edge manifested as media hype are not nearly as delectable as I had originally imagined. Yet, realizing that the bleeding edge is nothing more than a Neal Stephenson-esque dream gave me the perspective I needed to really focus on people and their interactions using mediating technologies.

My predilection or shall we say my compulsion to shatter utopic mirrors has prompted and shaped many of my research projects. I’ve tried numerous methodologies to help make sense of the interplay of people and technology. I began by building psych experiments to understand depth perception prioritization in order to show that 3D immersive virtual reality systems have hormone-based biases. I built interactive visualizations of social data to highlight how we all hold more data about each other than we realize. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with trying to make sense of how networked publics are incorporated into the lives of American teenagers. To get at this question, I embarked on a two year ethnographic study of how American youth are using social technologies as a part of their practices of everyday life. The easy way to say this is that I’ve been studying MySpace (read more).

addendum

on October 28, 2007 · No Comments

Microsoft purchased only a small stake in Facebook (1.6%) – so, what’s the big deal? This is potentially a very big deal as the focal point of this investment is the online marketing/advertising potential of Facebook. The Wall Street Journal reported that: The software giant is gambling that the online advertising boom will continue and [...]

Microsoft purchased only a small stake in Facebook (1.6%) – so, what’s the big deal?

This is potentially a very big deal as the focal point of this investment is the online marketing/advertising potential of Facebook.

The Wall Street Journal reported that:

The software giant is gambling that the online advertising boom will continue and the popular social networking site will be among the biggest beneficiaries.

[In addition] Microsoft and Facebook say that the valuation is justified and that Facebook is starting to find ways to monetize its rapidly growing user base.

Facebook presents a big opportunity for online advertising, in part because it collects detailed information about its users — such as their hobbies, favorite music, location, age, and gender — that can be used to place highly targeted ads.

The cash injection from Microsoft will give Facebook funds to invest in new services, buy equipment, make acquisitions and hire engineers.

Facebook in coming weeks plans to unveil a new advertising system that will let advertisers visit an automated Web site to place targeted ads on Facebook and elsewhere on the Web, say people familiar with the matter.

Read WSJ full article.

Could this venture be the demise of Facebook? The never-ending plethora of ads on MySpace has resulted in the migration of individuals to Facebook. Could Facebook be subject to the same fate as MySpace? And if so, then what’s next for MySpace, Facebook and social networking?

and the winner is: microsoft

on October 25, 2007 · No Comments

It seemed that following the Web 2.0 Summit all eyes were on Google with their “rumored” takeover of Facebook – and then WHAM! Microsoft. Who knew. I surely didn’t nor did a large number of other folks. So the question there in lies “what does this all mean”. I’m not really sure yet (and need [...]

Thankfully BBC News was kind enough to construct 15 reasons why Microsoft thinks that Facebook may be worth $15 billion (read full story):

1. The network has gone viral in the last 12 months, with more than 50 million users worldwide and a user base that is growing faster than great rival MySpace. According to Facebook, it adds 200,000 new users each day.

2. The average user spends 3.5 hours a month on Facebook – more than the average user on rival MySpace – which is increasingly attractive to advertisers.

3. Facebook is the current Web 2.0 darling – popular with ordinary users and “tech heads” alike.

4. US research reveals that Facebook users come from wealthier homes and are more likely to attend college than MySpace users – increasing that attraction for advertisers.

5. Microsoft’s investment makes them a serious player in the growing market of “social advertising”. Social network profiles are full of personal data that users voluntarily hand over, which is very useful for targeting adverts.

6. Sixty percent of Facebook users are outside of the US – so Microsoft’s investment buys access to a global audience quickly and simply.

7. Facebook is the new web: The decision to open up the network to outside developers turned Facebook into a destination for many uses, like messaging, photos and video. Of course, as Facebook is on the web it could never really be the new web.

8. Every major content firm with an online presence is either working on a Facebook application or has already launched one – from Google to the BBC.

9. According to a report, 233 million hours of work are lost each month in the UK due to staff looking at social networks. Advertisers can now target people when at their desks.

10. The openness of Facebook is attracting a wealth of talented developers who can launch their applications to millions of users quickly.

11. Facebook messaging is the new e-mail. Everyone feels stressed from a deluge of e-mail from unwanted people and companies. But Facebook messages are always from friends.

12. Facebook’s “status updates” have become the easiest way to let friends know what you are doing and how you are feeling at any given moment.

13. Facebook thrives on playful applications such as Pirates, Zombies, Super Wall and Top Friends, which have made the network a place to play as well as communicate.

14. Facebook is the acceptable face of blogging – you can reflect your life and personality online without being seen as a “blogger”, which often carries a geeky stigma.

15. Facebook is worth $15bn only because Microsoft says so. The value of Facebook is based on a 1.6% share of the firm being worth the $240m Microsoft paid for it. Microsoft and Google were in a bidding war for a slice of the firm and both companies have large pockets. This was not just business, this was personal, according to some analysts.

the “it” thing: facebook

on October 22, 2007 · No Comments

Over the past few days I’ve literally found myself falling over Facebook-related information whether articles, tips, analysis, opinions or emphatic rants (which this post may actual teeter on). It (meaning Facebook) is everywhere! And we’re not just talking about on the web. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very much an advocate for the value associated [...]

Over the past few days I’ve literally found myself falling over Facebook-related information whether articles, tips, analysis, opinions or emphatic rants (which this post may actual teeter on).

It (meaning Facebook) is everywhere! And we’re not just talking about on the web. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very much an advocate for the value associated with this monstrous social network, but is it too much of a good thing?

My concern, and growing fear, is that too many folks are getting wrapped up in Facebook. Are people really that willing to simply jump on the bandwagon without truly understanding what wagon their clamoring into? Because really, the wagon we’re talking about isn’t just about Facebook – it’s about a piece in a greater whole.

By simply succumbing to a Facebook-focused world (or strategy) are individuals and groups constructing blinders that will prevent them from adapting and achieving future creative growth? Not to mention the socioeconomic debate that coincides with Facebook (but I’ll defer to a great easy on that one).

With such a heighten pace of change within the realm of social media – how long will Facebook be the prominent space before something else comes along? And for that reason it’s healthy to be knowledgeable, skeptical and infinity open to change.

a monday montage

on October 22, 2007 · No Comments

I tend to be a compulsive list maker. The irony is that this is very much against my nature (and apparently against my personality if you ask Myers-Briggs). But for me it’s not a matter of completion, but rather of guidance. The list serves as a guide as I work through my day – all [...]

I credit my many lists with the discovery of an eclectic variety of things (ideas, blogs, people, events and more). Today is no exception. And while each item is worthy of its own post – time and indecisiveness won’t allow for it – so, I offer you a happy medium: my list from today. May you tackle it in good health and with an open mind.

Vanessa’s To Do List:

Purchase a number of books (including The Cluetrain Manifesto, Naked Conversations and Smart Mobs)
Shift through daily Google Alerts: social media, social marketing, social networking, web 2.0 and PR 2.0
Call Nana (…while I don’t recommend you call my Nana – though she’d love the call no doubt – I do encourage you to call yours)
Read “Has the MySpace to Facebook Switch Begun?“
Learn more about the Web Community Forum (Seattle 2007) “Community Building in the Age of Facebook” and see if it’s in the budget
Take a walk on the Arlington Bike Path
Start reading Everything is Miscellaneous
Prepare for tomorrow’s social media meeting @ Stonewall Kitchen
See what new goodies are at ReForm School & Three Potatoe Four
Discover a new blog