Archive for March, 2008
By Ben Haber
By Ben
Bad omens or too good of an opportunity to pass up?
Newsweek’s staff is decreasing by 111, as more employees then expected decided to accept a buyout from the national magazine.
Radar writes: 146 staffers were offered the chance to leave the magazine, with as much as two years of their current salary as a departing bonus, depending on their age and length of service. The package also includes pension sweetners and the chance to continue health insurance coverage until the age of 65. More staffers than expected accepted the offer, so at least some their jobs are likely to be filled by new hires. But dozens of positions will be eliminated permanently.
March 31st, 2008
By Ben Haber
By Ben
Earlier this week we discussed how a Facebook security glitch allowed user’s photo albums to be viewed. Today, RaceTalk was able to sit down with eWeek’s Clint Boulton to discuss privacy issues around social network sites.
RaceTalk: With the Facebook security lapse as the latest example, do you think people are too trusting that the information they put on social networks will remain secure?
Clint Boulton: I don’t think so. You sign up assuming a site whose sole purpose is to help people find each other and share information is going to properly standpost at that walled garden, so to speak. And that goes for any Web-based or SAAS-based company. If Facebook, or Google are hosting your data on their Web site, they have a legal, moral and ethical responsibility to protect that data. When they don’t they fail the customer, and ultimately, in their business model.
RT: Last November there was a publicized case of an intern that missed work due to a ‘family situation,’ but someone at work found he was actually at a Halloween party via his Facebook profile. Do you think it’s common for companies to use information gathered from social networks against someone like this?
CB: Yes, it is. I’ve heard myriad stories of companies not hiring job recruits because they’ve made fools of themselves on a social networking site. When you go to a party and you take pictures, you may share them with a few friends after, but it generally stays in the circle of trust. When you put them on the Web, you run the risk of unintended parties seeing them.
RT: What’s your view on companies searching social networks for someone before they hire them?
CB: Ah, to further the point. I think it’s a little underhanded. Would a recruiter hire a private detective to snoop on a potential hire? Not usually, because it’s quesionable behavior. The social network has, unfortunately, become a snooping tool. If recruiters feel the need to poke around about people, then they probably shouldn’t hire them.
RT: As soon as “Kristen’s” identity was discovered during the Gov. Spitzer Mess, information from Ashley Alexandra Dupre’s Facebook and MySpace profiles were publicized. What’s your view on reporters turning to social networks to gather information about individuals for a story?
CB: That is a sticky situation. Because what if we, as journalists took to using a social network to publish the names of rape victims, a classic no-no in the trade that breaks ethical boundaries? This is different. Fair or not, Dupre is collateral damage; she wasn’t a victim per se, merely someone involved with a high-profile politician. She should have known the risks going in as much as he surely did. Unfortunately, his compulsive solicitation, and what I can only assume from Dupre’s comments as her need for money led to this.
RT: Social networks clearly offer advantages and disadvantages. It’s easier to keep in touch with people and make connections, but it also offers an avenue where private materials can be made public. Do you think the benefits outweigh the risks?
CB: Absolutely. The machines don’t lie, but we humans need to be more careful about what we put out there. I use social networks but for work purposes only, and I don’t put on anything that can remotely deinfe my personality. No favorite teams, no politics, no favorite anything. I’m about as impersonal a social networker as you can get. But you know what? I feel secure. Can everyone else say the same?
March 28th, 2008
By Ben Haber
By Ben
How many of your Facebook friends are you actually friends with?
This was the base of the argument that Michael Hurst successfully used to have his stalking charges dismissed this week against his ex-girlfriend. Hurst was accused of stalking his ex-girlfriend after sending her a friend request via Facebook, which she didn’t accept. Although the court said that Hurst sent the request in poor judgment, it wasn’t proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
“”Facebook friends” was ‘friendship in the traditional sense’” said Hurst, as he argued his case. “(Radio DJ) Chris Moyles has one-and-a-half million Facebook friends. Do you think he knows them all intimately?” This was believed to be the first Facebook stalking case in the UK.
This case addresses a very debatable topic of what a ‘Facebook friend’ actually is. Is this someone you consider an acquaintance, or can you have lunch with them? Of course there will be a large mix, but where do you draw the line? According to the result of Hurst’s case, being ‘Facebook friends’ with someone isn’t a big commitment.
There are even some Facebook groups the address the issue of ‘Facebook friends’ ignoring each other when they cross paths. Some groups flaunt how they routinely walk by their Facebook friends and turn the other direction, while others demand to be acknowledged by someone if they run into each other.
How do you define who your ‘Facebook friends’ are?
March 28th, 2008
By Ben Haber
By Ben
Ben Worthen had a great story in the Wall Street Journal’s business technology blog yesterday about an Oregon man, Robert Salisbury, whose home was raided after someone posted a false ad on Craigslist. The ad was made to appear like it came from Salisbury, and said that he was moving and all of his possessions were up for grabs.
Salisbury didn’t find out about the free-for-all going on at his house until he received a call from a woman, asking if she was really allowed to take his horse.
Worthen writes: Salisbury rushed home, arriving in time to stop scavengers leaving with some ladders and his lawn mower. “I informed them I was the owner, but they refused to give the stuff back,” Salisbury tells the Seattle Times. “They showed me the Craigslist printout and told me they had the right to do what they did.”
Talk about a spring cleaning!
March 27th, 2008
By Kyle Austin
By Kyle Austin
If I had a nickel for every time a startup asked us if we could get Jessica Alba to help promote the launch of their product, well, I’d probably have about nickel. I’ve always wanted to have the pleasure of telling them that they’d have a better chance of dating Jessica Alba then actually getting her to promote their product – which leaves it at a zero percent likelihood. Unless of course you’re Cash ($) Warren and Jessica Alba is your fiancée.
IBeatYou.com launched on Monday with celebrity fanfare as actor Cash Warren, a co-founder of the startup and NBA All-Star Baron Davis, an angel investor in the project, gave the media a first look at their live Website. They were also assisted in creating buzz by Jessica Alba who has taken a liking to IBeatYou’s contests (Although we’re not sure how much prodding it took from Cash).
Eric Eldon of VentureBeat took a look at the launch of the Website on Monday:
IBeatYou is a web site launching today where any user can make up a contest, like “Best Group Lip Dub” or “Best Beard,” then submit entries and compete with others to be voted the winner.Of course, sites from MySpace to YouTube already are talent contests of sorts — the best underground musicians get big (and get discovered) through MySpace; the most entertaining video creators get lots of page-views through YouTube. MySpace itself grew big through being a way for fans to interact with celebrities. So the fact that Alba, the fiancee of cofounder Cash Warren, spends hours on the site could bring in more users early on.
However Om Malik over at Giga Om had a far less impressive picture of the startup and wondered if the addition of celebrities into the Web 2.0 mix signifies the beginning of the end of the most recent tech boom in a post titled “Another Celebrity Launches a Video Site! Is the End Near?”
Om is starting to sound morbid in his assessment of the tech scene lately:
I am beginning to see some troubling signs and celebrity sightings. Sure, things are not quite as crazy as 2000, but I am of the belief that history does repeat itself. Liz writes about IBeatYou.com, a video/social network/contest site being started by Baron Davis of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. I am doubtful this is going to be a big success, but I have been wrong before.
Valleywag, KillerStartups.com and People also briefly covered the launch. My take is that it was a fairly impressive launch for a start-up based in Santa Monica; If only it was an average startup. With the stars they had to leverage, where was the feature in the New York Times with Brooks Barnes or with Sarah McBride in the Wall Street Journal? Where’s the digital exclusive with Michael Arrington at TechCrunch? Instead you had Om Malik writing the obituary to IBeatYou.com at its birth.
Baron, my boy, I know you can build a buzz better then anyone and it’s great to have TMZ come by the new company digs. You’re by far my favorite basketball player not wearing a Celtics uniform. You may even be better at roller skating then Rojan Rondo. However, we need to get you in front of the technology media that are going to put you on the map and drive up your acceptance and evaluation in technology circles.
March 27th, 2008
By racetalk
Newspapers Are Positioned to Win on the Web – If They Can Stop Whining Long Enough
By George
There’s a bit too much glee lately about the pending (and inevitable) death of newspapers. The only people who don’t seem to understand that their product is obsolete – are newspaper publishers and editors.
The New Yorker just weighed in on the topic. This quote stood out for me:
“At places where editors and publishers gather, the mood these days is funereal. Editors ask one another, ‘How are you?,’ in that sober tone one employs with friends who have just emerged from rehab or a messy divorce.”
It’s sad because these old, ink-stained wretches just don’t get it. They should be celebrating because no business today is better equipped for the Web and the 24/7 news gathering cycle than newspapers. Newspapers have the experienced staff, the necessary news gathering skills, and structure in place to lead the digital revolution in news consumption.
Yet all we hear about is the death of the newspaper and the moaning and groaning from newspaper and publishers.
Unfortunately, these old, ink-stained wretches don’t understand that newspapers don’t matter. Newspapers are just a channel – a mode of news delivery. It isn’t the “product.” The news is the product: the obituaries, the sports pages, the box scores, the recipes, the local and national news, the comics, the letters, the columns, the editorials, and the business news.
All of it is still highly desired by consumers.
Yet despite having all the assets – the old, ink stained wretches still don’t get it.
It’s maddening.
They keep treating their Web proprieties as extensions of the newspaper. Boston.com – the Boston Globe’s web site – is a perfect example and they actually do the Web better than most newspapers.
But Boston.com is a crowded, mish-mash of content – as if the daily newspaper vomited on a computer screen. It gives readers a headache. How can Boston.com and other newspaper web site improve?
Here are a few suggestions:
Customization
Allow readers to build their own front pages and choose the content (and the amount of content) they want on their front pages in much the same way that Google Reader allows people to customize RSS feeds from different sites. So if Reader A wants mostly sports and local news – let me set it up that way. If Reader B wants celebrity news and recipes – give it to her. Then go another set forward and allow for color and graphical customizations (themes: Red Sox, Patriots, Seasons, Skiing, Gardens, Boston, etc…)
Interaction
Allow for readers to comment on every story. Many newspaper sites don’t allow any comments or only comments on some stories. But even more crucial – have the reporters and editors respond. The point of allow comments is to engage with readers – to start conversations. Reporters rarely respond or talk about their reporting. They should.
Change the Mentality
When the New York Times broke the news on Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s affair with a prostitute the editors had a debate about whether to hold the story for the next day’s newspaper or to go with it on the Web. They finally came to their senses and broke the story on the Web. But why are newspapers still having this debate?
Tagging and Other Tricks
Newspaper sites are difficult to navigate. They should tag stories to allow readers to easily find similar pieces. This means, of course, to allow readers into their archives rather than only keeping stories fresh for a few days or a few weeks. But it also means stop trying to be an island. Link to other stories and content. Engage with bloggers — especially those that aggregate your content. Set-up up partnerships. Think about search optimization. Become part of the online discussion instead of the old fashion mentality that newspapers are above it all.
Dynamic Content
Use more audio and video. Reporters should be equipped so they can record and videotape interviews. Arm news photographers with video cameras. Experiment with the medium. How about video restaurant reviews? How about locker side chats with ballplayers? How about audio and video tours of local tourist attractions? How about comics that move and talk? Creativity has no bounds on the Web
Newspapers need to stop the death knell for themselves and start engaging — start moving! If they do that – they might even be able to win.
March 27th, 2008
By Ben Haber
By Ben
How big is green? You can now eat an environmentally friendly snack food.
Sun Chips, made by the Frito-Lay division of PepsiCo is going green, and making sure its consumers (literally) know about it. A massive billboard was put up on Madison Avenue in New York which advertises Sun Chips as a snack “Made with the help of solar energy”.
In fact, the plant in California where Sun Chips are produced is using solar energy, which will provide up to 75 percent of the energy needed to produce the product. Frito-Lay has already put together a massive advertising campaign to tout their green snack, which includes television ads, print ads, billboards, and an entertaining website.
It will be interesting to see if this solar move has an affect on Sun Chips’ sales. Would you buy Sun Chips over another brand because of this factor? Let us know what you think!
March 27th, 2008
By Ben Haber
By Ben
The Associated Press reports that Vancouver resident Byron Ng figured out how to access the Facebook photo albums of people that he wasn’t friends with – or didn’t even know.
Ng began looking for loopholes in Facebook’s security after the social network announced it was increasing user’s privacy controls last week. Using Ng’s template, the AP was able to access personal photographs from Facebook’s 67 million members, including Paris Hilton and Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. Once Facebook heard about the security glitch it was fixed within and hour.
This security lapse shows that no matter what is put on the web – in a secure site or not – anyone can find it. This was evident when Ashley Alexandra Dupre’s (aka Kristen) profile was quickly accessed by the media after her identity was revealed in the Governor Spitzer mess earlier this month.
Let this be a lesson for people with compromising materials in their Facebook or MySpace profiles – if you post something, it will be found.
March 26th, 2008
By Ben Haber
By Ben
Last week China decided to block YouTube because videos of protests in Tibet appear on the popular site. Now, Cuba has decided to block the country’s most-read blog, Generacion Y.
The blogs author, Yoani Sanchez, describes her site as “A blog inspired by people like me, with names that start or contain a “Y”. Born in the Cuba of the 70s and the 80s, marked by the “schools to the countryside”, the Russian cartoons, the illegal exits and the frustration. So, an invitation goes especially to Yanisleidi, Yoandri, Yusimí, Yuniesky and others that drag their Ys, to read me and write back”
The Wall Street Journal reports:
Ms. Sanchez, who was the subject of a page one profile in The Wall Street Journal, has become an influential voice on Cuba. Her Web site, which details the frustrations and ironies of daily life in Cuba, gets about one million hits a month. Most of those readers are outside the country. Ms. Sanchez’s ability to publish a critical Web site without getting shut down has made her a flashpoint for controversy.
March 25th, 2008
By Ben Haber
By Ben
Last year Jordan’s Furniture came up with a creative marketing campaign that offered customers who buy furniture between March 7 and April 16 their money back if the Red Sox won the World Series.
This year, Jordan’s is using the same marketing campaign for customers that buy furniture between March 25 and April 27– but this time the Red Sox have to SWEEP the World Series.
March 25th, 2008
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