News Corp. doesn't have a clue on the potential value of MySpace and how to turn the promises into profit. Rupert Murdoch doesn't seem to care (yet), great to see the entrepreneurial spirit of this 75 year old in action...
"Needless to say, that’s the kind of problem Rupert Murdoch would be happy to take up to the mountaintop (or, more precisely, his $44 million Fifth Avenue apartment) and think about. “God knows what we’re going to do with MySpace,” he says, leaning back on that immaculate white sofa. “We’re just discovering what this thing can do.” This is the kind of statement that confounds his more hidebound rivals and sends nervous chills down Wall Street’s spine: What will Rupert do next? “You want to learn from MySpace,” he muses. “Can you democratize newspapers, for instance? What does it mean for how we do sports or politics? I don’t know – no one does. I just know we’ll figure it out.” And while he’s scratching his head, MySpace will be turning chatter into buzz, casual dilettantes into adoring fans, and homespun demos into off-the-chart successes. Popular culture will become more truly popular than ever before. Murdoch won’t have to give the people what they want – they’ll get it themselves."
woensdag 28 juni 2006
Geld verdienen aan MySpace?
News Corp. heeft nog geen idee van de potentiele waarde van MySpace en hoe ze die potentie om gaan zetten in daadwerkelijke winst. Rupert Murdoch zit er ook niet mee, mooi om te zien hoe zo'n 75 jarige toch nog een behoorlijk ondernemende geest heeft...
"Needless to say, that’s the kind of problem Rupert Murdoch would be happy to take up to the mountaintop (or, more precisely, his $44 million Fifth Avenue apartment) and think about. “God knows what we’re going to do with MySpace,” he says, leaning back on that immaculate white sofa. “We’re just discovering what this thing can do.” This is the kind of statement that confounds his more hidebound rivals and sends nervous chills down Wall Street’s spine: What will Rupert do next? “You want to learn from MySpace,” he muses. “Can you democratize newspapers, for instance? What does it mean for how we do sports or politics? I don’t know – no one does. I just know we’ll figure it out.” And while he’s scratching his head, MySpace will be turning chatter into buzz, casual dilettantes into adoring fans, and homespun demos into off-the-chart successes. Popular culture will become more truly popular than ever before. Murdoch won’t have to give the people what they want – they’ll get it themselves."
"Needless to say, that’s the kind of problem Rupert Murdoch would be happy to take up to the mountaintop (or, more precisely, his $44 million Fifth Avenue apartment) and think about. “God knows what we’re going to do with MySpace,” he says, leaning back on that immaculate white sofa. “We’re just discovering what this thing can do.” This is the kind of statement that confounds his more hidebound rivals and sends nervous chills down Wall Street’s spine: What will Rupert do next? “You want to learn from MySpace,” he muses. “Can you democratize newspapers, for instance? What does it mean for how we do sports or politics? I don’t know – no one does. I just know we’ll figure it out.” And while he’s scratching his head, MySpace will be turning chatter into buzz, casual dilettantes into adoring fans, and homespun demos into off-the-chart successes. Popular culture will become more truly popular than ever before. Murdoch won’t have to give the people what they want – they’ll get it themselves."
zaterdag 24 juni 2006
Technology at the World Cup
Sean Ingle explains why referees need help, technology is certainly not the barrier. I very much agree with him, especially when he says "decisions may even out over a season, but they rarely do so over the course of a match." I really do not understand what's keeping the FIFA from making it a fair and better World Cup.
"Clearly there's a balance to be struck between maintaining the flow of the game and making the right decision but if other sports can do it, so can football. Ultimately, it boils down to what is preferable: a 30-second delay in play, or the Hand of God? Getting it right, or allowing cheats to get away with it? Certainty, or random chance?"
"Clearly there's a balance to be struck between maintaining the flow of the game and making the right decision but if other sports can do it, so can football. Ultimately, it boils down to what is preferable: a 30-second delay in play, or the Hand of God? Getting it right, or allowing cheats to get away with it? Certainty, or random chance?"
Innovatie bij het WK
Sean Ingle legt uit waarom scheidsrechters hulp nodig hebben, en technologie kan onmogelijk de barierre zijn. Ik ben het absoluut met hem eens, zeker wanneer hij zegt dat "decisions may even out over a season, but they rarely do so over the course of a match." Ik kan niet begrijpen waarom de FIFA zo aarzelt bij het eerlijker en beter maken van een dergelijk toernooi. Update: na de wedstrijd Nederland - Portugal van gisteravond is het denk ik alleen maar duidelijker geworden dat er iets moet veranderen. De kritiek van Blatter op scheidsrechter Ivanov is dan ook een beetje hypocriet wat mij betreft.
"Clearly there's a balance to be struck between maintaining the flow of the game and making the right decision but if other sports can do it, so can football. Ultimately, it boils down to what is preferable: a 30-second delay in play, or the Hand of God? Getting it right, or allowing cheats to get away with it? Certainty, or random chance?"
"Clearly there's a balance to be struck between maintaining the flow of the game and making the right decision but if other sports can do it, so can football. Ultimately, it boils down to what is preferable: a 30-second delay in play, or the Hand of God? Getting it right, or allowing cheats to get away with it? Certainty, or random chance?"
maandag 19 juni 2006
Net neutrality nonsense
A lively discussion is taking place over in the US on 'net neutrality'. Techdirt's Mike explains why this is not the right discussion. And for the same reason it will not be an issue in Europe, something I wrote about earlier (comments in Dutch).
"Slowly, but surely, people are starting to figure out what's really going on with the network neutrality debate. While some of us have been trying to point out that the network neutrality debate is only clouding the real issue concerning competition in the broadband space, too many people have been focused on which side of the ridiculous debate you're on. However, both the telcos and the internet companies have been feeding the public exaggerated propaganda that continues to obscure the real issue."
"Slowly, but surely, people are starting to figure out what's really going on with the network neutrality debate. While some of us have been trying to point out that the network neutrality debate is only clouding the real issue concerning competition in the broadband space, too many people have been focused on which side of the ridiculous debate you're on. However, both the telcos and the internet companies have been feeding the public exaggerated propaganda that continues to obscure the real issue."
Net neutraliteit onzin
In de VS is al een tijdje een hevige discussie bezig over 'net neutrality'. Techdirt's Mike legt uit waarom dit de verkeerde discussie is. En om dezelfde reden zal dit in Europa ook niet snel een issue gaan worden, iets wat ik eerder (zie comments) ook al schreef.
"Slowly, but surely, people are starting to figure out what's really going on with the network neutrality debate. While some of us have been trying to point out that the network neutrality debate is only clouding the real issue concerning competition in the broadband space, too many people have been focused on which side of the ridiculous debate you're on. However, both the telcos and the internet companies have been feeding the public exaggerated propaganda that continues to obscure the real issue."
"Slowly, but surely, people are starting to figure out what's really going on with the network neutrality debate. While some of us have been trying to point out that the network neutrality debate is only clouding the real issue concerning competition in the broadband space, too many people have been focused on which side of the ridiculous debate you're on. However, both the telcos and the internet companies have been feeding the public exaggerated propaganda that continues to obscure the real issue."
vrijdag 16 juni 2006
Korea leading the way
MySpace is fun, Second Life as well, but the Cyworld numbers are even more inspiring. Just like the rest of Korea.
"Cyworld is a license to print money. The service itself is free (and available on cellphones as well as online), but to buy all the extras - like ringtones and virtual furnishings - will cost you "acorns," the service's virtual currency. Cyworld sells its users $300,000 in acorns every single day." Do the math: a free service, with a commerce marketplace owned by the vendor that generates well over $100 million a year in revenue. In Korea, with a population one sixth the size of the US. Not too shabby. Users have avatars that visit and can link to each other's "minihompy" - a miniature homepage that's actually a 3-D room containing a users' blog, photos, and virtual items for sale." Love that neologism, "minihompy"! But what I really found interesting here was the idea that the 3D web has reached the mass market not through wide-open worlds like Second Life, but by a constrained model that creates the 3D equivalent of MySpace.
"Cyworld is a license to print money. The service itself is free (and available on cellphones as well as online), but to buy all the extras - like ringtones and virtual furnishings - will cost you "acorns," the service's virtual currency. Cyworld sells its users $300,000 in acorns every single day." Do the math: a free service, with a commerce marketplace owned by the vendor that generates well over $100 million a year in revenue. In Korea, with a population one sixth the size of the US. Not too shabby. Users have avatars that visit and can link to each other's "minihompy" - a miniature homepage that's actually a 3-D room containing a users' blog, photos, and virtual items for sale." Love that neologism, "minihompy"! But what I really found interesting here was the idea that the 3D web has reached the mass market not through wide-open worlds like Second Life, but by a constrained model that creates the 3D equivalent of MySpace.
Korea geeft het voorbeeld
MySpace is leuk, Second Life ook, maar de cijfers van Cyworld zijn nog inspirerender. Net als de rest van Korea.
"Cyworld is a license to print money. The service itself is free (and available on cellphones as well as online), but to buy all the extras - like ringtones and virtual furnishings - will cost you "acorns," the service's virtual currency. Cyworld sells its users $300,000 in acorns every single day." Do the math: a free service, with a commerce marketplace owned by the vendor that generates well over $100 million a year in revenue. In Korea, with a population one sixth the size of the US. Not too shabby. Users have avatars that visit and can link to each other's "minihompy" - a miniature homepage that's actually a 3-D room containing a users' blog, photos, and virtual items for sale." Love that neologism, "minihompy"! But what I really found interesting here was the idea that the 3D web has reached the mass market not through wide-open worlds like Second Life, but by a constrained model that creates the 3D equivalent of MySpace.
"Cyworld is a license to print money. The service itself is free (and available on cellphones as well as online), but to buy all the extras - like ringtones and virtual furnishings - will cost you "acorns," the service's virtual currency. Cyworld sells its users $300,000 in acorns every single day." Do the math: a free service, with a commerce marketplace owned by the vendor that generates well over $100 million a year in revenue. In Korea, with a population one sixth the size of the US. Not too shabby. Users have avatars that visit and can link to each other's "minihompy" - a miniature homepage that's actually a 3-D room containing a users' blog, photos, and virtual items for sale." Love that neologism, "minihompy"! But what I really found interesting here was the idea that the 3D web has reached the mass market not through wide-open worlds like Second Life, but by a constrained model that creates the 3D equivalent of MySpace.
dinsdag 13 juni 2006
PICNIC '06: Cross Media Week
Amsterdam will host the Cross Media Week, Picnic '06, from the 26th till the 30th of September. The confirmed list of speakers is impressive, featuring amongst others Craigslist's Craig Newmark, John de Mol, Second Life's Philips Rosedale, Caterina Fake and Stewart Butterfield from Flickr, Marc Canter, Brewster Kahle, founder of The Internet Archive, Dave Winer, Dan Gilmor and Esther Dyson. I will be speaking on Thursday, about Eccky of course, and probably in a workshop on chat robots and virtual life as well.
PICNIC '06: Cross Media Week
Van 26 t/m 30 September zal in de Amsterdamse Westergasfabriek de Cross Media Week plaatsvinden, ofwel Picnic '06. De lijst met sprekers is meer dan indrukwekkend met o.a. Craig Newmark van Craigslist, John de Mol, Philips Rosedale van Second Life, Caterina Fake and Stewart Butterfield van Flickr, Marc Canter, Brewster Kahle van The Internet Archive, Dave Winer, Dan Gilmor en Esther Dyson. Zelf spreek ik ook op donderdag, over Eccky uiteraard, en als het goed is tevens in een workshop over chat robots.
zondag 11 juni 2006
Microsoft embraced
Dave has a good point about Microsoft and the changing world it's living in. But it's not necessarily bad news for them...
"It's too bad Microsoft couldn't bend more. I know that sounds arrogant, but I'm not modest about the changes brought about by blogging, RSS, podcasting, unconferences, etc. I've said it before, it's not possible for Microsoft to embrace and extend this time, yet that's how they're playing it. It's more likely to happen the other way, RSS will embrace and extend Microsoft, but I guess Microsoft is going to put that day off even further into its future. It's already way late to acknowledge that the ideas that are shaping technology aren't coming from Redmond, they aren't even coming from companies."
"It's too bad Microsoft couldn't bend more. I know that sounds arrogant, but I'm not modest about the changes brought about by blogging, RSS, podcasting, unconferences, etc. I've said it before, it's not possible for Microsoft to embrace and extend this time, yet that's how they're playing it. It's more likely to happen the other way, RSS will embrace and extend Microsoft, but I guess Microsoft is going to put that day off even further into its future. It's already way late to acknowledge that the ideas that are shaping technology aren't coming from Redmond, they aren't even coming from companies."
Microsoft omarmt
Dave maak een goed punt over Microsoft en de veranderende wereld waarin dit bedrijf opereert. Maar het is niet noodzakelijk slecht nieuws voor ze...
"It's too bad Microsoft couldn't bend more. I know that sounds arrogant, but I'm not modest about the changes brought about by blogging, RSS, podcasting, unconferences, etc. I've said it before, it's not possible for Microsoft to embrace and extend this time, yet that's how they're playing it. It's more likely to happen the other way, RSS will embrace and extend Microsoft, but I guess Microsoft is going to put that day off even further into its future. It's already way late to acknowledge that the ideas that are shaping technology aren't coming from Redmond, they aren't even coming from companies."
"It's too bad Microsoft couldn't bend more. I know that sounds arrogant, but I'm not modest about the changes brought about by blogging, RSS, podcasting, unconferences, etc. I've said it before, it's not possible for Microsoft to embrace and extend this time, yet that's how they're playing it. It's more likely to happen the other way, RSS will embrace and extend Microsoft, but I guess Microsoft is going to put that day off even further into its future. It's already way late to acknowledge that the ideas that are shaping technology aren't coming from Redmond, they aren't even coming from companies."
vrijdag 9 juni 2006
Plentyofcash
Nice success story....
I was poking around alexa today and saw that Plentyoffish is now a top 30 site In Canada ahead of all other dating sites. (Ask.com's toolbar network) puts me in the top 43 most viewed sites on the web. In the bigger picture Plentyoffish.com is neck in neck with yahoo personals and still a ways behind match.com. It amazes me to think that my 1 person company is able to compete at a level where all the competitors have 600+ servers, and 300+ full time staff. I feel like I am ahead of my time, and when I look around at the companies out there today I have a hard time seeing them existing in a few years. I believe that in a few years 2 or 3 person companies will replace companies that have 40 or 50 employees.
I was poking around alexa today and saw that Plentyoffish is now a top 30 site In Canada ahead of all other dating sites. (Ask.com's toolbar network) puts me in the top 43 most viewed sites on the web. In the bigger picture Plentyoffish.com is neck in neck with yahoo personals and still a ways behind match.com. It amazes me to think that my 1 person company is able to compete at a level where all the competitors have 600+ servers, and 300+ full time staff. I feel like I am ahead of my time, and when I look around at the companies out there today I have a hard time seeing them existing in a few years. I believe that in a few years 2 or 3 person companies will replace companies that have 40 or 50 employees.
Plentyofcash
Mooi succesverhaal....
I was poking around alexa today and saw that Plentyoffish is now a top 30 site In Canada ahead of all other dating sites. (Ask.com's toolbar network) puts me in the top 43 most viewed sites on the web. In the bigger picture Plentyoffish.com is neck in neck with yahoo personals and still a ways behind match.com. It amazes me to think that my 1 person company is able to compete at a level where all the competitors have 600+ servers, and 300+ full time staff. I feel like I am ahead of my time, and when I look around at the companies out there today I have a hard time seeing them existing in a few years. I believe that in a few years 2 or 3 person companies will replace companies that have 40 or 50 employees.
I was poking around alexa today and saw that Plentyoffish is now a top 30 site In Canada ahead of all other dating sites. (Ask.com's toolbar network) puts me in the top 43 most viewed sites on the web. In the bigger picture Plentyoffish.com is neck in neck with yahoo personals and still a ways behind match.com. It amazes me to think that my 1 person company is able to compete at a level where all the competitors have 600+ servers, and 300+ full time staff. I feel like I am ahead of my time, and when I look around at the companies out there today I have a hard time seeing them existing in a few years. I believe that in a few years 2 or 3 person companies will replace companies that have 40 or 50 employees.
vrijdag 2 juni 2006
The right to creative expression
I think the existing patent and copyright systems should be removed. I'm glad to see more people are thinking along those lines, some of them are very clear on this topic. Although I do not (yet) agree with Marc that the trademark system is not useful. For now I believe it's in the best interest of all of us. Cory Doctorow explains it here.
Just cause the same name, melody line or image is created by more than one person, doesn’t mean that only ONE person gets to own it. That’s at the core of my complaints about copyright, trademark and patent law. As I’ve said before I have experienced situations in my life where I invented something (whatever it was) that I couldn’t use - ’cause somebody “came up with it first!” So I’ve been fighting this battle and dealing with this conundrum for over 20+ years. Creative expression is a pure statement, something that can’t and shouldn’t be altered or effected by laws, social nroms or pre-conceieved notions. So I officially say “this whole system sucks!” If we can’t do whatever we want as a form of creative expression - then we’ve lost the war. Let’s all just go read the New Yorker and DEBATE on “what is art”. Cause there won’t BE any art after that. We need to protect ALL the ways that people can express themselves and trademarks prohibit that.
Just cause the same name, melody line or image is created by more than one person, doesn’t mean that only ONE person gets to own it. That’s at the core of my complaints about copyright, trademark and patent law. As I’ve said before I have experienced situations in my life where I invented something (whatever it was) that I couldn’t use - ’cause somebody “came up with it first!” So I’ve been fighting this battle and dealing with this conundrum for over 20+ years. Creative expression is a pure statement, something that can’t and shouldn’t be altered or effected by laws, social nroms or pre-conceieved notions. So I officially say “this whole system sucks!” If we can’t do whatever we want as a form of creative expression - then we’ve lost the war. Let’s all just go read the New Yorker and DEBATE on “what is art”. Cause there won’t BE any art after that. We need to protect ALL the ways that people can express themselves and trademarks prohibit that.
Recht op creatieve expressie
Ik denk dat het patent- en auteursrechtsysteem afgeschaft zou moeten worden. Ik ben blij dat er meer mensen zijn die zo denken, en sommigen verwoorden het zelfs wat krachtiger. Al ben ik het (nog) niet met Marc eens dat het merkenrecht niet nuttig is. Vooralsnog is dat echt in het belang van ons allemaal. Cory Doctorow legt dat hier uit.
Just cause the same name, melody line or image is created by more than one person, doesn’t mean that only ONE person gets to own it. That’s at the core of my complaints about copyright, trademark and patent law. As I’ve said before I have experienced situations in my life where I invented something (whatever it was) that I couldn’t use - ’cause somebody “came up with it first!” So I’ve been fighting this battle and dealing with this conundrum for over 20+ years. Creative expression is a pure statement, something that can’t and shouldn’t be altered or effected by laws, social nroms or pre-conceieved notions. So I officially say “this whole system sucks!” If we can’t do whatever we want as a form of creative expression - then we’ve lost the war. Let’s all just go read the New Yorker and DEBATE on “what is art”. Cause there won’t BE any art after that. We need to protect ALL the ways that people can express themselves and trademarks prohibit that.
Just cause the same name, melody line or image is created by more than one person, doesn’t mean that only ONE person gets to own it. That’s at the core of my complaints about copyright, trademark and patent law. As I’ve said before I have experienced situations in my life where I invented something (whatever it was) that I couldn’t use - ’cause somebody “came up with it first!” So I’ve been fighting this battle and dealing with this conundrum for over 20+ years. Creative expression is a pure statement, something that can’t and shouldn’t be altered or effected by laws, social nroms or pre-conceieved notions. So I officially say “this whole system sucks!” If we can’t do whatever we want as a form of creative expression - then we’ve lost the war. Let’s all just go read the New Yorker and DEBATE on “what is art”. Cause there won’t BE any art after that. We need to protect ALL the ways that people can express themselves and trademarks prohibit that.
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