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  • Social Search – Blekko’s More Aggressive Approach

    It’s no secret that search and social are overlapping more and more. In fact, Ted Ulle of Converseon told us last year that he believed the two would eventually unite and be called something like, integrated media marketing, or IMM.

    Do you see search and social coming together as one entity? Let us know your thoughts.

    It’s clear that social is an important element of search since search engines have not only made several attempts with social products, but they have also tried integrating it into their results. At this point, Bing integrates Facebook Likes, and Google integrates Twitter into its results.

    Blekko however, added some heat to the race to merge search and social when it recently announced a further integration with Facebook. It had previously integrated Facebook Likes, but after last week’s announcement, incorporates Facebook Comments into its results as well.

    Rich Skrenta, Blekko’s CEO and Co-founder, told us, “Basically, taking all of that data – the likes as well as the comments – and projecting it out onto the Web to, basically, give you just one more layer of understanding what you’re doing in search.”

    Although Google did recently roll out its +1 product in an effort to become more social, it’s still too early to see if this feature is the answer to Google’s social woes.

    “It’s interesting that they’re trying to boot up their own social experience with +1 rather than tapping into one of the existing massive social systems that are already out there,” said Skrenta.

    Incidentally, he did say that he would take Google’s +1 data if they made it available.

    Ever since its launch last year, Blekko has been focused on keeping spam out of search. Skrenta has stated many times that the Web is overly saturated with spam. Referring to Google’s spam issues, specifically, he said the quality signal that Google pulls from a Web page and uses for ranking is actually really low. For this reason, he believes that a Facebook user is “more valid than a random Web page.”

    “If you take a random Facebook user, first of all, it’s likely to be a human, and second of all, if you can restrict it to the people that are in your social circle, since people don’t generally follow spammers, the signal is much higher,” he explained.

    According to him, both Google and Bing are being “conservative” in their social efforts, which is why Blekko is trying to be more aggressive in its own approach.

    Moving forward, it will be interesting to see if Google or Bing responds to Blekko’s latest social initiative. Do you think they will?

  • As Mobile Tagging Grows, So Do Business Opportunities

    As Mobile Tagging Grows, So Do Business Opportunities

    Have you noticed that the boxes filled with oddly shaped code are starting to appear more and more? These mobile tags create a digital experience in a physical world. The industry is growing rapidly as more industries embrace the space.

    Are you a fan of these mobile tags? Tell us why or why not.

    New data from Microsoft reveals that their Tag brought in the largest number of scans to date during the month of March. In addition, the number of scans has doubled in the past three months, and the number of users has more than doubled.

    Microsoft Tag credits its significant growth to many factors, including the penetration rate of smartphones in the marketplace. Another factor it believes led to its recent growth is the success that various industries have had using Tag.

    “Rather than being confined to a 2D, 2-dimensional experience on a page, you can link that consumer, via Tag, to an online experience through their mobile phone,” said Jeff Somers, the marketing director for Microsoft Tag.

    Many industries including retail, entertainment, and, primarily, publishing are finding that mobile tagging creates multiple opportunities for engagement. Specifically, mobile tagging is helping businesses drive and measure engagement through actions such as newsletter sign-ups and Facebook and Twitter followers.

    According to Somers, advertisers that have incorporated Tag have also noticed a deeper level of engagement. They have found that consumers stay with the content longer, come back to it, and also remember it.

    “It’s a really interesting way to pull consumers more deeply into the experience, share more information and content with them, get them to engage with your brand, and really help them, I think, make better decisions, and enjoy the experience more,” said Jeff Somers, the marketing director for Microsoft Tag.

    Tag also reports analytics to its partners to provide more insights into the progress of efforts.

    Have you thought about incorporating mobile tagging into your marketing strategy?

  • Opponents Say McCain-Kerry Bill Would Limit the Internet

    A new privacy bill introduced earlier this week has a lot of people talking. The bipartisan proposal introduced by Senators McCain and Kerry would create the nation’s first comprehensive privacy law.

    Does America need a federal privacy law? Share your thoughts.

    Advocates of the bill say it would enforce protection for consumers’ digital data and would also limit how large companies collect and utilize information. Those who oppose it believe that it would have a negative impact on the future development of the Web.

    “The reality is, I don’t think we’ve yet determined that there is a clear market failure or harm that needs to be addressed through preemptive, prophylactic forms of regulation such as the McCain/Kerry bill,” said Adam Thierer.

    Thierer is a senior research fellow with the Technology Policy Project at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He believes that a “hands off the Internet” policy is a better approach for the Web.

    Up to this point, the U.S. has relied on a model that lets users work out problems in the marketplace through experimentation. Other countries, however, have extensive privacy regulations that govern their information flow.

    Thierer, and others that oppose the bill, believe it would create an “information control regime.” He also pointed out that there are tools already available that ensure for the same privacy measures that the bill would enforce on a federal level.

    “An important thing that’s often overlooked in this debate is how few people actually really care enough to actually do these sorts of things… that’s not a market failure, it’s just a choice consumers have made,” he said.

    Supporters of this “privacy bill of rights,” as this bill is being called, believe it should include a measure that stops companies from tracking online actions. Incidentally, Congresswoman Jackie Speier introduced the Do Not Track Me Online Act of 2011, which specifically covers online data collection.

    Just as opponents to the “Do Not Track” bill believed that it would harm the online advertising industry, opponents to the McCain/Kerry bill believe it would have a similar impact. Many of the free services that consumers use daily are possible because of online advertising. If advertising were limited, companies would likely have to charge for services such as email and social networks.

    “What is it that powers the Internet? It’s information and advertising,” said Thierer.

    One further issue that opponents bring up is the fact that this bill could lead to more regulation for the Internet.

    “Where we begin with certain types of rules and regulations is not where we always end,” he added.

    Interestingly, Microsoft, eBay, HP, and Intel have all voiced approval for the bill. What’s even more intriguing is that Google and Facebook, who are both mega influencers, did not join this tech group of supporters.

    Do you believe in a “hands off the Internet” approach, or do you think the McCain/Kerry privacy law would be beneficial?

  • The State of the Location Industry

    The location industry has seen a lot of growth over the last year or so. Not only have more location-based services emerged, but some of the early players have also matured as businesses. In the past year, we’ve seen Facebook enter the market with Places and Foursquare hit 8 million users.

    Have you gotten involved in the location phenomenon? Let us know.

    “It’s starting to really get some serious attention,” said Aaron Strout, the Head of Location-Based Marketing at WCG.

    There are services such as SCVNGR that bring challenges to the social check-in process. In addition, there are recommendation services like Bizzy, which is trying to popularize the idea of checking out instead of checking in.

    Interestingly, Foursquare rolled out a recommendation service not long ago called “Discovery” as part of its Foursquare 3.0 release.

    Google has also made a couple of attempts in the direction of location, and, if you remember, actually owned Dodgeball, which was a predecessor to Foursquare. But, according to Strout, they “haven’t quite figured out the DNA of social yet.”

    Although we haven’t seen a significant interest at this point, both Yahoo and Microsoft cannot be ruled out to becoming a part of this market.

    Also, the deals services like Groupon and LivingSocial have a lot of potential to break further into location. Many of these services are hyperlocal but could even go a step further and reach consumers in their own neighborhoods.

    “I think, over time, you’re gonna see some consolidation, you’re gonna see some acquisitions, but the bottom line is… no one’s got the formula figured out yet,” said Strout.

    What do you see happening in the location space over the next year?

  • As Net Neutrality Battle Builds, Other Concerns Rise

    As Net Neutrality Battle Builds, Other Concerns Rise

    Although the issue of net neutrality has never been small, it has grown into a very large, complicated matter with more concerns rising frequently. It has actually developed into a political issue with outspoken parties on both sides.

    Do you think that net neutrality has gotten too political? Let us know why or why not.

    According to John Bergmayer, a staff attorney with Public Knowledge, net neutrality is “not supposed to be something for the Washington chattering classes to gossip about.” Instead, he stated, “It’s supposed to be a simple set of rules that allows innovators to innovate and creators to create.”

    To complicate matters even further, the U.S. House of Representatives recently voted to retract the net neutrality rules that the FCC adopted in December. However, in order for the rules to be completely reversed, the Senate and the President would have to be in favor of repealing the rules as well.

    There is also a lot of conflict around ISPs and the lack of options for consumers. Bergmayer explained that 80 percent of Americans that have access to broadband services only have, at most, 2 broadband options to choose from. Millions of other Americans only have 1 choice in a broadband provider.

    As a result, ISPs are not forced to compete in prices and services, which means that prices are often high and services are less than satisfactory. But, ISPs have their own concern since many of them also provide content services. They, in turn, fear the rise of services such as Netflix.

    In the end, the fight is about the future of the Internet, media, and communications. The big question is where the government fits in with determining these outcomes.

    Fortunately, consumers can share their opinion too. Because the FCC often takes comments on important issues, Bergmayer encourages people to participate. In addition, he suggests that individuals call their Congressmen and women to express their beliefs.

    “It’s not just about big companies like Google fighting big companies like Comcast. It’s really about the individual… out there throughout America,” he said.

    He further pointed out that Washington, DC listens to those who speak the loudest, especially on “political football” issues such as with net neutrality.

    Are you letting your voice be heard on these issues?

  • Adobe Launches Creative Suite 5.5

    Today, Adobe announced a new version of its popular Creative Suite software. The company has always aimed to enable Web designers and developers to produce quality products, and the new Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium is no exception.

    Do you use Adobe’s Creative Suite? Tell us what you like about it.

    According to Scott Fegette, Adobe’s Senior Product Manager on the Creative Suite Web team, CS5.5 “helps Web pros work more efficiently and quickly without having to go back to school and learn a whole new slew of skills or technology.”

    While CS5.5 includes updates to Adobe Flash Catalyst, Adobe Flash Builder, Adobe Device Central, and Adobe Acrobat X Pro, the biggest updates come through Adobe Dreamweaver and Adobe Flash Pro. Through CS5.5, both Dreamweaver and Flash Pro enhance the workflow and sharing experience for Web developers.

    “We really sort of tried to gear all of our work in CS5.5 just to make it much more easier for Web professionals to either transition their existing projects, sites, and applications to a multiscreen experience, or in some cases, just literally start from scratch with a green field, dedicated mobile project,” said Fegette.

    In terms of Adobe Flash Pro, CS5.5 provides a new feature called Scale Content with Stage that allows users to scale proportionately and quickly. In the past, it could take a long time for users to convert animations and movie clips. Through this feature, this same action could take a matter of seconds.

    Adobe also made significant advances in HTML5, specifically its authoring tools and its support of jQuery mobile framework integration for browser-based content. In addition, it allows PhoneGap integration for the development of native and mobile apps. In other words, these improvements eliminate extra steps for developers and make their experience more seamless.

    The company has also revamped its pricing and subscription models to give customers the latest versions of their software without being locked into 18-month cycles. Adobe is giving customers both long-term and short-term options with prices starting at $89 per month.

    “The hope is that, literally, as soon as people get it installed and take a look at it, it’s just immediately going to feel like a natural extension of the skills they already learned,” Fegette added.

  • Social Network Users’ Bill of Rights: Yay or Nay?

    With all the privacy concerns over the last year, it is not really surprising that Social Networking User Bill of Rights have been proposed. Although the idea of this type of Bill of Rights has been around for some time, no idea has ever had the power to stick.

    Do you like the idea of a social networking user bill of rights? Tell us why or why not.

    A group of people representing various constituencies began to pen the Bill of Rights at the Computers, Freedom, and Privacy Conference last year. Christina Gagnier, Partner with Gagnier Margossian LLP, is among the advocates of the proposal and said that they thought the rights would be an effective way to communicate the message since Americans are accustomed their own federal Bill of Rights.

    The rights cover areas such as the amount of information that can be collected and shared with others, the act of deleting or modifying data without policy, data portability, and other challenging issues in the online social space. Another part of the debate around the Bill of Rights is whether or not it should be a government mandate.

    Although some people believe that the government would better enforce it, others believe that it would only lead to more regulation, which is the same reaction that some people had regarding the “Do Not Track Me Online Act of 2011.”

    Privacy is tricky because many privacy laws in place today are specific to individual industries, such as HIPAA for the health industry. The online sector is especially difficult because it would be hard to determine whom the legislation directly impacts. For example, would it strictly be for social networks, or would corporations be included as well?

    At this point, there are 14 Social Networking User Bill of Rights. Users can visit its site and vote in favor of them or against them. Additionally, they can propose new rights for review.

    “I think we’ve jumpstarted the conversation, and so we just want everyone else to be involved,” said Gagnier.

    How would such a Bill of Rights impact users?

  • What’s the Impact of the AT&T/T-Mobile Deal?

    What’s the Impact of the AT&T/T-Mobile Deal?

    Ever since AT&T announced its $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA, consumers have been speculating about its potential impact. Some people have spoken out in favor of it, and others have strongly opposed it.

    Do you think the merger would help or hurt consumers? Let us know.

    If approved, the combined AT&T/T-Mobile would create the largest wireless provider in the US. Verizon would be the second largest provider, followed by Sprint. Does this limit competition, or is it simply a strategic business move on AT&T’s part?

    Those who oppose the deal believe that consumers would suffer since they would be given one less choice in a wireless provider. Those who support the merger, on the other hand, believe that consumers would benefit from better service from the combined companies.

    Jim Lakely, the Co-Director of the Center for Digital Economy at The Heartland Institute, supports the deal and said, “There’s actually a lot more competition in the market than most people realize.”

    He went on to say that, although most people are drawn to the big 3 or 4 providers, smaller providers, such as Leap Wireless and US Cellular, should also be considered as competitors in the marketplace.

    Price has been another point of dispute between supporters and opponents of the merger. Understandably, many consumers are concerned that their wireless rates would increase as a result of the deal. However, supporters argue that services would better through the joint companies.

    For example, T-Mobile customers would have access to the iPhone. Also, advocates say that 4G has more of an opportunity to advance and become available to more people through the combined effort.

    Lakely further pointed out that price wouldn’t be an issue, since the wireless market is so customer-sensitive. If AT&T/T-Mobile were to increase their prices, their customers would simply move to another provider.

    He actually believes that the FCC could be more harmful to consumers than the AT&T/T-Mobile deal. In a statement, he said, “The FCC itself poses a bigger danger to consumers than any merger.”

    According to him, the anti-trust division of the Department of Justice is the proper place that should review mergers and acquisitions. He further stated that the FCC did not have enough experience in the wireless space to be involved.

    “What it really needs to do is get out of the way and let things develop naturally,” he added.

    Lakely, along with other supporters of the deal, believe that this merger is a “natural” business acquisition. Just as in any other industry, companies unite in order to create efficiencies in the marketplace and better meet customer needs. If you remember, Verizon acquired Alltel for these very reasons.

    Even though Lakely is convinced that the FCC will put many conditions on the deal, he believes it will pass regulatory approval. Because the Department of Justice stated last year that the wireless sector was competitive and healthy, he doesn’t think it could overturn that stance. Do you agree that it will be approved?

    Note: WPN reached out to Om Malik for his perspective but did receive a response.

  • Is Location as Effective as Social Media?

    Geolocation has had a tremendous impact on the way we currently live. Many consumers utilize geolocation applications on a daily basis to interact with their friends and associates. Businesses have also found value in geolocation and have used it in marketing efforts to reach their customers.

    Are you finding geolocation to be useful to you or your business? Let us know how you’re utilizing it.

    Foursquare and Gowalla have been largely responsible for popularizing the idea of geolocation-based services. They combine many elements of other social networks such as the real-time functions of Twitter, the review aspects of sites like Yelp, and the social gaming of many networks, but they add location into the mix, which creates a completely new and exciting space.

    Although location-based services are still in the early stages, they appear to be having an influence that is similar to the one that social media has had. According to Jay Adelson, the CEO of SimpleGeo and former CEO of Digg, there have been very few trends that have had relevance across multiple platforms and industries. He believes that social media falls into this select few, as well as location.

    “Many of us believed for a long time, even throughout the social media revolution, that location also was one of those topics that would really act like a layer, as social has, on top of all these different applications,” he said.

    Because he believes so strongly in this idea, he began working in the location space with SimpleGeo, a company that enables developers to easily make location-aware apps. The company has released 3 products since its launch last year including SimpleGeo Context, SimpleGeo Places, and most recently, SimpleGeo Storage.

    The Storage platform ties the products together in a way that supports any type of location-aware app. Through Storage, SimpleGeo offers developers a complete infrastructure solution to build location apps.

    “Applying that same technology theory that was used to solve some of the social media problems of real-time data in the social Web from companies like Facebook, Twitter, and, of course, Digg, we’ve been able to take some of those lessons learned… and apply it to a geo-spatial problem,” he said.

    As SimpleGeo further innovates, we will likely see more location-based apps and developments emerge and integrate into our lives. With this in mind, do you think that location has the potential to impact us in the same way that social media has?

  • Is it Daily Deals, or Local Commerce?

    “What’s the deal of the day?” is a question that is starting to become the norm in social circles. Although Groupon has been labeled the leader in the field, new data from Yipit shows that Groupon was down in both February and March. The data also shows that LivingSocial is up 59 percent in revenues for the top 20 markets.

    Is LivingSocial on its way to becoming the daily deals leader? Let us know what you think.

    While the competition has been tight between Groupon and LivingSocial, what could have given LivingSocial the extra momentum recently? According to Aaron Batalion, the company’s co-founder and CTO, LivingSocial is much more than a daily deals service.

    “A lot of people in this space right now think it’s daily deals, and we disagree. This is about local commerce,” he said.

    Batalion even said that, for LivingSocial, it wasn’t about selling the most deals. Instead, the company’s main priority is to build relationships with local businesses.

    “We want to work with these merchants for a very long time,” said Batalion.

    LivingSocial works with local businesses to ensure that the deals are sent according to their schedules. Batalion explained that the company views each deal as an opportunity for a merchant to show off his business to his town.

    For users, LivingSocial hopes to provide new and interesting things to do in their communities. To expand on this goal, the company recently introduced a mobile product called LivingSocial Instant. These instant deals can be redeemed immediately, and as Batalion pointed out, encourages the local businesses to fight for users.

    Another product that further reaches consumers is LivingSocial Escapes. This travel feature offers complete day trips, weekend getaways, and more. The “escapes” do all the planning for users by pairing activities together. These offers also last a week, as opposed to the typical 24-hour deal.

    “We want to provide new ways for you to spend money in your town and near your town, and that’s what we’re working on,” said Batalion.

    Interestingly, the company just announced that it raised an additional $400 million in funding.

    Do these latest developments indicate that LivingSocial is headed in the right direction to lead this space into its next phase?

  • Web TV Vs. Traditional Television

    Web TV Vs. Traditional Television

    With YouTube as the second largest search engine on the Web, it’s apparent that Web TV is growing in value and usage. Although trends also show that the quality of the content has moved beyond the infamous silly cat videos, the quality of Web TV still has room for improvement. But, what should it look like?

    Should the quality of Web TV be just like the quality of traditional television? Please share your thoughts.

    According to Dina Kaplan, the Co-founder of blip.tv, “Content [Web TV] that does well shouldn’t just look like television production made with less money.”

    She went on to say that people should not embrace Web TV as a last resort to not having the budget for traditional TV. There is actually a big difference between the two and each option has its own advantages and disadvantages.

    For instance, Web TV has more freedom than traditional television has. (Kevin Pollak addressed this aspect in an interview here.) Traditional television, on the other hand, typically has more resources than Web productions have.

    But again, these advantages and disadvantages are a result of the differences between the two offerings. For example, both Web TV and traditional TV serve two completely different audiences.  Web TV shows serve a very specific audience and can establish personal connections with its viewers.

    Fans that watch Web shows have the ability to write comments that provide immediate influence on the plot of a series. However, by the time a traditional television show reaches its audience, the next several shows have already been filmed.

    Because traditional television and Web TV are so different, Kaplan said they “should look different.”

    “I think we’ll see over the next year Web shows really emerge as their own form of media… and it will look, act, feel, smell very different from television,” she added.

    Do you agree with her and believe that Web TV will evolve into its own form of media within the next year?