Tweet Button for Twitter – TweetMeme

May 31st, 2009 | Posted in Blog, design | Comments
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<< Yes this button! I have had to look for this “tweet button” or twitter badge several times.  I’m sure I’ll remember “TweetMeme” this time.  But in case someone else out there is looking for the “Tweet This Button” (my words) just head on over to http://tweetmeme.com.

The retweet button is for website and blog publishers that want to encourage their audience to retweet their content on twitter.

We have made our button really smart, with one simple piece of javascript we are clever enough to give you up to date tweet counts and shorten your title and link for the retweets. Best of all it will work on any web page, anywhere!

Compact Version also available.  via Button – TweetMeme.

eBooks, Books, Publishing, & Magazines

May 31st, 2009 | Posted in Blog, news | Comments
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Has our digital lifestyle created an environment fort short story and article based information exchanges?  Considering I’m always typing to conserve characters because I don’t want to overshoot my micro-blogging 140 character limit, perhaps “yes.”

And soon the Kindle and other eReaders will be part of every living room and business office.  The book business will either learn to thrive on digital mediums or be left standing, wondering what hit them, like newspapers. Without an image, it’s likely that half the people that started reading this two paragraph blog have already left… All due respect to real writers that would have us gripping our eReader for the “next page” button.

Jacket Copy Blog
“Magazine articles are the new books,” Tina Brown said, referring to the public’s shrinking appetite for long-form publishing and looking like Lady Di in her chic bob and magenta power suit.

via Tina Brown’s bigwig publishing panel | Jacket Copy | Los Angeles Times.

Twitter Status – Unscheduled downtime

May 30th, 2009 | Posted in Blog, strategy | Comments
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Scheduled or unscheduled, how do you satisfy a user base that is becoming increasingly dependent upon your service?  Twitter is to big to allow server and technology issues impede growth plans.  But the frequent mid-afternoon craw and now even weekend failure pose a threat to the leader.

The Internets are impatient!  And there will come a day when Facebook or another “like structured” micro blogging system takes advantage of an outtage to announce a better and different model.

Perhaps a model where real engagement drives success and not just followers. Perhaps a model that allows other users to rate content; delivery; and appropriateness of posts.  Perhaps a model that allows for separation and tuning of noise vs. signal.  Perhaps the client application like Tweetdeck builds in a bridge mode using Identi.ca or similar platform.  What’s Ping.fm working on these days…

TechCrunch covered the service problem citing others poking fun at the fail… Yes, Twitter is down. Yes, again. Yes, they’re looking into it. Yes, this is another Twitter post.

Official Twitter Status Update: May 30, 2009 7:50 PST.

Unscheduled downtime 1 hour ago

  • We are investigating the problem and will update status shortly.
  • Update: We have found the problem and are working to correct.
  • Update: We have corrected a fatal software error. The site is back up.

via Twitter Status.

Growing pains are bound to occur.  It’s tough being the best on the block.  If I were the Twitter CEO, well… lets just stop there. LOL!

Microsoft has announced the ‘Bing’ search engine

May 29th, 2009 | Posted in Blog, strategy | Comments
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Search is very important.  It’s how we find answers and information everyday.

We are just getting our mind around Wolfram|Alpha a new type of search and Microsoft has announced their candidate in the search space dominated by Google.

WolframAlpha

WolframAlpha is different in that it can give us the information we seek instead of piecing it together with what we find on Google.

Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer has unveiled Bing, the company’s revamped search engine and a key component in its online strategy.

via Microsoft unveils ‘Bing’ search engine – ZDNet.co.uk.

The current site bing.com has their Coming Soon splash page. 

Bing

According to Rupert Goodwins ZDNet.co.uk, Microsoft is calling Bing a “decision engine” rather than a search engine.

Cuil

Didn’t we have big enthusiasm with Cuil (read more) recently.  I really liked the visual presentation of Cuil results and the suggestions and related keywords.  

But for some reason, it didn’t end up on a bookmark where I would conveniently use it on a regular basis.  

It’s not reasonable to me that a new search engine player enters the market and changes habbits of going to Google.  If the new search entrants want to gain presence, they should be partnering with social media sites as the exclusive search tool.  Imagine if Bing was integrated better with Twitter search than any other tool?  Or if Cuil was acquired by Facebook and bacame all Facebook users “right column” search for everything tool.

I’m sure the high level strategy teams are thinking about these things.  You wan’t to see the game get interesting? Just wait until you hear about one of the big players announce what I just proposed.

Social Media Friend Management

May 28th, 2009 | Posted in Blog, strategy | Comments
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I’ts catching up with us.  Our new found friends.  How do we keep all these friends organized.  In college, I’d meet a few dozen new people every semester.  Out in the workforce, (as a young graduate) I met a dozen people a week. With social media backpacks like twitter and facebook, I now meet a dozen new people a day.  So how do we manage all our new social media friends? 

Of course, more apps!

I enjoyed Chris Dannen’s blog on the topic today.

Too Many Social Network Updates? Two Tools for Filtering the Nobodies – Article: Fast Company -

The problem: these apps work. Often too well–the basin is overflowing.

When I look at my Facebook News Feed, Google Talk list and my Twitter client, here’s what I see: old friends, workmates, acquaintances, and then, in a much smaller group, real friends. In an article this week entitled, “What’s a Friend Worth?” BusinessWeek writer John Byrne went straight to the source–Facebook HQ in Palo Alto–to figure out just how many real friends a given Facebook user actually has in his or her network.

via Too Many Social Network Updates? Two Tools for Filtering the Nobodies | TechWatch | Fast Company.

Chris, mentioned two new tools PeopleBrowsr and Zensify.  I ultimately have another old post I plan to update that talks about Facebook and the need for both work, friends, family, and social streams.  Add some privacy controls and make groups a standard element that might cross a major stream group and you might begin to mimick the complexity of real life early social interactions.

We are getting there… but there’s got to be a way to filter and purge the firneds that didn’t quite make it into that long term social pals short list.  After all, there’s only 24 hours in a day.

New York Times to Increase Price of Home Newspaper Delivery

May 27th, 2009 | Posted in Blog, publishing | Comments
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It does not surprise me that print media (and even print mail) will increase in price.  We can only hope for enhancements in value and that the high cost print media that reach our porch or mailbok will impove in quality.

The NY Times on my front proch should not contain any section I “never” read.  It should be colorful and have simple icons to show me where to go online for more engagement.

“Dear Home Delivery Subscriber,

“Effective Monday, June 1, there will be an increase in the price of the home delivery of The Times…We regret having to raise rates at this time of financial challenge for so many cross the nation. It is, however, one of a number of steps we must take in order to secure the core qualities that define The Times and make it so highly valued buy the most discerning readers.”

via The NY Times Gambles by Raising Prices | BNET Media Blog | BNET.

 

Times are changing.  We need value change too!