Google going to use Gmail as Social Media?

if true, potentially huge development as this mashable article rightly suggests--but the question really comes down to whether or not Google is trying to compete with fb and twitter or join their party (well, twitter's party is hardly on par with fb's but still...).

if the fb/google war is still on (and there's nothing to indicate it isn't) than we're probably talking competitor...

tbd

Social Media Mistakes

Social media is of course the it-thing. It's hot, it's now, it's Charlie. And figuring out how, where, why and when to use is of paramount importance, if you ask me. Careful, strategic thinking and planning is required--you can't just get your company a facebook page and start talking to your customers. You gotta be careful and smart--and it's gotta make sense and offer something useful to your customers. And you'll need time and help to do this.

Some of these ideas (and more) are explored in this bnet article--check it out.

Mobile Marketing is the New Frontier

As many are recognising (see for example p. 245 of this book), mobile is the new old internet--which means it's where the action is. Everybody and their brother has a mobile phone the only question really is whether or not you can get to them--can you advertise to them...because most people, especially here in NZ, are decidedly NOT using their mobiles to go online.

so while the right now of mobile advertising is a bit gloomy, the "coming soon" looks very promising indeed and it's certainly a good time to mess around and get your hands dirty--those who start early end strong. see for example this bnet article, though a bit dated, still offers some relevant advice.

The Great Facebook/Google War

Facebook and Google--one the upstart punk, the other the old guard--all powerful and impenetrable.

It also could be classified in this way: The Social Net vs the Computerized Net. People vs Machines.

Wired has a fascinating take on this battle, or perhaps properly this coming battle and definitely worth the read.

Myself, i'm inclined to think that this battle, if it ever really materializes, won't necessarily end with one on top of the other--could be they combine even...or they just carve out different parts of the pie and peacefully co-exist...to be continued...

my HuffPost Webby award...

acceptance speech is among the finalists.

"The Revolution has been digitized"

(by the way, the rules are that the speech has to be five words long)

Other ideas I had:
Newspapers aren't dead....jk ;)
The Internet isn't a truck
Proof: Internet...not a truck

If the speech could be six words then i'd go with:
Apparently, the Internet isn't a truck.

Self serving, I know...but in light of the Alaska connection this year and the power of Huffpost more generally, it actually seems like the best idea to me.

Web 2.0 and beyond...

A short but interesting article from RWW on what should happen next on the Web and where to go what with the economic recession and all...

It's also a good time to revisit one of the better articles on what Web 2.0 is--you can check it out here.

Friedman the Green...

as in greedy for the green stuff...

Check out this hilarious post by Matt Taibbi on the miserable train wreck that is Tom Friedman...

Why do certain people, e.g. Friedman, who get everything wrong about everything continue to make money telling us what they think about things? And why do people continue to buy their garbage? Can't we stuff guys like Friedman in the recycling bin and be done with them? Can't they ever get fired?

Can you buy virtual goods? Can you sell them? Are they real?

Ask Brock Pierce those questions and he'd likely be forced to admit that he hasn't a clue--despite the fact that he at one time owned the most promising virtual goods company in the world: Internet Gaming Entertainment.

Check out this fascinating tale of the rise and fall of a crazy business that dealt in the sale of stuff that doesn't really exist.