Bixi Bicycles Booming in Montreal
By Mark Evans | July 3, 2009
There are lots of things to like about Montreal - the nightlife, restaurants, cafes, parks, shopping, et al - but the thing that has really impressed me over the past week has been a system called Bixi that lets people use bicycles when needed.
There are stations scattered throughout downtown Montreal where you can pick up a bicycle, travel to where you want to go, and then park it at another station. The system, which can be accessed and monitored online (that’s the technology angle here!) can tell where you pick and drop off a bicycle, along with how many kilometers it’s been used. Since Bixi’s launch a few months ago, more than 1,000,000 kilometers have been racked up. Now, that’s impressive!
It was thought that Bixi would be particularly popular with tourists looking an easy and eco-friendly way to get around the city but, surprisingly, Bixi has also been enthusiastically embraced by Montrealers who view as a convenient way to commute.
Of course, this shouldn’t be a huge surprise given how Montreal is one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in North America. As someone who commutes via bicycle in Toronto, the focus on promoting bicycles is just another thing to like about Montreal. Along with Bixi, Montreal has aggressively expanded the number of bicycles paths.
Technorati Tags: bicycles, bixi, montreal
Twitter Bling on Bing for Famous People
By Mark Evans | July 2, 2009
You have to give Microsoft’s new search engine, Bing, a lot of credit. Since the launch last month, it has done a terrific job of winning over a growing number of people with some savvy public relation efforts.
The latest is the launch of results that show Twitter updates….as long as you’re famous. Dipping its toe into the real-time search market, Bing now presents Twitter updates from “prominent and prolific Twitterers”.
“We’re not indexing all of Twitter at this time… just a small set of prominent and prolific Twitterers to start. We picked a few thousand people to start, based primarily on their follower count and volume of tweets. We think this is an interesting first step toward using Twitter’s public API to surface Tweets in people search. We’d love to hear your feedback as we think through future possibilities in real time search.”
Not surprisingly, the inclusion of Twitter results has received enthusiastically received by many high-profile bloggers - many of whom fall into the “prominent and prolific” category.
It’s another example of how Microsoft is making some smart moves to give Bing a fighting chance. While Bing has some interesting wrinkles, Microsoft has realized that going head-to-head with Google is not a game it’s going to win, so it’s taking another tactic based on coming across as fuser-friendly and a willing to be creative.
So far, it looks like a smart strategy based on Bing’s market share gains recently.
Topics: Search Engines | Comments
Social Media Shouldn’t Be a Chore
By Mark Evans | July 1, 2009
Chris Brogan is a smart and insightful blogger and one of the leading social media consultants/practitioners but his recent post on establishing an online presence and building relationships should be taken with a grain of salt.
The problem - at least the way I see it - is his prescription for social media success comes across as far too structured, methodical and contrived as opposed to being sincere, transparent and well-intentioned.
Brogan goes through 19 daily rituals for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and blogs, which he describes as “chores”, that you should do each and every day. For example, on Facebook, he suggests you:
“Check in on birthdays on the home page. (Want a secret? Send the birthday wish via Twitter or email. Feels even more deliberate.)”
I’m sure it can be an effective technique but “checking in on birthdays” seems a long way from a sincere, from-the-heart kind of behaviour.
What makes social media so effective is it’s not a blatant sales vehicle or something that should be faked or seen as a chore. Strong brands and relationships within social media are built on a solid foundation of honesty, sincerity, friendliness and transparency.
You don’t “work” social media by methodically doing the same exercises day in, day out. Instead, you should focus on building your social media brand and relationships inch by inch without taking any shortcuts. In some respects, it’s like making new friends in life - nothing happens overnight but, rather, over time.
There are lots of tools and techniques available to extend your brand and content such as Facebook, Twitter, Friendfeed, del.icio.us and StumbleUpon but those are weapons within your social media arsenal.
But if you’re looking to build a strong social media presence and relationships, it takes time, effort and a straightforward and honest approach.
Topics: Social Media | Comments
Can Travel Sites Truly Leverage Social Media?
By Mark Evans | June 30, 2009
The New York Times had an article last Sunday on how personal recommendation services are becoming more popular - driven by the belief that the best advice comes from people you know and those in your digital and personal networks as opposed to a service such as Yahoo Answers.
For anyone using Twitter or Facebook, the power and effectiveness of tapping into your networks is clear. To me, one of Twitter’s “killer apps” is being able to use the collective knowledge of the crowd.
Yesterday, I went to a start-up event in Montreal featuring three travel sites - Travellr, Viajeros and YowTrip.
One thing that struck me during their presentations is how travel is such a personal experience, and how the best travel experiences don’t come from guidebooks but, instead, the people you meet along the way that suggest places you’d never otherwise have discovered.
This makes recommendation services such as Twitter a natural way for people to get travel advice from an extensive network of people who have real insight into what to see, do and hear, and a willingness to share it.
The question is how online travel services can effectively integrate Twitter into their offerings as opposed to having it exist as a standalone. Traveller, for example, has a way to ask questions that can be published on Twitter but there’s current no way to integrate the replies from Twitter users into Travellr’s database so Traveller users can benefit from what people are saying on Twitter.
My sense is the tighter integration of Twitter into online services will be a powerful and effective way to enhance the information available while extending the overall community. In some respects, Facebook is working on it with Facebook Connect but the reality is we’re just scratching the surface.
Topics: Social Media | Comments
Blogging Still Rules the Social Media Roost
By Mark Evans | June 29, 2009
Steve Rubel caused quite the stir last week when he proclaimed he was leaving blogging for lifestreaming and a focus on social networks - a stance he appears to have retreated on already.
Not surprisingly, it led to some people to wonder whether blogging is passe if a high-profile and well-known blogger is abandoning ship. Computer World’s Sharon Machlis opined that:
Blogging doesn’t necessarily feel over the hill to me, but it’s certainly not cutting edge or real-time anymore. It does feel slow compared to the more instant give and take of Twitter.
For people who have been blogging for awhile, the statement above is not a surprise given people immersed in the Web are always looking for new, shiny toys when they get tired of what’s in their digital toy boxes. There are many people who like the give and take of Twitter, but the reality Twitter takes far less time, effort or, frankly, thought.
But while blogging may not longer be seen as sexy, it’s still a powerful and effective platform for individuals and businesses. It’s a dynamic and interactive way to provide information, insight, explore ideas and talk about what’s going in your world or the world in general.
Blogs are also effective ways to build strong corporate and personal brands. For individuals such as myself, a blog is the new business card. It’s the place where clients, potential clients and people may be interested in my take on the world can quickly and easily get a sense of what I think.
When I started ME Consulting earlier this year, my blogging activity slowed because I was busy trying to meet people and do work. What I soon discovered is blogging is one of my most effective marketing tools, which made it clear that it wasn’t something I could back away from. This is why I would never follow Steve Rubel’s path.
My thoughts about blogging are shared by Brian Clark, who has built a large following and a solid business with Copyblogger.com. When talking about Rubel’s decision, Clark said:
The impact of Facebook and Twitter is a powerful trend that shouldn’t be dismissed (in fact, content creators should be using at least one of them). But the story remains the same: people who mainly want to socialize, share links, and post pictures of their cat should be using social networks instead of blogging, and that’s exactly what’s happening.
Those of us with different aspirations continue to blog, and smartly use social networking sites to promote our content while adding value in those venues. Whether you’re trying to build an online business, market your stuff, or promote a cause, those who seek maximum influence know that creating valuable longer content is the way to go.
I’m a disciple of Clark’s approach to blogging and social media. To me, blogging sits in the centre of my social media world. Twitter, Facebook, et al are powerful extensions but they’re different tools that complement but will not replace blogging.
Technorati Tags: blogs, steve rubel
Joe Pantalone, We Need to Talk
By Mark Evans | June 25, 2009
As some of you may know, there’s 30,000 city workers in Toronto are on strike, which has shut down garbage collection, day cares, community centres and other services.
Like a good citizen, I fired off an e-mail to my councillor, Joe Pantalone, who also happens to be the deputy mayor, in which I outlined my concerns and criticisms. Shortly afterward, I got this automated response:
“Thank you very much for taking the time to write and share your thoughts. I appreciate that and will include them with comments from others in the community. Thanks again,
Joe Pantalone
Deputy Mayor
City of Toronto”
To be honest, it seems strange to receive an automated response given the world of social media where “conversations” are happening on an increasingly basis between companies and consumers. And it seem odd to get this kind of response given how Obama Barack used social media so effectively during the U.S. presidential elections.
Yes, I know Mr. Pantalone is a reall busy guy these days with not enough hours in the day to personally respond to every e-mail he receives but there’s got to be a better way to talk with his constituents about what’s happening.
It would be great if Mr. Pantalone was using social media tools to have “conversations” but his Web site suggests he’s not using Facebook, Twitter, a blog, Flickr or YouTube. You can e-mail him but there’s no way to have a “conversation”.
We’re living in a world of two-way communications, and I want to see my local politicians get involved. Heck, Toronto Mayor, David Miller, is a Twitter addict (in a good way!) so maybe he should tell his deputy mayor to get on the social media bandwagon.
Topics: Social Media | Comments
It’s a Search Engine Bonanza
By Mark Evans | June 24, 2009
The search market is a fascinating beast: Even though Google thoroughly dominates, there’s no lack of new players looking to grab a piece of the action.
Over the past couple of weeks, Microsoft’s Bing has captured a lot of attention but it’s just one of many new search engines that have appeared on the scene. Some are trying to go head to head with Google, some are focused on Twitter, and some have adopted a hybrid approach by focusing on real-time search.
Here’s a quick overview of some of the new players:
- Bing: Much to a lot of peoples’ surprise, Bing has resonated with users by offering a solid search experience and some interesting features such as related searches. The jury is still out whether Bing will help Microsoft establish a more solid search foothold but the fact it is receiving an enthusiastic welcome is a good sign.
- Topsy: A search engine that bases its results on Twitter ReTweets. It received critical acclaim from TechCrunch.
- CrowdEye: An interesting real-time search engine started by Ken Moss, who led the search engineering team at Microsoft. CrowdEye results feature links to popular stories, as well as the latest Twitter updates. Here’s a Webware review.
- OneRiot: Another player in the real-time search market, OneRiot based its results on the links people share on Twitter, Digg and other social sharing services so it can provide fresh content. OneRiot is definitely worth checking out - the service works quickly and the results are solid and relevant. It’s not a replacement to Google but a good complement.
- Wolfram: Lots of hype and excitement but Wolfram, to date, has been disappointing. After attracting a lot of blog coverage, Wolfram fell flat, mostly because it did a bad job of positioning itself, and failing to control the suggestion it was a Google-killer.
- Collecta: A real-time search engine, Collecta falls into the dreaded trap of over-hyping its service rather than letting happy users spread the world. Here’s its promo pitch on the home page: “Collecta is not like other search engines. The web is alive with real-time information. So why search a stale archive? Collecta monitors the update streams of news sites, popular blogs and social media, and Flickr, so we can show you results as they happen. Give it a try.”
My experiences with Collecta have been disappointing. For example, a search for Steve Jobs took several minutes to generate a result.
For more the search engine landscape, check out VentureBeat, which look at nine new real-time search engines.
Technorati Tags: bing, google, search engines
Topics: Search Engines | Comments
Mike Zafirovski.’s Nortel Legacy: Fail
By Mark Evans | June 22, 2009
With Nortel deciding the only course of action is a fire-sale of all assets, Mike Zafirovski’s reign as CEO is about to conclude. Without being too harsh, it’s fair to say Mike Z.’s initial - and perhaps last - stab as a CEO was a colossal failure.
Sure, he dealt with some pesky accounting issues and reduced costs by laying off thousands of employees, outsourcing jobs to low-cost places, and selling a few assets. But the bold moves that Nortel needed to survive and thrive in a volatile and competitive marketplace never materialized.
A perfect example is how Nortel’s lack of M&A activity, especially given Mike Z. hired George Riedl, an M&A wizard, away from Juniper. When your biggest acquisition is Tasman Networks for $99-million, it’s obvious you’re not in the game.
In hindsight, Nortel had nothing to lose by playing it safe and conservative. With cash in the bank and a stock price that, at one point, rebounded to nearly $20, Mike Z. had lots of options to do something dramatic and game-changing. Instead, he stuck to a game-plan he knew from General Electric.
To solely blame MIke Z. would be unfair. If people are looking for scapegoats, Nortel’s board is the perfect candidate. Over the past decade, the board has been a huge disaster.
Here are some of the lowlights:
- It let ex-CEO John Roth go a multi-billion dollar spending spree, many of which were mistakes that Nortel wrote off or sold
- Dismissing Gary Daichendt and Gary Kunis’ aggressive corporate makeover
- The hiring Frank Roth and Bill Owens as CEO, who were unsuited for the job.
- Letting Mike Z. do nothing as Rome (aka Nortel) burned.
Truth be told, Nortel could have been saved if the right moves had been made. When Mike Z. took over, it was a $10-billion that needed strategic focus and a new, bold direction. Mike Z. was handed a huge opportunity to make his mark.
Unfortunately, he dropped the ball and, as a result, Canada’s flagship high-tech company is going to disappear.
For more, check out James Bagnall’s story in the Ottawa Citizen.
Technorati Tags: mike zafirovski, nortel
Topics: Telecom Equipment Makers | Comments
Iran: The “Value” of Newspapers
By Mark Evans | June 21, 2009
With all the noise (Twitter, Facebook, CNN, et al) coming out of Iran amid the protests over the presidential elections, newspapers are working hard to provide a sense of what it all means by filtering, curating and adding perspective and insight.
Of course, providing this kind of reporting takes trained talent and, if you’re the New York Times, a bureau in Tehran. There’s clearly value in giving people the facts in a well-written and insightful package to stand out from all the coverage provided by social media. Jeff Jarvis has a blog post looking at how newspapers are adding value in the “new news ecosystem”.
What Jarvis doesn’t mention is the cost involved for newspapers to provide this kind of coverage. It’s expensive to have bureaus around the world, and having talented reporters who can quickly and intelligently provide news with perspective can be expensive as well.
So, the question is how can newspapers provide the kind of coverage coming out of Iran that fits into the new news financial model? With advertising revenue declining and newsrooms getting smaller, how do newspapers do what they need to do. As Jarvis suggests, some of it has to do with building a network of sources and citizen journalists that can be accessed to gain the kind of information for the new news ecosystem - something that good reporters develop over time.
This would let a small team of good reporters to produce the kind of stories that would not be available elsewhere - giving newspapers the ability to stand and deliver at a cost that makes sense.
Has Iran Changed Twitter?
By Mark Evans | June 20, 2009
As the protests over the controversial presidential elections in Iran continue to maintain their traction, a question attracting more attention is whether Twitter has changed this week after the U.S. State Department asked it to postpone schedule maintenance to keep lines of communications open.
If Twitter is now deemed to be an essential communications medium, will that change how it’s regarded by the mainstream? In other words, will Twitter’s role within the Iranian political ecosystem cause people to no longer see it as a place where people talk about inane topics such as having coffee or tending to sick pets?
In some respects, this week could be seen as a juncture in time when Twitter took an important step forward to becoming an established digital communications tool, along with e-mail and instant messaging.
Twitter’s role in Iran could also be the turning point that could prompt even more traction for growth, which Compete.com suggested plateaued last month compared with April after a huge growth during the first four months of 2009.
For Twitter, its new status offers opportunities and challenges. Being seen as a mainstream communications tool could attractions millions of user names and, as important, respect as an essential service. On the other hand, it could also put more pressure on Twitter’s infrastructure at a time when Twitter appears to have got things under control.
And it wouldn’t be a proper discussion of Twitter if its business model wasn’t brought into the mix. What impact, if any, could Iran having on Twitter as a business? If Twitter is regarded as a must-have communications tool, does it also mean some people would be willing to pay for Twitter to have better QoS, etc.
For more thoughts on Twitter, check out CNet, which wonders if Twitter has become a critical application.
(Note: This blog post was cross-posted on Twitterrati)
Technorati Tags: politics, iran
Topics: Social Media | Comments