The Need to Feed the Digital Beast

By Mark Evans in Social Media 2 Comments

Clock

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you probably spend too much time online.

Not to suggest time on the Web is a bad thing but, in general, people who make their livelihoods from or who are excited about the Web probably invest more time than they should online.

The balance between online and off-line is something I’ve struggled with over the past few years. The reality is the Web is fascinating, valuable and entertaining and how I pay the bills. But it’s also a time-suck after taking into account writing blog posts, Twitter, Facebook, e-mail and reading content.

The battle to retain some digital sanity is helped by having a busy family life, outside interests and lots of friends. Even so, there are times when I wonder what life would be like without the Web. How would we spend all those hours?

My thinking about online/offline picked up steam after reading a blog post by Jeremy Owyang about how he keeps up with social media. His answer is somewhat troubling:

“I’ve dedicated my life to how the web helps companies connect with customers, it’s something I knew I wanted to do for many years, I’m lucky I fell into my passion. It comes with costs however, I’m out of shape, stressed, I don’t sleep well, and my blood pressure is up.”

Personally, I don’t think it’s healthy (mentally or physically) or sustainable over the long-run. The Web is a beast that demands to be constantly fed. The key is maintaining a healthy balance so the time you do spend the Web is productive and stimulating.

My personal approach is doing most of what I need to do – writing, reading and e-mail – in the morning. My other digital sanity checks include not checking my iPhone on a constant basis for new e-mail, not worrying about whether I’ve done enough updates on Twitter, and pursuing outside interests.

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Has @steveballmer Tipped Microsoft’s Twitter Plans?

By Mark Evans in M&A, Social Media 2 Comments

This may be a case of putting two and two together, and getting five but….you have to wonder whether Steve Ballmer has deliberately tipped his hand about Microsoft’s interest in Twitter.

After a speech at Stanford, Ballmer told CNet’s Ina Fried that Microsoft needs to be “more disruptive” about search. It’s an interesting proposition depending on how Microsoft defines “disruptive”.

One way to interpret it is doing something like acquiring Twitter, which is aggressively starting to introduce new search features such as indexing links within updates and working on a “reputation” system for users who insert links into updates.

Silicon Alley Insider’s Nicholas Carlson argues a Microsoft-Twitter deal makes sense. Among the five reasons to support the thesis is that “We believe Twitter is the first startup since Google to have created a new and popular way for people to use the Internet to discover content and research products they want to buy. It’s created a new kind of search.”

If Microsoft is serious about the search market despite its struggles to close the gap between itself and Google, then acquiring Twitter would be the right strategic move. (And maybe it should acquire Wolfram as well)

That said, Microsoft will likely have to pay through the nose for Twitter – say $1-billion to $1.5-billion – given how Biz Stone and Evan Williams (and their investors) appear content to bide their time until the right offer comes along.

Then again, Microsoft coughed up $240-million for a tiny slice (1.6%) of Facebook so spending a $1-billion or so on Twitter shouldn’t be too much of a strategic splurge.

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Is RSS Really Dying?

By Mark Evans in Blog Services, Blogs 12 Comments

RSS
Are you still reading blogs? Do you still use an RSS readers such as Bloglines or Google Reader? Or do you get most of your blog fix from Twitter?

Many of us who have embraced Twitter have discovered that we spend less time on Google Reader, et al because the people we follow on Twitter are providing enough interesting links to a variety of content, including blogs.

On TechCrunchIT, Steve Gillmor argues “RSS doesn’t cut it anymore” and that “RSS is a shell of its former self, casually subsumed as the transport for 140+ content into the social stream”.

For people who spend a lot of time online, RSS has lost some of its appeal for the following reasons:

1. This demographic consumes a lot of information so the prospect of combing through an ever-growing number of blogs within an increasingly-neglected RSS reader can be daunting.

2. Since these people are so time-strapped, they are constantly looking for ways to prioritize/filter the blogs they do read. This explains why Twitter has emerged as a consumption tool because it, in theory, you only see the links provided by people you trust (aka follow)

Of course, it is important to recognize that people such as Steve Gillmor (and myself, for that matter) aren’t representative of the online community. We – and most Twitter users – consume a lot of information, and looking for new, cool tools to consume it. We’re also fickle, gravitating to new, shiny tools before abandoning them when they move into the mainstream.

While Gillmor’s thesis probably rings true with the digerati, it is premature to blow off RSS as a dead or dying concept. In many ways, RSS is evolving to serve the needs of people better. Waterloo, Ont.-based PostRank is an example of a company putting a new twist on RSS with a service to filter and prioritize the most interesting blogs.

Links: Some more thoughts on how we’re consuming content comes from WebWorkerDaily’s Eric Berlin.

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T-Mobile: Social Media Superstar?

By Mark Evans in Social Media 3 Comments

Is there another major company that has embraced and leveraged social media – and the power of viral marketing – more than T-Mobile?

After setting the social media world ablaze with the wildly popular dance video set in Liverpool station, T-Mobile has pulled off another brilliant social media promotion with a giant sing-along in Trafalgar Square starring Pink. (Hat tip to The Inquistr)


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What’s Up WordPress?

By Mark Evans in Blogs 3 Comments

Wordpress
From the just wondering file….In January 2008, Automattic – the company that runs WordPress – raised $29.5-million of venture capital but it’s difficult to tell how that money is being used.

Some of it went to cash out the founder’s stakes, and some has extensibly been spent on small acquisitions such as PollDaddy. But that should still leave a big chunk of cash in a company that arguably hasn’t done much over the past 16 months other than a few platform upgrades.

I mean, we’re talking about a company with less than 40 employees that operates fairly lean and mean. Sure, there’s server costs to support millions of blogs on WordPress.com, and Matt Mullenweg’s modest travel costs as he spreads the word about WordPress around the world but we’re probably talking about a burn rate of maybe $5-million/year.

What’s been surprising since Automattic raised the cash is how there seems to be little progress in monetizing the platform. From what I can tell, WordPress is still making money the same ways as it did pre-$29.5-million. And while it apparently makes some money from AdSense, Automattic really hasn’t leveraged its WordPress traffic yet in terms of advertising.

Don’t get me wrong, Automattic made a good move by taking the money while it was on the table and they’re smart to be pragmatic about how they spend it but you’d think it would have done more with it.

By the way, ReadWriteWeb reports that WordPress is looking to crowdsource its usability testing. I guess that’s another way to save a few bucks.

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The Perils and Dangers of Obligation

By Mark Evans in Web 2.0, Wireless 1 Comment

Renny Gleeson made a three-minute appearance (see the video below) at TED in February that captured one of the biggest challenges facing the digerati.

What Gleeson thrust into the spotlight is the “culture of availability” – the concept that mobile technology is making us available nearly all the time. This availability creates the expectation that everyone is available and, as important, the obligation to respond if people do, in fact, contact you.

While being available has its advantages for those of us who live mobile professional and personal lives, it also makes it impossible to really escape because it takes discipline not to respond. As a result, we’re always checking to see if we’ve been contacted, and then quickly replying.

As Gleeson contends, it means we’re not living in the moment because being available means we’re not completely engaged. He also suggests – and I agree – that many people are more interested in documenting what they’re doing as opposed to just doing it.

It’s a problem because we’re increasingly unfocused. Look at the number of people who insist on checking e-mail or talking on the phone while driving, or people who walk and talk or walk and type. In the process, they become oblivious to what’s around them – other people, cars, bicyclists, et al.

We also pay less attention to the people who matter. You’re at dinner, and checking your e-mail while also trying to talk with friends and family. Why the need to multi-task/stay in touch when you should be focused on the task at hand?

Collectively, we need to work on being less availability, and walk away from the obligation to respond simply because someone reaches out to you.

To see how different your world can be, try leaving the house one day without your mobile device. At first, it seems strange because you’re abruptly disconnected. But pretty soon you’ll realize that you’re not missing much because the e-mails and the voice mails will be there waiting when you eventually get to them.

Of course, I’m not suggesting we abandon mobile devices and/or ignore people trying to get in touch but a little wireless discipline will go a long way.

More: Another good read is Luc Filigheddu’s post on “Six Simple Steps to Escape from Social Media”.

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