Time to Legalize Online Porn?

By Mark Evans in Web 2.0 3 Comments Tags: , , ,

For years, online pornography has been the dirty family secret that no one likes to talk about. It exists but doesn’t get any attention because, after all, pornography is bad, evil, exploitative and unseemly.

The online porn industry, however, has a huge presence on online, millions of customers, and a reputation for promoting new technologies – e.g. e-commerce, DVDs, video streaming, etc.

Given porn is the elephant in the room, maybe it’s time to legalize it or maybe regulate it so cash-strapped governments can get a piece of the action. Maybe the time is right to bring online porn into the fold rather than pretending it doesn’t exist.

While I’ve never been an advocate or online porn consumer (really!), my quasi-thesis that I don’t really believe is based on some interesting developments in Ontario, the province in which I live.

First, the cash-strapped Ontario government, which has just over a year left on its mandate, plans to get into the online gambling business. It argues that lots of people are doing it, and that $400-million of revenue a year is leaving the province for off-shore or legal gambling sites. The government is already a major player in the lottery and sports gambling business so online gambling isn’t that much of a stretch.

Second, the government recently agreed to legalize mixed-martial arts starting in 2011. If you’re not a fan of MMA, it’s a sport that basically involves letting two people getting into a ring, and then trying to beat the crap out of each other using their fists, feet and other body parts. MMA is a brutal and violent “sport” that has captured the imagination of a growing number of people, which explains why the Ontario government caved in to lobbying efforts as it prepares for the next election.

So, this brings us to online porn. If you think about it, online porn is bad and evil while online gambling and MMA are allowed in the “house” because they are better behaved. What? All of them are bad to some degree but in Ontario two are legit while the idea of regulating or sanctioning online porn won’t be touched with a 10-foot stick.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a supporter or advocate of the porn industry. But it seems hypocritical to make gambling and MMA acceptable even though they encourage bad or harmful behaviour. And the argument they are regulated and sanctioned because lots of people are gambling or watching MMA doesn’t hold much watch because lots of people are consuming porn.

Of course, Ontario is a place in which alcohol can only be bought at a government-operated store because we’re not responsible enough to buy it at a grocery or convenience store – even if it’s just wine and beer. Now, if you want to gamble online or watch some MMA, you will be able to do that soon with the government’s blessing.

Go figure.

Silicon Valley and the Emperor with No Clothes

By Mark Evans in Social Media, Venture Capital 2 Comments Tags: , ,

One of the things that really struck me about Facebook’s launch of a new location-based service is not that it really, really looks and smells a lot like Foursquare but how it has put the spotlight on the tremendous amount of hype that has surrounded Foursquare and how Silicon Valley does such an amazing job of supporting and fuelling this hype.

For months, the buzz has been Foursquare is going to be the next Twitter. While Foursquare really only had one feature (the ability to check in and broadcast your location), it was only a matter of time before other features were added to make it a lot more useful. Then, it would experience hockey stick-like growth.

Silicon Valley played a key role in pumping the Foursquare story, highlighted by the recent infusion of $20-million of venture capital (less the cash that Foursquare’s founders were strangely allowed to keep for themselves).

The deal was Silicon Valley’s way of propping up the hype even though there were already lots of questions about whether Foursquare could become more than a one-trick pony. And while Foursquare does have two million registers users, the real question to ask is how many of them are active users.

I would hazard to guess there is a lot of people who use the service infrequently or not at all. In my world, Foursquare is nowhere to be seen, and this is a crowd that embraces pretty much everything.

Not to throw stones at Silicon Valley but the reality is it plays multiple roles. There is the financing that comes from the venture capitalists and a huge talent pool to support the ecosystem.

But Silicon Valley is also into the selling and hyping its creations. There’s a giant marketing machine built into Silicon Valley’s DNA that does a terrific job of selling people on dreams and aspirations, including start-ups that may or not be able to attract enough users to become viable.

In many ways, this is a key part of Silicon Valley’s success. It is a place where eternal optimism rules. There is no room for negativity or having small dreams. In Silicon Valley, you aim for the stars even if the rest of the world may not buy into the stories you’re telling.

Foursquare is a perfect example of this ecosystem. It is a jewel that Silicon Valley is desperately hoping will turn into the mother lode.

Unfortunately, Facebook has probably exposed Foursquare for what it is: an interesting start-up that captured the imagination of investors, the media, bloggers and people on the bleeding edge but it will never be able to become anything more than it is right now.

Is Privacy Really Dead?

By Mark Evans in Google, Social Media 2 Comments Tags: , , , ,

The New York Times published a story recently about how the existence of GPS technology in digital cameras and smartphones is another blow to privacy because it discloses your location if posted on a social media site.

When I shared the story on Twitter, one of the replies suggested “we have none” – meaning we no longer have privacy. It’s a fair point given the massive amounts of data collected about our Web activity, GPS in smartphones and digital cameras, the growing number of security cameras, Google roaming the streets taking photos of our houses in the name of a better mapping service, and more governments wanting access to Blackberry e-mail.

So is privacy really gone?

Have we got to the stage where everything we do is being tracked, collected and aggregated? Was George Orwell prescient with “1984″ with Google taking the role of “Big Brother”?

Unfortunately, the reality is “definitely” because technology has made it easier to track what we do online and, in many respects, off-line when you consider that every credit card, debit and loyalty card transaction is tracked, and that security cameras can quickly and easily take photos of our license plates when we’re driving.

It’s pretty troubling to realize just how quickly the concept of personal privacy had eroded in such a short period of time. It has happened so fast that most people are unaware of just how far the pendulum has swung.

While technology and the growing hunger among corporations and governments to collect data is a major part of the erosion of privacy, we’re also have to take a share of the blame.

Social media, for example, has become so public playground in which many people voluntarily and happily share information (including photos and videos) about their professional and personal lives, including intimiate details. The willingness to share with others also means sharing with Twitter, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, etc.

Heck, we’re apparently even willing to publicly broadcast transactions made by our credit cards using services such as Blippy.

In other words, we’re willing participants in the anti-privacy movement, although we may not recognize our enthusiasm for waving the flag.

The question whether there’s anything to bring the pendulum back?

It may, in fact, be too late but there are small things you can do to protect your privacy. For example, throttle back the details shared on social media services. Do your “friends” have to see photos of your children frolicking on the beach, or you enjoying “refreshments” at a party? Does Twitter need to be a place to share details about the state of your mental health, or political views?

And maybe we should consider using cash more often rather than credit and debit cards, although it would mean giving up convenience delivered by technology. Cash means purchasing privacy and, who knows, you may even get a small discount in the process.


Are Web Sites Becoming Passe?

By Mark Evans in Social Media 5 Comments Tags: , , ,

In the past week, I’ve come across two though-provoking articles about the future of Web sites.

In AdAge, Pete Blackshaw asks whether we still need Web sites given the growing corporate use of Twitter, Facebook and “cool” applications.

Jay Baer, one of the most thought-provoking people in social media, suggests Facebook is killing Web sites. He declares that:

“Like print newspapers, basketball players under 6 feet tall, and the McRib sandwich, the website as we know it will soon be a thing of the past – a quaint reminder of the original Internet era.”

So, the question is whether Web sites are doing the way of the dinosaur? With social media becoming a way for companies to engage with existing and potential customers, do Web sites have a strong role to play?

While Baer may disagree, I believe Web sites will remain a vibrant corporate tool. But, like Blackshaw, I believe how Web sites are created and used will change to complement social media. Blackshaw talks about how Web sites will need to be agile, flexible and easy for people to leave feedback. He believes Web sites need to become a solid foundation upon which social media, e-commerce and mobile services leverage and support.

From the work I’m doing with clients, the evolution of Web sites is already happening. Rather than simply being places to get information about what a company offers or makes, Web sites need to engage, entertain and educate. A compelling Web site should encourage people to do something – ask for more information, watch a video, subscribe to a blog, “like” a Facebook Page, follow a Twitter account, or even purchase a product or service.

The messaging for Web sites (something I’ll post on later this week) needs to quickly and clearly capture the visitor’s attention, and tell them why they should stick around (aka What’s in it for me?). If a Web site fails to immediately deliver a company’s mission statement and value propositions, time-strapped and multi-tasking visitors will move on without thinking twice.

The reality for many companies is their Web sites will need to be overhauled or built from scratch. Before the global economy swooned, many companies didn’t think twice about their Web sites other than making minor changes. After all, there was little incentive to make changes when sales and profits were booming.

Today, however, the emergence of social media is prompting more companies to re-examine their Web sites, which have become tired, outdated and uninspiring.

It’s not that Web sites are going to disappear; it’s more that Web sites are going to need more than a fresh coat of paint to stay viable. Companies will think to re-think what they want their Web sites to do, and how they are going to be aligned with their social media efforts.

So, long live the Web (Site) 2.0!

Social Media is a Balancing Act

By Mark Evans in Uncategorized 1 Comment Tags: , ,

Social media is addictive and time-suck.

By its very nature, social media lends itself to spending too much time in conversations, and reading and writing blog posts, tweets, updates, Likes, etc. If you’re not careful, hours can disappear, which is one of the reason some companies are so recalcitrant about letting employees use social media during work hours.

This is why balance is such an important part of using social media. The use of social media needs to be weighed against other things happening in your professional and personal life. It work is getting busy, the time spent with social media needs to shrink or disappear. When this happens, there needs to be a recognition that the world goes on, and that Facebook, Twitter, et al will be waiting upon your return.

The need for balance has always been a personal reality. When work or life gets busy, social media takes a back seat. While I enjoy Twitter, I don’t miss or crave it when I’m doing something else. Twitter is like a parade; if you miss a you float because you went to buy a hot dog, it’s no problem because there are lots of floats still to come.

My thoughts about social media and time management were piqued by a post by social media consultant Chris Brogan, who talked about a “social media crash” and how many hours social media can consume. While there are dangers in being too involved with social media, keep in mind Brogan is a social media animal who’s completely immersed and engaged in the landscape. In other words, he’s an extreme example who has carved as a high-profile reputation for being a social media tour de force.

For the rest of us, social media should and can be far less of a time-suck. Like anything we consume, moderation is the key. Being able to know how much and when is a key to enjoying and getting value out of social media.

More: Speaking of balance, here’s one of my favorite posts on how to simplify your life from zenhabits. For anyone who wants to get a better handle on how much they are spending online and using software, RescueTime is a good tool to track it.

Book Review: A Breathless Inside Look at Facebook

By Mark Evans in Social Media 2 Comments Tags: , , , ,

I didn’t think I was going to like David Kirkpatrick’s The Facebook Effect, which proclaims itself to be a book that delivers the inside story about the company “connecting the world”.

And for the first 75 pages, my expectations were realized, but I carried on because there were other options at the cottage other than voluminous The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

The biggest challenge reading The Facebook Effect is how breathlessly bullish it is about Facebook and its founder Mark Zuckerberg. Kirkpatrick is a veteran business reporter but it is obvious that he was caught up in Facebook’s growth and Zuckerberg’s youthful charm.

Part of Kirkpatrick’s problem is the access he was granted by Zuckerberg – something few reporters have received. While this provides an opportunity to get tremendous insight, it also creates the danger of starting to feel part of the club – particularly when you are dealing with people you like.

And while Facebook is a tremendous story, Kirkpatrick frequently steps over the line with comments that make it difficult to believe he’s a hard-nosed business reporter as opposed to Zuckerberg’s biographer.

That said, The Facebook Effect offers some fascinating insight, even for people who are familiar with the company and Zuckerberg. In particular, the accounts of Facebook’s early days are interesting as the company quickly evolves from just another one of Zuckerberg’s software projects to a fast-growing service taking university campuses by storm.

Given the lawsuits over the years about Facebook’s ownership, Kirkpatrick also offers good details about the people involved in Facebook’s early days, and how Zuckerberg reached out to people close to him at Harvard. Although Zuckerberg’s youthful has always been in the spotlight, it’s still striking how young all of the early employees are – we’re talking about people who can’t even legally drink.

The behind-the-scenes stories about the key role that Sean Parker played in evolving Facebook puts a new light on how Facebook, in many ways, was extremely lucky in the early days at a time when there was plenty of competitors from players such as Friendster and MySpace. A smart but volatile character, Parker’s biggest contribution is helping Facebook raise venture capital, and creating an ownership structure that has provided Zuckerberg with ultimate control over the company.

While Kirkpatrick does cover Facebook’s missteps (e.g. Beacon), he goes overboard in recounting how Facebook was able to quickly overcome many of these mistakes. As well, his treatment of Zuckerberg is extremely sympathetic as he is painted as a visionary who has a masterplan for Facebook to take ove the world. Zuckerberg also gets lavish credit for the success Facebook enjoys for new features such as photos and the Wall.

All in all, The Facebook Effect provides some solid insight into the story of how Facebook skyrocketed from dorm room project to global phenomena. The overall tone is far too gushing and reverential but there’s enough in it to give people with an interest in Facebook some valuable information.

More: Here’s Michael Arrington’s review of The Facebook Effect, which is describes as “wonderfully biased”.

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