28 replies to this topic

[1dmf]

hmm, some interesting input.

The documentary, actually implied what you said artphotoasia

Sure it is... any doubt on that? just see google... in the real world things are any different?

Basically saying the internet just mimicks the real world, a few multi-billion mega corporation controlling everything!

The documentary continued this weekend, and has a new episode today, so for those interested it's available on BBC iplayer http://www.bbc.co.uk...y_of_the_State/

It's now looking at how the internet has enpowered minorities, but potentially giving voices and a place to 'hang out' to subversives and other undesirables such as terrorists, activists, racists etc..

Allowing these minority groups global power and a voice to spread its hatered and anger, and what they say is even more worrying is because it enables like minded individuals to come to place where they are subjected to other individuals enforcing and re-iterating their subversive thoughts and 'point of view' it re-inforces their beliefs, and gives them a place to congregate with those who would tell them their way of thinking is fine and acceptable.

Never before has Al-Qaeda & Al Jazeera had such an easy method , so globaly reaching to spread their properganda. Makes you wonder if all this freedom of speech and free will is a good thing after all.

If you watch the documentary, tell us what you think!

[harpsound]

I really do not like that........... now the net is just a big square with everyone shouting nonsense!!! will not go anywhere.

Yes... it is a Bazar...

Bloggers at least were responsible for their own website or blog.... social users are not.... just newby shouting.

I have noticed that there is a boredom cycle possibly run by fashion and fads.

It is hot, it peaks, it crashes - happens to bloggers, MySpace, it will happen with FB and Twitter.
While it is hot it dominates in the coverage by the Internet biggies - they have the mass media MM viewpoint.
It "disappears" as soon as the MM types shift their view.

But there is a whole different web out there full of dedicated persisters who enjoy sufficient reward that they continue.
They do not rely on fads.
They do not rely on newbie shouting.
We constantly told we are supposed to monetise this shouting.
Fuggettaboutit!

Go to where people are passionate.
Go where people seek excellence and perfection.
There are whole communities more than willing to look at what you offer.
But you need to smell and feel like one of them.
Not MM.
Not fad.....

S

[zephyr]

harpsound & mhoram succinctly elucidate an important point-
the early promise of intellectual freedom by the new medium has not died, it flourishes.

In fact- the "large business interests" have been responsible for the expansion & stabilization of the infrastructure,
without which it would have taken much more government $$ to achieve even a fraction of the robustness of the present structure.

There was a large voice early on that was rabidly anti-business on the net,
sort of an ad-hoc "Earth First". Hopefully their fears will never be realized.
Long live Net Neutrality...

[piskie]

Back to these dead Blogs.
About a week ago, a respected political journalist in the UK stated and I paraphrase:
"It is becoming an essential requirement for all Members of Parliament to operate their own Blog"

[1dmf]

It is becoming an essential requirement for all Members of Parliament to operate their own Blog

Just goes to show what a bunch of dicks polititians are if they think running a blog is more essential that keeping their hands out of the till and not commiting genecide in illegal wars. Our country is ruined, in financial bankruptcy, fighting unethical , illegal wars, yet blogging's a must.

And who says polititians are out of touch with people, maybe in their blog they can tell us all how to fiddle our expenses or the best way to avoid taxation or a way for the government coffers to pay for our second home mortgage!

[Nozmo]

In many ways I am disappointed that FB and Twitter have replaced blogs (reportedly), for the simple fact that these media provide such limited value in terms of quality information. I guess in many ways it just a sign of what we have become - very little interest in deeper issues and simply looking to be entertained.

[Jill]

Twitter and FB haven't replaced blogs, they're more a way of promoting blog posts, imo.

[Randy]

For the marketer FB is certainly more of a marketing tool.

For users, most of them wouldn't start their own blogs anyway. Or if they did start a blog it would quickly languish when they found they didn't have enough to say. And no I'm not ragging on them, considering I have my own blog and find no time for it. Opposite problem there. I simply have too many places to say stuff.

And what will the next "big thing" be?

Probably something that takes two or three things that are already out there and combines their advantages more. A cross between 3D virtual reality worlds (ala Second Life) with Facebook's demographics ability to find long lost friends and make new friends with people who have similar interests and incorporates both both audio and/or video chat, along with normal chat, ala Skype.

Technically it can be done right now. It'll take some investment in servers, and a rock solid code base but that's about it. The only question I have is how one monetizes it. Advertiser only like FB? User membership base supported? A mixture of the two? I personally think a blend of the two, depending upon what capabilities a user might want.

Who wants to build it with me and test the theory? Or shall we watch another business opportunity go by the wayside.

And yes I'm sort of kidding about last bit. I have my hands just a tad full at the moment.

[1dmf]

Hey Randy, you know i'll take the bait!

But like you I have too many comitments currently to be able to dedicate the time it would require, but never say never

I think the internet is still really in its infancy for the potential it has to offer, and as you say there are good bits already out there and there is the technology already out there, it's being able to put them together in a usefull, user friendly manner, and be bug free.

It's not like Twitter is a new concept, 'sending SMS to mobile phones', that's been around as long as the internet, and many sites including Yahoo used to let you send a few a day for free.

All Twitter has done is bring it to the masses, for free, in a single website application, not rocket science, just bringing together existing technologies in a simple, user friendly way, that works!

So Randy, what's your big idea?

[Randy]

Which big idea 1dmf? I have a few. And several smaller and middle sized ones too, which are the kind I like best frankly. Not because I hate big ideas but because they are such a time drain and the probability of getting ripped off by someone or several someones is so much higher.

If you're asking about the big idea outlined above (combining the best parts of FB, Twitter/Chat clients and Virtual 3D worlds) well it's kinda already there in this sentence. Just a matter of doing it and doing it right. A handful are sort of trying to do it, just not exactly doing it right because they're missing components. So yeah I could teach them a thing or two most likely, if they'd listen.

For instance, I know of one such 3D service that has a lot of it right on the marketing side of things but is skimping on servers in their network. Over 4,000,000 registered users and they're trying to run it all off of just a couple of servers. That's just nuts! Of course there is lag, there are disconnects, etc, etc. All killing the customer experience, while they're making money hand over fist. A problem that can be easily corrected.

They're also not doing nearly enough with the demographics info they have, but that's an easily corrected problem too!

In short, they're screwing the pooch. And doing it for no valid reason at all.

If you're asking about the big thing that's eating all of my time recently, it's a simple idea that happens to be very much needed. Health field, or more specifically health records field. A totally new approach on an old, old problem that everybody knows is there, but few outside the industry know how bad it is and nobody else is trying to fix.

I'll let ya know in 6 months if that one pans out. It all looks pretty darned good right now. Both in the US and worldwide. It's a good enough idea that this might be the one that causes me to actually retire (ha! like that'll ever happen!) because it's easily a $500B per year market. One that could be cornered simply by beating everybody else to the punch. Which has already been 90% accomplished thank you very much.

All I want is 1% per year for life and I'll be a very, very happy guy.

But I still won't retire. lol

[1dmf]

You should change your handle to Midas!!!

[Aresvista]

I agree also. In fact, I was just listening to a radio talk show about blogging and the internet. Research shows that the bottom line is content. It's all about content. If you have something that strikes people interest, you will get traction. Per the expert on this show, it's not going to make you much money but its enough to incent you and at the same time solve that need to express yourself.

[MauriceWalshe]

Hi,

I watched a documentary last night about the internet, its beginnings, the way it has changed, and the way it is evolving.

What's your thoughts?

oh dear ws it the BBC one fronted by Alexis? it had its points but it was running the "internet tankie" line a panglosian world view that ignores things they dont like and glosses over the hard stuff (not unlike jason calacanis) and competly misreresented the early days of online comunities - a lot of which did not use internet protocaols at all.

TBL didnt invent the Internet (you do mean the "Internet" and not an internet) or even the idea of the www that Vadivar Bush in the late 40's

[greggb]

Is the internet still a place for freedom of expression, freedom of choice and freedom of individuality, or is has it simply become another advertising channel for big corporations to saturate and dominate and sanitise with their own views, brands and agenda?

What's your thoughts?

The internet is whatever society wants it to be, unlike other forms of media, which are only "brought to us" by companies who have the capital to undertake such ventures. Not just anyone can have their own tv or radio station, but anyone can have their own facebook profile, or website. In this way it will always remain a place for freedom of expression. And try as they might, big corporations can never saturate and dominate the internet, because they don't have anything the rest of us don't (i.e., power), which is not the case in traditional forms of media.

Where most of the modern world is very consumerist, we want to be advertised to. We want to be shown things we can buy, and rest assured, someone will oblige us. All that advertising we're getting is exactly what we're asking for.