Category: What I Think

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What I Think

Too funny

Telstra executive sparks Microsoft security scare – BizTech – Technology.

Nice work Sol. My guess is he’s down to his last million after watching his options disappear into thin air and needs to get some quick cash via eBay. How many prototype HTC handsets with WM 6.5 will be on eBay tomorrow? And how many WM 6.5 operating systems will be on torrent servers tomorrow? Microsoft say they have no cause for concern; have they met the internet?
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What I Think

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What I Think

Consumers are not dumber than marketeers

Whisper campaigns exposed: pay per lie on YouTube – BizTech – Technology.

This seems to be happening more and more often. As this story outlines a blobger was paid to promote a TV show. Last month a blogger was paid to promote a menswear line. But where’s the story? that bloggers are being paid to be the voice of marketeers or that people are finding out.

As I’ve mention many times now it’s only the first 10 or so pages of the news paper that’s news, the rest is courtesy of public and media relations. And it’s the stuff you don’t get to read about that should worry you most, thanx to the craft of spinning – professionals or manage to kill stories before they get to the paper editor. I’m using newspapers here but the same is true for all news media.

From a PR point of view this is all upside, or as Leo Laporte would say, ‘They failed up’. This article has got a big mention for the producers, a big mention of the show (with pic and star’s name). One can wonder who outed the blogger; his 3rd party associate perhaps. Or can wonder about important things in life.

Marketing makes the world go round. Convincing you to buy product ‘New and improved’ over ‘Old and trusted’ or believe in candidate ‘It’s time for a change’  instead of ‘stick to who you know’ is one of the biggest industries on the planet. 

The days of simple press ads with a TV offer just don’t work anymore. We’re in a fascinating time where consumers are becoming wiser and far more technologically than those producing ads.

There’s a great line in the 2nd ep of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip when the new president of NBS states; ‘ I don’t believe that the people who watch television are dumber than the people who make television.’ It’s a thought that marketeers and advertisers should take on board.
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What I Think

I’m not the criminal mastermind I thought I was.

Man facing drive-in movie piracy charge – BizTech – Technology – smh.com.au. 

This is just such a simple idea I can't believe it never occurred to me.
I can't vouch for the quality of the output but assuming he located himself mid-field (that's what they call the car park at a drive-in – Dad worked at one for years under the dubious aliases of Peter Rabbit and Patrick Wolf…), used a tripod and kept any reflection of the windscreen, or rear screen the vision would have been OK. 
Sort of like an old style kine transfer. Now if he had sound input straight from his sound system into the camera the audio would have been pretty good too. 
The only thing is the movies he was pirating – rubbish. 
All of them.
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What I Think

Barry Schwartz’ passionate plea for practical wisdom, a standing ovation talk fresh from TED2009

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What I Think

How twitter, FB et al will make money

Twitter experiments with money-making schemes – BizTech – Technology

The para in this story is probably the most interesting and to save you the time here it is:

“It’s the same kind of challenge for these sites,” said Peter Daboll, who has studied consumer behavior on the Internet for years, including in his latest job as CEO of Bunchball Inc. “How do they build on their great audiences and keep them engaged, without alienating them with a bunch of crap?”

That’s the kicker – a bunch of crap! And that’s why it’s up to advertisers and their agencies to NOT PRODUCE CRAP. FB was quick last month to shut down a promotion by one of the fast burger giants that was offering a free burger for every 10 ‘friends’ you dumped. FB freaked. But spin that around and what do you have? If FB will kill a campaign because it effects them so drastically, perhaps they should only accept campaigns that are worthy of their users. It’s a bit like censorship some might say. But I for one am getting sick to feath of the FB side bar adds telling me how I can get rich quick using Google adwords and how sexy young women in my neighbourhood want to root me right now. Or may be it says meet me right now. Whatever. If FB (and shortly twitter) want me to take notice of ads then they have to provide me with ads that are really, really relevant and don’t just fit my profile.
The way forward to ensure that there are no crap ads on FB and twitter is in a position to start this when their revenue model is launched soon.


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What I Think

A twit writes about twitter

Join the Twitterati – web – Technology – smh.com.au.

In this article Nick Ross would have us believe that a) twitter is new and cool because he is showing it to us and b) we mere mortals can get in on the ground floor. Ground floor of what? Not an original thought in this waste of pixels and proof, if more was required, that Fairfax journos are now so out of the loop and in yesteryearland that they are now almost completely redundant in the news world of technology.
Twitter is now so old that many have moved past it, including myself.
I also love when hacks have a go with ridiculous statements like, ‘Reliance on PR and publicists diminishes as personalities can remain in the spotlight…”
Mr Ross probably wouldn’t even know half the things he does if it wasn’t for the PR industry – as I’ve said before and people hate to hear’ the first 6 or so pages of a paper are news, the rest is PR. Same for radio and TV and websites.
So thanx for the update Mr Ross on something that most people are already over. What’s next? That new thing called blogging?
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What I Think

First space crash of unmanned satellites


Bloomberg.com:
Worldwide.

Think about it, there are more satellites going up all the time and recovering old ones is very expensive. With the end of the shuttle program just around the corner the only way satellites will come down is as a fireball followed by a splash, or crash should it hit the 25% of the blue planet that’s covered in dirt.
Why is it every time I suggest that satellites have built in self destruct devices people laugh; just a small jet boost towards the sun and pop – no more problem.
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What I Think

Facebook founder paid $100m settlement to classmates

Facebook founder paid $100m settlement to classmates – BizTech – Technology.

Man, with lawyers like this who needs enemies. This is great because it seemed the story had disappeared and if not for their lawyers it have – closed court documents, an under the table company purchase and no one would be the wiser.

But no, in their haste to gloat the lawyers, Stupid, Idiot and Cocksucker went and slammed their own client. Reckon Facebook will use these guys again. My guess is the next role they play in court will be defendant.
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What I Think

MySpace founder concedes social network defeat – BizTech – Technology

MySpace founder concedes social network defeat – BizTech – Technology.

Not the kind of news NewsCorp chief cheese Mr Murdoch was hoping to hear. Obviously the protagonist in this article, Mr Brewer has his own agenda but none the less, an interesting story when you filter the spin out.