Web 2.0 Archive

I participate in a good number of “virtual” conferences mainly software demos from companies that either want some feedback or are pitching a story. Most of the conferences use either WebEx or GoToMeeting. Today on the nextNY list, David Reinke from StyleHop asked for some alternatives that are either free or lower cost than GoToMeeting and/or WebEx. The group provided a few suggestions and they are listed below.

Adobe Acrobat Connect Now

Hank Williams suggested Adobe Acrobat Connect Now which provides a free service up to 3 participants. For over 3 and up to 1,500 the Pro version is available for $0.32/min/user. The tools include remote control, whiteboard, desktop sharing, video conferencing and unique meeting URLs. I’ve only used the tool once and if I remember we had some issues getting the meeting running but after it started all went smoothly.

Yugma

Yugma was my suggestion and an application we reviewed back in January 2007. Yugma offers Skype integration, desktop sharing, teleconferencing, file storage and meeting recording. Yugma runs using Java. Up to 20 participants is free and Pro plans start at $15 and go up to $180/month. I like Yugma because there’s no app to install unlike WebEx and the various times I’ve used the service, it’s worked well.

DimDim

Peter Chislett offered up DimDim as an alternative suggestion. Peter notes, “All features (video, screen sharing, voice, document sharing, whiteboard, etc.) are no-fee for an audience of 20, pro-version
thereafter. Webcam is limited to one in the free version.” The Pro version is available at $20/month for meetings up to 50 people. DimDim offers a slick widget to allow site and blog visitors to participate in a conference call or meeting. DimDim is available as open source so you can add it to your own applications.

Do you use one of the three above or another solution? Leave your thoughts in the comments and I will add them to the post.

The topic of paid social media is something I’ve been thinking about a lot of the past few months. When I met with Scott Monty of Ford, I mentioned the idea of assuming that all social media is paid. Perhaps you already do assume that what you read is already paid or sponsored although I’ve tried to think that what I read is genuine unless otherwise noted. For the purposes of this discussion, I am leaving the “is paid social media good or evil” on the side for another day.

Scott noted that the 100 paid reviewers of the Ford Fiesta will disclose that they are part of the “movement”. That’s great that there will be disclosure – it’s something that many of the paid reviews systems have moved to. And while I am using Ford as an example, they are by no means alone with regards to my question. Whether it’s Izea, Magpie, in-house ad sales, etc, the question continues to grow in importance. And I haven’t even mentioned pimping by investors, friends, family members, etc.

Disclosure is easy on a blog, but what about as the blog entry is pushed around. Does the disclosure travel with the blog entry? And more importantly, what about all of the social media services like Twitter, Friendfeed, Facebook, Plurk, etc.? How do we define disclosure on these networks?

Continue reading “Should We Assume All Social Media is Paid?” »

The law firm of Wilson Sonsini has launched a new tool today which allows anyone to create a term sheet using their computerized generator. Altgate has a good review of the tool and notes, “this isn’t a recessionary move to give away unbilled lawyer time nor is it some sort of shift to being a pro-bono only firm.”

The tool seems easy to use and walks you through about 100 questions to create the term sheet. Each of the questions offers a description and explanation. There is a save function although it is very basic as it forces you to save a XML file which you can later import to continue the work. The ability to have multiple people work on the term sheet via a login/password might be a good upgrade for the system.

Altgate also notes, “the Term Sheet Generator originated as an internal tool for WSGR attorneys to rapidly generate draft term sheets which they would polish up and then deliver to their clients”. Altgate believes that the real customer for this tool will be other law firms and attorneys.

Naturally no free document creator will ever take the place of actually consulting with an attorney, but it could provide entrepreneurs with a free start.

This morning I had the pleasure of moderating a panel at the Web 2.0 NY Summit about social media and the relationships between company-agency/social media firm-customer/consumer. This is one of the areas I’ve been a part of for 12+ years on all sides of the table and could do a full-day just on this topic.

The format of the summit allows each panelist the ability to present their company in an infomercial style for six minutes and then the balance of the time is left for questions from the moderator and the audience. Luckily each of the panelists on my panel spent a good bit of their time offering some industry insight and practical information.

The panelists included:

• Craig Calder, Executive Vice President, Yovia
• Steve Ennen, Director of Business Development, Neighborhood America
• Heath Row, Research Manager, Double Click

We spent a majority of the time discussing pay-for-social media versus natual viral movement. The audience asked about examples of poorly run social media campaigns and data rights in the world of social media.

Lastly, we discussed the viral video secrets posted by Dan Ackerman Greenberg and how that affected the industry as a whole.

Here are some photos from the event:

I’ve been speaking with this "Drama 2.0" character for a while now. In fact, I was the one who performed the upgrade from Drama 1.0 to the current Drama 2.0. We believe it’s a he and that he lives somewhere on an island. His advice on the Drama 2.0 blog is typically excellent and is well worth a read. Uncov wishes they were Drama. I tried tracing the emails I sent to him but after the 4th hop over Antartica, the trace goes cold. Here’s our interview transcript. Read it once and get the content, and then read it backwards to try to find any hidden messages please.

Allen: Let’s start with a brief bio.

Drama 2.0: I expected you to ask for something like this. The two questions I get most are "Who are you?" and "How old are you?"

Drama 2.0 is a highly-successful businessman and connoisseur. He’s basically Web 2.0’s Keyser Söze. Constantly traveling the globe in search of opportunity, he has a penchant for the finer things in life and the faster things in life.

The man behind Drama 2.0 is as charismatic and charming as his alter ego, but has a tighter grip on his indulgences. Right now, he is an entrepreneur running some sort of company that might or might not succeed. Through his extensive business dabblings over the years, voracious reading habit and graduate degree from the School of Hard Knocks, he has acquired the wisdom that he distributes to the world through Drama 2.0.

Since I know bloggers love an exclusive and I’ve been disappointed that some people apparently think I’m an old man, I will officially reveal my age on Center Networks: I am older than 25 and younger than 28.

Allen: What do you view as 3 trends that will be hot in 2008?

Drama 2.0: Besides Drama 2.0?

1. I think online video will continue to be hot. While I’m not convinced that the substance matches the hype and that the WGA strike is going to do for online video what some bloggers have predicted it will do, I am excited by the opportunities for professional original online video content and don’t think there will be any shortage of activity in the space.

2. I anticipate that revenue will become a lot more important to startups as the economic situation gets tougher. In my opinion, a recession in the United States is inevitable. I’ve discussed the problems this poses for advertising-dependent businesses and therefore I think "revenue" is going to be fashionable again in 2008. When it comes to the type of things that can drive revenue for consumer Internet startups, I’m actually a fan of virtual goods. Over $2 billion/year is now spent on these items and while it seems silly on the surface, once you recognize that, for better or worse, an increasing number of people find that their online identities are just as important as their offline identities, you’ll realize that the same psychology that drives the purchase of $1,000 hand bags and $700 jeans can drive the virtual goods market pretty far.

3. I like niches because I think far too many startups are attacking the mainstream market. There’s a finite amount of room for winners there but I still see a lot of room for solid niche plays. It’s important to note, however, that a solid niche play does not entail creating a generic MySpace clone for sci-fi lovers or a generic Digg clone for activists. Niches have to be done well by people who understand the niche.

Allen: Which big companies will succeed in 2008?

Drama 2.0: I’m assuming you’re not looking for answers like Schlumberger (SLB), which makes this difficult. I think 2008 is going to be a challenging year for big technology companies because the economic landscape in general is going to be challenging. Quite honestly, there’s no major technology company that I’d feel compelled to hold shares of right now.

Allen: Which ones will flop?

Drama 2.0: While I don’t think the heavyweights are going to crumble, I do believe that a consumer-led economic slowdown is going to have a notable impact on a lot of companies. Google, for instance, has been overvalued for some time and is vulnerable to recession in my opinion.

I do anticipate that we’ll start seeing a lot more little flops as an increasing number of VC-backed startups that have failed to develop into viable businesses start to run out of cash. The truth is that far too much money was invested in startups chasing the same dream. Take online video: dozens of startups, many of which have no differentiation whatsoever, received funding, some of it sizable. VCs looked at YouTube and threw far too much money at online video plays because their funds had to have some presence in the market. The outcome of this is inevitable. Personally, I think it will be entertaining to watch.

Allen: Do you see any major acquisitions this year? If so, who?

Drama 2.0: You’re really putting me on the spot here with all of these predictions! Are you sure this interview isn’t part of some conspiracy to make me look like a complete idiot? Admittedly I might be one so I’ll continue to bite. In the Web 2.0 space, we obviously have a number of "hot" startups like Digg and Plaxo that are being shopped by investment banks and there are rumors circulating about a big IAC acquisition of Flixter. I would not be surprised if some of the recognizable first and second-tier Web 2.0 startups get bought for hefty sums, even though I think these properties are way too expensive and offer little long-term value to a buyer.

If the economy gets as bad as I think it will, I expect the overall trend will be for big companies looking to acquire to continue to seek out promising early-stage startups that they can purchase inexpensively. Big acquisitions should be reserved for startups with big revenues and/or potentially lucrative proprietary technologies that are defensible.

Allen: Sum up the general state of the online advertising market.

Drama 2.0: Lots of hype, lots of potential, far less substance. The potential is real but I think publishers have to deliver more for advertisers if this potential is to be fully realized. Despite all of the hype, online advertising really isn’t delivering knockout results for most advertisers. In fact, some of the results advertisers have reported on hyped properties like Facebook are quite atrocious.

On the startup side of this equation, the most dishonest part of the hype is that there’s this huge and growing pie of advertiser cash up for grabs and that every Web 2.0 startup can get enough of it to build a great business. The truth is that a relatively small number of big properties and networks are getting most of that cash and the proportion they get is only likely to increase the bigger the pie gets.

Allen: What suggestions do you have for someone just getting started with their service or product online?

Drama 2.0: Well, before you even build a new service or product, I think it makes sense to have an honest dialog with yourself and/or your team. I see so many new ventures where it’s clear that the people behind them really didn’t put a whole lot of thought into answering the basics, such as:

• What is our target market and what’s the real size of this market?
• What problem are we solving?
• How are we going to acquire users or customers?
• How are we eventually going to make enough money to create a self-sustaining business?
• How are we going to differentiate ourselves?
• How can we build something defensible?

Unfortunately, far too many ventures don’t have answers to these questions or the answers they do have are not satisfactory. For instance, I do not believe that "viral marketing" and "word-of-mouth" are realistic marketing strategies for new ventures.

Every battle is won before it is ever fought and in the business world, this means that before you launch, you have given some serious thought to what you’re doing and have some idea about how you need to execute.

Allen: MySpace or Facebook?

Drama 2.0: MySpace. MySpace users are just a whole lot more interesting. Facebook is boring. I don’t know if that’s because the design is about as bland as Mark Zuckerberg’s personality or if Facebook is just the social network that everybody taking Paxil uses. In any case, until my fake profile on Facebook starts getting daily messages (like the ones I get on MySpace) from women who want to do live webcam chats with me, I think I’ll stick with Tom.

Allen: What tips do you have for those seeking VC funding?

Drama 2.0: Don’t. In general, I believe VC funding is a huge mistake for most Internet startups and if some companies spent as much time actually building their businesses as they do making the rounds on Sand Hill Road, they’d be far further along in their development. While there are certainly some situations where raising money makes sense and is necessary to further grow an already-growing business (with revenues), contrary to the beliefs of many entrepreneurs, taking money from VCs usually doesn’t solve your problems and actually creates quite a few of them. I’ve discussed this topic a lot on my blog and I agree with Mark Cuban: most companies need more brains, not more capital.

I’m a fan of the bootstrap model for building a company, and in the consumer Internet space, I think most viable companies have the ability to get to where they need to go with little more than angel funding (if necessary). Personally, I think it’s wise to consider that if you can’t get a business off the ground with your own resources and scale that business using revenues, starting your own company might not be the right path.

For companies that do decide to go down the VC route, my only real advice is "caveat emptor." Recognize that in a number of key areas, the VC’s interests are not going to be aligned with yours and that this can play a major role in whether your company succeeds or fails. Also recognize that spiels about the knowledge and relationships VCs give you access to is, at best, oversold, and at worst, pure bullshit. Most VCs are not entrepreneurs so thinking that they’re going to bring a lot more to the table than their (expensive) capital is like thinking that your dentist can advise you on the embarrassing festering wart you have on your thigh.

Allen: What country do you make your residence in?

Drama 2.0: I don’t know yet. I’ll be sure to let everyone know when I decide. South America looks good right now, but the Mediterranean is tempting too.

Allen: 1945 Chateau d’Yquem or 1945 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild?

Drama 2.0: d’Yquem hands down, although I’d honestly prefer the ’76.

Allen: Which feeds are you reading these days?

Drama 2.0: I’m a closet luddite and I don’t have a feed reader. The tech blogs that I load up manually in Netscape 7.0 on a regular basis are Center Networks (Allen Stern is the man), TechCrunch, Mashable, GigaOm and the best tech blog of all – The Drama 2.0 Show (damn that guy is good).

Thanks for your time Drama 2.0!

The fine folks at Wetpaint have created a list of techniques to "Web 2.0" an office. Wetpaint makes Wiki tools so they probably share everything at their office. I have taken a stab below to give my commentary on each of their suggestions. Have a look at mine below, then review theirs. The only one I notice missing is a gaming network – shooting your fellow workers in Quake can help relieve stress.

Tip #1 – Disassemble the cubes

Sure, you don’t need any privacy! Calling mom to check on when she’s picking you up? You best head into the one conference room with walls and a door!

Tip #2 – Pillage the fallen for cheap furniture

I remember my first day at CKS in the mid-90s. They had 2 Aeron chairs for me at my desk area (it was very long with 2 work stations). I actually hate that chair – it was never comfortable to me and always made me feel like i was going to be thrown 40 feet in the air at any point. But it sure did say, "we know how to spend money!"

Tip #3 – Blacket the walls with whiteboards

Yea, nothing says Web 2.0 like whiteboards. When the press comes in, write up some code or some marketing lingo and draw some arrows. And put words like "acquisition" and so forth on the board. Then look at it in horror and erase it quickly. Would throw off those press types. If you do plan to use a whiteboard, USE AN ERASER. See Scoble sessions for why.

Tip #4 – Your company logo in the entryway

They are right – spend tons on the sign in the front – will make you appear 2 legit 2 quit. Though no name on the door can mean stealth startup and make employees feel more like a CIA agent. Add a secret number keypad for bonus points. Biometrics are so Web 1.0.

Tip #5 – Nerf balls

Let the boss win once in a while. Cuz when the funding is lower than expected, you know the person who dunked over the boss while everyone was watching is first to go.

Tip #6 – Project away

If you plan to use a projector – get one that can do more than 800×600 – that makes you look like a marketer. Anyone in the tech world should be using at least 1920×2500 on a projector!

Tip #7 – Circus Cookies & Diet Dr. Pepper

"Keep ‘em eating sugar and they will work 20 hrs a day" said a CEO to me at a conference. Why not add on some B5 vitamins hourly?

Tip #8 – Miles of disorganized wires

The true Web 2.0 shop has 14.2 miles of wires. Yes, I have done the research.

Tip #9 – Turbo coffee machine with never ending bean supply

Jason Calacanis believes this is his tool to keep his Mahaloployees happy. I won’t name the agency but one of the larger agencies in NYC has an actual coffee bar with barista inside the office for its employees. I’d prefer a lemonade bar.

Tip #10 – Lots of Headphones

I’ve been doing this for years. It’s the best conversation deflector there is! Even if there’s no sound, keep them on and the office gossip will stay away and so will your boss. If the boss breaks in, it is safe to worry that there’s something bad coming. Just keep the sound on loud and they too will go away.

There’s my thoughts on Web 2.0′ing your office, what are yours?

One of my favorite reads is the good doctor (yes, a real doctor), Tony Hung. His commentary and opinions are almost always on point and accurate. However last night he wrote a piece that had an incorrect diagnosis. He should know that a doctor can’t just look at a chart and know what’s wrong without talking to the patient (or in this case investigating the cause). Unfortunately, Duncan at TechCrunch immediately posted about it as well, thereby furthering the incorrect diagnosis.

Here is Tony’s analysis:

About a month ago, I wrote about how Netscape dumped its social news component into its own site, Propeller.com and wondered rhetorically how it would turn out — with the subtext being, perhaps, how *Netscape* would really fare now that its social news component was on its own. Well, a month has come and gone, and I think that if Alexa is any indication (and yes, it certainly has its problems), the answer might be “substantial”.

He then shows the following chart to backup his "substantial" claim:

So what did Tony miss?

• Naturally when you switch domains traffic to the former will decrease
• If we look back before Netscape became Jason’s social news failure, those people who liked the old Netscape left. They wouldn’t have any reason to return after the site moved to the Propeller domain.
• And lastly, and most importantly, netscape.com does not exist anymore – it redirects to aol.com – hello drop. Rogelio Bernal Andreo, coRank CEO agrees. His comment on TechCrunch, "I just noticed that nestcape.com now redirects to netscape.aol.com. So I guess the whole argument is just flawed then. It doesn’t take into account what I mentioned before, and it doesn’t consider that netscape.com is now a redirect to netscape.aol.com."

Check out our previous Propeller coverage including my open letter to the AOL executive team.