Facebook as Nightclub
December 24, 2007
It’s not a new analogy, but it should assist in understanding social networks, as to whether they are an opportunity, or not.
When I last went to a nightclub, I didn’t expect to form any lasting relationships.
Historically speaking, giving no details, there may have been existing acquaintances or friendships that might have been enhanced, and a deal or two may have been sealed. However, I never expected to come home with any sales leads for the business ready for Monday morning.
If your company specialises in things useful at a nightclub - alcohol, music, kebabs, etc then it stands to reason you need to be all over that network, making yourself look remarkable.
Actually, any consumer business might reasonably benefit if they’re remarkable enough.
I did a quick search to see if anyone else had made the facebook nightclub analogy - and of course, it’s been done rather well
Giles Bowkett says that “the cool place to be” changes and is naturally cyclical.
The google search showed a Jaiku comment - saying that facebook tags and installs tracking devices on the people showing up to its ‘nightclub’.
(I didn’t know Jaiku comments showed up in searches..I wonder if that is common knowledge)
Om Malik got this months ago, as per usual.
I suppose that it’s ironic that one of the businesses that stands to do well out of facebook is nightclubs.
Facebook video, fun being poked?
December 19, 2007
This is spot on in my book,
For the record, my book isn’t facebook -
Who is going to invent conversation software?
December 5, 2007
So many fads, so little time
There used to be this thing called facebook, back in the day.
It was useful, in as much as it showed what was possible, but it left people clamouring for more.
More control, more interaction, more privacy.
I often think about the development of technology -for example where wizards stay up late was an enjoyable read for me (the birth of the internet).
So, when Chris of Particls - an interesting product by the way - asks people to think about what they’re in favour of, rather than what they’re against, then that’s just like I heard a starter’s pistol.
Ok, so here’s my go at the next way of interacting with my Network - I think this application should be called Conversationware (why not).
It should include;
A. Contact management - CRM but something that lives and breathes
B. Conversation management
b1. Invite function - ie. “I would like a conversation ‘about’ ” - this would be in some sort blend of wiki/blog mechanism,
b2. The invitee can accept, or not
b3. Priority can be set by the inviter, and invitee….separately
b4. Presence should be conditional upon acceptance, priority and current condition/mode
b5. If accepted, Priority should include, important and urgent, important not urgent, not important urgent, not important not urgent.
C. Condition/Mode setting - automatically updating the resulting ‘availability’, according to priorities in my network contacts client software - via machine based RSS or some such. Let me explain. If another conversation participant is available at high priority, I should have that conversation before ‘becoming available’ for a low priority conversation. Ideal worlds I know…but hey, this is my dream, and I dream of productivity.
D. Feed management and attention settings
E. Tagging
F. A remarkable interface for continuing and extending the conversation (for conversation read ‘task, project, etc etc’) - this should be very very open for additions or change, like mind manager software, but updated in each participants client. Click, type, press enter, update every participants client as soon as online……not client server, machine RSS….it has to cross boundaries and firewalls.
G. Conversations will be contextual and relative. Six people will be contributing to a customer generated conversation, but only the lead will be interacting directly with the customer on the issue.
G. Conversation exposure settings - internal and or external, public or partner, - who can search in other words, and what search engines are given access. What conversations are listed for public access/contribution - you saw Parlano before Microsoft bought them?
H. Unified Communications. That way, the agenda comes first, and then the conversation, spoken or electronic follows. All potential conversations are therefore listed as you interact, and thus, all audit trails, including call recordings, are automatically indexed.
There’s loads more, but I’ve run out of steam.
The future is more electronic, not less and we need more tools. Tools to speed up the contact are not enough on their own. We need this stuff to get things done.
Make it viral people. Microsoft DOS software was effectively free until they sorted the licencing later on, by which time they had a user base.
I’ll await my free trial….thanks.
CEO condones facebook use for staff
November 20, 2007
Encouraging your employees to use Facebook?
That’s bucking the trend wouldn’t you say? It is being reported that up to 70% of UK’s employers are banning access according to the linked article.
In that context, there is a great interview from the CEO horse’s (Jeremy Burton of Serena) mouth, over at the ‘For Immediate Release’ podcast site. When getting to the site, scroll to the player for 16th November. (24 mins)
At ‘face value’ (sorry) it sounds like a very ‘new age’ ‘new media’ thing to do, but actually, the interview does enable Jeremy to put things very succinctly, articulately even, and it does make sense.
Mostly.
The situation first came about by banning emails on a Friday, a practice I haven’t experienced personally, but applaud none the less. And having banned (internal?) email, staff found a way around it and thus, experiencing a richer form of communication and relationship bulding, the ‘missing link’ was discovered by all.
It’s no suprise that almost anything enables better relationships and conversation than does email, but I still have this feeling that Facebook is merely a signpost, rather than an eventual destination. This year’s Second Life, if you will.
The vital question of things for me, ‘Personal versus Business communications’ was discussed briefly, but despite the answer “that it gave the CEO something to talk to the despatch guy in the lift about”, I don’t think that this subject has been put to bed yet.
Have a listen though, a few decent pointers to be had
Serena looks like an interesting company. Mashups are this year’s workflow?
Don’t get Linked In? I do now.
November 16, 2007
I posted a video around the public safety of facebook a few days ago, and I’m still not convinced that donating your information to that particular medium is beneficial.
Linked In is also fairly new to me, although now I think probably it’s more mainstream than I originally gave it credit for - having been around before such things were referred to as ’social networks’.
Incidentally, a colleague told me he treated it as a rainy day thing, so that struck a chord. Thus, I was willing to put a little more effort in - being much more acceptable to me than that facebook for business purposes.
The thought of any future employer or customer being able to search through fluff, stuff and nonsense just makes me want to keep my private networks private, and my business networks businessy.
However - this interview post, a 15 mins thing with one of the most active users - 4200 contacts, was an eye-opener this evening.
I can see this stuff is still in its infancy, but I ‘get it’ better now. Many thanks Chip.
Any other Linked In stories will find me listening?