It’s most likely that the recent attempt to pass legisilation in the US under the acts SOPA and PIPA created a stir for many, who in this new year have started to contemplate government intervention of the internet. From what I can tell, it isn’t that far away.

Of course there are two sides of this story. On one side, you have government legistlators trying to shut down unlawful and illegal wholesale copyright infringers. On the other side you have the protectors of free and unfiltered information available on the net, whatever that means.

I’ll talk more in future posts on where I stand about these issues but we are starting to see a very drastic change in how we use the internet

Zaid

This is a threat

Right or wrong, when the people have the power to form movements and spread their message quickly, the easiest and most effective way to shut them down is to go to the root of the ‘problem’ and prevent any further means of communication.  If you look at what’s happening in places like New York where the Occupy Wallstreet movement is gaining steam, it’s easy to predict that there might come a point where the mayor makes the decision that a site like Twitter needs to shut down.  God forbid, the movement turns into riots or violence, it’s safe to say that something along the lines of what happened in London is quite possible here.

To make it clear, I’m not part of any movement and I’m not advocating any of this to happen.  I just think that more and more, it’s bound to happen.  When it does, we’ll have to evaluate what it means to have access to tools like Twitter and we’ll have to see if our freedoms are intact and if the internet still represents they type of autonomy we think it does.

Counter Arguement

Evgeny Morozov, the author of the book Net Delusion proposes the argument that in the extreme case the internet can be used against its people by ‘suppressing free speech, honing their surveillance techniques, disseminate cutting-edge propaganda, and pacifying their populations with digital entertainment’.  He cites countried like China and even Iran where he states that a movement like the Twitter movement didn’t accomplish much.

An Icon

Next to Kurt Cobain, Steve Jobs is the only other celebrity I can think of that has influenced my life in a tangible way, considering I have never met the man.  Regardless of whether you are a fan of his or not, it is hard to deny the impact he has made.

Impact

His impact has been huge.  I could talk about his contributions to the computer industry going way back to the Macintosh days and even the beginnings of the modern day user interface and/or typography, but what is even more impressive is the way that he has made a lasting change in other fields like music, movies and entertainment.  His ability to understand how technology and the humanities are intertwined is what I most respect about Steve Jobs.  Because in a way, it is his way of communicating that he understands the needs of me.

Product Innovation

If you think about the history of Apple, it’s actually not that difficult to retrace the number of significant products they have released.  A broad list might go something like this: the MacinTosh, the iMac, the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad and the Macbook Air.  If I asked a non-mac fan, they could probably also identify at least a few of those products.  It’s a testament to their strategic product releases and incredible branding.

Understanding the User

If there is one thing that Steve Jobs understand really well it is the user experience.  He gets that technology should integrate almost seamlessly with how the user operates that technology.

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Update: I wrote this post around the time that Steve Jobs resigned as CEO.  As of tonight he has passed.  I will truly remember him as a hero.  His passion for art and technology is truly inspirational.

RIP Steve Jobs.

I found a good article that talks about the merits of SEO and it’s an entertaining read as well.  It contains some expletives and may come off as brash or a bit tongue and cheek to some.  So please be warned.  Otherwise, enjoy:

SEO for Non-dicks

I want to point out an interesting corollary from the above link.  In the process of directing you to the article, I created or generated yet another link for the author Matt Legend.  In fact I even wrote an entire blog post around his article and I did this without any intention of giving him a link or helping him out in the search engines.  So the result happened naturally, organically.  And that my friends, is real SEO.

A Celebrity Feed

Among the vast sphere of the internet are a countless number of online celebrities ranging from tech professionals, pro-bloggers, silicon valley evangelists and more. These quasi-celebrity types are well revered among thousands if not millions of individuals.  Some of the names are mainstream like Guy Kawasaki, Chris Brogan and Robert Scoble while some are only prevalent online.  None the less, they are extremely smart, creative and inspiring people who have garnered huge followings.  It’s most of these types, who have become even more popular on Google+.

So what’s the problem with these online celebrity types?  Well there is no problem if you’re a fan of them.  I follow a lot of them on Google+ and they provide amazing content.  The problem lies in that if you don’t know who these people are it’s most likely you won’t add them to Google+. Which in turn reveals an empty news feed.

Something About Twitter

Now if you do decide to follow a countless number of internet gurus or celebrities on Google+, in addition to some great content there is an interesting phenonmen I noticed about the feed.  With Google+, there is no limit in the amount of text or content you can post to a status.  By instinct one would think this is a good thing in that it allows content creators to express their thoughts without constraint and to provide as much information as they wish.  But in my opinion, I see a feed of what looks like mini short stories pouring into Google+.  At the most I skim the content.  This made me appreciate Twitter a lot more  since you’re forced to make your point quickly and succinctly, limited to of course 140 characters.

Still no Friends

It’s still the case that my friends are not updating Google+.  Is it the case that invitations are still limited?  Maybe.  But even when they open the floodgates I will be surprised if users abandon Facebook and start embracing Google+.  What’s even more backwards to me is that Google+ is succeeding based on a feed of content from people who aren’t your friends.  That isn’t a social network.  That’s a MySpace for tech geeks.

Enough with the hate

If you’ve read any of my posts on Google+ you will come to learn that I didn’t think it would catch on as a social networking tool that competes with Facebook.  It might even sound like I don’t like Google+.  But that isn’t neccessarily the case.  The point I am trying to make is that when Google+ was launched there was a lot of talk that it would be the next Facebook.  I simply thought otherwise.  One thing that Google+ is good for is amazing content. If you can find the right people, you can find a gold mine of good content.  So instead of a Facebook or a Twitter, I’m starting to think that Google+ is somewhere in between. We’ll see in the next little while on whether the masses will adopt the platform.

Now for me, I would be fine with a serious Google+ user disagreeing with Paul’s blog post and presenting a reasonable arguement.  But to react by calling him fradulent was something I thought petty.  From what I can see, there is a serious and very passionate bunch of Google+ users who are very happy with the new platform and are quick to defend it at all costs.   But where there is a big misunderstanding among this group, is that everday normal people, like Paul the author, are not resonating with Google+.   Not to mention, hardcore social media users are not benefiting from Google+ either, when there is next to no content for them to enjoy.   And you can’t blame the user.

Counterintutive

What is frustrating to a logical mind is that human psychology or human behavior is extremely unpredictable, uncontrollable and illogical.  In fact, you could present a group of people the perfect social networking application and it doesn’t necessarily mean they will use it.  You can blame the people for being ignorant and you can call them names or think they’re dumb but you still can’t change their behaviour.  The irony is, it’s this exact social nuance that gives Google a huge advantage in search.  That is, people just aren’t willing to try another search engine.

The Difference

The reasons I feel that Google+ will not be as successful as Facebook are reasons that I can only base from my own experience.  When Facebook launched in Canada, the movement to get on to the platform was pretty big.  Everyone was talking about it including my co-workers, the media and my friends.  People were talking about it on the street.  People were joining quickly and CONVINCING others to join.  People were creating groups to get other people to join.  And conversations and dialogue were happening naturally, organically and without too much effort.  The overall vibe of the launch was novel and exciting and let’s face it, a couple of years later an entire movie was created about how it all went down.  So my point is, I don’t feel any of the same eneregy nor do I see the same momentum with Google+.

An Evolution

There is also the argument that Google+ needs time to evolve.  Many claim that success isn’t necessarily the amount of users on the platform.  For example Twitter is still successful and has a much smaller user base than FB.  But this is a fallacy.  The point of Google+ is to become the next Facebook. They clearly released a social media platform and it’s a direct competitor to Facebook.  For me, it either becomes the next platform or it dies.

See you in 6 Months

I could be completely wrong about Google+ but so far I’m not too optimistic about the platform.  I think in six month’s time we’ll have a better idea of how it’s doing.  But for now, I’m just not convinced.