Competition in the Digital Age
[This post originally appeared on HBR Blogs on 1st December, 2011] Back in July, I suggested that Google+ lacked the features that would allow it to displace Facebook. While Google+ was technologically wonderful, I argued, it did not solve a problem for consumers and therefore would not attract users. Despite the reported 50 million people who …
Continue reading "Why Facebook "gets social" while Google+ does not"
A theme of the digitized economy is the importance of standards. But sometimes I am puzzled by missing standards. Today I'd like to hone in on the 'open door' button on the elevator. You know the scenario. The door is closing and someone is just running up to get in. Now the appropriate social response …
Continue reading "Missing standardization: Elevator buttons"
It was about 12 or 13 years ago, that we decided to design a class website template. It seemed that student materials were heading online and at Melbourne Business School we opted for a faculty-designed solution. For those days, it was pretty slick and it was the main template used for about a decade. A …
Book publishers are struggling with eBook lending. The latest to have a problem is Penguin who announced last week they would opt out of library lending programs citing security concerns. (They subsequently softened their exit to something temporary). The Penguin move specifically highlighted the Kindle lending program. Of course, this is just the latest following …
It was Bill Gates who coined the term, "content is king" back in an article written in 1996. The idea defines where the money comes from on the Internet. Gates wrote: Content is where I expect much of the real money will be made on the Internet, just as it was in broadcasting. The article …
A couple of years ago, I made a 'less than scholarly' edit to Wikipedia; specifically the entry on public good. Here is a video of what I did and what happened. It illustrates how the Wikipedian community defends the platform and why that is so strong. In this case, my assault on the public good …
Recently, I became the proud father of a 13 year old daughter. I can't say it was unexpected (I had a good handle on the notion for about 13 years), it still comes as a shock. The day was greeted, of course, from a letter from the Disney Corporation. Dear Parent or Guardian of xxxxxxx, …
Continue reading "The Facebook Parents' Dilemma: COPPA and my daughter turn 13"
Following what was likely an intense bidding war, Netflix have won the rights to exclusively 'broadcast' the new Arrested Development series in 2013. Of course, as a fan of Arrested Development, I'm thrilled that new episodes are coming. But what does it mean for Netflix and broadcasting? Why exclusivity? The theory behind exclusivity is that …
On This American Life this week, is a podcast devoted to the subject of "So Crazy it might just work." Now if you are interested in scientific discovery, its culture and openness, go and listen to the first half of that podcast right now. I'll wait. OK, all done? I'm not going to discuss the …
So I was reading Felix Salmon's account of a debate here in Toronto between Paul Krugman and Larry Summers. I guess it was supposed to be an insider-outside type divide. I was struck by this passage. Summers also tried to defend inequality, at least in part, by saying that âsuppose the United States had 30 …
Digitopoly 