I like Clay Shirky. We have met a couple of times. We are on the same page for lots of issues. And I really admire his way to economically express some important issues. But recently I have become concerned that his arguments are a little too snappy and don't really stand up when pushed. That …
Controlling the timeline
Facebook have finally released their much-anticipated timeline. Finally, this is a product change that its users will actually like from the start. It is a major innovation. What timeline is is a way of strolling through all of your Facebook activity since you first enrolled (and indeed, by adding retrospectively, from before that). To be …
Platforms and a visit to Japan
During the first week of December I visited Tokyo, Japan, and spoke about platforms. This was my first visit to Japan. Accordingly, this post mixes commentary with a bit of travelogue. Platforms are reconfigurable base of components on which participants build applications. Platforms have a long history in computing and electronics, with examples going back …
Why Facebook "gets social" while Google+ does not
[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 …
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Will Blackboard be disrupted?
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 …
A Wikipedia Story
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 …
Netflix's exclusivity play
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 …
Where is Dropbox's power?
Dropbox is the simple file syncing service that has grown, in just a few years, to 50 million active users. 96% of those users do not give a cent to Dropbox. The remaining 4% pay for more storage and purportedly make it profitable; this percentage is growing every day. I use Dropbox because of its simplicity, …
Google Reader design, sigh
Warning, this is going to be a ranty post not really related to my expertise. There are two types of blog reader -- those who use RSS feeds and those who don't. Those who don't, visit a few blogs each day to see what's new. Those who use RSS feeds, use a feed reader that …
icanhasreach
The CEO of Icanhascheezburger.com stated that their "mission is to make everyone in the world happy for five minutes a day." If you are in the world, then you have no doubt seen the products of their website. If not, click on the link and enjoy your morning. Sites like this are not usually considered a threat to …
Digitopoly 