Google is adding an already controversial new feature to Google News: allowing people to comment on news items, but only those who are actually featured in the news story. Plenty of people are thinking about Google’s reasoning for this, the competitive advantage it could give them, and trying to figure out how Google will verify… Continue reading Google News Adds Unique Commenting Feature; No Fabio
Month: August 2007
Hearst Looks to Social Shopping to Create Buzz for Magazines
Heart looks to be buying Kaboodle, “a service for sharing shopping recommendations and style advice online:” “Hearst says it is likely to build pages on Kaboodle featuring products from many of its 19 U.S. magazine titles, such as Cosmopolitan and Good Housekeeping, aiming to generate buzz around the magazines by allowing shoppers to sound off… Continue reading Hearst Looks to Social Shopping to Create Buzz for Magazines
The Lack of Context in Search
While Google may seem to be everyone’s starting point on the web, there is still one little problem: context. In order to find what you are looking for, you have to create more detailed search queries, just to get the context for your search. For example, if I search on “speakers,” do I mean stereo… Continue reading The Lack of Context in Search
The Ubiquity of Information Kills Paid Content
Two interesting stories on how the ubiquity of information on the web is making it very challenging for traditional publishers to differentiate their content from the competition. 27/7 Wall Street comments on how Portfolio, the new magazine from Conde Nast, is having a hard time offering anything timely or unique on their website: “Why would… Continue reading The Ubiquity of Information Kills Paid Content
Amazon Sales Ranking: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
The New York Times looks into the affect that Amazon’s sales ranking has had on the book publishing industry: “When Amazon created the system 10 years ago, it could hardly have known how greatly its list would change the dynamics of the publishing business (much the way the company itself did) or how hard writers… Continue reading Amazon Sales Ranking: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
A Quick Guide to Website Usability Testing
The Online Journalism Review gives us a guide to do-it-yourself website usability testing.
Personalized Advertising to Replace Mass Advertising
The New York Times takes a look at an ad agency that is creating advertisements that are personalized based on your behavior. “Digitas, a new unit of the advertising conglomerate Publicis Groupe, is developing a system that links a database of consumer information with its advertisements. The system can deliver thousands of custom ads, each… Continue reading Personalized Advertising to Replace Mass Advertising
Why Can’t Social Networks be Social with Each Other?
Scott Gilbertson of Wired is looking past which social network is the flavor of the week, and asks if we can do away with them altogether. Since they are closed environments, all of your data and connections are locked within their walls, and can’t play well with others who don’t use your social network. As… Continue reading Why Can’t Social Networks be Social with Each Other?
Journalism and Architecture
The New Yorker asks “What should a newsroom look like in the twenty-first century?” The article recounts the history of how newsrooms were designed around the needs of the printing process, and communication methods that did not include technology. The article compares two New York newsrooms: the new offices of the New York Times, and… Continue reading Journalism and Architecture
The Priority of Print
Last Sunday, I wasn’t able to pickup a copy of the NY Times until late in the day. When I got to the store, their last copy was incomplete. I figured, no problem, I will save myself $4, and simply read it online. As I walked home, I mapped out a strategy to ensure I… Continue reading The Priority of Print