The changes made to Facebook over the past few weeks have led to many users questioning their allegiance to the world's most popular social network, even threatening to leave Facebook altogether.
And on May 31st, these fuming Facebookers will have the chance to put their proverbial money (or credits in this case) where their mouth is, because Memorial Day has also been designated as Quit Facebook Day.
With that day right around the corner, the big question now is: will this mass Facebook exodus actually happen?
Some say it will, others say it's simply blowing smoke, while some simply point out the irony of organizing a day devoted to quitting Facebook through Facebook.
Personally, I plan on keeping my account. While I'm not a fan of these changes nor do I like them (puns intended), I do believe that the heat Facebook has taken over these changes will lead to more positive innovations in the future.
Either way, I'm sure Zuckerberg will be keeping a close eye on who stays and who goes come Monday.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Helping Frenimies Connect
At the core of social media, the goal has always been to connect. MySpace began as a way for emerging bands to connect with fans, Facebook connected college classmates and Twitter connects, well, everyone.
It was only a matter of time before someone realized that all this connecting might have us too close to those we’d rather not be so close with. Meet the anti-social media platform Avoidr.
It’s exactly what you think it is. According to the site, it utilizes Foursquare to “keep your friends close and your enemies at that bar down the street.” Which raises the question as to why your enemies would be connected with you on Foursquare in the first place, but for those who friend anyone and everyone—you know who you are—this might actually be a useful tool.
So how does it work? Link it up with your Foursquare account and decide exactly who you don’t want to run into. For this test I singled out my coworker, @slopato. Specifically, I called her a phony.
The site should let me know where she checked in so I know to avoid it, but so far the only message I’ve seen is something along the lines of, “All clear! You've got the run of the town.”
Has the site been working for you or is giving you a false sense of security like I’m getting? Or if you haven’t tried it yet, do you think there’s a need for this type of platform? Do you feel the need to connect with your frenimies?
It was only a matter of time before someone realized that all this connecting might have us too close to those we’d rather not be so close with. Meet the anti-social media platform Avoidr.
It’s exactly what you think it is. According to the site, it utilizes Foursquare to “keep your friends close and your enemies at that bar down the street.” Which raises the question as to why your enemies would be connected with you on Foursquare in the first place, but for those who friend anyone and everyone—you know who you are—this might actually be a useful tool.
So how does it work? Link it up with your Foursquare account and decide exactly who you don’t want to run into. For this test I singled out my coworker, @slopato. Specifically, I called her a phony.
The site should let me know where she checked in so I know to avoid it, but so far the only message I’ve seen is something along the lines of, “All clear! You've got the run of the town.”
Has the site been working for you or is giving you a false sense of security like I’m getting? Or if you haven’t tried it yet, do you think there’s a need for this type of platform? Do you feel the need to connect with your frenimies?
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
The Milk And Cookies Approach
I just returned from a trip to San Jose, and even though I'm still shaking off some jet lag, I came away with a great impression of the hotel I stayed at.
The room itself was nice, but what I remember the most is that the hotel would put out free milk and cookies for the guests. It wasn't much, but it was definitely memorable and helped me connect with the hotel.
Speaking of connections, there was a great article I saw today about the different social media tools some hotels are utilizing to connect with their guests, like personalizing customer service through Twitter to allow for fast, direct communication with clients. Also, these social media tools are being used to help keep employees informed about what's going on at the hotel.
But the story went on to talk about some often overlooked aspects, such as connecting with the mom blogger demographic, because of how many women are online and how many of them go to mom blogs for advice.
Lastly, the article discussed the storytelling aspect of social media, where clients' stories are paramount, not just the number of bookings. This is the part of the article I agreed with the most, because the nature of social networking lends itself so well to this more personalized message.
I like the idea that service still reigns supreme in the hospitality industry, and that these tools simply help increase and diversify that service. The personal service and connection are what all of these social media efforts aim to accomplish.
The room itself was nice, but what I remember the most is that the hotel would put out free milk and cookies for the guests. It wasn't much, but it was definitely memorable and helped me connect with the hotel.
Speaking of connections, there was a great article I saw today about the different social media tools some hotels are utilizing to connect with their guests, like personalizing customer service through Twitter to allow for fast, direct communication with clients. Also, these social media tools are being used to help keep employees informed about what's going on at the hotel.
But the story went on to talk about some often overlooked aspects, such as connecting with the mom blogger demographic, because of how many women are online and how many of them go to mom blogs for advice.
Lastly, the article discussed the storytelling aspect of social media, where clients' stories are paramount, not just the number of bookings. This is the part of the article I agreed with the most, because the nature of social networking lends itself so well to this more personalized message.
I like the idea that service still reigns supreme in the hospitality industry, and that these tools simply help increase and diversify that service. The personal service and connection are what all of these social media efforts aim to accomplish.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Twitter Account Strikes Oil With BP Satire
When I was studying public relations in college, the classic example of what not to do in a crisis was Exxon and the Juan Valdez oil spill.
Now with an even larger oil disaster still wreaking havoc off of the Gulf Coast, BP is dealing with an ecological, financial and PR nightmare.
To their credit, BP already had a Twitter account (@BP_America) that they've been using extensively over the past couple of weeks in an attempt to communicate with their 4,400 followers.
However, there's a new Twitter account aim solely at making fun of BP's response to the oil spill. The account, @BPGlobalPR, is a mock BP public relations Twitter account that puts a satirical twist on BP's crisis communication.
This is becoming a big problem for BP, not necessarily because there is an account poking fun at them, but because that account has more than twice as many followers as BP's actual Twitter account.
That's right, even though the @BPGlobalPR account was created just 5 days ago, they have already amassed over 9,500 followers...and that number shows no signs of slowing.
Obviously this raises questions about how BP should respond, because the bottom line is that more people are seeing the satire and the mockery at a time when the world is already looking at them in a negative light.
But one thing isn't being questioned, and that is how quickly social media trends like this can take off and gain momentum.
Now with an even larger oil disaster still wreaking havoc off of the Gulf Coast, BP is dealing with an ecological, financial and PR nightmare.
To their credit, BP already had a Twitter account (@BP_America) that they've been using extensively over the past couple of weeks in an attempt to communicate with their 4,400 followers.
However, there's a new Twitter account aim solely at making fun of BP's response to the oil spill. The account, @BPGlobalPR, is a mock BP public relations Twitter account that puts a satirical twist on BP's crisis communication.
That's right, even though the @BPGlobalPR account was created just 5 days ago, they have already amassed over 9,500 followers...and that number shows no signs of slowing.
Obviously this raises questions about how BP should respond, because the bottom line is that more people are seeing the satire and the mockery at a time when the world is already looking at them in a negative light.
But one thing isn't being questioned, and that is how quickly social media trends like this can take off and gain momentum.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Workplace Mayors - Winners or Losers?
Yesterday Foursquare mayorship surfaced as part of our office “social media updates” also known as “guess what just happened.” The blog post looked at who held mayorship at large magazines. For example, outreach editor Zach Seward is holding on to Wall Street Journal mayorship, while Condé Nast’s mayorship lies with Shaun Gough, art director.
Which got us thinking, how much value is there in being mayor of your workplace? Potentially, Kaitlin and Shaun could use their mayorships to demonstrate their social media engagement or to simply brag to their friends.
And that begs the question: What do workplace mayorships mean to you? Are you proud to be mayor of your office or is it just another mayorship? Have you entered a competitive winner-takes-all battle with your coworkers or do you have a mayor-by-default since only one of you is using the program?
And lastly - Would you ever consider putting a mayorship on your resume?
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Bloggers in Bloom
For some people the 15th of the month is just another day (tax deadlines in April notwithstanding), but for garden-lovers across the blogosphere, its a monthly holiday: Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.
It's an online event, started by garden blogger Carol at May Dreams Gardens, where green thumbs are encouraged to blog about what's blooming in their gardens that month.
I'm sure that doesn't sound like much: Garden bloggers are obviously going to blog about their gardens, right?
That's true, but the reason I bring it up is that the event has seen its popularity explode over the past couple years, with more and more top gardeners and garden photographers getting involved.
And all of these bloggers writing about one topic is not only building buzz about gardening, but strengthening what was once a smaller niche market in the blogging world.
Although Garden Bloggers Bloom Day isn't meant to promote any product or service in particular, gardening as a whole is becoming a big topic of conversation in these blogs, and that fact alone is what makes massive blogging collaboration like this so important.
It's an online event, started by garden blogger Carol at May Dreams Gardens, where green thumbs are encouraged to blog about what's blooming in their gardens that month.
I'm sure that doesn't sound like much: Garden bloggers are obviously going to blog about their gardens, right?
That's true, but the reason I bring it up is that the event has seen its popularity explode over the past couple years, with more and more top gardeners and garden photographers getting involved.
And all of these bloggers writing about one topic is not only building buzz about gardening, but strengthening what was once a smaller niche market in the blogging world.
Although Garden Bloggers Bloom Day isn't meant to promote any product or service in particular, gardening as a whole is becoming a big topic of conversation in these blogs, and that fact alone is what makes massive blogging collaboration like this so important.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Cell Phone Radiation? There's An App For That
Ever since the very first brick-like cell phone hit market decades ago, consumers and scientists alike have questioned whether or not the radiation from using the devices will lead to serious medical issues.
In fact, this issue had gained so much traction that a massive, 10-year international study of 13,000 participants was done to help answer this conundrum once and for all.
And with the results of the decade-long study being released today, the concerned masses were on the edge of their seats waiting to hear their cell phone fate...only to hear that the results were "inconclusive."
Obviously this means that some people will continue to use their cell phones without a second thought, while others will continue to live in fear of their iPhones or Droids.
But if you're worried about how much Blackberry use is too much: there's an app for that.
The $9.99 Blackberry app from Tawkon measures/predicts when and where your phone is giving off more radiation and gives you warnings accordingly.
The accuracy and necessity of the app is being debated, but both sides have acknowledged that newer operating systems have led to less radiation. And with cell phone technology constantly being advanced, I do question the app's long-term value.
The bottom line is that this app is great for those who have serious concern over radiation, but the $10 price tag will most likely discourage most other Blackberry users from trying it out.
In fact, this issue had gained so much traction that a massive, 10-year international study of 13,000 participants was done to help answer this conundrum once and for all.
And with the results of the decade-long study being released today, the concerned masses were on the edge of their seats waiting to hear their cell phone fate...only to hear that the results were "inconclusive."
Obviously this means that some people will continue to use their cell phones without a second thought, while others will continue to live in fear of their iPhones or Droids.
But if you're worried about how much Blackberry use is too much: there's an app for that.
The $9.99 Blackberry app from Tawkon measures/predicts when and where your phone is giving off more radiation and gives you warnings accordingly.
The accuracy and necessity of the app is being debated, but both sides have acknowledged that newer operating systems have led to less radiation. And with cell phone technology constantly being advanced, I do question the app's long-term value.
The bottom line is that this app is great for those who have serious concern over radiation, but the $10 price tag will most likely discourage most other Blackberry users from trying it out.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Live From New York, It's Saturday White!
If the Internet has taught us anything, it's that icon status is a few million mouse clicks away. We've seen a few of these Internet celebrities over the years, but Star Wars Kid didn't want the fame, Tay Zonday failed to produce another hit song, and Numa Numa Guy's dance moves became old news.
But this month our biggest Internet icon is Betty White, who was already an established actress in her own right, but has seen a huge resurgence in her popularity thanks to Facebook.
White recently had a very successful appearance on Saturday Night Live thanks to a Facebook campaign called "Betty White to Host SNL (please?)!" that garnered over 500,000 fans.
The SNL gig is apparently not enough for the Betty White fans out there, who have now launched new Facebook campaigns to get the former Golden Girl to host the Emmy's, the Oscars, even the Academy Awards.
The success of these new grassroot Facebook campaigns has yet to be seen, but are proving the power that these social media efforts can have, and the real results they can generate.
But this month our biggest Internet icon is Betty White, who was already an established actress in her own right, but has seen a huge resurgence in her popularity thanks to Facebook.
White recently had a very successful appearance on Saturday Night Live thanks to a Facebook campaign called "Betty White to Host SNL (please?)!" that garnered over 500,000 fans.
The SNL gig is apparently not enough for the Betty White fans out there, who have now launched new Facebook campaigns to get the former Golden Girl to host the Emmy's, the Oscars, even the Academy Awards.
The success of these new grassroot Facebook campaigns has yet to be seen, but are proving the power that these social media efforts can have, and the real results they can generate.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Shopping Sprees Go Viral
Every time I sit down in the food court at the mall, I see at least two or three girls showing their friends everything that they bought at the stores that day.
However, there's a new trend emerging online that takes this shopping day show-off to a new level: the haul video.
The idea is that people (a majority of which are younger females) record videos of themselves walking the audience through all of the purchases they made that day, along with commentary about fashion trends and the difficult choices they came across when out at the mall.
And with over 150,000 haul videos on YouTube getting tens (if not hundreds) of millions of views, this haul video craze shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.
Add in the fact that YouTube allows users to earn money through partnerships, with some of these haul "vloggers" (video bloggers) earning thousands of dollars a year, and it's clear that this has turned to a legitimate business for some women.
These partnerships show that retail marketers are seeing the huge opportunity with these videos, which are essentially positive product reviews (why would someone say something bad about something they just bought?) that are accessible to a large audience in their target demographic.
But despite the huge earning potential with these haul videos, I probably won't be one of the thousands who have uploaded videos of their mall purchases. Besides, I doubt anyone would want to hear about my food court choice or the awesome pretzel I bought that day.
However, there's a new trend emerging online that takes this shopping day show-off to a new level: the haul video.
The idea is that people (a majority of which are younger females) record videos of themselves walking the audience through all of the purchases they made that day, along with commentary about fashion trends and the difficult choices they came across when out at the mall.
And with over 150,000 haul videos on YouTube getting tens (if not hundreds) of millions of views, this haul video craze shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.
Add in the fact that YouTube allows users to earn money through partnerships, with some of these haul "vloggers" (video bloggers) earning thousands of dollars a year, and it's clear that this has turned to a legitimate business for some women.
These partnerships show that retail marketers are seeing the huge opportunity with these videos, which are essentially positive product reviews (why would someone say something bad about something they just bought?) that are accessible to a large audience in their target demographic.
But despite the huge earning potential with these haul videos, I probably won't be one of the thousands who have uploaded videos of their mall purchases. Besides, I doubt anyone would want to hear about my food court choice or the awesome pretzel I bought that day.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Emperor's New Clothes
Two hundred fifty million Facebookers, 184 million bloggers and 14 million tweeters, that’s a lot of opinions. Some traditional media call these noisy threats, but Vogue’s Editor in Cheif Anna Wintour sings their melodies. Last month Anna was quoted by Fashionista,
“We laude as much coverage on fashion as possible—we don’t care where it comes from,” she says. “But with all the noise, it actually helps Vogue, because we have authority.”
With the magazine industry crumbling, is Anna overly optimistic or are some industries impervious to social media’s leadership qualities?
Vogue’s authority might be in jeopardy as advertisers dive deeper into social media. Marc Jacobs’ “Fashion Victim” Foursquare badge, Jimmy Choo’s London treasure hunt, and Diesels' Facebook connected fitting room cameras show advertisers aren’t just interested in social media, they are signing on to the newest outlets.
So what does this mean for Vogue’s powerhouse editor? Anyone who saw the documentary The September Issue or the film The Devil Wears Prada knows Anna Wintour is one tough cookie. As people continue to Facebook, blog and tweet, Anna is still sitting in meetings with Bergdorf & Goodman or Armani where a single nod or look from her can change the creative and marketing direction for the season.
As long as she is Editor in Chief, Vogue will fight to retain authority and I think, succeed. The fashion industry isn’t impervious, but Anna may be.
What about other special interest categories? Do established media still rule?
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Side Effects Include...
The news headline I saw this morning wasn't exactly an attention-getter: "FDA Asked To Restrict Drug Marketers' Use Of Social Media".
While that headline doesn't seem too alarming in and of itself, it does have some important implications for us as consumers.
The news is that a consumer advocacy group is asking the FDA to prohibit pharmaceutical companies from advertising on social media platforms that don't allow them to fully explain their drug products.
For example, let's look at how birth control pills (which ironically celebrated their 50th anniversary this past Mother's Day) would be affected.
The target demographic of these pills are typically frequent social media users, so social networks like Facebook and Twitter would be a natural fit for advertising.
However, Twitter's 140 character limit per tweet means that a birth control pill company would most likely have to split all of the necessary medical information about their particular product into multiple tweets.
But if a consumer only happens to read one of these tweets, they run the risk of using a medicinal product without having all of the information.
This is why the FDA is looking into banning pharmaceutical advertising on social platforms that have word limits like Twitter.
And although I do agree this possible new restriction is probably in everyone's best interests, I think the health care industry should also burden some of the responsibility and adopt more social media usage to help keep consumers informed and up to date on issues like this.
While that headline doesn't seem too alarming in and of itself, it does have some important implications for us as consumers.
The news is that a consumer advocacy group is asking the FDA to prohibit pharmaceutical companies from advertising on social media platforms that don't allow them to fully explain their drug products.
For example, let's look at how birth control pills (which ironically celebrated their 50th anniversary this past Mother's Day) would be affected.
The target demographic of these pills are typically frequent social media users, so social networks like Facebook and Twitter would be a natural fit for advertising.
However, Twitter's 140 character limit per tweet means that a birth control pill company would most likely have to split all of the necessary medical information about their particular product into multiple tweets.
But if a consumer only happens to read one of these tweets, they run the risk of using a medicinal product without having all of the information.
This is why the FDA is looking into banning pharmaceutical advertising on social platforms that have word limits like Twitter.
And although I do agree this possible new restriction is probably in everyone's best interests, I think the health care industry should also burden some of the responsibility and adopt more social media usage to help keep consumers informed and up to date on issues like this.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Zuckerberg Checks In To Foursquare Headquarters
With Foursquare racing past the 40 millionth check-in mark a few days ago, it's time to state the obvious: Geolocation is here to stay awhile.
And when you're as hot of a commodity as Foursquare is, you're likely to have a few suitors looking to buy you out.
So, it wasn't much of a surprise that Facebook was possibly looking to add Foursquare into its online empire. We knew Facebook was looking to add some sort of geolocation feature to its site, and on Sunday appeared to have started the programming process to make it happen.
And the latest news suggests that this possible Facebook-Foursquare union is more likely than originally thought.
Over the weekend, Mark Zuckerberg met with Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley, although what that meeting consisted of or led to is unknown.
I myself would like to see Foursquare avoid Facebook's Internet takeover.
Unfortunately, the truth is Foursquare probably won't survive on its own, so if they're looking to sell, Facebook has the money and the influence to make it happen.
And when you're as hot of a commodity as Foursquare is, you're likely to have a few suitors looking to buy you out.
So, it wasn't much of a surprise that Facebook was possibly looking to add Foursquare into its online empire. We knew Facebook was looking to add some sort of geolocation feature to its site, and on Sunday appeared to have started the programming process to make it happen.
And the latest news suggests that this possible Facebook-Foursquare union is more likely than originally thought.
Over the weekend, Mark Zuckerberg met with Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley, although what that meeting consisted of or led to is unknown.
I myself would like to see Foursquare avoid Facebook's Internet takeover.
Unfortunately, the truth is Foursquare probably won't survive on its own, so if they're looking to sell, Facebook has the money and the influence to make it happen.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Bunnies Hopping Into Offices
While browsing the web this morning, I came across a hilarious bit of web-related news: Playboy recently announced they will be launching a safe-for-work website.
And while I'm personally not a Playboy patron, I would imagine that for those who are, this has got to feel like buying Oreo cookies without the creme filling: What's the point?
The site, called The Smoking Jacket, will provide content that bunny-enthusiasts can peruse without worrying about getting in trouble with the boss.
What this "content" will be has left to be seen, but it will probably be in the same vein as their Playboy iPhone app, which was surprisingly released despite Apple's strict rules against sexually explicit material.
So if you're really one of those people who reads Playboy for the articles, you can now browse this formally red-flagged site without getting a pink slip.
And while I'm personally not a Playboy patron, I would imagine that for those who are, this has got to feel like buying Oreo cookies without the creme filling: What's the point?
The site, called The Smoking Jacket, will provide content that bunny-enthusiasts can peruse without worrying about getting in trouble with the boss.
What this "content" will be has left to be seen, but it will probably be in the same vein as their Playboy iPhone app, which was surprisingly released despite Apple's strict rules against sexually explicit material.
So if you're really one of those people who reads Playboy for the articles, you can now browse this formally red-flagged site without getting a pink slip.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
A New Level of Online Addiction
Two of the most addictive substances on earth might be coffee and nicotine, but with 400 million users, some would argue that Facebook deserves to be on that list of addictions as well.
But when it comes to wasting hours and hours at a time online, the massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft (WoW) is at the top of the list. WoW has over 12 million monthly subscribers, most of whom aren't afraid of spending the night in front of their computer screens to succeed.
In fact, I personally know at least 4 people who flunked out of college due to spending too much time on World of Warcraft.
That's why I'm interested (and a little afraid) of the news last night that Blizzard, the maker of this Internet fixation, will be integrating its service with Facebook.
This is huge news in the gaming community, who can now have their WoW and other Blizzard game updates post on Facebook.
And although it's too early to tell how World of Warcraft players will respond, I'm sure that anyone who is already addicted to the online game will have an even tougher time getting that multiplayer monkey off their backs.
But when it comes to wasting hours and hours at a time online, the massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft (WoW) is at the top of the list. WoW has over 12 million monthly subscribers, most of whom aren't afraid of spending the night in front of their computer screens to succeed.
In fact, I personally know at least 4 people who flunked out of college due to spending too much time on World of Warcraft.
That's why I'm interested (and a little afraid) of the news last night that Blizzard, the maker of this Internet fixation, will be integrating its service with Facebook.
This is huge news in the gaming community, who can now have their WoW and other Blizzard game updates post on Facebook.
And although it's too early to tell how World of Warcraft players will respond, I'm sure that anyone who is already addicted to the online game will have an even tougher time getting that multiplayer monkey off their backs.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Certifiably Pointless
Since the dawn of wall posts, tweets and blogs, we've seen the social media "experts" and "gurus" claiming to know everything there is to know about the social networks that have kept us glued to our computers for the past few years.
And back in September 2009, the International Social Media Association was formed with the intent of giving these experts certification in social media.
But the problem I've always had with social media gurus (certified or otherwise) is that they claim their expertise in a field that is not only relatively new , but also constantly changing and evolving.
Apparently, I'm not alone in my criticism and this little experiment in certifying social media has ended with the dissolving of ISMA last week.
This echoes the harsh truth that social media can't be structured, controlled or certified the way engineering, accounting, or even PR can; by it's very nature social media is meant to be the no-rules, ever-evolving field that it is.
Now don't get me wrong, as someone who considers himself a social media professional, I do believe social media can and should be studied intensively...but that doesn't make me or anyone else a guru or expert.
And back in September 2009, the International Social Media Association was formed with the intent of giving these experts certification in social media.
But the problem I've always had with social media gurus (certified or otherwise) is that they claim their expertise in a field that is not only relatively new , but also constantly changing and evolving.
Apparently, I'm not alone in my criticism and this little experiment in certifying social media has ended with the dissolving of ISMA last week.
This echoes the harsh truth that social media can't be structured, controlled or certified the way engineering, accounting, or even PR can; by it's very nature social media is meant to be the no-rules, ever-evolving field that it is.
Now don't get me wrong, as someone who considers himself a social media professional, I do believe social media can and should be studied intensively...but that doesn't make me or anyone else a guru or expert.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Two Airlines Unite to Stay Strong
By Sara Loca
Do you remember the days when you could carry a nail file and toothpaste on an airplane without threatening national security? Airlines have changed drastically over the past few years, and yesterday the industry transformed again: United Airlines purchased Continental.
Combining the airlines means combining the websites, which is expected to result in a huge spike in the commercial airlines’ website traffic share (11.67% total share). “Uninental” will soon be competing with Delta and Southwest for web dominance, and with 90 million Americans conducting travel research online, that’s a pretty important competition.
As with any purchase, there are concerns. Employee opposition isn’t new to mergers, but has a long history with United Airlines’ chairman Mr. Glenn F. Tilton. In 2002, employees went as far as wearing orange “Glenn Must Go” bracelets. There is also concern that the brands are too different and will struggle to find a unified identity.
Certain consumers are outright disapproving of this venture, including Matt Gross, "The Frugal Traveler" blogger for The New York Times.There is no doubt the airline industry has more changes to come, but are all of these changes encouraging or discouraging airline travel?
Monday, May 3, 2010
The Apple of Tablet Market's Eye
Weeks ago, I wrote about the swarm of new tablets that were on the verge of being released in hopes of challenging the iPad's dominance in this emerging market, and now that Apple has hit the 1 million sales mark for the iPad, this issue becomes more pertinent than ever.
However, the two most promising tablets (the HP Slate and Microsoft Courier) have both been scrapped and won't go into production, and whether or not the companies are working on new ones has yet to be seen.
While this is great news for Apple, this is a huge blow to tablet technology as a whole. The iPad now defines the market for tablets, and that means there will be less innovation. Why would Apple need to innovate if there's no viable competition?
We've discussed the computer industry's failure to change and innovate before, and the same lesson applies here: the technology as a whole will suffer if no one is there to push for newer and better designs.
This leaves the Dell Streak as the last big-name company with a tablet device still in the works. Hopefully it won't succumb to the same fate as the HP Slate and Microsoft Courier, because as exciting as tablet technology appears to be, it will require innovation and competition to stay that way.
However, the two most promising tablets (the HP Slate and Microsoft Courier) have both been scrapped and won't go into production, and whether or not the companies are working on new ones has yet to be seen.
While this is great news for Apple, this is a huge blow to tablet technology as a whole. The iPad now defines the market for tablets, and that means there will be less innovation. Why would Apple need to innovate if there's no viable competition?
We've discussed the computer industry's failure to change and innovate before, and the same lesson applies here: the technology as a whole will suffer if no one is there to push for newer and better designs.
This leaves the Dell Streak as the last big-name company with a tablet device still in the works. Hopefully it won't succumb to the same fate as the HP Slate and Microsoft Courier, because as exciting as tablet technology appears to be, it will require innovation and competition to stay that way.
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