Should everything be a game?

I'd like to disagree on this comment. Just because Foursquare and Facebook are integrating and building game mechanics does not mean every online community and brand/company site need to jump on the band wagon.

Here's my analogy: Social media, oh it's so great. It worked for Friendster, MySpace, Facebook, blogger sites, etc. Many companies, such as Google, saw this as a major opportunity to better engage and interact with their audience. Look what happened there with Google Buzz. Google I love you, but sorry that was an epic fail.

Gabe Zichermann, who is the CEO of startup beamME, argues that "fun is good and that game mechanics will find their way into all sorts of products and businesses." He suggests the following:

Facebook should incorporate a popularity game so users can more easily gauge their social graph. The game is to encourage to add more friends - ("add two more friends to beat Sam's score"). Users would be awarded when they connect and add more friends.. Are you serious?! This is exactly why MySpace has become loser-land, because people add non-friends, strangers..all of which are potentially creeps. Facebook is about connecting with people you actually know, not random people so that you seem more popular.

Amazon - Zichermann's concept to integrate a virtual library within Amazon, so that you can share books that you have read w/ your friends. This is interesting. Often times, I will either ask my friends to send me a book list, which they never get to OR I mentally take note of a book name and later forget. A virtual library seems perfectly appropriate in this instance, as many people do visit Amazon to seek out reviews for best sellers for purchase.

Fedex - the idea "to connect your social graph to your shipments, letting you see your en route packages on a game board relate to your friends. You could "talk smack" to friends whose packages were sent via ground (or USPS)" This is a stretch for me. I have enough games on my iPhone as is, in addition to all the endless game requests on Facebook. Moreover, I don't need to find Fedex entertaining. I visit Fedex simply to track my delivery estimate, status, get my information and go. I don't need to waste more time there.. need I say more?

Following the trend seems like a smart move and definitely tempting , however you really need to analyze, take a step back and look at your business critically. Before you jump to conclusion and make a rash decision -- What is your main purpose, goal, and who are you servicing? Think twice. Not all consumers would appreciate you force feeding, moreover adding distraction to the service they expect to receive.

Cheers!

Reference: How to make Facebook, Fedex, and Amazon More Fun

Dirty sexy gossip blogs

Here's a thought for the day. Online communities or blogs such as thedirty.com bring people together to trash talk and attack innocent people. Interesting thing you notice on these sites, people usually attack women leaving crude snarky comments about their physical looks and sexual behavior... hating on how fat this girl looks, how slutty they look, or how she will sleep with anybody. Whether or not these comments deem true, most of these women unknowingly have their pictures stolen by the attacker from either a myspace or facebook account, and you can only imagine how terribly embarrassing it would be to have a posting forwarded to you via email. 

These websites not only invade privacy, they also damage a person's reputation. Women who have seen themselves on these websites will face difficulties landing a job. Spreading gossip seems so easy to do over a click of a mouse, while victims of these websites go through extensive efforts to have the posting removed. Yet, will the defamation ever really be replaced?

Sadly, people still find these online gossip columns to be entertaining, guilty indulgence. Likewise, there are temptations to gossip about people you hate, since it's less confrontational and your identity is concealed.  It's an encouragement to those web attackers. No wonder web bullies still exist. 

Still, victims today are fighting hard to shut down these websites and find their trash talker. While commenters can be sued, they don't have the power to take down posts. On the other hand, websites are not liable for commenters' behaviors or actions. This is because they are protected by the terms and conditions of their online communities. All the power lies in the hands of the web owner, since he/she has rights to all content within the community. 

Most memorable from reading...

So how do we battle against these websites? Stop giving hate-spewers an audience.

How to protect yourself from online gossips?

1. Don’t post Girls Gone Wild-worthy shots of yourself on My Space, Facebook or anywhere they can be copied. On photo-sharing sites, use privacy settings.

2. Is someone saying malicious things about you online? E-mail a polite request to the site’s webmaster, asking that the offensive material be deleted.

3. You might consider calling in the pros, like ReputationDefender for about $15 a month. But, be aware: Web gossip is so hard to control that there are no guarantees.

Reference: Why are nice, normal girls getting bullied online?

Comparative Shopping Made Easier

oMoby is a new app on the iPhone that enables you to do comparative shopping in real-time, anywhere you go. This application uses Google technology to search for items similar to what you are looking for. Rather by searching for your desired object, simply take a snap shot of the item. oMoby will search for visual objects similar and spit back results based on the visual identification.

I cannot remember the number of times I've gone shopping at Fry's or Best Buy, hoping to buy something. I usually end up standing around wasting time searching for similar products on Woot and all over the web. In the end, I usually end up going home deciding that perhaps I should do some more research. Problems solved. I will test this application out..



In addition to this functionality, oMoby allows you to save your visual searches as well as share visual searches with your friends via Facebook, Twitter and email.

See demo video here

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edit: this is a free application. Unfortunately, it's only available for the 3GS.  booo...


Reference: Omoby: Visual Serach for the iPhone

Google Buzz lesson learned..

If you have been observing Google Buzz over the past week or so, you should know that it hasn't received many compliments. I'm sure Google knows that they messed up. There was much pressure to launch Google Buzz early this year, so it seems that the product was not tested out properly. However, aside from the rash decision, I think the main issue here is force-feeding users with Google Buzz.



We've had many discussions in class about the success of applications and/or online communities based on its user functionality and wireframe. This incident with Google Buzz and changes to Facebook design in the past few weeks have made me realized the struggles that providers face to balance amongst user functionality, usability, and flexibility...

In the last fifteen years, we have been comfortable purchasing PCs and MACs that come with basic programs; but as the owner, we have the freedom to install additional softwares/applications. Another example is the iPod, which comes with the essentials: Phone list and call functions, calendar, notes, clock/alarm, weather forecast, google maps, and iTunes (which allows you to install new/delete applications). People like the option and flexibility, but not so when it's forced upon us. Even when it's social-media related. With Google Buzz, people find it to be a clutter and it's a non-essential forced into Gmail. At the same time, people are struggling to figure out how to use it, especially since Google hasn't done the best in teaching users how to use the application. I just searched for Google Buzz on Howcast, nada. Facebook and Twitter have uploaded many how-tos on here in the past and have had millions of viewers.
Note to Google: Upload a video on Howcast!

Reference: Google Buzz Warning: Force Feeding Users can Result in Vomiting

Winter Olympics 2010 -- mountain view

In preparation for the Winter Olympics 2010 at the Whistler Resort, Google takes Google Maps takes street view to another level. At the top of Whistler, a snowmobile equipped with a 360 degree camera presents to you mountain view of the slopes at Whistler.

This is simply amazing. Beautiful. The idea of providing people the experience the Winter Olympics venue virtually. I'm guessing Google will take this idea and expand to other Ski Resorts. How cool would this be? Before taking a trip around the world, you will be able to experience what it's like to be up on the slopes ahead of time. Oh you, snowboarders -- calm down.

See Whistler Ski Resort snowmobile video here.

Reference: Techcrunch

Google's first ad on Super Bowl

Probably one of the most simple commercials I've ever witnessed during Super Bowl. However, it's succinct and makes its point. Our lives can be found on Google. Whatever you need, Google is available to provide you service to find answers on anything or everything.. and not just anything or everything related to Paris.

I love the music in the background.

See the commercial. Google - Parisian Love

Google Pulling out of China

In the past few weeks, people have been talking about the possibilities for Google to call it quits if China continues its censorship on the internet. I personally don't think China will bend rules for Google. It's understandable that Google is making a clear distinction to protect its business; however, is this the best way to negotiate for a change in censorship and freedom of speech? It's obvious that Google will be losing a huge account if they pull the plug, and it seems doubtful they may be able to get a second chance. Many of the China's internet services have remained silent about Google's decision, which means they are probably prepared to compete as the new service provider in China.

Censorship and freedom of speech in China

My parents moved to China beginning of 2009. I visited them that summer to see this newly developed city, Shanghai. Shanghai was definitely not what I had imagined in my mind. This city stretches miles long ... and it sure isn't walking distance like New York City. I could not believe my eyes -- the advancements in technologies and the beautiful buildings of old architecture and modern day.

While on vacation, I would often log online to check emails, chat online to keep in touch with my friends. It was only a few days later, when my mother called me over, and asked me, "what sites did you visit?" I blanked, and was confused. What sites? These sites ran across my mind (gmail, yahoo mail, hotmail, facebook, twitter, random blogs.. ) Nothing out of ordinary. My mother was very upset at the time, explaining that the government had already shutdown several sites that she was visiting. Apparently, I may have shutdown another one of her privileged sites. Moreover, she recently had to create a new gmail account, because the government would control emails she can/cannot receive in her hotmail.

It is evident that censorship and freedom of speech in China is a huge problem, especially for foreigners living in the country. It's a difficult adjustment knowing that you have limited rights and access to the rest of the world. In addition, search results and instant messengers are screened as well. If Google does decide to pull of China, this may be the first baby step to influence change on censorship.