A cold, calculated and impersonal attempt to be personal using “my” on Websites
There is a remarkable rise of websites with “my” prefix. You can find MyCoke, MySubaru, MyIBM, MyNetworkTV, MyAOL, MyClick, MySpace, MyStarbucks Idea… The New York Times says in an article titled “On the Internet, It’s All About My” that there are “a new world of Web sites designed to imply a one-on-one connection with a corporation or large business”.
These “my” webs are the extension of a marketing trend that says that “we all want to be individuals and this brand will help you express individuality”. Companies are trying to be more authentic and connect with consumers on their terms. In the reality, it is not that “the company cares about me”, but it’s all abut the database and getting personal information.”
For example: At www. MyCokeRewards.com, Coca-Cola admits that they seek to “collect data through survey questions and through categories and passions”, and this site is one of the company’s “most robust return-invest models.”
Domains that starts with “my” more than tripled between 2005 and 2008, to 712,000. A decade ago, everything was “e” –from eBay to eTrade-, and “I”, as in iPod or iPhone. Next trend could be the collective “we”, since people seem to want to be connected and part of a community.
Microsoft enters into cloud computing world
Microsoft has announced this week data storage and Web software system, called Live Mesh. Doing so, Microsoft enters –late- into a rapidly growing market described as cloud computing, in where software run in remote data centers available via the Internet. Initially, that technology will be available only to a group of about 10,000 test users.
Companies like Amazon, Sun, Dell, Yahoo, Google, Salesforce and dozens others are building these computers centers that effectively outsource data processing and make it a commodity that companies purchase as they would electricity. For example, Salesforce offers software that manages customer relations through a Web browser. Recently they began broadening its products to a wide range of computing services. This could be the next generation of computing.
Microsoft new Live Mesh service will have 15 components, including an application that synchronizes files on multiple computers, or a free software service that will permit users to control computers and other devices over the Internet. Initially, only five gigabytes of free data storage will be included.
Also, IBM will announce new specialized hardware needed for “cloud computing”. This infrastructure is designed to reduce 40 percent power consumption sharply and take up 50 percent less floor space.
The Internet companies and the mainstream corporations alike are increasingly interested in cloud data centers, opening up a multi-billion business market.
Best video sites and news sites in the U.S.
Want to know what are the best video sites and news sites in the nation? Please check the EPpy Award finalists list.
The annual finalists for local TV/cable sites are Fox News Chicago/MyFoxChicago.com, King5.com, wibw.com and WRAL.com. For the best news site (over 1 million uniques) are BBC News, CBCNews.ca, msnbc.com, NYTimes.com and Slate Magazine. And for network TV/cable sites: CBSNews.com, CNN.com, Discovery.com and ESPN.com.
Sadly, many of those sites are standard content management systems deployed on dozens of different stations’ websites. Someone should start an award for content management systems!
The future of the TV news lies on video journalism
See how NBC News has teamed with the New York Film Academy to promote a digital journalism and broadcasting program. (Watch the video here). Students will shoot, write and edit short and longer-form stories, as well as maintain a video blog. Some people criticized the program saying that students will end up getting hired at NBC.
