In his new book "The Internet Is Not The Answer," author Andrew Keen continues a theme he introduced in previous books, about how the internet is a net negative for the economy and for society. But I think he is far too negative…
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Being connected is more of a good thing than it is a bad thing
There are plenty of things that are bad about being connected to the internet and the social web all the time, but there are far more good things about it, including the relationships that it allows us to create with people we've never met…
Read MoreI’m fascinated by Ello because it reminds me of when the social web was still new
It may look odd and not work very well a lot of the time, but Ello is still interesting because it forces us to think about the choices that we -- and social platforms like Twitter and Facebook -- have made about how we behave online…
Read MoreOne secret to the success of Quartz, BuzzFeed and Gawker: They look at news as a service
Most traditional media outlets are used to thinking of journalism or news as something they create and then distribute to a waiting audience -- but seeing it as a product or service instead can change the way you think about your job in some fundamental ways…
Read MoreWrestling with the always-on social web, and trying to relearn the value of boredom
The best part about having smartphones and thousands of connections through social networks like Twitter or Instagram is that we never have to be bored. But that's also the bad part.…
Read MoreReality check: No, Upworthy’s traffic didn’t get crushed by Facebook’s algorithm change
Many critics were eager to write Upworthy's obituary based on recent traffic statistics that seemed to show the site was suffering due to a change in Facebook's newsfeed algorithm, but that doesn't appear to be the case…
Read MoreGrantland and Dr. V: What happens when niche journalism meets the network effect
The way Grantland reported a story involving a transgender woman has raised a host of troubling questions, but also reinforced how stories that might once have remained in a specific niche can jump the tracks and smash headlong into competing viewpoints, thanks to the web…
Read MoreNice try, Dow Jones, but your “hot news” case is doomed — the news is everywhere now
Dow Jones is suing a British news service, alleging that it steals breaking news reports, and that this is illegal under a century-old court ruling. But the U.S. wire service is trying to close the barn door long after the horse has left…
Read MoreAirbnb calculates who gets and gives the best reviews (and young hosts don’t look good)
Airbnb recently analyzed its reviews to to find out what cities are the most hospitable and what guest-and-host characteristics tend to influence positive reviews. Should Airbnb users care?…
Read MoreCan a new generation of web companies finally bring emotion to online advertising?
Just as the Mad Men of the 50's and 60's tapped into consumer desires and emotions for a new school of advertising, modern companies like Instagram and Pinterest will need a similar revolution in how we think about ads if they want to make money.…
Read MoreWhat Google was thinking when redesigning the new Google+
Google's reworking of its social network, Google+ shows that the company has started to marry data with design and craft new experiences. Will that be enough to turn you and I into active participants? Who, knows, I am just happy it doesn't look like Facebook.…
Read MoreWhat a hiring suggestion feature can teach us about LinkedIn and corporate recruiting
One of the biggest drivers for LinkedIn's business isn't the consumer-facing side that you see -- it's the set of tools the company provides professional recruiters to match people with jobs. And the company is using data and technology to improve those tools.…
Read MoreEx-Googler releases big update to Disconnect, a data-blocking tool
As sites like Facebook work with data companies and advertisers to collect more of our personal information, tools like Disconnect may be our best hope of preserving privacy. The company just put out a major update that stops the data flow and lets you see what companies are tracking you.…
Read MorePlagiarism and the link: How the web makes attribution easier — and more complicated
The controversy over writer Nate Thayer's failure to credit his sources, which some alleged amounted to plagiarism, is just part of an ongoing debate over how we use -- and give credit for -- information in a digital age.…
Read MoreNews and the new amplification reality
The media outlets apart from bringing readers news and information now have to embrace a new role: become amplifiers of the right kind of news including that directly shared by sources. Here is why I think so.…
Read MoreBit.ly wants to help developers play with data under new real-time search API
On the heels of the release of its realtime search product for consumers this summer, Bit.ly is releasing an API Tuesday that will make the capabilities available to developers interested in incorporating Bit.ly's realtime data into their apps and products.…
Read MoreThe disruption of education: How technology is helping students teach themselves
Mobile technology and social networks aren't just disruptive to existing industries like communications and media, they are also helping the change the way that students learn and how education is delivered both in North America and around the world. And the disruption is just beginning.…
Read MoreLiberal Democrats ‘like’ more on the social web than conservative Republicans
As election season heats up, the Pew Internet & America Life Project looks at how democrats and republicans compare in their social behavior online. The study found that two-thirds of U.S. social media users have taken one of eight political or civic actions with social media.…
Read MoreHere comes everybody: Why AirBnB is so disruptive
I was an AirBnB sceptic for a long time, but trying the service made me realize just how disruptive it could be -- and how it also shares a lot of the same characteristics of other disruptive businesses that are powered by the social web.…
Read MoreAttention: The social-web IPO window is now closed
A lot of hopes were riding on Facebook having a superstar IPO, including the hopes of venture investors that it would help trigger a wave of interest in other social-web companies, which could then also go public. But now those rosy assumptions are in question.…
Read MorePercolate’s latest brew aims to make brands better social curators, content creators
New York startup Percolate, which helps brands sort and curate content to share on Facebook, Twitter and other social channels, has released its newest version.…
Read MoreCan Facebook change the search paradigm?
A Facebook social search engine, which is becoming more of a reality every day, would completely change the way we approach search. As an SEO specialist at The Search Agency, I've been closely monitoring this paradigm shift away from indexing billions of pages.…
Read MoreConfirmed: Pinterest taking $100m for e-commerce play
Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten wants to plug Pinterest in to purchasing, after leading a $100 million investment in the social pinboard curator.…
Read MoreSo who got hosed when Facebook bought Lightbox?
The team behind London-based photo app developer Lightbox are joining Facebook. But it's a long way from Instagram's billion-dollar deal: in fact, while the company's employees are rejoicing, users and investors appear to have been left out in the cold.…
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