When Facebook launched its platform strategy in 2007, it seemed as though the social network wanted to create a kind of social operating system anyone could use and build on -- but the reality has turned out to be something very different.…
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Why I’m thinking of ditching my precious iPhone for an Android
After several years as a devoted Apple iPhone user, I have been tempted by the dark side -- I am considering giving up my beloved iPhone for an Android device, and the main attraction is the openness of the ecosystem that Android takes advantage of.…
Read MoreThe problems with app-based billing for data
This week AT&T floated a plan to enable app developers to pay for the data that subscribers use in their apps. The model might resonate with some developers and subscribers, but it is likely to create more problems than it solves.…
Read MoreDo users really care whether the web is open or not?
Open-web advocates may long for a revolt against walled gardens, but in the end the success of a social network is determined by the willingness of users to put up with its restrictions. For Facebook, that is both its biggest strength and its biggest weakness.…
Read MoreA Belated New Year’s Resolution: No Walled Gardens!
The recent Comedy Central-Hulu announcement made me recall my New Year’s resolution, one that I wanted to share publicly, and encourage you to embrace as well. It is simple in its concept, but epic in scope: Give up Walled Gardens.…
Read MoreWhy WetPaint & Other UGC Sites Get Big Money
First the money flowed to social sites like Facebook that showed the world how to get users to interact. Then it moved…
Read MoreWordPress Goes Social By Acquiring BuddyPress
Last December, our own Anne Zelenka posted about the social possibilities WordPress presented. Apparently Matt Mullenweg, founder and CEO of Automattic (the…
Read MoreBig Apple UnWired
The New York Post is reporting that six companies including Nextel and T-Mobile are going to light up New York City with…
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