In the May 18 issue of Business Week, Outside Shot columnist, Jeffrey F. Rayport (Marketspace LLC) offers some interesting possibilities for the future competitiveness of the Internet, the gateways there AND the impact of social media on the way the Big Dogs are looking at business.
Rayport sees a trend toward letting people have a portable profile, ID, friends and other small ‘apps’ over a broad field of Social Media sites. These approaches could be the signs of a change in the business race. No longer are single entities racing to be destinations; FaceBook or Twitter see other options than the carnivorous intent to become the Social Centers who ate MySpace.
Portability didn’t just show up last week when Rayport was writing his observations. Many of us have had the PASSPort option from MSN that lets us log into various sites using the ID and password from email as well as a separate set of security tools.
Except for a fun place to play, one can spend all day with Google using the applications that are wildly more than a search for a Tomato Soup recipe or how to make socks. We can have email accounts with some applications and skins that personalize our cubicle while we breathe the air of the intent masses. Masses that are ‘linked’ to us; networking with us in a virtual hot tub. Gosh, aren’t we having fun!
We can go further with Google profiles, set up applications that use text shortcuts, calling the set Google Apps. If I don’t rub your nose in it, you have no idea that my correspondence with proper URL is actually based in a dandy little set-up “Google Apps” which can become my desktop publishing resource. The tools let collaborators roll from one side of the planet to the other side. If you’ve never used anything different, they aren’t clunky, but quite adequate for most business activities.
Meanwhlle, Facebook is offering many of the same options, but in a different social view. People ‘work’, network and catch up with old friends in the same platform where they can upload and securely store photos, link to their blogs for updates, take inane quizzes about their personality, play computer games and hang-out to see who else is working on their social base.
Rayport sees power and the $$ in these changes. Advertising may change from being available on specific screens (random rotation) because now the marketers can become your ‘friends’ and directly approach you. He brings up the issue of copyright; if I write a blog post at ActiveRain.com (a real estate community) who owns the thoughts and words? The social media platforms are perpetually examining the business model; where is the balance between being being a dog in the manger about what I write and prosperity for the one who manages the expensive option of letting me have a place to write.
Over on @ BarJD Virtual Professionals, the options and potential for monetization are discussed in a post entitled, Space Evolves and Revolves in Social Media”. LinkIn is part of that discussion. Some of these media tools don’t have easy social prospect, but their connection and collaboration potential speaks to business social activity…remember Networking?
At Flickr, with a paid membership, offers ‘groups’ (remember, this is Yahoo’s little sibling). For photo storage, I will splurge to a certain degree on a paid membership. Loading pictures ONE at a time is not a feasible activity for me. I want them stored at Flickr for security reasons (emergency management will be an upcoming topic)
At VAnetworking.com, I am a paid member of VAinsiders. That offers access to RFPs, to extra training and networking; a vast collection of items that are probably more valuable to the Newbie virtual assistant than they are to me at present. Because I drive my memberships, though, the value is something I have the privilege to determine.
There are purchasing options available at ActiveRain.com, but they haven’t had bearing on my practice. Other members recognize the users who see the ads are either people who are looking for their product — real estate services or like minded individuals who can become part of joint venture projects to get property changed from the hands of those who don’t want or need it into the hands of those who do.
Rayport, discusses other facets of the Social Web in his article in addition to the ones I’ve written. He especially sees that the changes to social media will be driven by the users. Ten years ago, the web was a mystery to us , not it is an entitlement and addiction. An absolute fascination as the activity moves and flows around me.
Plus, neither Rayport or I have even TOUCHED Twitter in this consideration. That’s is going to be a Tootie Roll Pop to crunch!
