Reputation and the Web

Back to 2003 - The End of Yahoo!'s Experiment in Search

Today's announcement of the 10 year partnership between Yahoo! and Microsoft has effectively ended Yahoo! grand experiment in search.  Remember early 2003 (see picture below) - back then Yahoo! had still not rolled out it's own algorithmic search and was outsourcing it's paid search to Overture.  The company then made moves to invest in the core search technology, acquire Overture (for its search monetization solution) and immediately drive shareholder value (as the stock price went from ~$15 to ~$39 over the course of 2 years). 

Today's deal may very well be the right economic decision for Yahoo! as it is hard to argue with lowering costs, increasing revenue, and driving profitability.  Yet, there is no doubt that Yahoo! will not be the same.  Wait, maybe it is . As Carol Bartz said in her company email: "we’ll be able to focus on the things we do best–being the center of people’s lives online with properties like our homepage, mail, finance, news, sports, entertainment, mobile, etc".  Sounds a lot like 2003.

I am most interested in where Yahoo!, and its employees go from here.  On one hand, the inability to make search work may impact employee morale and confidence in new product innovations.  On the other hand, maybe this new focus will spark Y! to truly excel and execute with its limited vision (and just hope it is big enough).

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Jon Stewart - Our Most Trustworthy Newscaster

Earlier today I ran across a NY Times article by Frank Rich bemoaning the state of our national news in light of Walter Cronkite's death.  As Frank outlines:

"The real test is how a journalist responds when people in high places are doing low deeds out of camera view and getting away with it. Vietnam and Watergate, not Kennedy and Neil Armstrong, are what made Cronkite Cronkite .....what matters is content, not style. The real question is this: How many of those with similarly exalted perches in the news media today — and those perches, however diminished, still do exist in the multichannel digital age —  will speak truth to power when the country is on the line? This journalistic responsibility cannot be outsourced to Comedy Central and Jon Stewart."

Ok, fair enough Frank.  I am there with you.  Much of today's news is garbage.  I really don't need to hear nightly coverage of wacko's who think Obama is a Kenyan citizen or MJ's latest legal twist.  At the same time the larger news organizations failed, as Rich points out to push Bush on the  "administration’s silver linings in Iraq".  And similarly they should be pushing Obama on his failure to move forward on his campaign pledges. Of course, I do recognize what we are watching is seldom news, and more often entertainment. 

So it comes as no surprise that Americans believe, based on a Time.com poll, that Jon Stewart is our most trustworthy newscaster (sorry Frank).  I personally find Jon a funny, intelligent and interesting guy.  And maybe it shouldn't be such a shock.  He lives outside the traditional "news" standard. He can take more chances.  He can ask questions without repercussions.  It just might be nice if we could get the same level of trust outside of "Comedy Central".

About Time for Jimmy Rice

As a kid growing up in Vermont in the 70's, watching the Red Sox play was always a thrill. Our love of the team consumed many a summer day as we listened and watched the games. And while the team had its share of stars back in the day with Fred Lynn, Carlton Fisk and the last few years of the "Yaz", for me it was Jim Rice who sparked my love of the team and the game.  He was arguably the most dominate hitter of the time. 

This line by Fred Lynn says it all: "He's the only guy that I know of where a manager took the third baseman and put him in the outfield to have four outfielders. It looked like a softball configuration. … That's the ultimate respect in my book."
(photo courtesy of ESPN)

Looks like the Post Office is Next for a Bailout

Interesting article from the Washington Post  about the decline in snail mail.  In fact, the US Post Office is projecting that in 2010 the number of pieces mailed will fall to levels not seen since the early 1990's. The article states that the "situation is so dire that the Postal Service, which is projecting a $6 billion shortfall by the end of September despite a recent postage rate increase, will go to Congress this month to seek emergency relief, looking to cut home mail delivery from six days a week to five". Yet another industry / service to reform.

 

 

New SocialVibe Home Page

Today the SocialVibe team launched a new home page.  Our previous page was too wordy and didn't quickly convey our proposition.  We will soon find out if this works better (providing message, converting sign-ups).  If so, great.  If not, we will tweak again :-)

Peer influence matters most

In his latest column Joe Marchese highlights a recent study from Razorfish that outlines the growing importance of social and peer influence in buying decisions.  The study outlines that "family members and close friends, both online and off, have the the most dramatic impact on brand affinity and purchasing decisions.  So why are companies continuing to spend $$$ on programs that don't drive these connections?

Back to Blogging, Adding Twitter

After months of leaving my blog in a coma,  I have decided to get back to blogging.  Now, I was never a prolific blogger, but I did enjoy the chance to occasionally pontificate a view or two.  Yet, I am back, and hopefully more interesting (at least to me) going forward.

Why.  First, as we constructed SocialVibe's partnership with WordPress, it reminded me of the power of words, and the opportunity blogs provide in building compelling content and great relationships.  Second, as I recently started to tweet I realized my blog offered a forum to expand on idea's and links that Twitter could only initiate.  I don't think I am alone in this realization.  In fact, Mark Suster over at GRP Partners shared this link (on Twitter) that basically outlines this movement.

I am not sure "blog" is the most appropriate term for the activities that will take place here.  I kind of like the term "LifeStream" as adopted by Steve Rubel. Regardless of the name, it is time to jump back in.

Cruising with Jay Leno and his EcoJet

As the family headed out to the Reagan Library this afternoon we were surprised to find ourselves next to Jay Leno and his EcoJet.  As I pulled onto the 210 FWY in La Canada I immediately noticed the car ahead and wondered what the heck it was.  As I got closer it became clear this car was something special.  It was extremely loud, and the driver had ear muffs on (as I guess is necessary with a car with 650 horse power jet turbine powered engine).  My daughter then said, "isn't that Jay Leno" and sure enough it was.

Within a few miles more people had noticed the car and he quickly jumped off the freeway as cars were jockeying for position (as was I to get these pictures).