Comments on: More musing about open multisided platforms http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/21/more-musing-about-open-multisided-platforms/ a blog about information Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:37:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: bobby http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/21/more-musing-about-open-multisided-platforms/comment-page-1/#comment-177213 bobby Wed, 22 Aug 2007 16:59:11 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/21/more-musing-about-open-multisided-platforms/#comment-177213 lately many Internet web 2.0 company s are for sale, it may be that entrepreneurs are panicking, as the mortgage industry collapses and the economy appears to be taking a turn for the worse: Bottom Line; Eventually, most Facebook apps will be a worthless venture. lately many Internet web 2.0 company s are for sale, it may be that entrepreneurs are panicking, as the mortgage industry collapses and the economy appears to be taking a turn for the worse: Bottom Line; Eventually, most Facebook apps will be a worthless venture.

]]> By: Stephen Smoliar http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/21/more-musing-about-open-multisided-platforms/comment-page-1/#comment-177205 Stephen Smoliar Wed, 22 Aug 2007 16:28:49 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/21/more-musing-about-open-multisided-platforms/#comment-177205 Peter, I agree entirely that the issue has more to do with the opposition of freedom and controls, rather than the economics of abundance or scarcity. (Indeed, I find the very concept of an economics of abundance to be as suspect as any other utopian ideal; but that is another story better told by H. G. Wells or Isaiah Berlin!) On the other hand I also subscribe to Justice Holmes proposition that freedom of speech is not the freedom to should "Fire!" in a crowded building. Thus, I believe that we need to approach freedom and controls not through opposition but though some form of dialectical SYNTHESIS. Given the Sophos poll reported on CNET News.com today under the headline, "Half of employers restrict Facebook," synthesis strikes me as the best path for deriving benefit for social networking sites while remaining cognizant of their risks and liabilities: http://news.com.com/2100-1029-6203889.html?tag=tb Peter, I agree entirely that the issue has more to do with the opposition of freedom and controls, rather than the economics of abundance or scarcity. (Indeed, I find the very concept of an economics of abundance to be as suspect as any other utopian ideal; but that is another story better told by H. G. Wells or Isaiah Berlin!) On the other hand I also subscribe to Justice Holmes proposition that freedom of speech is not the freedom to should “Fire!” in a crowded building. Thus, I believe that we need to approach freedom and controls not through opposition but though some form of dialectical SYNTHESIS. Given the Sophos poll reported on CNET News.com today under the headline, “Half of employers restrict Facebook,” synthesis strikes me as the best path for deriving benefit for social networking sites while remaining cognizant of their risks and liabilities:

http://news.com.com/2100-1029-6203889.html?tag=tb

]]> By: Peter Smith http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/21/more-musing-about-open-multisided-platforms/comment-page-1/#comment-177162 Peter Smith Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:35:20 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/21/more-musing-about-open-multisided-platforms/#comment-177162 I am not sure that labelling this as Web 1 or Web 2 is a useful categorisation. For me the defining characteristics are the freedom to publish, the freedom to search, the freedom to converse, interact or pursue relationships. These freedoms have always been the foundation of the Web and are the reasons for the Web's runaway success. These freedoms tap into very deep human needs. The wise companies are the ones that provide applications that multiply , enhance or at least are congruent with these freedoms. While the rest, obsessed by the gatekeeper or tollgate mindset try foolishly to 'monetize this' or 'exploit this'. I say foolishly because by restricting the freedoms they are working against the reasons people are fascinated with the Web and so will fail. Your model is an abundance versus scarcity while mine is freedoms versus controls. I stress this distinction because it brings home a stark reality, the freedom the user has to instantly change his allegiance. This means that to retain loyalty you have to provide real, enduring value that does not restrict freedom. And you have to keep adding to that value. Google and Facebook are doing this, they are continually adding value around their core franchise, to maintain the loyalty to that franchise. I am not sure that labelling this as Web 1 or Web 2 is a useful categorisation. For me the defining characteristics are the freedom to publish, the freedom to search, the freedom to converse, interact or pursue relationships. These freedoms have always been the foundation of the Web and are the reasons for the Web’s runaway success. These freedoms tap into very deep human needs.
The wise companies are the ones that provide applications that multiply , enhance or at least are congruent with these freedoms. While the rest, obsessed by the gatekeeper or tollgate mindset try foolishly to ‘monetize this’ or ‘exploit this’. I say foolishly because by restricting the freedoms they are working against the reasons people are fascinated with the Web and so will fail.

Your model is an abundance versus scarcity while mine is freedoms versus controls.
I stress this distinction because it brings home a stark reality, the freedom the user has to instantly change his allegiance. This means that to retain loyalty you have to provide real, enduring value that does not restrict freedom. And you have to keep adding to that value. Google and Facebook are doing this, they are continually adding value around their core franchise, to maintain the loyalty to that franchise.

]]> By: Mario Ruiz http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/21/more-musing-about-open-multisided-platforms/comment-page-1/#comment-176746 Mario Ruiz Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:31:48 +0000 http://confusedofcalcutta.com/2007/08/21/more-musing-about-open-multisided-platforms/#comment-176746 Dear JP. I am a CEO of a IT software who happens to write a column daily. Yesterday I discussed what I thought to be the profound implications of this deal. Summarizing: I would like to see more Web 2.0 companies sold by financial value calculated by their cash flow rather than the strategic approach used here with the simply math of about a buck the user of this application. Why I would like to see Web 2.0 companies with cash flow? Because I thought this is the particular difference with Web 1.0: Real companies with real revenue, with ongoing financial value. Companies valued at 1 dollar the user, with amazing potential technology were what soon destroyed the IT market at the beginning of the century. Mario Ruiz @ http://www.oursheet.com Dear JP.

I am a CEO of a IT software who happens to write a column daily. Yesterday I discussed what I thought to be the profound implications of this deal.

Summarizing: I would like to see more Web 2.0 companies sold by financial value calculated by their cash flow rather than the strategic approach used here with the simply math of about a buck the user of this application.

Why I would like to see Web 2.0 companies with cash flow? Because I thought this is the particular difference with Web 1.0: Real companies with real revenue, with ongoing financial value.

Companies valued at 1 dollar the user, with amazing potential technology were what soon destroyed the IT market at the beginning of the century.

Mario Ruiz
@ http://www.oursheet.com

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