To post or not to post
Have you had this moment recently? You are on Facebook and you sit there weighing whether or not to post about how annoying your boss is, or to vent about your failed date and then you realize–mom is watching and so is your boss. Randall Stross of the New York Times eloquently stated, "Facebook makes sharing easy — too easy, some would say. Because one’s social network often consists not only of actual friends but also relatives and sort-of friends, along with sort-of friends of their sort-of friends, you need to be careful about what you post. Yes, the site does allow you to define smaller circles of friends, but that requires constantly monitoring what should — and should not — be shared with whom.”
We have a lot to share but as evidenced with the rise of Path, the social network that limits your friends group to 50, people are longing for specialized groups where they can have some freedom to actually speak and share openly about what they feel. Other start-ups in this anti-oversharing crowd include GroupMe, Frenzy, Rally Up, Shizzlr, Huddl and Bubbla.
But, do we need these groups? If we take a step back and look at the social media landscape it is pretty easy to see how forums are already filling this niche. On a forum not only can you find like-minded people but you can find like-minded people that want to discuss specific things–like your bad date last night or how to change the oil in your car or even vent about your boss. And while we caution anyone from putting anything on the Internet that they will regret, forums have provided a space where people can speak freely and not worry about whether or not they are oversharing with too many pictures of their Hackintosh or their beagle or whatever your particular interest.
There’s a Forum For That
Before there was an ‘app for that’ there was a ‘forum’ for almost anything under the sun. Let’s say you want to learn how to change your oil? If you search "change oil" under discussions in Google you will get over 1.5 million results. Are you a fan of the band "Pavement", if so you can find communities discussing this band…and I am pretty sure there is not an app for that.
One of the real strengths of forum communities is precisely how they reflect the ‘long tail’ of the Internet. In contrast to the big mixing bowl that is Twitter or Facebook, on forum communities you can find people that share your interests…even if those interests are discussing knitting in Sweden, The Hunger Games or whatever floats your boat.
The value of these targeted communities has been often overlooked in the media but when people need to know how they can possibly edit in multi-cam using Final Cut or what real people are saying about a product then they turn to forums for answers–and so far nothing has come close to meeting this market demand besides forums.
The Next Wave?
Ahhhh! Run for the hills! Here come ambient social apps, where you’re just walking around and someone who happens to like the band Toro Y Moi sees that you like them too and then stalks you (in a friendly way). A number of people had their creeped-out buttons pushed at SXSW when the buzz began to build around “social discovery” mobile app companies like Highlight, Sonar, Banjo, Gauss and Glancee. Yeah, you’ve probably heard about them by now. Don’t like the concept? Too bad, because it’s a natural progression of the profile browsing and over sharing that everyone has gotten used to doing with Facebook and Twitter — and it could work out to be something very cool.
What ambient social (or “so-mo,” for social mobile) does is reinforce that you are a node of interests and activities other people you do or don’t know may find engaging. Participating with any of these services means that you are opting-in on the continuing experiment that social networking sites helped to define and transform. It doesn’t mean that you have to interact with everyone who happens to share an interest. Just because you are node doesn’t mean you can’t also be filter. You have to adapt your behavior to derive any possible benefit. That said, if enough people view this new spin as intrusive, only an obscure subset of participants might end up caring enough to use it. I just don’t think it will stay small.
Like it or not, ambient social is the next logical step for social and mobile apps. Each of the companies listed above is very conscious of the “creepy” factor and spins their app as a friendly facilitator of connections. They are dedicated to teaching us how to get past the anxiety of approaching people we don’t know and want to help enable us to form meaningful and lasting connections. Essentially, they are telling people, “Jump in, the water’s fine.”
Some go even further. Gauss states that they are not a social network (huh?) but allow you log in to your favorite network. They also make it clear that they are not a dating or flirting app, but rather they are the “Disney of social discovery”. I’m not sure how appealing that is, or their stated goal of wanting me to “never feel lonely again.”
These awkward first steps are to be expected when trying to bridge the online world with flesh-and-bone. It’s going to be messy at first, and some people just won’t like it. But it’s going to transform people’s lives as well. People with desired skill sets will be accessible and the codes of behavior for interaction will evolve based on using this technology. When you are able to have an immediate encounter with someone, a number of steps to make it feel safe or not will come into common practice and parlance.
So, go ahead. Stay away while others play. Can’t blame you, but eventually you’ll probably get sucked in, too. Just remember: I told you so.
The Power of Social Media
According to Nielsen, social media now accounts for 22.5% of the time that people spend online. An important point to note is that active social media users are also influential offline and are more likely than the average adult Internet user to be found at political rallies, professional sporting events, and working out at the gym.
According to Sinan Aral at MIT peoples relationship status determines their susceptibility to being influenced by peers:
- Single people are 20% more likely to be influenced
- People ‘in a relationship’ are 50% more likely to be influence
- People are ‘Engaged’ are 60% more susceptible to influence
- People who are ‘Married are only 13% more susceptible to influence
- But people who state their relationship is ‘its complicated’ are 90% more susceptible
Finally, traveling with my iPad makes sense.
As a frequent road warrior, my iPad presented me with a huge dilemma. If I traveled with it I had to still lug along my laptop in order to get work done. This really adds a lot of bulk to my laptop bag and gives me a shoulder ache after a couple of hours- usually by the time I board my flight.
Why not just leave the iPad at home when I travel? This is hard to do for anyone who has gotten used to their iPad for any length of time. There is simply no comparison when it comes to using the iPad for media or reading in bed or in the bathroom. It also allows me to check in on my Internet life while at a coffee shop or anywhere I have some time to kill.
Enter the Asus Aspire S3 Ultrabook. Weighing approximately 3 lbs and only half an inch thick, the S3 has made it a joy to travel because its sleek profile and rapid powering on gives me the full functionality of a desktop while still allowing me the luxury of carrying my iPad when I am on the road. I switched from a Sony Vaio laptop which was delightful on a desk, but not so hot on my shoulder.
The aerial view showing my new, reduced footprint.
Now I am able to enjoy a comprehensive mobile experience and full keyboard Microsoft Office functionality in this metal entombed laptop while using my iPad and iPhone for their respective purposes and the best part is that I make no compromises. I no longer experience Macbook Air envy when I see my emo, hipster friends effortlessly whip out their sleek and shiny ultra slim notebooks because I now have the PC equivalent without having to give up my preferred OS.
The profile view tells the whole story.
The rapid power on is a real blessing when I am getting ready to present to investors or advertising partners. Gone are the days of having to fill 5 minutes of dead time while Windows and my laptop did their thing. Now I have my powerpoint up and running by the time my colleagues have comfortably settled into their seats. Powering down and up from sleep is even quicker and this is my default mode of powering down after my initial meeting. The screen resolution is not as high as it could be for the 13 inch screen, but my usage is work related and not media consumption. For media purposes I use my iPad, propped gently on my belly while reclined on a sofa or in bed.
I couldn’t even hold up my Sony Vaio with one hand, much less with iPhone and iPad piled on.
In summary, I am just a keyboard and Windows user when it comes down to getting any real work done, but I cannot be without my iPad for my non-work computing needs. Intel and its PC Ultrabook partners are giving me the option of having it all and taking it with me which is truly the start of something great.
A little askew but you get the idea of how slim it is. Watch out Airbook!
Social Media Fatigue? Time to Adapt.
I’ve been running across more complaints of “social media fatigue” of late. I suppose it runs in cycles. With Google+ arriving on the scene, complaints began to pick up before things settled back down. Now, with Lori Andrews’ opinion piece in Feb. 4, 2012 of The New York Times, many people are learning what they probably already knew intuitively — that Facebook’s inventory of data on all of us is vast and detailed…and we are not going to see it any time soon. On top of any fatigue you might have experienced, does this make you want to jettison? Don’t bother. Be informed and adapt.
With the enhanced data management and targeted approaches we see with Facebook and other sites, being conscious of how you participate is something you should do daily. Crafting and developing one’s online presence is something seasoned forum participants have been doing for years. While owning their words, and on many occasions having to rise to defend to them, forum members have honed skills that serve them in all social media settings today. In particular, they have learned that various forums can have wildly different standards of accepted behavior. So they adapt their content and tone accordingly.
Your “social” presence is now currency, both for advertisers and for you. Since you currently have little control over the data that is culled from your activities online, assume everything is public and for the taking. Err on the side of “1984,” with all your posts and pictures available for potential employers, mortgage officers, the I.R.S., and law enforcement officials to review — and then decide if how you participate on social media sites could compromise you. Then relax and go about your business, because the “Internet” you knew from a decade ago, even a couple of years ago, is gone. Forever.
Where it was once touted as a way to quickly access a vast repository of the world’s knowledge, the focus has now permanently shifted to the people who use the Internet. “Liking” something is now one of several idiosyncratic bifurcations which end up quantifying you for the people who are actually paying for the Internet. You are not blithely logging in and typing a missive. You are reinforcing your demographics and affiliations, your race, class, level of education, and buying power. This is the Internet. And this is how it will continue to get monetized.
Fatigued? Get over it. The walls are coming down and who you are online is being defined for you, like it or not. Push back by being informed. Adapting doesn’t mean being complacent, just opening your eyes and proceeding with caution.
We Are Hot!
Today Lead411 announced the fastest growing technology companies in Southern California–and CrowdGather was one of them! The companies were located through extensive research and began with over 1800 companies. The list was narrowed down to 57 and CrowdGather is among those chosen!
How they chose
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First, all companies must be in either the Software, Wireless, Internet, Hardware, or Media industry and be a privately held organization, and be within Southern California. From there, each company must meet one or more of the following requirements; ** 100% increase in revenues over the past 2 years; OR |
Many Web hosting and cloud providers also have found their names included among the Inc. 5,000 fastest-growing private companies of 2010. We are excited to have been included!
Want to read more? Click here.
Press Release Link
Erox in the Daily Glow
CrowdGather’s brand, Erox, has been highlighted in the Daily Glow! The Daily Glow provides a smart, fresh perspective on healthy beauty, with credible, solutions-oriented information that helps women look their best. We are proud to be featured by them at:
http://www.dailyglow.com/erox-debuts…edia-0122.html
Social Media Has Never Smelled So Good
Introducing Erox - designed by geeks for geeks, the made for social media attraction fragrance. CrowdGather launched this morning its social media campaign featuring Adrianne Curry. Adrianne is best known as the first winner of the now iconic reality television series America’s Next Top Model as well as for her starring roles in VH1’s hit series the “Surreal Life” and “My Fair Brady.
CrowdGather partnered with Human Pheromone Sciences to produce a scent that contains a combination of pheromones, and a new revolutionary attraction compound called ER303, into a potent cocktail that has been clinically proven to increase feelings of arousal, excitement, social warmth and friendliness in both men and women.
Unlike traditional fragrances, the scent will be launched, sold and marketed exclusively through nontraditional channels - social media and forum communities - obviously targeting those who are active in the online social sphere.
Photos, comics and videos are coming soon! So stay tuned.
What An Honor! CrowdGather is the Top Article on New Tech Post
We were totally honored to be nominated the most popular article on New Tech Post for 2011. In their words:
We are thrilled that people are using the "F" word and we look forward to great things in 2012!
