Social network i.e. treat me right, my Lord

It’s only these last days that I finally understand what is, I believe, a corner stone of online social networking websites: scaring your employer!!! 

I am a curious participant of professional social networks: Linked in, Xing for example Curious because this is an advanced use of community websites and curious as I always had doubts on the evolution of this kind of sites. 

There is basically two kind of persons using these networks: the soft users (those who registered and will not come back after the used this server 3 or 4 times) and the heavy users (those who will develop their list of contact and will follow who added who to the list). 

I am right in the between, wondering why these servers are not so attractive even if thousands of persons are registered. The traffic is there, but the retention is not. I had problems to understand the logic (as I think that I understand the motivation) of having a list of dozens of contacts. This may be useful between persons that are playing the game: Contact me if you need a contact – you’ll help me in return next time. I met many singular example of persons accumulating contacts (and they are no head hunters) but not willing to share them. 

These is in thinking at a particular person that I found out the new application of online social network. You are publicly claiming the fact that you are looking for a job. 

Often, the employer and colleagues are in the network. As a result, they know when you are adding contacts of competitors, head hunters, recruitment agencies, potential employers, … And this is a way to tell to the employer: “look, I am in contact with all these persons.

So treat me right or I leave”. Before, the confrontation was not that clear. No names or companies quoted. Now, we list them publicly. Business is tough. Employees reacted. 1/1 

PS. One funny thing still: If someone found out a non-ridiculous way to send the message of invitation to join one’s network, please let me know: the sentence of Linked in: I would like to add you to my network (because What?) is so bad…

Traditional media and internet traffic

More and more often, I have the feeling that Internet makes us idiot.

I will not loose so much time defining the term „Idiot“ and will consider that all of us has his own (fully personal) definition of what is an idiot. I will also take into account that my neighbour is an idiot and accept the fact that he believes (and may be right as well) that the idiot, it is me.

The new internet revolution is not so much technologic but directional.

This is what “old” media (News papers, tv, radio …) players have problem to understand.

1.  Today, we do not consider what is written by a journalist or a president as more important (or true) than what is written by an unknown writer in front of his computer. Mac’s claim “for the rest of us” could fit perfectlyInternet is for the rest of us who may have an opinion but didn’t have the possibility to speak in front of a micro.
2. Programming and launching an internet site is inexpensive (at least the second site as for the first one, you pay what you are told to pay …). Access to technology is no more a barrier. The real barrier is the access to traffic.

I was in contact with a world wide frog speaking Media Company and was amazed to see the psychological problems they have to choose a strategy, a product, a positioning…

I can only compare this to a woman having to choose a dress for an evening party where the dressing style wouldn’t be written on the invitation card.

Internet and media in general are not intellectual. Those who succeeded are those who tried. There are no guru or magic rules. You try, and you make it better, and better, and better …

Look at Murdoch and so many others who started in their garage.

And if you already have traffic? You can only win. You try, you win; You try, you win.

Once you have traffic, you plug-in new products and you win.

A product is not so successful? You unplug.

Internet sites that are purchased usually loose their traffic not because the purchasers try to make money from the site, but because they stop the traffic progression in refusing new plug-ins or applications.

As I have failed myself in accessing to traffic I know what small (innovative) websites dream of, I can only look sadly at this new nonsense where big media fails to purchase new successful internet sites (who is fool enough to sell cheap something that works and is promising?) and small websites dream of traffic.

Big media internet site often look like dead end streets. What is the future of your traffic if you limit its access and its move?

There is no cost for them pluging-in other sites and negotiating media representation fees or options to buy a stake in this site in case of success.

Even in football teams, they are doing this kind of structure (if we can call this a structure). And sorry if I don’t consider football as an intellectual field.

You would say that I am frustrated? You may be right.

But try to prove me that I am wrong!

I am their idiot, and vice versa.

And, god saves the queen.

  

Where is the money on Internet?

Huge exit price paid, some IPOs (few IPOs), a crack, a deficit of business models that make money. Is there any reason to go to internet except the dream of Eldorado? Is internet real? 

I looked at a video on www.bnet.com this morning (http://www.bnet.com/2422-13721_23-175943.html) and once again, a very clever guy was explaining how successful his (internet) company is going with more than 1 million daily uploads.

Congratulation. I didn’t manage to have 1% of this traffic. But at the end, we are in the same situation, this guy and I (I should say ‘my company’). We are not making money… 

Look at the clever guys and see where they are going. MEDIA AGENCY. Being an intermediary has always been the good job: being in the middle. No risk, nearly no responsibility. Big money. 

The last example I reckon is Richard Rosenblatt’s one (Sold iMall to Excite@Home for $565 million in 1999 and Myspace for a bit more this year). Two successful exits in Internet and what does he do? A Media agency (at leats, it’s what I understood – if you understand better than me, let me know). See www.demandmedia.com. Rosenblatt is surely one of those who understand the potential of UGC (users’ generated content websites). Just wonder what demandmedia will be. 

To me, the immediate future of UGC is online brand communities. Articles on Brand communities are blowing this last time after a long blank since 2001 reference article. For sure, brands should go to this direction. Reasons are multiple even if no real model exists yet. Maybe we will the first. I’ll try to put online our presentation on Brand communities later on. 

I have the feeling that I am far from what I wanted to write. This is the magic of Blogs.

Next time, Brand communities and sysiphus.

One crack after… we are back

At university, one of our Professors was a successful lawyer. A French lawyer based in New York.

I remember how important we felt to have this person flying from NY, NY for us.

I remember also his eyes when he was speaking about Internet and his personal investment in Internet start-ups. This was the first time I heard about Business angels.

He taught us the passion of Internet. The enthusiasm of discovering a new West.

“If you don’t go to Internet, how will you explain this to your children in 20 years” he told us.

This was in 1999.

I don’t know more about this person today, but I still remember his passion and what he taught us.

It took me a crack and 6 years to come back to Internet. But once I was back, the question was: “Where to go?”

There is Internet from outside and internet from inside; there are the gurus who explain you how great it is and that there are rules for every thing and those who just tell you that you have to try (btw: interesting to see that those gurus are not often those making million dollars exits).

You have huge portals with no profitability, others with huge profitability.

You have business angels investing millions in strange business models and some good products without financing.

So we decided to take the road of users’ generated content.

Welcome at Born Community

It took me a long time to open my own Blog.This is some kind of arrogance to start editing thoughts that can be read by anybody. This is also a challenge.My Blog is to be a Blog on:

• Internet,
• Media,
• Internet strategy,
• Online communities,
• Brand communities as well as on
• my business experience.

During these last years, I’ve been launching few internet websites, advised international companies on their internet strategy in the Czech Republic.  I believe that there is a direction where to go on the Internet.I’ll try to share with you my experience and my researches and expect to inspire and be inspired by your comments.Wish me good luck!!!