Robert Murdoch And The Down Fall Of His Empire
May 6, 2013
Robert Murdoch’s name has been associated with scandal and money loss, but despite the publishing and media giant’s ability to sustain itself, the company keeps digging itself into a deeper and deeper hole. Bloomberg Businessweek details how Robert Murdoch and his company have fallen from grace in recent years, “Robert Murdoch, News Corp. Dodge Phone-Hacking Ruin.” The phone-hacking accusations started when Clive Goodman of News of The World hacked into Britain’s royal family voice mail and then it escalated to include a thirteen-year-old murder victim. These actions led to shutting down the tabloid and an apology tour. He also cleaned house, trying to disassociate News Corp’s ties to political organizations. Many of Murdoch’s former employees were hired for political positions.
News Corp. still proves to be going strong, despite the missteps of the past few years. How?
“ ‘The big win for Murdoch is that as much coverage as it got in the U.S., the crisis didn’t jump the Atlantic,” says [Richard Levick, a lawyer in Washington who runs a firm specializing in corporate crisis management.]. “They were able to cordon it off as largely a British story.’”
The US may have downplayed the story, which has helped the company survive, but never doubt the power of an angry British public. Murdoch’s reputation has been soured. His next negative move could be fatal.
Whitney Grace, May 06, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
YouTube Is Safe From Copyright Laws
May 5, 2013
YouTube is a hotbed for illegal video uploads and it has been brought to court multiple times to put an end to these acts, but once more according to CNET,“YouTube Defeats Viacom Copyright Lawsuit…Again.” This case marks the second time in three years that YouTube has beaten Viacom. Viacom has accused the video-sharing Web site to ignoring illegal video uploads. US District Judge Louis Stanton that YouTube is protected under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s safe harbor provisions.
Viacom issued a $1 billion lawsuit in 2007, stating that YouTube was profiting off illegal TV and movie clips. Stanton sided with YouTube in 2010, but the case was appealed. In response, YouTube showed 63,060 that violated copyright and challenged Viacom to prove adequate notice of infringement was given. Viacom was using a pre-digital copyright law that no longer has any precedence.
“ ‘The burden of showing that YouTube knew or was aware of the specific infringements of the works in suit cannot be shifted to YouTube to disprove,’ [Stanton] wrote. ‘Congress has determined that the burden of identifying what must be taken down is to be on the copyright owner, a determination which has proven practicable in practice.’ Google welcomed the ruling, calling it a victory for all Internet users.”
To rub in the burn, Chad Hurley, YouTube founder, taunted Viacom via Twitter. Gotta love the passive aggressive capabilities of the Internet, but it also begs the question who is in the right, court ruling or no?
Whitney Grace, May 05, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
HP, Autonomy, and a Context Free Expert Output about Search: The Bet on a Horse Approach to Market Analysis
May 4, 2013
I don’t think too much about:
- Azure chip consultants. You know, these are the firms which make a living from rah rahs, buzzwording, and pontification to sell reports. (I know. I labored at a non-azure chip outfit for what seems like decades. Experience is a good instructor. Oh, if you are a consultant, please, complain about my opinion using the comments section of this free blog.)
- Hewlett Packard. I recall that the company used to make lab equipment which was cool. Now I think the firm is in some other businesses but as quickly as I latch on to one like the Treo and mobile, HP exits the business. The venerable firm confuses my 69 year old mind.
- Autonomy. I think I did some work for the outfit but I cannot recall. Age and the lifestyle in rural Kentucky takes a toll on the memory I admit.
Nevertheless, I read “HP’s Autonomy Could Face Uphill Battle In Data Market.” There were some gems in the write up which I found amusing and illustrative of the problems which azure chip consulting firms and their experts have when tackling certain business issues.
The main idea of the write up for “investors” is that HP faces “challenges.” Okay. That’s a blinding insight. As you may recall, HP bought Autonomy for $11 billion and then a few months later roiled the “investors” by writing off billions on the deal. That was the mobile phone model, wasn’t it?
The write up then pointed out:
HP wanted Autonomy to jump-start its move into software and cloud-based computing. Autonomy is the No. 1 provider of search and retrieval software that companies use to find and share files and other information on their websites and document management systems.
Okay. But that too seems obvious.
Now here comes the kicker. The expert outfit providing inputs to the reporter doing the bull dog grip on this worn out bone is quoted as saying:
“Software license revenue (in this market) isn’t growing at the same rate as before, and we are beginning to see the rise of some new technologies, specifically content analytics and unified information access,” Schubmehl said. These new types of software can be used with types of business analytics software, business intelligence software and other software to help enterprises do a better job of locating specific information, he says, which is the job of search retrieval software.
I don’t know much about IDC but what strikes me from this passage is that there are some assertions in this snippet which may warrant a tiny bit of evaluation.
Will context free analyses deliver a winner? Will there be a Gamblers Anonymous for those who bet on what journalists and mid tier (second string) consultancies promulgate? For more about Gamblers Anonymous navigate to http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/ga/
Here goes:
The Boston Marathon Bombing And Video Analytics
May 4, 2013
While the aftermath of the Boston Marathon Bombing continues on with the perpetrator’s trial and discovering how far his plans extended, the “Video Images Yield Two Possible Boston Bombing Suspects.” A department store camera caught one of the bombers leaving a backpack and then another camera caught the pair acting undisturbed by when the bombs went off, thus singling them out. The authorities relied on photographs and video evidence to piece together the events, which augmented the collected physical evidence. Already the disaster is being deemed the most photographed bombing in history. Authorities used sophisticated software with algorithms that can track patterns, i.e. clothing color and object movement.
“’The question that is most often asked is, is there a button we can push to make this happen as quickly as the general public thinks we can, from watching television and movies,’ said Larry Compton, operations manager at Forensic Video Solutions Inc., a firm that serves as a consultant to law enforcement. ‘The answer is no. These tools and techniques are really designed to focus the analysts,’ he said.”
As seen the technology does have its weaknesses, mostly due to low-resolution and lack of visual detail, which is why the authorities turned to the public for help because cell phones have higher video resolution. Analytic software has its weaknesses, but the collaboration between the public and private law enforcement worked together to exact justice.
Whitney Grace, May 04, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
A Whatever Happened To… HP and TeraText
May 3, 2013
My Overflight for search vendors generated an odd “recent” update. The item originated from Chrlettestuvv’s Blog. The story pointed to an item called “SAIC’s TeraText Solutions Signs Strategic Alliance Agreement with HP.” The source was an “article from Software Industry Report, August 1, 2005.
HP apparently needed something more than TeraText, which shared some similarities with the now forgotten iPhrase and anticipated features in MarkLogic Server today. I find these search- and content-processing related tie ups interesting.
Each time I recall one or some glitch in the Internet surfaces a partner factoid, I am more confident that search vendors and some growth hungry large corporations move from speed dating to speed dating activity. Do the engagements lead to marriages? Sometimes I suppose. Other times the companies, like boy friends and girl friends in high school, the couples just drift apart.
Search, however, remains mostly unchanged.
Stephen E Arnold, May 3, 2013
Sponsored by Augmentext
Zurmo Adds Major CRM Functionality
May 3, 2013
Zurmo is an open source based customer relationship management application freely available for download. In their latest release, much of the functionality is enhanced. Read the full press release by PR Web in, “Zurmo Open Source CRM Hits Major Release Milestone.”
The release begins:
“Developers of the Zurmo Open Source Customer Relationship Management application today announced the release of Zurmo 1.5. The latest version brings significant additional functionality including Advanced Reporting, a Workflow Engine, new Marketing Automation capabilities, and enhanced Mobile Access. All new features in Zurmo 1.5 are freely available in the Open Source Edition of the application.”
Zurmo’s focus is on “gamified” interactions with users, which is a new twist on CRM technologies. The company seems to be an up and coming contender in the CRM game, with an eye toward creativity, user experience, and scalability. In much the same way, LucidWorks is a leader in the enterprise search and Big Data market. However, LucidWorks adds value to the Apache Lucene and Solr core by fully supporting the solution and providing an all-encompassing platform that is ready to go out-of-the-box. So whether users are drawn to the open source core, or the industry-leading support, everyone is sure to win with LucidWorks.
Emily Rae Aldridge, May 3, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
Excel Is The Destroyer Of Worlds
May 3, 2013
Who would have though a simple Microsoft spreadsheet program would be the downfall of the entire world? Well it is in Fortune’s, “Damn Excel! How The ‘Most Important Software Application Of All Time’ Is Ruining The World.” While rampant poverty, war, and environmental issues are still global crises, Excel is being blamed for the US’s weak economy recovery, Europe’s growth problems, and other world financial issues. It boils down to smart people not knowing how to use the program.
“Prominent financial blogger James Kwak calls Excel “one of the greatest, most powerful, most important software applications of all time.” But perhaps we ask too much of the program, or perhaps of our ability to cut and paste. In the past few years, Excel has been implicated in some of the biggest blunders on Wall Street and in finance in general.”
The Barclays purchase of Lehman Brothers, Utah schools falling short on enrollment numbers, Fannie Mae, MF Global’s failure to improve end user tools, and the JPMorgan Chase trade loss are all attributed to Excel errors. With all this great technology that is supposed to wipe away human error, it still exists and apparently is doing more harm on a greater scale.
Whitney Grace, May 03, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
If You Fake It You Will Get Caught
May 3, 2013
Here is another fine example of what can happen when you fake information, from the BBC News, “Scientist Steven Eaton Jailed For Falsifying Drug Test Results.” Steven Eaton worked at the US pharmaceutical company Aptuit’s Edinburgh branch in 2009, when he cooked up a scam to falsify experiment results on a cancer drug. The results failed, but he changed them and had his plan worked cancer patients would have been severely harmed. He has become the first person in the United Kingdom to be jailed under scientific safety laws.
Eaton’s bosses realized that his work was fraudulent after deep scrutiny and quickly reported him to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. Not surprising, Eaton is no longer a scientist and he has been jailed for three months. Further sentence has been deferred to receive a character report on him.
“Sheriff Michael O’Grady said: ‘I feel that my sentencing powers in this are wholly inadequate. You failed to test the drugs properly – you could have caused cancer patients unquestionable harm. Why someone who is as highly educated and as experienced as you would embark on such a course of conduct is inexplicable.’”
It is nice to know that corporations are looking out for the underdog by not putting bad products on shelves. All industries are under scrutiny these days, so it makes you wonder when the SEO field will be targeted.
Whitney Grace, May 03, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
Be Prepared For A Generational Shift In Technology
May 3, 2013
For the first time in history, a majority of the coming of age generation has been raised connected to the Internet. This digital generation has never experienced life without the Internet. Wired explores how the millennial generation views the world and what the older generation can expect in: “Meet The First Digital Generation. Now Get Ready To Play By Their Rules.” The article details how the millennial generation views their lives through a digital perspective. Texting is the preferred form of communication, while emails are at the bottom of the preferred list along with actual telephone calls. They spend hours posting information on social media Web sites, concentrating on making their identities (yes, more than one) interesting and appealing their social networks.
“This, perhaps, is the most profound of the digital Nisei’s new rules: Make no distinction between the real and the virtual. Actions that begin in one realm play out in the other. They are interwoven. Every year, Beloit professor Tom McBride and collaborator Ron Nief compile the Beloit Mindset List, a guide to the cultural underpinnings of the undergraduate psyche. “They identify with Web sites more than with states or religions,’ Nief and McBride wrote in 2009.”
We are in a generational shift where the traditional ways will be replaced when the less tech-savvy generations move on and the millennials take over. Boundaries will be broken and new rules will be the standard. Also expect there to be changes coming to search and research because of generational shifts.
Whitney Grace, May 03, 2013
Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search
Search, Smart Software, and Money
May 2, 2013
I participated in three telephone conference calls earlier this week. As I was thinking about each, I realized that the “metacontent” of the calls had little to do with the actual subjects discussed. On the surface, the participants were opining about search, smart software and money.
After I read “Buyouts – New Venture Aims at $100 Bln Zombie Fund Market” I wondered how much pressure these folks will put on the managers responsible for breathing life into the nearly dead? Here’s the passage I noted:
The new firm plans to act as a fiduciary to replace or complement general partners of funds; provide advisory services for limited partners; create successor funds by consolidating direct private equity investments into a fund structure; and shop for investment opportunities such as follow-on capital at the portfolio level. In a prepared statement, Kirchner said the partnership “provides tremendous validation” of his firm’s business model. “Now is the right time for us to scale up to meet rapidly increasing market demand,” he said, adding that the deal with Crestline Investors will provide “institutional infrastructure and access to capital.”
I don’t see many butterflies, fairies, or unicorns in this play. I then thought about the conference calls. Each of these focused on raising money from a willing source. My latest take on some key phrases which I jotted down during these calls appear below:
1 — “We have a breakthrough search technology.”
What I now think this phrase means is something along the line of:
I have an MBA, know nothing about search, but I think this new search system can become the next Google.
In my opinion, this is self delusion fueled either by ignorance or the prospect of getting paid when a person or persons puts money into the search technology. Is Google a search company? Is it likely that Google will be unseated any time soon? These questions are ignored by the participants in this call.
2 — “I have more than $500,000 in sweat equity in this breakthrough cloud system.”
What I now think this phrase means something like this:
I want to get funding so I can pay myself $500,000.
I, like many others, want to get paid. Is there another bankrupt mom in this $500,000? A new Corvette? Is it realistic to think that a person or persons investing in a start up will happily watch $500,000 disappear into the pocket of a sweat equity worker? I think not in most cases. Investors want revenue growth, profits, and a big payday for themselves. Others stand behind in the line at the pay window.
3 — “I am working 80 hours a week and juggling essential tasks.”
Here’s my translation:
I have replaced judicious action with doing lots of stuff in the hopes that something, anything, works.
What message does working really hard while juggling send. One misstep and the balls come down and bounce away. One or two could strike the juggler and knock him or her unconscious. Could that be a way to achieve entropy?
Has search, content processing, big data, and analytics been cracked? For me, no. Are these chestnuts roasting by an open fire? You bet. Get too close to the flames and there is pain. Companies which accept funding have to produce with or without the odd phrases which keep cropping up in conference calls.
Stephen E Arnold, May 2, 2013
Sponsored by Augmentext
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