US Government and Its New IT Directions
September 14, 2010
The U.S. Government is shedding its old clothes for new ones that fit the new technology. The Obama Administration wants the agencies to be transparent and innovative, giving command to U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) to implement the “Open Government” initiative, which in turn created the Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies (OCSIT).
The CRMBuyer interview “Making Change Happen Every Day: Q&A With GSA’s David McClure”, reports the OCSIT associate administrator comment that, “OCSIT is rapidly becoming a leader in the use of new media, Web 2.0 technologies, and cloud computing, to proactively make government agencies and services more accessible to the public.” According to him, by operating at the “enterprise level,” the GSA is aiming to accelerate the adoption of technologies, including mobile applications, and improving search engine capabilities, to involve greater customer interactions and gain efficiencies. We concur with David who feels enhancing citizen participation in government will pay dividends on technology investments, but by hiring IBM to add agility, we are not sure if it could be the swiftest runner on the track team.
Why are there so many separate search systems? Is one efficiency to use one indexing system?
Is IBM the swiftest cat in the nature preserve?
Leena Singh, September 14, 2010
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Some Social Traction: Grinding Google and Seducing Seniors
September 13, 2010
A recent survey reveals that the older American generation is becoming very active in social networking. Supposed to be the playground of the young, now “nearly half of the US Internet users ranging in age from 50 to 64, marking an 88 percent increase from the prior year” use the online communities such as Facebook, MySpace, or LinkedIn, according to the Medindia.net article “Older Americans Flocking to Online Social Networks.”
Though the older users still use email as their primary mode of communication, most were “inclined to reconnect with people from the past, potentially creating support networks for retiring or changing careers,” stated the Pew Research Center’s report based article. There is a double fold increase in seniors of 65 years of age and above using the social networking platform, who mainly use it for blogging or online health discussions. It shows that the once broadband-resistant community has now embraced it, as an everyday utility of life.
To add to the spice of the Facebook service, PCWorld reported “Facebook Now More Popular than Google.” Usage data are controversial. But for those who never look at log files, these seemingly concrete numbers are reality. This means that PCWorld’s statement “A total of 9.9 percent of consumers’ online time was spent on the site Facebook in August, surpassing time spent on Google which came in with 9.6 percent.”
Is the sky falling on Google? Nope, but this Facebook news makes clear that Google’s “speed” with regard to displaying laundry lists is not equally in its race against Facebook. As any race car driver knows, a few seconds lead can make a significant difference in the end-of-race pay off.
Stephen E Arnold, September 13, 2010
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KlickOut: Curation from the Users
September 11, 2010
In this age of information, KlickOut provides a platform where content is available for free, can be shared with the world, and even managed by the users themselves in a democratic fashion. For the content it receives from the people world over, the website says, “You are the editor and you are the reader here. We’re here to provide a place where people can collectively determine the value of content.”
Users upload their content as ‘Upcoming Stories’, which viewers add as favorites if they like it, and on gaining popularity the content is shifted to the home page of its respective category, on the basis of receiving a critical number of favorite counters. The best of each category makes it to the front page of the website, and the content varies from news to videos to images. Users can even login through their Facebook account and view or submit content in categories like movies, TV, celebrity, music, lifestyle, gaming, business, health, sports, world, and technology.
Curation is useful. Low or zero cost curation could be a solution to the laundry lists of baloney that are now delivered with Alacrity.
Leena Singh, September 11, 2010
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Mobile Search in China
September 11, 2010
The Middle Kingdom has a track record for doing it the “emperors’ way”. Want to negotiate a tough deal? No problem. Get the traders into a trading city. Offer a deal. If refused, the area in the walled city becomes a hot spot. I find these architectural details from the past interesting.
Now Baidu, China’s top search engine with the largest market share is making all plans to keep up with the recent tech trends, and cash on the boost in the mobile segment. The Yahoo news article “Baidu to Focus mobile Internet Investment on Search” unfolds the company’s strategy to stand on its strength of core search business for the mobile Internet. According to the news, Baidu will “include mobile Internet and ecommerce initiatives in the business-to-consumer space” as it targets to dominate the next big Internet space.
Completing ten years of its existence, Baidu began its preparations last year, to play big in the mobile Internet, with the “introduction of a Baidu text input method and mobile maps.” The news reveals further that, “the company also set up a mobile Internet department.” The first to offer WAP and PDA-based mobile search in China, Baidu is equipping itself to continue to be the search king in China.
Now what about those inside a trading city? Tough spot for some vendors who make big plans just like the traders traversing the Silk Road. Long way from home to try and get frisky.
Stephen E Arnold, September 11, 2010
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Electric Pig Shocks with Pay Wall News
September 11, 2010
I saw a newsflash from Electricpig.co.uk which asserts that it is the only tech you need. Well, include the goose and I am happy. The story that caught my attention had this headline: “The Times Paywall Is Broken: content Set Free, for Now.” The point is that you can read the Murdoch Times here at this moment (September 10, 2010 at noon eastern). What’s interesting in that right before I saw the Electric Pig’s snort I read “USA Today to Throw Open Its Data This Month.” The main point in this write up is, in my opinion:
Media Content providers are increasingly opening up their vast amounts of data to developers. The latest to announce this is USA Today, with plans to provide much of its content via an API later this month. The nationwide newspaper aims to raise internal awareness about its databases first, with public access and a developer contest to follow. At the moment, the developer site is open to internal developers only. However, USA Today plans to launch it to the public by end of September.
Several observations before these flit from the goose’s mind:
- The challenge will be a business model that allows the giant publishing outfits to maintain their life style. The goose has witnessed publishing companies realize that their McMansions can no longer be supported by the online revenue streams “content” generates. There is money flowing but it pays for a Hardin County trailer rental.
- The assumption is that an application will unlock revenue. My work suggests that applications are a bit like motion pictures. The pictures are expensive and it is tough to pull off a blockbuster. Blockbusters happen, but will publishers have the cash to keep investing until a winner emerges.
- With the downsizing in publishing operations with which I am familiar, the younger staffers have little choice but practice their craft in the new digital Gutenberg environment. As a result, the big publishers will be competing with folks who understand their strengths and weaknesses with an insider’s sensitivity. I think this puts the big outfits at a disadvantage. Think of the plight of Nokia. That’s a model that some publishers will follow.
The goose has no answers. What do you expect from a goose anyway?
Stephen E Arnold, September 11, 2010
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The Speed Thing: Google Search Results Tricks
September 10, 2010
I don’t have too much to say about speed. In my talks about real-time information, I make a point of identifying points in an information retrieval system where latency imposes delays. The Google speed thing addresses one aspect of search; namely, displaying results as someone types. I noted this display stuff in year 2000 when I got a demo of Fast Search & Technology’s implementation of a type ahead feature. Then and now, I did not get too excited. The reason is that I formulate queries and enter them with intent. I personally dislike systems that try to “think like a goose.” Pretty tough since algorithms work one way and a goose brain works a different way, right?
I do want to call attention to what I think is one of those wild and crazy write ups that appear in “real” publications. Point your browser thingy at “In an Instant, Google Pulls Further Ahead of Microsoft, Yahoo.” Now if the predictive stuff actually worked, you would not have to point or click in my opinion. Keep in mind that the predictive stuff is reasonably new and we were not able to see the function across the different systems we tested yesterday, so here in Harrod’s Creek, the Google magic was hit and miss. The article is a collection of observations by pundits and most of the points are like high school cheers. You hear the words but don’t really care. It is the spirit that counts.
My views are this:
- It is a bit early to declare that a Google feature does much of anything to Web usage data. The data are approximations of what’s happening and quite old. This means that the “effect” of Google’s whiz bang new feature won’t be known in its fuzzy statistical glory for weeks.
- The focus of search is shifting, based on our work in the last few months. Not only is the mobile device having an impact, but the social approach is beginning to gain traction. If our work is on the money, this spells big trouble in River City for traditional search box methods.
- Embedded search puts information “there”. A good example is a map which shows a bunch of stuff. The user just hovers. The “map” gets search parameters in the background so the “search without search” approach that I noted when I examined Endeca’s implementation for Fidelity Investments in the UK six or seven years ago is now being consumerized.
In short, I know folks love Google mouse pads and secretly hope to work for Messrs. Brin and Page. I also know that no one gets invited to Google events for raining on a Google parade. Nevertheless, let’s keep the latency issue in mind and then put the Google announcement in the context of significant search trends. “Real” journalists, I suppose, long for the days when they could sit in English class and interpret Milton’s “Lycidas.” Won’t work for the hard world of information retrieval in this goose’s opinion. Confusing razzle dazzle for what users are doing keeps the azurini busy. Wonderful.
Stephen E Arnold, September 10, 2010
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Twitter for Free Expression
September 10, 2010
Technology and Twitter have tweaked the fourth pillar of democracy. “The power of the Internet and social networks like Twitter is starting to force the media to be honest,” says Stan Beer in the ITWire Australian Election special article “Twitter becomes the new oracle of the media.” The author uses the case of the Fairfax freelancer Adam Turner’s tweets on election night, and summarizes that Facebook or Twitter posts have become sensitive, consequential, and accountable.
The article expresses the view that, “So-called fair and balanced media is populated with content produced by humans – and nearly all humans are biased and anything but fair and balanced.” The author implicates the publications to have pseudo-standards; portraying as fair and balanced but having biased policies. He points out that the media bosses “may publicly express their political preference in pre-editorials but for journalists to openly reveal their bias is not on.” They then revert to the tweets, which take more of a confessionary role – a medium for repressed or free expression?
Leena Singh, September 10, 2010
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Google and Speedy Search
September 10, 2010
I learned about Google’s push for speed in late 2009. I wrote a story for this blog called “Google 2010: Speed Becomes a Competitive Advantage.” Despite the enthusiasm of my two or three readers, no one cared. I know I didn’t. The Google of 2006 is long gone. In its place is a very different outfit.
I flipped through the write ups about the big Google event and its announcements today. I noted one as more in line with my thinking. Point your browser thingy at “Why Google Instant Is Good for Microsoft.” For me, the main point was:
In today’s press conference, Google boasted that only a “small percentage” of users in their tests turned off Instant search, and that they mainly did so because of connection issues. That seems an all-too rosy portrait of adoption rates. Clearly, there is a learning curve for such a novel service–after all, we’ve been clicking the “Search” button for more than a decade now. Doesn’t it seem unlikely that users would latch onto Google Instant so, well, instantly? Maybe in Google’s test-cases.
I know the search engine optimization boffins will be put in a tough spot. All the crap those folks have loaded into Web sites will hopefully disappear from personalized, on the fly search results. But the bigger point to me is that Google is making a change and assessing adaptability in terms of the Math Club ethos.
The Fast Company article nailed this point. Some folks don’t like math short cuts. I do like physics a lot. I also like relativity and what it suggests about speed.
Stephen E Arnold, September 10, 2010
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Search Vendors: Spot Changing Underway
September 9, 2010
Search vendors are trying to morph into customer support systems. Will it Work?
Today it is common that when people have problem with a certain product or service, they do not approach the right people instead voice it out to their friends through social media. Similarly, if they are satisfied they do the same. This observation is from Jamie Beckett’s post “Social Media Spurs Big Changes in Customer Service”.
Comcast’s Martin Marcinczyk and Cisco’s John Hernandez both agree on the use of social media in responding to customers complaints. Both companies are looking for ways to better use the social media in getting feedback from customers and on how they can link up the social media in responding to customers’ concerns. “I want to be able to look at my overall business and know how to serve each customer”, says Marcinczyk at live broadcast.
Martin Brooke, September 9, 2010
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Google and Its Content Hoover
September 7, 2010
Nothing works better than money when one wants to grease the content skids. Financial details are tough to get and then difficult to verify. In today’s content Jacuzzi, one pays to play. Two examples:
“YouTube Seals Its Biggest Premium Sports Deal Yet”. Google has found a way to make major league baseball find love and affection for distribution of baseball games in a handful of countries. If this generates clicks, I think the Google will extend the deal. Why would the major league play ball? My hunch: money.
“Google, AP Strike New Deal On Web Licensing Rights”. Google and the Associated Press seem to have found common ground. My hunch is that money makes the dominance of Google palatable.
So what?
First, these deals may be precursors of more high value content tie ups. A big pile of content means that lots of users will visit Google. Good for Google, reasonably good for its partners, and possibly lousy news for other distributors.
Second, once Google users get out of high school, those viewing habits may be tough to change. Google has time on its side and content creators with some old school love do not have time.
Third, other vendors who want to compete with Google will either have to pony up or watch the Google start thinking exclusive. Yikes.
Stephen E Arnold, September 7, 2010
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