Or maybe it’s both? How many stories around your travel adventures can you come up with off the top of your head right now? Oh geez. It just took me 5 minutes to write this sentence ’cause I was thinking of answering my own question. Keep thinking about that question — and we’ll come back to that later.
So yes, that’s a long title for a blog entry. Why Barrett, why (and btw, where have you been)? Yeah, sorry for the not-so-daily updates – we have a bunch going on right now. So, I’m going to keep it short and sweet today.
I’d like to get into what everyone seems to be taking about these days: Facebook, Google, MySpace, Open Social, and how to save the North Atlantic Wedgemussel. Seriously now, what do they all have in common? First and foremost, they’re all taking part in the “who’s got the hottest internet app” popularity contest. Secondly, they control the some of the most widely-used social platforms for mass communication on the planet. Let’s start with Facebook: they are hot and, uh, well…Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said “the next hundred years will be different for advertising, and it starts today.” Whoa there, Mark, calm down big dog! Modest guy, right? I guess he’s allowed, they just priced the company’s value at $15 billion. Let’s face it, Facebook’s offer for businesses to advertise, market their products, track customer purchases and customer trends is pretty darn sweet. Facebook members have always been able to post ads, select how and to which demographic the ads should be targeted to, among other neat little customizing options. Now, their new application takes that same concept and includes the component of track and gather, offering the ability to gain insight into new marketing data never before available to businesses — enabling them to really nail down there audiences and spend those advertisement budgets wisely. By the way, this is something that the guys at earthfaves already thought about a long time ago. 
Understanding that your time in the limelight is limited after winning the popularity contest is just good business knowhow. You have to keep innovating to stay on top because that number one seed can be slapped away very quickly. I already read a blog this morning entitled “Facebook is so last week“. Well, is it, cool guy? Google: Or should we call them, “I want to throw yo’ Book in yo’ Face!” Google announced the Open Social platform this week: it provides a common set of APIs for social applications across multiple websites. With standard JavaScript and HTML, developers can create apps that access a social network’s friends and update feeds. Advantages of Open Social? For starters, multiple companies and social networks are already involved, open platforms tend to be quickly adopted by developers that can create “write once, install many over multiple social platforms”, and they potentially create new business for 3rd-party dev teams. Disadvantages: security and the question if users of one community want their data dragged into other communities. Your user profile, your social engagements, and your social activities are all stored on these networks. That info is precious to some folks, right?. I ask you this, Mr. LinkedIn user – if an Open Social app is developed that allows your connections and activities to show up or be accessed from another network – is that OK with you? Are you going to be notified if this happens? What if this application gets hacked by the bad guys? Hmm.
So just because Google creates some brilliant platform doesn’t mean that Facebook users are going to jump ship overnight. The fact of the matter is, all of these amazing Web2.0 innovations that continue to pop up every day are a clear force in this Internet-age evolution. What does this mean for us at earthfaves? Well, a lot of exciting things actually! Very soon, it’s going to be our turn to demonstrate the power of word-of-mouth marketing in relation to the travel industry. “Markets are conversations.” And as a part of Travel2.0, your adventures and stories continue to transform the market. Speaking of transforming the market, after you finish reading this entry, check this out, you European travel lovers out there will love it.(http://www.eyefortravel.com/index.asp?news=58122)
The static Web has already matured into a highly mobile, very social, and amazingly intelligent collective community of minds. I purposely didn’t use the the phrase “collective community of people” because you can’t replace the physical person on the Internet. Like my buddy Lars said today at lunch, “Online poker isn’t just the same.” He’s right, you know, it isn’t.
Oh man, I almost forgot to ask you about recalling your travel stories! So, what’s the verdict? How many? 5, 10, 20? Which ones did you recall? Can you remember the name of that restaurant, the waiter’s name, the hotel, the flight attendant, the guy sitting next to you, the ocean breeze, where that hiking trail led to, or your best friend’s first words when saw you again for the first time in years? Did you smile when you thought about this stuff? Those memories are worth quite a bit, aren’t they?
Talk to you tomorrow.
