my comments on How Facebook Can Ruin Your Friendships - WSJ.com

How Facebook Can Ruin Your Friendships - WSJ.com

It is mostly about 'adapting' to the new 'social networked' business and/or personal lives..

fact of the matter is that it is being 'evolved' as we speak, and also the service providers are also shifting/adapting or totally changing on a weekly/monthly basis.

Best is to dip toes and observe..

as the social/business network of choice might be very different several months down the line.

off-line Etiquettes should also be observed..

Happy social networking..

@GarethWong

my comments re Is Apple the Enemy of the TV Industry? Microsoft Thinks So

Is Apple the Enemy of the TV Industry? Microsoft Thinks So

Co-creation plus converged distribution (TV/satellite, internet, mobile etc.) to bring perceived or measured value will be the future, as consumers would be happy to keen to pay for such service.

In order for that to happen, the market need co-creating throughout the value chain..

which sadly not enough is being done at the moment, as businesses are mostly focusing on their 'own patch'..

but it will happen.

@GarethWong

London Open House 19&20Sept.

Open House

Enjoy and plan ahead to visit buildings which might be otherwise closed to public..

check it out and plan ahead, sooner rather than later!

Enjoy

@GarethWong

My comments re Betfair Growing 30%, Easing over the Pond, and Hiring 50 Valley Engineers

Betfair Growing 30%, Easing over the Pond, and Hiring 50 Valley Engineers

Good commentary and update. This might not be as well known, but Betfair is one of the more opened and forward thinking firm within gaming and gambling sector. That is why in 2007, I put Betfair on one of the special panel I produced for my non profit Gambit special interest group promoting 'innovation', the public forum report hightlighted report is freely avaiable here: http://www.thegambit.info/Innovation07.html Furthermore, since last year, based on Betfair's technology director's request, we have also co-founded the private Gaming Technology Forum (invitation only private gatherings of industry top CTOs/CIOs) of the gaming and related sector. More innovation and collaborations can be expected, I hope. @GarethWong

My comments re Goldman Sachs' huddle parties investigated (Dealscape - Washington Ways & Means)

Goldman Sachs' huddle parties investigated (Dealscape - Washington Ways & Means)

Well, surely it would only be illegal if they were

1.) breaching the Chinese wall (SOX)
2.) sharing price/info sensitive information

So, yes,special treatments to the in-crowd or special relationship club is quite normal, esp. big business.

The reverse is also true where if the information is readily available, the spread/competitive advantage just get 'normalised'.

Question is if this is sustainable in the medium to long term when critical information become commoditised and with potentially news/market changing events are 'consumers' or 'customers' driven.

For example, if/when social media becomes pervasive enough where collective of opinions affects dramatically the business world, and hence becomes the money sensitive triggers.. (Reverse signalling?)

I can foresee more new names to be devised when that happens, and perfect for business book writers..

BR
@GarethWong

Gareth's thoughts: Truly pervasive B2C info.service, NOT from Internet! but a 26yrs old French company!?

I have had many conversations in the last week or so with my CXO contacts and Private equity friends.

Given the news of Skype vs eBay (this is a particularly good blog that highlight key issues), SpinVox (its investment has since been written off 90%) etc.

One thing was certain Hypes or even perceived success does not equal to 'true success' of the enterprise.

My definition of success is how much a service brings true value to the population (rather than niche early adopters or generation X/Y/Z, or ABC1)..

Therefore, I proposed that we should really focus energy on devising and bringing about a truly pervasive service (from access, to payment, to value delivered), in fact, we can learn from a very old service which was devised and delivered to a country BEFORE the arrival of internet.

In fact, this service is so pervasive that now even with the advent of internet, even the older generations (who might not yet use mobile nor internet) can engage with this platform at home or outside in the post office for both information or even transact..

Yes, it is the Minitel .com : services in France..

It does not look good, it is not sexy or on Techcrunch. but it gets the job done.

It might not have happened without the foresight and support from the government, but given the amount of money some of the start-ups is being invested in BEFORE even taking any revenue.. Surely some lessons can be learnt.

If old grannies know how to and can get benefit of say twitting.. the rest is really history!

@GarethWong

My comments on Extroversion

Extroversion

Fred.

you are very brave.

Pioneers generally are.

I have not come across you until I started using Twitter (a yr after I created the a/c in 08) as I never read any blogs (was a not so entrepreneurial corporate telecom guy).. It is a balancing act, but really depends on who the writer is, their work and their likely extravert lifestream's impact might have on their job/common perception of them. I have just started to be cautiously opened on twitter & facebook (doing pretting much same thing) but update on my works/tribulations/challenges and people I meet around the world.

It has given more transparency and in some ways helps when to establish contacts with some key guys and vice versa.

However, I am also dreading that it might become a 'chore' and my life might be too 'opened' up, professionally (I try to keep all family stuff private, unless for specific friends/industry colleagues after many years, y. very old school)..

My gut feel is that brave pioneers like you at the top of the profession is the exception, rather than the norm. but thankfully with likes of twitter etc. we can filter the normal/mundane out comparatively easily to find some limited Gems..

keep up the good work and sharing of insights,

role model for some of us, but sadly I still have NO time as an entrepreneur to share insights via original blog posts.. .. yet.

Belated happy birthday. (e.g. another example, I try to keep my birthday private also!)

@GarethWong

Is it fair? Besieged by attacks, AT&T dumps celebrity hacker • The Register

Besieged by attacks, AT&T dumps celebrity hacker • The Register

In short, can't blame the AT&Ts.. or can you?

We as normal consumers and business users never realised that in fact we are ALWAYS vulnerable.. if you have not read Kevin Mitnick's book, you should, as it highlights the most important/challenge is in fact that we as an individual could be at fault.

How we leave sensitive paper work, speak/leak information to presumably trustworthy individuals.. etc.

Kevin should also be able to use some B2B service providers rather than B2C companies who generally cannot deal with the kind of 'hacking' going on.. B2B companies should like the hacker world see that as a 'call for challenge' also, and hopefully from our sake, the B2B world will win!?

My comment re Why I Don’t Use Twitter

Why I Don’t Use Twitter

Devin

I am also a sceptic like you.

agree that it is NOT complete, but internet itself is not complete yet.

am not ‘fighting’ for twitter, but my observation is that without twitter, I did not give 2nd thoughts to ANY blog, and did not even write one (despite I am in technology/telecoms to be precise)..

So, like facebook, I was going to advise/help a firm and they had ‘widgets’ on it, but I could not possibly comment until/I created an a/c and start using it a while.

I am curious also to see your thoughts after finally you start using it.

good post.

@GarethWong

My semi-digressed comments re Has Twitter’s aggressive protectionism come too late?

Has Twitter’s aggressive protectionism come too late?

It is not surprising.

my limited observation in the 'internet startup world' is this:

1.) enterpreneurs play musical chairs & try to spot.. 2.)+ 3).

2.) VCs trying to spot and if possible influence 3.)

3.) consumers (generally well 'connected' net-citizen mostly in the developed world) would follow and sometimes help 'create' buzz and spot/follow 1.)

E:(generally consumers' needs/wants/ are not met! and have to spend 'hours' on reasearch online & speak to people/friends.. and still usually can only find 2nd or 3rd best solutions!)

4.) likes of Techcrunch, blogs, and now offline news reports/writers (generally lag by few days & sometimes weeks) above the buzz of 1, 2, and 3.

Generally, consumers and 'followers', and joe blogg, just 'amazed' with the fuzz (for those that take times to read the full story) and go on with their lives (they might not yet done the first online transaction with any internet shopping site yet, due to potential mistrust)..

then at the same time, the limited successful companies (probably based on buzz but not revenue/profit) would look to do

A.) protect what they have, cos they generally had not strategically plan for the future (like high cap-ex, highly regulated industries like Telecoms) or

B.) just want to exit by selling to the much more established (mostly listed household names) who sometimes do deals for signalling than real business sense (e.g. ITV purchase & disposal of Friend-ReUnited)..

for those that lucky enough to have exited successfully, then

I.) if they were in Silicon Valley, due to potential social capital/competition/ or just pure aspirations, would generally invest and re-invest and make more greater successes

II.) those in Europe, probably just purchase a few holiday homes and most to some tax heavan & semi-retire with a few charitable duties and a few life-style investments..

Life goes on..

@GarethWong