Web-Tones

Mashing Up

Do a Google search on "mashup" and you get a lot of interesting results, mostly about mashups that are happening in the music space, but what I want to talk about is mashups in the software space. Take a look at what is happening at www.salesforce.com with their AppExchange offering and you will be getting a preview of things to come, essentially using the Internet as a software development platform, with tech savvy end users in the drivers seat and leading the collaboration (for the most part). Sure, vendors have been touting the death of programming (and programmers) for thirty years now so don't hold you breadth on that score, but more and more power is being placed in the hands of users, and that is going to have a huge impact, as we begin to close the loop (for users) between what I want and what I know how to do.

Tags: Web 2.0, Web2.0, Mashup

Year of Open Source?

Wow Sun is thinking about an open source version of Solaris! There seems to be more and more momentum building in the ABM (Anything But Microsoft) crowd toward finally coming up with an answer to Windows and MS Office. There is very little doubt that Google is going to do an Office Suite, probably based on OpenOffice from Sun, and that they will attempt to leverage this into a free, robust and scalable software development platform, perhaps combining it with a Google Desktop and you have the makings of a very interesting value proposition, both for Google and for the open source community. Why? Because Google is probably the only company on the planet that could actually pull it off! They currently have a virtual monopoly on search (for now) and this advantage might be just enough to sustain them through the onslaught that is sure to be coming from the Gorilla in Redmond. As Geoff Moore is fond of saying, "let the games begin." No matter who ultimately prevails in this clash of the titans, the consumer (and the open source community) is likely to benefit in a big way from the fierce competition.

Tags: Web 2.0, Web2.0, Solaris, Open Source, Google, Sun

Transactions versus Interactions

Geoff Moore moderating a heavyweight panel discussion in Davos (The World Economic Forum) that included Bill Gates, Eric Schmidt, John Chambers and Niklas Zeenstrom (of Skype ) discuss (in part) how the new IT will be focused on interactions as opposed to transactions. What they are getting at is the "markets as conversations" meme and implying that IT will be more focused on providing enabling technologies that facilitate interactions/conversations with customers. And while that might be true, the enabling of interactions will be driven mostly by enlightened business executives that are tech savvy enough to know how to leverage this brave new world in ways that drive competitive advantage (the because of factor). This is going to be a user driven revolution and IT will have a seat at the table but its ability to contribute will depend heavily on changing its mindset from back office apps to those apps that change the rules of the game within the company's niche or industry.

Tags: Web 2.0, Web2.0, Because of, Davos

The Buzz

Chris Anderson rants about the new boom here, and the good doctor and Rick Segal continue the rant about re-inventing the VC business here, and you start to get the feeling that something is happening again in the technology space because the buzz is audible. But the real buzz has to do with the "Because of" factor. Companies that change the rules of the game not because they invent the technologies but because they find new and innovative ways to "use" the technologies. Get ready for the "user centric" revolution. The democratization of powerful enabling technology is poised to allow "smart little guys" (OK they need some capital too, BUT not as much as they use to) to begin transforming niches in industry after industry, and since the "little guys" create most of the new jobs, this activity should have a positive effect on the economy as a whole. Watch out India and China, American ingenuity is "fixin" to kick butt again!

Tags: Web 2.0, Web2.0, Because of

Future Lawyer, The Gadget King

My friend Rick Georges is the attorney gadget king. He has a fascination for gadgets and a passion for the law, and has combined both to dramatically improve the productivity of his law practice! Got a demo today at lunch where Rick logged on to his server via his Treo and had instant access to his case management system (via remote control ala Citrix). Needless to say that I was impressed,  not only was connectivity seamless, but the Windows desktop and apps were actually usable!

Rick also displayed a pdf file the was readable despite the small type and access to email that was quite functional. While the phone will not displace his laptop anytime soon, it does make computing accessible and convenient in nearly all environments, clearly the ability to tap into his business computing platform from anywhere is a boost to his productivity, and points to the possibilities that are evolving in Law 2.0

Tags: Law 2.0, Web 2.0, Web2.0

Pixar Rules

Wow! I gotta believe that with Jobs/Pixar now part of Disney it will once again be a powerhouse to be reckoned with for some time to come. With Disney's distribution muscle and Pixar's creative talent, we may see an entirely different Disney emerge, way beyond just what they might be doing in the animation space!

The market apparently likes the deal, and what is there not to like about it? This deal just "feels" right because Pixar (apparently) "owns" Disney animation lock, stock, and Nemo.

Tags: Disney, Pixar, Jobs

Health, Specialized Search?

OK so I am on a health kick (sort of) and I encountered this new search engine  specialized for health related info. Looks like a well put together site and was plugged by all things Web 2.0 Mike Arrington. I have not had time to register and dig into some of their other "amenities" and explore additional health specific content provided, but it looks interesting. Did get more focused hits on my "hypotension and exercise" search and that was promising.

What puzzles me however is why Google just wouldn't jump in and own this market?. They are already the kings of search, how much more would they have to do to own "specialized search engines" of many flavors: health, law, etc. I suppose if Healthline does it right they could be hoping for a payday by selling to the big boys (a likely scenario).

Tags: Health, Health 2.0, Web 2.0, Web2.0

Health & Information

How often do you use the Internet to search for health related issues? Chances are that your use has grown incrementally over time and that often the search has to do with self diagnosis.

I recently noticed a kind of "malaise" the day after a hard (for me) workout. It is not necessarily that my muscles were aching but more of a kind "lethargy". Since this pattern was recurring, I did not work workout as often because of the "next day" effect. Turns out that "hypotension (low blood pressure)" is a possible explanation. I found useful information within about 15 minutes time, and some reasonable steps that might help. This problem was no where serious enough for me to see a doctor but sufficiently troublesome enough to impact my "quality of life".

What's the so what? The better quality and authoritative information that we have readily available, the more literate health consumers we become, the more we can practice "preventive health-care", as opposed to fix me I'm broke" health-care. Tom Peter's rants about it here in part one of his talk from Dubai, ripping into the medical community for the pathetic state of the status quo, however, while I agree with Tom that change is required, consumers have to step up to the plate and accept some responsibility. We need to be better informed! Leveraging the "Internets" is a big step in the right direction.

Tags: Health, Health 2.0

It's the Platform Stupid, Revisited

Open Source Radioware is the latest Doc Searls rant on the Linux Journal about what an emerging platform that allows small to medium size radio stations (is there such a thing?) to do what their hardware/software budgets might not otherwise allow.

I have yet to find an open source legal platform that would allow the same thing, but if it is not currently "out there", it most assuredly is coming soon to a theater near you. These offerings have the potential of changing the rules of the game for small to medium size law firms. A low cost, high impact, legal computing platform could be quite disruptive, allowing smaller players to fish in ponds that they were previously excluded from. Given that traditionally, the larger the organization, the slower it adapts, significant "first mover" advantages might be there for the taking. Already competitively priced commercial offerings that rely heavily on open source technologies are starting to point the way in the knowledge management space.

Tags: Web 2.0, Web2.0, Law 2.0, KM

Google This?

Whether Google is trying to protect trade secrets or its users, by taking a stand it reminds us just how important privacy concerns are, and how readily they could be abused. Although Washington might think that the public is willing to "lay down" when it comes to complex constitutional issues, I believe a number of constituencies are starting to gather strength in numbers and will fight potential abuses if the government attempts to overplay its hand. After all, "eternal vigilance" is not just a cliche, it is a reminder of what is required to maintain a democracy, and a united citizenry, of all political persuasions, can send a powerful message.

Tags: Google

Rumor of Web 2.0's demise?

Great post here on why it may be way to soon to start thinking about the demise of Web 2.0. The dot com companies imploded and the Internet grew more and more important to our daily lives. Web 2.0 is about architecture and about how apps are developed, it is not about the fate of a few companies (some good, some not so good) that are using the platform to launch new businesses. Many will fail, so what? That might be important from an investment perspective but a lot less so from how the platform will evolve and transform the computing paradigm, and the way that we interact with and experience apps. It is the user experience that is being transformed (think Apple), and empowered user/producers will cause changes to happen across the economy, within already established companies, not just those that are breaking new ground.

Tags: Web 2.0

American Renaissance?

Felix Gerena talks about the power of poetry here, and while poetry sounds like something "far out" for a business consultant to be talking about, I believe Felix is right on target. A madman wrote about the coming American Renaissance in What Comes After What Comes Next? and emerging digital technologies (e.g Ajax) and "new media everywhere" are poised to help launch it.

Felix here is hoping that you "keep on rocking in the free world!"

Tags: Web 2.0

Education 2.0?

This offering is clearly a harbinger of the Web 2.0 education space. While it may not attract the big guns in online education, it will attract masses of independents and in house providers, and since it is mostly financed by Google ads, the numbers are what matters. If Nuvvo pulls this off, like they appear to be poised to, they are a likely acquisition target as the big boys (Google, Yahoo, Microsoft) fall all over themselves to acquire addition Web 2.0 services.

I ran through the demo to see enough of their implementation of Ajax technology to be suitably impressed. This is only the tip of the ice-burg as more and more richer functionality is added. Lots of possibilities for applications within Law firms. Although attorneys might be too busy to jump in and create practice management courses, their eager computer literate support staff will take to this stuff like they have to Excel, Word & Access.

Tags: Web 2.0, Law 2.0, Blogging

Tracking Web 2.0?

The goto place (for now) to track Web 2.0 developments is TechCrunch. Michael Arrington (former Silicon Valley attorney turned entrepreneur/commentator) is plugged into the Web 2.0 ecosystem in a big way. He consults (and invests) in some of these companies but is good about disclosing such. In any case, his perspective on these emerging technologies and breadth of coverage is the important thing.

The discussion surrounding Web 2.0 has crossed over into a Law 2.0 discussion as well. How will these technologies impact how law is practiced? The impact is likely to be significant because how we manage and consume knowledge (discussed on web-tones here) is the central focus of many of these applications. But that said, only of few of these will potentially be "killer apps" with respect to the law and those are the ones that will blogged about here.

Tags: Law 2.0, Web 2.0, Blogging

Pride in the Name of Love

I still get all choked up when I hear the "I Have a Dream Speech" and am always moved when singing along with U2's "Pride in the Name of Love." Americans will continue to honor Dr. King centuries from now as his importance to the nation is amplified with time.

I believe that we need to "move on" from the politics of race, because that is what Dr. King would have wanted, and in any case it is the right thing to do. However, I also think that it is important to reflect and remember, because there is far too much hate left in the world (racial and otherwise) to believe that Dr. King's mission has been accomplished.

Go here for a little inspiration, not the most poetic but one I happened to run across, or here for the I Have a Dream podcast.

Related Tags: MLK

Health 2.0?

Wow, Dr. Gawande provides a fascinating insight into the challenges and opportunities associated with modern medicine. For a reference just check out the glowing reviews available on Amazon. The style is similar to Malcolm Gladwell's, who by the way, provides a strong endorsement for Complications (back of hardcover edition).

I am astonished frankly at the extent of honest conversation. The chapter on "when good doctors go bad" probably would have been sufficient to earn the good doctor permanent "leper" status within the AMA in the not too distant past. This is the "elephant in the room" that no one wanted to talk about; and demonstrates, I think, that while progress is being made, the medical profession is still woefully (like Congress) incapable of self regulation. The Tort system, despite potential for abuse, remains the only vehicle available to patients victimized by bad doctors, and continued silence on the part of the medical profession contributes as much to the problem as attorney greed, perhaps more so.

OK the above paragraph captures my perspective as a student of the law. As a potential patient, I am so much better informed now as to questions that I should ask and the patterns of behavior that are indicia of "bad doctors". I can assure you that I will not allow any doctor that is consistently working 90 hours a week to operate on me or a family member.

But do not let the above "negatives" persuade you that Complications has produced a more negative view of the medical profession on my part. It just confirmed some suspicions. However, I cannot begin to do the breadth and depth of this book justice with a few excerpts. From the advances of medical technology, to the all too human problems that Doctors encounter, this book is a must read for all.

Tags: Health Health 2.0

Houston Marathon & RFID

Our daughter (the syllable counter) is running in the Aramco Half Marathon, an event that is part of the Houston Marathon and will be wearing an RFID chip on her running shoes that will allow us to track her progress real-time. As parents we are delighted that enabling technologies compress space in a manner that permits us to participate in an a significant life event, not quite like being their live and cheering her on, but somewhat better than hearing about it after the fact. Of course, this is just a small example of how technologies, riding on the Info Highway, are capable of bringing families and other social networks closer together in ways previously unimaginable.

RFID technology is also playing a significant role in advanced logistics systems (think WalMart), allowing the tracking of goods (at the pallet level) as they move through the distribution channel. Before long tracking will occur at the product level and the fear is (fueled mostly by big brother conspiracy mongers) that our privacy will be jeopardized as RFID enabled products enter the home. Perhaps there is some merit to this argument but we will cross the bridge when we get to it, for now I am happy that it lets us participate in a significant accomplishment, go Rachey!

Tags: RFID

Infotainment?

What is infotainment? Well Wikipedia defines it as soft journalism, a kind of combination of journalism and entertainment, however I used the term a few years back to mean marketing information presented in an entertaining way. Just goes to show you how powerful I am at starting new memes and moving the popular culture forward (right). Nonetheless, the idea was that marketing collateral had to inform, educate and entertain if it was going to capture my interest, and that companies should use the new media to do exactly that. The use of Internet audio and video to achieve these goals is starting to gain some traction, but it better be done right or the consumer is one click away from making your pitch yesterday's news. I recently was lured to a site that promised a video of their product, one that I was on casually interested in, and it may have captured my attention except that the audio was mostly garbled, but being a somewhat patient geek, I even re-booted to see if the problem was on my end to no avail. Needless to say most consumers are probably not this patient, so while the idea is on point the experience needs to be flawless to achieve the desired effect.

Tags: Infotainment

Google Culture

I perused an article in BusinessWeek (December 2005) highlighting the culture at Google and while this "stuff" is not all that new for high flying tech companies, Google's "quirkyness" seems to be in a class all its own. Exercise facilities, free food, pets at the workplace...OK most companies cannot afford to do this, but some that can don't. Is this all some "left coast" wackiness or is Google trying to make employees' lives a little easier, more convenient, less stressful etc.? Are less stressed out employees more productive, the answer seems obvious. What if I were to say that one of the nation's largest insurers (among other things) USAA has many of these conveniences in their complex (OK maybe the food is not free and you can't have dogs at work but there is a Cleaners and lots of other conveniences), would you still think it was wacky? Not likely. Both Google and USAA realize that happy employees are productive employees, and they tend to hang around longer. Corporate culture matters, and if it is unique and genuine it can become a differentiator for companies both large and small.

Tags: Google

Velocity = Productivity?

From online banking, to online buying, to online snooping (the legal kind) to you name it, the Internet reduces the amount of time that it takes us to make decisions. Having the world's largest library available at our fingertips drives what economists call "transaction costs" (in lay terms the time it takes to research a purchase) significantly lower. This has lots of implications with respect to the choices that we have available to us that were not available before because we had no way of discovering them. I believe this is part and parcel of the long tail argument (if not the whole damn thing).

In general, however, apart from purchase decisions, the ability to make all kinds of decisions faster should have a significant positive impact on economic (and personal) productivity across the board. Empirical data is probably hard to come by in this space, but if anyone has references I would love to see them. For me all roads lead to Google and I am rarely disappointed vis-a-vis the quality of information that the Web produces (i.e. it is almost always useful to my decision making process even if not always on point).

It's the Platfrom, Stupid

A while back Nicholas Carr caused a stir with a Harvard Business Review article entitled Does Information Technology Matter? It sent technology executives into a "tizzy" and Carr it seems relished the attention. But the argument is absurd on its face. Does technology matter at Google, at eBay, at Amazon, at Walmart, at FedEx? Mind you Carr was not just talking hardware, but a combination of hardware and software. Technology will continue to matter to any organization that is interested in improving processes within the value chain that allow them either to be the low cost provider or allow them a differentiated offering that customers are willing to pay a premium for. In short, technology will continue to matter to any organization that wants to survive in a world where "me too" offerings are a path to extinction.

Had Carr's argument been that billions are wasted on technology projects that miss the mark, or that some (non mission critical) applications and perhaps most infrastructure could be outsourced, then the argument would be more plausible. But that is not what Carr was arguing, he was arguing that (all) technology was becoming a commodity like electricity, essentially arguing (after the dot com implosion when it was now "safe" to make this argument) that the "baby should be thrown out with the bath water."

Follow this reactionary BS at your own risk. Technology is the "glue" that ties key processes in the value chain together. Do you think that Bezos could have just ordered Amazon's technology platform form Home Depot when he set out to revolutionary how books would be sold? While by definition there will on be a few Amazons or eBays, there are millions of small to medium size firms that will build platforms that dominate their respective niches.

The Future of KM?

The emergence of the enterprise wiki from company's like Atlassian might just be the thing that catapults knowledge management software into the mainstream. The power, the integration, the simplicity (and the price) differentiates this offering from others in the class (e.g. MS Sharepoint). I intend to "play" with their online interactive instance more when time permits, but just poke around and see what their customers are saying.

When customers indicate that they are "addicted" to the software, that is generally a good sign, especially when their customer list is "top tier". What I like most about this product (and category) is its "story telling" aspects. Yeah it can do some slick IT stuff as well, but the ability to facilitate "story telling" within an organization is huge. If top producers (of their own accord) begin sharing their tacit knowledge in ways that are immediately visible and readily accessible then the promise of KM lurks just over this horizon. Of course, from an organizational culture perspective, the willingness to "share" is the hard part, but the power of enabling technology will make it so much easier for those that are so inclined, and the value derived could change the rules of engagement in industry after industry.

Outsourcing Good or Evil?

Is outsourcing technical support good or evil? Leo seems to think that the two most important questions are:

1. 1. Can I communicate with the person?
2. 2. Is the person competent?

Well, yeah I would tend to agree with Leo that these are the two most germane questions, but Leo tends to downplay (or not fully explore) the complexity associated with question number 1. How we communicate with people has to do with social context and trust, both of which have a deep cultural component associated with them. If the accent and the "rhythm" of the dialog makes a conversation difficult (even when both parties are making a concerted effort and trying to be fair) then both social context and trust is negatively impacted and what results is a severe case of cognitive dissonance.

This phenomenon has little to do with latent racism and nationalism, but everything to do with the nature of human communications. Add to this the fact that these conversations are generally about complex technical concepts, which are often extremely difficult even when both parties are speaking "American English" and you have the recipe for an unhappy consumer experience. In the rush to outsource these and other services, companies often (almost always) fail to consider the price paid for ineffective communications, which means that the cost savings from outsourcing are often grossly overstated.

If it ain't broke..., Caveat Emptor

I saw the webcast from Bill Gates keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show 2006 and what was demonstrated (Microsoft's vision of what is possible within next five years) is "way cool." A software driven world of connectivity/integration between any number of devices that is mind boggling. However, after reflecting on this future, I was reminded just how difficult it is dealing with legacy data and applications as we migrate to the next new thing. Although I am one of the faithful that believe that these disruptive technologies can provide competitive advantage if used to improve (or initiate in most cases) better conversations with customers, I do not subscribe to big bang migrations of proven back office technologies and processes.

These new technologies may be revolutionary but our adaptation should be evolutionary. Work at improving key processes in the value chain where you are most likely to differentiate your offerings (usually customer centric), if your time and billing system is working just fine then leave it alone. I recently had an attorney email me (tracked me down actually) that he was still using "The Lawyer's DeskTop" a DOS based case management/Time & Billing application that I developed in the early 90's before Windows 3.1 changed the world. Now granted, a DOS based package would not be my preference today, but while there is little doubt that practice management software of this kind is required, I can assure you that attorneys are not deriving any competitive advantages from it, it is just a cost of doing business.

The interesting "stuff" is happening not in the back office apps but in the apps that change the dynamic of how attorneys interact with clients (think KM apps, wikis, intranets, database driven marketing, etc.).

Web 2.0 & Law Firms?

The latest buzz on the net is Web 2.0, a transformation of the Web into a software platform, which has implications for law firms of all sizes, but especially for small to medium size firms where their technology infrastructure can significantly extend their reach, and perhaps change the rules of the game. DK  talks about it here on his legal technology blog, and Michael Arrington (also an attorney) obsesses about it in general at www.techcrunch.com. So what is different this time around regarding the endless hype that surrounds the changing/evolving computing platforms ever since client-server and the early web? Think power and simplicity (think Google). These technologies are putting more and more power in the hands of knowledgeable users and at price points that are compelling. Having a web-bootable applications platform has both strategic and tactical consequences for law firms today, and the fun is just beginning...stay tuned.

Go Longhorns!

Wow, what a performance by Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns! After living in Texas for twenty years I was definitely pulling for the boys from Austin. Vince Young is on his way to becoming the Michael Jordon of football. Already commentators are proclaiming his performance as the best ever by a collegiate quarterback. It was by far the best performance that I'd ever seen but I am a fickle sports fan and only watch occasionally. If you missed the game you can watch the Rose Bowl on your IPod, ABC is making a condensed version of the broadcast available on ITunes. While I don't own an IPod, ITunes software is also available for the PC, so I am assuming you can watch it on your PC as well. While television is not going away any time soon, if I had to choose today between a cable television subscription and Internet access (for economic reasons) then cable television would lose hands down. The promised convergence between the PC and television is finally getting traction and it seems like television audiences will become more and more fragmented as we drift toward a Web centric future.

To Kill A Mockingbird or Whatever

I am reading "To Kill a Mockingbird" (a law school assignment) and it is without question world class literature, and every bit southern Americana! The book uses the phrase "nigger lover", not in an offensive way but because it is central to the plot, and it reminded me of something I hadn't thought of for over thirty years. This was a phrase that was in vogue when I was growing up in Atlantic City N.J. in the early 60's, and was an insult then (as in the book) of the highest order. I never did understand why because I thought that the premise was stupid, how could you love an entire race? But that notwithstanding, I certainly understood the intent behind it. Reading this book and reflecting some, it occurred to me that the meaning was not that you "loved niggers" but that perhaps you did not hate them enough (if at all), and that was the real crime, and not hating enough made you vile. We were an immigrant family and were not taught to hate anybody, and for that I have my parents to thank and I suspect many of you have your parents to thank as well.

Law Firms & Garbage Disposal Manufacturers

No the two do not necessarily have anything in common and no lawyer joke inferences should be drawn. I just happened to have installed a garbage disposal during the holidays (old one had only been out of order for about a year or so) and registered the product online and therefore had the opportunity to check out their website (click on the image). I didn't know their was a website associated with the product and it wouldn't have made a difference in my purchase, but it was convenient for registering and I did learn more about the company and its offerings. Now the real question is would this experience influence my buying behavior in the future? Absolutely! I liked their story, the fact that they are recommended by the pros and that they have an in (my) home maintenance service. I also know exactly where to find them, in other words because they have a good story and I can reach them if I have to, they have started an effective conversation with a consumer (mission accomplished).

Now I also had the occasion to review marketing collateral from a number of law firms that specialize in criminal law (not for me mind you) and since I have owned several small businesses (and exposed through my consulting practice to many others) I took note of the following. The marketing was obviously database driven and automated because within one day of the incident in question twenty pieces of collateral arrived in the mail (cool). I focused on one particular piece that was nicely done and noticed that the website was buried instead of prominently displayed, I thought that this was odd since when I visited the site it was better than most "brochure ware" sites (www.defensehelp.com). I couldn't help but think that these attorneys could have gotten by with a less expensive piece of collateral had the sight been more prominently referenced (of course I am making the huge assumption that most of their potential clientele is wired which is probably true but not guaranteed to be), but, similar to the garbage disposal company, the law firm's site told a good story and enhanced my perception of the firm, although unlike the garbage disposal company, the law firm could significantly leverage their site more than they currently are (fodder for later conversations).

OK, and so the moral of the story is what? We are just getting started with respect to Web based marketing. The possibilities with audio, video, podcasts, blogs are an indication of where things are headed. Despite the bad press from the "dot com implosion" we are only scratching the surface of the power of this medium. Check out the Knowledge Management & Infotainment essay on the essays section of this blog (shameless plug but hey its my blog).

Blogging

Chris Locke (Rageboy) of Cluetrain fame, gives reasons for blogging and one big how to, "do it till it hurts" well no, more like "do it until it scares the shit out  of you." Writing for Chris is an exercise in self discovery and we are never quite certain where it leads, although if we are honest in our writing we get to know ourselves at lot better (that's the scary part), and perhaps others as well. His latest rants can be found here on Mystic Bourgeoisie. Personally I find Chris' prose some of the most provocative on the Net, you will love it or hate it, but you will be moved by it!