Archive | November, 2010
Foursquare is Fucked.

Foursquare is F#*&ed

by on November 8, 2010

R.I.P Foursquare 2009-2010

Facebook, the 500 million member gorilla the room, announced its deals feature for places last week. After I spent a shopping trip using and loving enjoying this feature, I predict Foursquare, Gowalla, and their like will not last too much longer.

When I went shopping this weekend, I remembered I heard something about a deal when you checked into the GAP on Facebook. Let me be clear: I hate Facebook, and I hate checking into places. But if I know checking in will save me a few bucks, I will totally go for it because it provides me value.

I loaded up Facebook, and suddenly I’ve got a list of stores in the mall, some with little golden tickets offering me deals when I check in. I load of the venues and I can see what the deal is before I check in. I planned the rest of my shopping trip around Facebook’s little golden tickets.

Then, when I used a coupon, Facebook posts on my wall that I got a deal. Now my friends can see that there are savings to be had, and then they’ll want them too. Pure. Fucking. Genius.

This is game, set and match. My massive list of Facebook friends just saw I saved 20% at Macy’s and H&M and are free to like and comment on that. Facebook Deals are moving to national brands quickly, something Foursquare has struggled with. Mom and Pop Stores on Foursquare or the like are probably already on Facebook, and it’s easy as hell to set up a deal. If you’ve got 500 Facebook fans, and only 40 Foursquare users, where are you going to go?

Any location based service that wants to stay alive needs to do something big, bold, and exciting. No more meaningless virtual badges. No more check-in deal guessing games. Provide real value to people. Otherwise, the foot of Mark Zuckerberg will crush every other service that tries.

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Facebook - One Login to Rule Them All

One Login to Rule Them All

by on November 4, 2010

One for Zuckerberg on his throne.
In the Land of Palo Alto where the Dot Coms lie.
One Login to rule them all, One Login to find them,
One Login to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Palo Alto where the Dot Coms lie.

Facebook announced yesterday that that it will be introducing it’s login for multiple sites into the mobile app space as well.

If you don’t believe Facebook has plans to slowly take over the internet, stop kidding yourself. Facebook sees itself adding a “social layer” to all aspects of the online experience. While this would make logins incredibly easy, it also makes them incredibly insecure.

Facebook has never proven to be a bastion of protecting your data, and has recently come under attack for how insecure their login actually is. So now, instead of your data only being vulnerable on your computer, it will also be vulnerable from your phone.

This is another feature that adds to the bloat of the social network. Facebook: stop trying to take over the entire internet, and get to work making it more fun to friends to connect.

Don’t make me send Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, and Ian McKellan after you.

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This is not social media news, Mashable. I’m going to keep…

This is not social media news, Mashable. I’m going to keep…

by on November 4, 2010



This is not social media news, Mashable.

I’m going to keep this one simple: Until you can deliver and share scents through the internet, it’s not social media news.

And no one wants to smell like pubescent boy.

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Tweets I Hate - Politics Edition

by on November 3, 2010

An election happened in America yesterday. I’m glad the election is over, so I can go back to my normal stable of commercials for fiber supplements and prescription medications I need to ask my doctor about.

However, politics brings out the absolute worst in human beings.  Whether it’s outright lies, blatant attacks, or pure corruption, there’s something that absolutely disgusts me as a voter about how we have our civic discourse and allow our politicians and media outlets to talk to us.  We’re smarter and better than that.

Still, some people use Twitter and other social media to spread divisive crap.  I’ve written before how I think politics divides people online easily.  This is the crap I noticed, over, and over again this past cycle.  Let’s put this to an end, sit down nicely, and make real changes.

  1. Anything about Sarah Palin - Sarah Palin divides people.  Period. I wanted to start this with the sentence, “Wherever you stand on Sarah Palin,” but that just proved my point that she does not bring people together. Let Sarah Palin do her own politicking.
  2. Characters Tweets about Politics - I don’t care what Drunk Hulk or General Grievous think of American politics. They aren’t real. Give me real information.
  3. What the F*@# has Obama Done? - Democrats, if you want to spread online campaign materials, try to do so BEFORE the day of the election.
  4. Witchcraft and Masturbation - I’m glad that as Americans, our politics are based entirely on someone’s religion and their stance on what people do in the bedroom. I’m also glad that people can’t fuck up as kids and change for the better.  EVER.

I have to admit, there were some tweets I loved this election cycle.

  1. The encouragement to vote - Regardless of people’s personal politics and who they would vote for, I saw a lot of people encouraging others to get out and vote. This is awesome. Peer pressuring people to vote is the best thing we can do.

What did you see that you hated? Surely something got under your skin.  I want to know about it.

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Today! 50% off crap at CrapMart! - The Anti-Social Media

What the Daily Deal?!

by on November 2, 2010

I’ve been on Groupon for two months now and I’ve yet to buy anything.  What’s the deal? (Pun intended). Do you use Groupon or any similar services?  Do you like it? Explain it to me.

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Facebook: Stop Adding Useless Features

by on November 1, 2010

Facebook is hosting an event on Nov. 3 to announce new mobile features. What. The. Hell. Didn’t we just have a Facebook event three weeks ago?

I’m sick of these Facebook events that don’t add anything useful to the experience. Three weeks ago we got the new group features, which have yet to prove to me any value. Whatever Facebook launches, I can already tell you it will be wrought with issues, whether from a privacy standpoint, or it just won’t launch correctly.

Facebook has a pretty decent mobile experience, at least from what I use on my iPhone. The app is clean, easy to use, and stable.  That’s really the most I can ask of any app. Here’s hoping they don’t turn it into a ad-driven hell hole like the Facebook site is now.

Even worse will be trying to watch this event. Have you ever seen Mark Zuckerberg give a presentation? It’s torture. Mark Zuckerberg has no stage presence.  It’s like watching a high school powerpoint that’s trying desperately to be Steve Jobs.  You think he’d could pay someone to give him a few lessons on how to effectively present new materials, but apparently not.

Whatever happens though, I’m not going to be lusting after any new mobile features or anything on the Facebook. I’m ready for Facebook to stop adding new features and streamline all the ones we have now.  That’s what really needs to be announced.

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