Life On the Wicked Stage: Act 2

Bye-Bye Scrabulous

You knew it would happen sooner or later and I’m just surprised it took this long.  Facebook has shut down Scrabulous, the popular time waster based on Hasbro’s Scrabble. Of course this comes in response to a lawsuit. I’m sure the sound you hear is the wailing that will build over the course of the day from Scrabulous users.

So, now Scrabulous users can either move on, play Scrabulous on Scrabulous on Scrabulous.com (that probably won’t last long) or play Hasbro’s version on Facebook.

Isn’t it nice that we can all get along.

Technorati Tags: scrabulous,Facebook

Your Data, Your Friends, and the Continental Congress

The debate about your data, privacy, social networks, turned into quite a spectator sport this week. On the Gillmor Gang, tempers and emotions flared between Robert Scoble, Mike Arrington, and Marc Canter, among others. Various folks, smarter than I about the topic, weighed in on their blogs, igniting and responding to various points raised by others.

Dan Farber summed some of this sturm and drang up with an interesting analogy saying that  "Taking a historical perspective, the social-networking community hasn't formed its Continental Congress to unite the colonies with a common vision and approach for openness. It's a political and economic, not a technical, issue."

As a spectator, whether or not the Continental Congress has been formed or not, the passions, the personalities, and the thought behind the ideas being espoused certainly seem worthy of a Joseph Ellis novel on the matter. As do the issues themselves.

Given that the vast majority of folks really don't care about how their data is used by banks, supermarkets, and other places that sell us products, (so they can capture our info so they can sell us more), it is on the one hand gratifying to hear this all being contested by those who care passionately about it. On the other, I'm wondering if those who will end up making the decisions are paying attention in any meaningful way, or will just count on the fact that most folks won't really care when all is said and done and play same old same old.

If history is any indication, I'm afraid it will be the latter, no matter how much noise the statesmen make along the way.

Sunday Morning Reading

Some Sunday morning reading to share.

Everybody is talking about the social networking thing this week on a number of levels. Loic Le Meur says he's looking for some centralization and back on his blog. I have to agree.

Michael Arrington weighs in on this on TechCrunch, with a focus on FriendFeed. I'm hot and cold on FriendFeed right now in and of itself.

Louis Gray on Internet Addictions. He thinks calling it an addiction is silly. I do too.

Meanwhile a judge says Facebook friends aren't real friends.

Ed Bott on What's Wrong with the Blogosphere.

Russia wants a tunnel between the Motherland and the US.

They are still caucusing in Texas?

Newsweek proclaims a "new" Super Tuesday ahead. Give me a break.

I'm not sure how I feel about all the talk about giving the US Treasury more power. On one hand we do need some system to keep the thieves and greedy buggers from crashing things down around us as they steal our money. On the other hand, there are times I just say "let her burn."

Dave Winer is talking to Pigs. They are talking back.

George Will waxes somewhat rhapsodic on baseball. He says one reason we like it is that there are 3 strikes and you're out and no lawyer can help you. Unless you dope up to play the game.

A Call To Action for Obama and Clinton

Ok, the score is one Obama surrogate dumped and one Clinton surrogate dumped. Both for remarks made that got their candidates in hot water. In one case a promising potential Obama administration official lost a chance at the big time. In the other, a Democratic heroine forever diminished her standing. At least neither was involved in a prostitution ring, as far as we know. The Democrats are beginning to eat their own in grand Republican style, and I think that's because they can't figure out any real issues to debate these days. Consequently, the Follies have devolved into a game of who can find the most surrogates to attack.

Now, admittedly, I think the Geraldine Ferraro comments were just wrong, wrong headed, and yes, racist. As it turns out there's actually a history of her making that kind of faux pas, so better to toss her overboard and try to sail on. But Ferraro's brief moment in the Follies spotlight points to something we all knew was coming for some time, following a script Big Bill pulled out in South Carolina. Playing to racial fears in politics works and the Clinton's are proving more than adept at it, and the media is lapping it up simply because there's no joy in reporting a stalemate. Which is what they will be doing until August. The folks are losing interest.

Keith Olbermann's Special Commentary on the subject hit the points hard. Perhaps just a bit too hard. I admire his passion, I detest his smug style, and I think they defeat his message by and large, which is a shame. Because the message needs to be heard. He lightened up on the smirk a bit, but I still think he's reading these things like they were sports stories occasionally.

The Twittersphere is a buzz with calls to action, mostly on Obama's behalf. I imagine the Newsgang talk is doing more of the same, as host Steve Gillmor searches for some way to convert Twitter, Facebook, and podcasts into some form of tangible action or pressure that might be brought on the super delegates. (I haven't had a chance to call in or listen much this week, which is a shame, although I caught a bit of the podcast that seemed to be attempting to organize some form of action. No, Steve, I haven't done my homework.) Frankly, I'd rather see a call to action to confront the larger demons that are the real issues as I think the benefit could be bigger. But perhaps I'm just tilting at windmills. But here goes.

Once again, I think Obama can score here by actually practicing some of what he's been preaching. Talk tough and honestly about some tough issues. Clinton could score here as well, if she had any real instincts beyond survival. But neither has the courage to go for it and we all lose because of it. Face it. The wound is open and festering and will continue to do so until the Republicans pour salt on it and try to spread the infection.

So, I'll issue my challenge that no one will hear or pay attention to. Obama and Clinton should grab this as an opportunity. Sit down on a couch with one camera and discuss the issue. No talking heads asking questions and stealing the spotlight. Just the two of them. Throw racism and sexism on the table and talk about it. Talk it to death. It is not like these issues will not be confronted in the general election. It is not like these issues will go away after the election is over. There is actually plenty substantive here to discuss that could mean more and have greater impact than who's surrogate screwed up today.

First one to issue the challenge knocks the other one on his/her heels and forces him/her to play defense, but he/she has to play. I don't think either has the guts to do it and the campaigns are already in a mode of playing not to lose. Grab the bull by the horns here, open up the discussion and quit hiding behind debates and surrogates. Show us what you got where it counts. Discuss something complex, painful, and real.  You know, like something you might face if you actually win the damn job. Take the food right out of the Republican's mouths before they even get a chance to chew on it and spit it out in their patented vile ways. And maybe, just maybe, show some real political courage, some real leadership, and a real reason for someone to vote for you. Obama and Clinton both and each have a chance to lance this boil on our nation's backside and, potentially make some headway on something of real value.

But then that's not how leaders are made or marketed these days. That would be bold. That would be powerful. That would be potentially beneficial to the common good. And that would be risky and cowards and politicians avoid risk.

Good night and good luck? Hardly. More like good night and good grief.

Technorati Tags: Barack Obama,Hillary Clinton,Newsgang,Twitter,Facebook,Politics,Keith Olbermann,Geraldine Ferraro

Borowitz: Facebook to Co-Sponsor War on Terror

More fun at the expense of social networking. This time from Andy Borowitz. How about Facebook co-sponsoring the War on Terror.

Starting this week, Gates said, Facebook will roll out two new quizzes which it hopes will be popular among potential terrorists: "Are You a Jihadist?" and "What Supervillain Are You?"

Too much fun.

Technorati Tags: War on Terror,Facebook,Andy Borowitz

The Value of The Value of Social Networks

Chatter and talk about the value of social networking platforms abounds. Can Twitter scale up to satisfy users? Will Facebook open up? Recent moves look like they might. Pownce opens the floodgates. Did it matter? And of course the inevitable question-will they be able to monetize the whole thing in order for the utility to succeed in the long run?

Some of this centers on the value proposition, and rightly so. Facebook and Twitter have taken their praise and their lumps. I'm not paying that much attention to Pownce. I'm just wondering if the value proposition isn't being looked at from the wrong angle. On a personal note, both Facebook and Twitter offer me tremendous personal value. Facebook allows me to reconnect with some folks from my various past lives, and on that platform, that is all that matters to me. Twitter is a never-ending (except for service hiccups) stream of what's going on out there with the people I enjoy hearing about and from. I'm sure others derive equal pleasure for both similar and different reasons. I curiously watched Hugh MacLeod on Twitter this week ask how to terminate his FaceBook account, but then realize his presence there had too many "friends" to do so without causing some disruption. The Gillmor Gang/NewsGang resurgence started as what looked like a Facebook only  thing and then has opened up a bit, in what might have been a clever bit of exclusivity first strategy.

My question is this: Is anyone trying to figure out the value proposition really exploring how users use these tools, or are they just trying to figure out how to make them pay off with a revenue model? I'm not sure they are the same thing. Both have pissed me off at various times, but I keep coming back to them because they've become excellent tools for me. Indispensable? No. Valuable? Yes.

An analogy keeps popping up that I'm not sure holds. Both Facebook and Twitter remind me of the neighborhood tavern I used to frequent in my days in Chicago. This was the place that I would have a drink or two on occasion, enjoy the Chicago Bulls playoff run(s), and catch up with neighborhood chums. It was also the place where our theatre company would gather when we had a reason to celebrate something and invite our friends to join us. It was always there, (although it changed owners a couple of times) and always familiar, and always valuable. It has so many different constituencies (customers) coming in and out that is was a fantastic mix of humanity.

Another local tavern opened up across the street from our store front theatre, primarily because of our store front theatre and the traffic we brought in. They did a booming business for awhile, (offer actors free drinks and discount food and they'll pour in) but then failed. When we had a huge commercial hit that we transferred to another theatre in another part of town, our traffic (friends) followed us there and drank at a local hangout adjacent to that theatre. When we wanted to celebrate something special though, we went back to the original tavern, and not the new guy across the street from our storefront theatre. When our theatre outgrew the storefront and moved to another part of town, we'd make the drive to the original when we wanted to hang out with each other or do something special. When it was just a quick drink, we'd hit a local pub after the show. The original survived (and still thrives) and the new guy failed after about 18 months, before we moved locations permanently.

I'm not sure what that means, if it applies, or like I said, if the analogy holds, but it keeps bubbling up from the surface as I watch the social network conversation continue.

 

Technorati Tags: Social Networking,Twitter,Pownce,Facebook

Three Years of Life on the Wicked Stage

This is my third year of blogging and the third year of Life on the Wicked Stage. I find it hard to believe I've been doing this for three years, and yet harder still to imagine not doing it. In many ways Life on the Wicked Stage is my refuge. In still other ways it is a platform to share some thoughts on what I find outrageous, wonderful, crazy, sublime, and just plain wacky in the world. I often find myself wishing I had more time to do that. I mean, let's get real. There's plenty of wacky to go around.

A lot has happened since I began blogging, both in the world and to me as I rotate around on it. I started out blogging mostly about Tablet PCs and mobile computing but most of that shifted last year when I joined the gang at GottaBeMobile.com. Wicked Stage struggled a bit during that transition but it seems to be doing ok these days as I still blog about mobile computing, computing in general, politics, wacky stuff, Wayside Theatre, and things that simply astound and amaze me. I find great wonder in that and hope some of that gets relayed in the words here. I also find great idiocy in the world, and I imagine I contribute to that as well.

This was indeed a crazy year. This was the year of social networking. Twitter became a part of what I do and how I share. Facebook became a part of what I do and how I share. I have to say that I find great joy and value in how that platform as allowed me to reconnect with some folks from past lives. That said, I think that while this was the year of Facebook, it may unfortunately be the year that Facebook started a death spiral because of privacy issues. Too bad they got greedy. With the way things are going now and the the reaction to the stupid advertising platform they call Beacon, it shows just how perilous this whole Internet thing is.

Sunday Morning Reading

Some Sunday morning reading to share.

Google becomes GM on the road to the White House. On the one hand, I'm glad politicians see some wisdom in speaking to important business constituencies. On the other hand, I think dog and pony shows don't lead to much, except donations.  Via NY Times.

What is a blog? Good answer here.

Facebook has raised a lot of questions and ire all about the Beacon advertising scheme. Long from over, but I think the line may have been crossed. Don't you love the innocence and greed of American capitalism? Marc Orchant also weighs in on this on his way out of the door. Hugh MacLeod weighs in here.

Dave Winer on podcasting. Dave brings this idea about a podcasting device up every once in awhile. He's correct in his assumptions. I wish it would happen.

The Courts order Bush and cronies to turn over data on the Telcoms and how they gave up your data. Via CrunchGear. Do you read about the Facebook thing and wonder when the Feds are going to go after that goldmine?

The EFF is still on Comcast's butt about their downshifting users' bandwidth. Comcast still is saying it doesn't. I can't prove it, but I think it is happening here. Not on BitTorrent, but on some media uploading and downloading.

Richard Belzer on banks, the sub-prime chaos, and history. Andrew Jackson would say I told you so.

Linda Epstein's Annual List for Santa. A must see shopping lists of Tablet PCs, UMPCs, and gadgets galore.

The Washington Post profiles Martin Scorsese. Good read on one of my favorite film directors.

Double Dave. Dave Winer on the writer's strike. What he's saying will be heresy to some. Religion to others. And it will be a muddled mess for quite some time beyond this strike.

Michael Parekh on Verizon's move to openness. Are they wolves in sheep's clothing?

Why Twitter can be hazardous to your job security. Too funny.

Technorati Tags: Google,Facebook,Comcast,Tablet PC,UMPC,Verizon,Twitter

Great, Now There's Facebook Phishing

Or at least that's what I assume this is that just popped into my InBox this morning. Phishing using Facebook. You knew it was just a matter of time.

Sunday Morning Reading

The Daily Mail publishes an article about a scientist, Oliver Curry, who says the human race is going to devolve into two separate species. One will be an attractive, intelligen, ruling elite. The other will be an underclass of dim-witted, ugly goblin-like creatures. Hmm? And I though we were already there with the haves and the have-nots.

Comcast's recent goof in blocking BitTorrent as put scrutiny on them and the industry and may revive the debate over Net Neutrality. Good thing.

Jim Forbes has been doing some incredible first hand blogging on his experiences in the California fire storm. Great reading.

A new study says that an optimistic outlook can improve your health and that it may be hard-wired into our brains. Why then, do those with hard-wired optimism find themselves becoming increasingly more pessimistic? Via Newsweek.

Democrats are planning a shorter work week after the first of the year. Yeah, I guess working 2 days a week at the job you are paid to do is rough.

Steve Colbert's Facebook support group for his presidential candidacy is the fastest growing group in Facebook history. I hope this thing runs a long, long way, and continues to expose the farce that is our election system.

Kevin Tofel on jkOnTheRun things things are changing for the better in the US cell phone market, evidenced by recent news. I'd agree, but say we've got a long way to go.

Omar Shahine says that Adobe has changed some of its tune and that Adobe Acrobat Reader is no longer as evil. Hope he's correct.

Apple released something this week. Did anybody notice?