IronWil Blog » Twitter

Gowalla vs. Foursquare

Iron Wil — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:26:29 +0000

I was very sad when Facebook bought Gowalla out and announced that it was an aq-hire (where a company buys out another for the talent). I remember choosing Gowalla for two very specific reasons 1) I could easily add locations and 2) they had a beautiful interface. I loved the icons for each location, which were specific for landmarks, events, buildings, and other such fun and cool stuff. I enjoyed scrolling through my buttons to see the states I had been in and the achievements. I also happened to like the orange color and kangaroo logo! They were fun and conveyed and international feel. I was looking forward to using it as I traveled.

I remember checking out Foursquare and not selecting it because it was blue and had generic icons for its locations. Blah! I did move to Foursquare when Gowalla announced its aq-hire. I used it for a while … the only compelling thing … friends. Oh wait, I already use Facebook.

I have decided to close my Foursquare account and try other services that connect to Facebook & Twitter. I prefer a beautiful UI over application popularity & no, I am not interested in boring, plain, generic UI.

So long Foursquare!

iron wil

It’s Really Quiet Around Here

Iron Wil — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:45:45 +0000

As some of you have realized I have been really silent this year as I have been working on other projects and trying to decide what direction to head in next. I have been working on this site/blog for a few years now and have come to realize that it has to much competition from great sites like TUAW, Engadget, Ars Technica, Cult of Mac, and Boy Genius Report.

I feel like it is time to move on to my other ideas. Please realize that from time to time I will be back for technology, a new poem, or something else that belongs in this section of my website. I will be taking down some pages and moving other things around. The bulk of the content will remain in place … one never knows when a link will be needed.

If you want to see what I am up to every so often you can find me on Twitter at ir0nw1l and on QuoteMyT.

iron wil

Online Authentication

Iron Wil — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:47:17 +0000

This is a huge subject that covers many aspects. We have Facebook pushing Facebook Connect, we have Open Authentication, a small group looking at delivering a distributed ID system, and browsers taking a crack at possible ways to deliver our online identities. There are opinions all over the map from guys like Jason Calacanis, Leo Laporte, and Steve Gibson.

I am not sure what the answer is; but I have to admit that I like Diaspora and am interested in what they end up doing. They received massive amounts of cash to deliver a product they came up with. Each person will hold their own ID and control how it is used. Mozilla has presented Thirdparty and Fingerprinting. Jason Calacanis has also ranted his displeasure on Facebook‘s Privacy while Leo Laporte has walked away from Facebook because the Privacy Policy has changed several times.

Facebook has now reached 500 Million daily users and is showing very little slowdown. Twitter is great for short messages and sharing right now news. Google is now working on a not so secret project titled ‘Google Me‘ a potential competitor to Facebook. Then we have Open Authentication or Open ID which is designed to deliver single sign on across the web; something that Microsoft tried to deliver years ago with Passport. There is such confusion over what the best solution will be.

Diaspora seems to bring the best ideas together by allowing the users to own the server, software, and information. It provides a single sign on that is controlled by the user.

What should the solution be?

That is a really good question. One, I have been considering for weeks, which is obvious since I am just getting this article finished & posted. I think that the best solution will allow for cross platform compatibility and easy user deployment. Software that can be installed similar to WordPress or Joomla. Plug-ins to enable additional features and content or games and video. It should be easy to update and take care of so that the average web user can manage their account and software. I imagine that several hosting companies, like DreamHost and SquareSpace, will provide managed installs. I hope that it will interface with Facebook and Twitter and several other services. It would make sense to me, that is always the hitch, that in order to compete and over take the competition; it will have to be very open and powerful. It would also need to provide Open Authentication [Open ID] like access to websites and deliver single sign-on services to a multitude of sites and services.

When it happens … the next social network evolution will change the way we communicate and interact. It will also change who owns the data and where that data resides. My personal hope is that projects like Diaspora will finally overcome the larger social juggernauts.

iron wil

Gary Crushes It!

Iron Wil — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:39:43 +0000

I finished Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk.

It was a great story about Gary and Wine Library TV.

It can be summed up in a few words, pursue your passion with gusto. If you are doing what you love you will eventually succeed.

I recommend that if you are going after your dream job, then you had better give it your all. My favorite quote is “Never let them make you crawl”, from John Dillinger. It has come to mean a lot to me personally and in this case I think it applies directly to Gary’s point.

I concede that he has serious passion about building brand equity and will eventually buy the NY Jets. You can follow Gary on Twitter @garyvee.

iron wil

Where’s the Brand?!?

Iron Wil — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:57:45 +0000

I was reading in Wired this morning about Mr. Kutcher, yes – Ashton Kutcher, and his work with UStream and his own company Katalyst Media. As some of you may know he is a huge Twitter user and has over 4 million followers. He was interviewed by Scott Brown in Don’t Laugh: Ashton Kutcher Is The Future of Video. I can’t say that the article was very insightful except for one comment, “The consumer is the brand“.

Now this is the correct concept when it comes to reaching the consumer and ‘selling’ products to them. It can also be called smart advertising, Leo Laporte “gets this” concept which can be seen by the growth of the TWiT.tv network that he has built over the last several years. Those, like myself, that listen to TWiT network shows understand the content and are not blind buyers. We are people that research and look into products that we purchase. Leo said once in a talk that advertisers are seeing real returns from those that listen [& now watch] shows on the TWiT network. I am an Audible subscriber now because I love to read, but I have a long commute (sometimes) during the week and my physical book reading time is reduced to nill. Now, I read books while driving or taking the train. It has allowed me to read Tarzan, Free, and John Adams in the last few months.

There are other products that I have been made aware of via the NetCasts from TWiT because they covered and talked about, not because they were a sponsor of the shows. I am not interested in everything mentioned on the shows I listen to; however, I do spend time on the pages of the products mentioned so that I can get a better understanding of them and become more informed about that product.

So, the Brand is the Consumer, the products that we use and consume key to us for a reason, they resonate with our culture or our needs. They maybe something that we are already using; like on TWiT’s book pick section of the Audible ad it extends our awareness of something that we maybe interested in. I have picked up Free: The Future of a Radical Price, Ringworld, John Adams, and The World is Flat from listening to Audible ads in the NetCasts. These books are not something that I would have picked up on my own.

What the future holds will be in show ad placement and ads that reflect the audience you are trying to reach. The days of TV commercial ads are going out and companies will have to be able to adapt to the changing consumer. Smart, engaging, and doing research on the things they may want to purchase. That is social media and that is the future.

iron wil

New TWiT NetCasts – 2009.12.21

Iron Wil — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 23:20:16 +0000

TWiT 225: Schmidt Happens

Hosts: Leo Laporte, John C. Dvorak, Jason Calacanis, Brian Brushwood, Robert Heron, and Jason Howell

The Google phone spotted in the wild, Facebook’s privacy blunder, and a visit with Leo’s mom…

IronWil Blog » Twitter

Gowalla vs. Foursquare

It’s Really Quiet Around Here

Online Authentication

Gary Crushes It!

Where’s the Brand?!?

New TWiT NetCasts – 2009.12.21

New TWiT NetCasts – 2009.12.14

New TWiT NetCasts – 2009.12.07

New TWiT NetCasts – 2009.11.30

New TWiT NetCasts – 2009.11.23