Society collectively decides what is wrong through laws: that’s a useful bright line for platforms. Then, YouTube is demonstrating its market power, and Google and Amazon are acting like monopolies.
Disney to Buy 21st Century Fox?, Two Strategies for Content Companies, Netflix and ESPN
Disney may buy portions of 21st Century Fox; it is a deal that makes a lot of sense for both sides, particularly when you consider how the industry has been fundamentally changed.
Tech Goes to Washington
Facebook, Google, and Twitter testified before a Senate committee: it provided evidence of how tech prefers power over decentralization, even if it means regulation
More Spectacles Mea Culpas; The Athletic in the New York Times; Google, Facebook, Apple, and Subscriptions
More mea culpas about Spectacles, then the CEO of The Athletic gives an explosive interview to the New York Times. Plus, more news about Google and Facebook’s subscriptions offerings, and Apple’s interference.
Goodbye Gatekeepers
Harvey Weinstein was a gate-keeper — a position that existed in multiple industries, including the media. That entire structure, though, is untenable on the Internet, and that’s a good thing.
Airbnb Reportedly Building Apartments, Apple Hires New General Counsel, Uber’s Board Saga Ends
Catching up on a story that intrigues (Airbnb), a story that raises eyebrows (Apple), and another that seems to have finally reached its conclusion (Uber’s board disfunction)
The End of AOL Instant Messenger, Innovation Versus Interoperability, Portability > Interoperability
AOL Instant Messenger is dead, and there is a new debate as to whether interoperability killed it. The answer is almost certainly no, but that doesn’t necessarily mean interoperability is a bad thing…or is it?
Google Ends ‘First Click Free’, Google Subscription Services, Facebook’s Publisher-Friendly Offering
Google is announcing publisher-friendly changes, particularly the end of ‘First Click Free’. However, they still want to control the consumer, unlike Facebook, which is taking a much more publisher-friendly stance. That, though, doesn’t mean it is better.
Uber in London: A Correction, Books and Blogs Revisited, More Aggregators
A comment on Twitter 280, and a correction on Uber in London. Then, why blogs are better than books (in some cases), and a whole list of aggregators not covered in Defining Aggregators.
Defining Aggregators
Building on Aggregation Theory, this provides a precise definition of the characteristics of aggregators, and a classification system based on suppliers. Plus, how to think about aggregator regulation.