Social
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Twitter’s Moment
Twitter has had a rough stretch, and most are pessimistic about its chances. I was previously, but I think the upside is looking much brighter than it did before this week.
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The Facebook Epoch
First came the PC, and on top of the PC the Internet. Then, mobile, but what will rule mobile?
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Features and Networks, Tesla Model X Pricing Revealed, Consumer Reports and the Tesla P85D
I linked to a piece yesterday suggesting that Twitter abandon the 140-character limit: do I agree? Or is that missing the point entirely? Then, the Internet goes nuts about the Model X price without taking the time to understand why it is so expensive; meanwhile the latest Model S shows that Tesla isn’t necessarily making cars.
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Verizon Changes Rate Plans, The Importance of Upgrades, iMessage and the U.S. Market
Verizon announced they were changing the structure of their phones plans away from subsidies and towards phone financing. I think it’s less of a big deal than many are painting it to be, and if anything, it will help the iPhone. Plus, why iMessage is particularly important in the U.S.
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Facebook’s Impressive Consistency, Yelp’s Employee Problem
Facebook consistently delivers good results, which is why they get a lot of leeway from investors. Perhaps the latter aren’t as irrational as everyone thinks. Plus, Yelp’s big problem, and why it might affect Twitter.
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The Case for Jack Dorsey, Twitter CEO
For years Twitter has prioritized advertisers and revenue over users and product. The problem is that the latter begets the former, but not the other way around. Product must come first, which means Jack Dorsey should be Twitter’s CEO.
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The Best Twitter Day Ever, The End of Windows Phone
Something amazing happened on Twitter that really highlighted how unique the service is. It also showed how many product holes remain. Then, Satya Nadella does what needed to be done. That doesn’t make it any less impressive.
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Summer Update, Slack Strong, The Dropbox Cautionary Tale
Slack has more numbers out, and while from a certain perspective the company still seems small, a step back reveals just how significant the opportunity is. Still, nothing is guaranteed, and Dropbox happens to offer a very useful cautionary tale.
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Curation and Algorithms
More and more companies are announcing new products based on human curation, even as the most important content players — Google and Facebook — rely on algorithms. When does curation make sense, and when are algorithms better? And ultimately, who is responsible for both?
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Twitter Lightning, Twitter’s Communication Problem, Buzzfeed’s New News App
Word is out about Lightning, a new Twitter feature that lets people dip in and out of current events. It’s a great move. The question, though, is why talk about it now? The timing highlights a big communication problem. Also, BuzzFeed News’ new app, and the importance of notifications to its future monetization.