New Year’s Tech Resolutions
Erick Schonfeld
55 comments »
Okay, I know, I’m late with these, but coming up with New Year’s resolutions is tough. And isn’t there a one-week grace period anyway? Rather than do predictions, I thought I’d offer up some resolutions—things I’d like to see happen this year. These aren’t my resolutions. These are resolutions that tech companies like Google, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook should adopt, IMHO. (And, no, they are not capable of coming up with their own resolutions. Someone has to do this for them). If you have better resolutions to suggest for these or any other company, please add them to comments.
Apple—Learn to Let Go. Don’t repeat the mistakes of history. Open up a little bit. You are helping to bring the phone and other mobile devices into the digital age. Other people and companies want to be a part of that too. Make it easy for them to build apps on top of the iPhone and your other products. (You’ve indicated that you are working on this, but we are still waiting to see the results). Command and control got you this far, but in a world where every device is connected, a bunker mentality will limit your growth.
Facebook—Stop Being a Party Hog. Release my friends and leave Scobie alone. You want everyone to create applications for Facebook, but when it comes to letting people take data out of Facebook you are not so generous. Find a way to let members take their social graph (their list of friends and social connections) with them to other Websites. If you are serious about becoming the social operating system of the Web, you need to let people party the way they want to, and where they want to (even if that is not on Facebook). Embrace this change. You’ll still be popular. The alternative is to battle a growing user backlash (and startups looking for workarounds).
Google—Go Beyond PageRank. The main way you sort search results, PageRank, is more than a decade old. It is the basis of the entire search economy. But it is also starting to be gamed in ways that threaten to dilute the value of your search results. People are buying and selling links on Web pages with the express intent of manipulating search results. You can fight this, and you are, but maybe it is time to start shifting to other ways to rank search results. There are other sources of authority on the Web besides links, aren’t there? (Don’t ask me what they are—you are the one with all the genius employees).
Amazon—Open Up The Kindle. Your Kindle Reader is a big step forward in terms of gaining mainstream acceptance for electronic books. But what is great about the Kindle is the service, not the device. It is your 90,000-and-growing titles in e-book format, seamless wireless downloading, and back-end billing linked to existing Amazon accounts that makes the Kindle worth replicating. Put out a reference design and let other companies make sleeker electronic readers that tie into the Amazon store. The design of the device itself is clunky. Stick to what you know, and let other companies build the hardware.
Microsoft—Get Serious About Webtop Apps. Productivity apps are moving to the Web, and while that threatens your Office franchise, you need to get in front of this trend now before it gains much traction. You are inching towards this with your recent Office Live Workspace beta, but you still need to get past your Barbarians at the Gate mindset. While Google, Adobe, and others try to figure out how to bring their Web-based word processors, spreadsheets, and presentation software offline, you are already did that a long time ago with Office. Now you are integrating Office apps with Office Live, but you are trying to force people to use the offline apps as their default environment. Keep that as an option, but let people create documents and spreadsheets online as well without the need to ever launch Office on their desktop.
Yahoo— Use The Traffic, Luke. I don’t know what to tell you guys (and gals). You are losing more executives than Google, Jerry Yang’s first 100 days were uneventful, and still nobody knows what your strategy is supposed to be. Your biggest asset is that you still attract more traffic than any other site in the U.S. (although Google is gaining on you). For the most part, you like to slosh that traffic around Yahoo, but you’ve shown signs that you are willing to turn that hose towards other worthy Websites, even if they have no pre-existing deals with you. Find more ways to spread that traffic and to get other Websites to return the love. Then use that natural traffic network to lure other Websites into your advertising network. Focus on dominating the growing behavioral ad-targeting market instead of trying to beat Google head-to-head on contextual and search ads.
eBay—Sell Skype. Come on, you know you want to. It was a bad fit from the start.
(Photo via Crystl).
my resolution for TC - please add few other company stories other than Google and Facebook stories. There is lots of interesting things happennig which is not observed on TC at all.
But good report though. I like the tone of it.
Google partnered with Stumbleupon and put reviews of Stumbleupon with stars into search results. This is another rank system rather than just page rank. Although I would not trust stumbleupon’s review since these like or not like are more based on the attractive of website design, pictures or videos. Most stumblers will not spend time to read the content before they like or not like.
“LEAVE SCOBIE ALONE!!!!!” - Chris Crocker
USPTO-Stop granting patents on thinks ancient technologies like OCR and coffee cups
I should proof read before I troll
Great post! Agree that Apple needs to open up and embrace third party development to avoid serious backlash and grow further.
I’m tired of Facebook already.
“Find a way to let members take their social graph (their list of friends and social connections) with them to other Websites.”
It’s called the Facebook API. Sure, you can’t export personal information (e-mail, IM, address, phone) — but that’s not yours for the taking… is it?
Great advice for Amazon’s Kindle. I haven’t tried using the device, but after reading a myriad of reviews it sounds like the hardware sucks. I’d love to see other hardware companies build on top of Kindle as a platform technology.
I understand Amazon is trying to sell blog posts? Thats absurd!!!
the Amazon suggestion is a great one!
absolutely agree with Microsoft/google and yahoo resolutions.
Yahoo could do so much more. I volunteer as ceo if anyone wants to hire me. Yahoo wont even have to pay me . Just give me enough money for food and rent. Ceo of yahoo would look good on my CV.
Defo about google. Pagerank is dead and is useless. This is why there is a gap in the market for a new / innovative search engine.
And defo about post #1 , less about the big companies unless its something interesting.
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http://www.xenbet.com
TC -
Bravo as usual! What great resolutions… now if only these companies will actually read this article and listen!!!
Bravo!
I think you’ve missed the point on the Kindle (again). It works beautifully - even if it doesn’t look it.
I’m afraid too many people’s first impression of the Kindle comes from someone slapping the screen like a monkey in a dimly lit bar.
You should be harping on Amazon to increase their ebook inventory - that’s the only real downside to this product. The longevity of the Kindle is directly tied to what is available to purchase, not the aesthetic factor.
I like the new years (put people on blast) resolutions. Great idea.
my resolution: to never, ever use the term ’social graph’…..
#14 do you mean from now on - cuz you just used it and we are in 2008 - so if you mean already then you broke that rez already
unless the ” makes it ok.
pagerank is already dead . . . its just now a mis-direction by google to keep blackhat focused on a dummy target. . .
take a look at the top 50 results any search result page of google. Get their pageranks (using widely available tools). You’ll see very clearly that page rank does not match the rank of the results.
if you take top 1000, yes pagerank does skew higher in the earlier pages. But for the first 5 pages, its *almost* random.
new year’s tech resolution #1 has to be to figure out how to get more data through the series of tubes called the internet. Everything is so…so…so…loading…loading..loading…SLOW. It takes forever to download movies, streaming content isn’t even HD and is choppy as hell. Someone…one of you brilliant engineers that fantisizes about buying a Mclaren…create some sort of technology that gets us faster download speeds…I know it can be done…please make it happen in ‘08.
Here’s one I’d like to add to most of the people who come to read TC, loose the attitude, add more constructive criticism. Peace!
*lose (proofreading is my friend!)
Great resolutions..
For the dot-COM registry to be taken over by an international organization / non-profit or at least out of the hands of Verisign. Won’t happen in 2008 though, if we are very luck MAYBE 2012?
@Allen (#15.. lol i’m just a number) EVER (again).
#22 Wilsch - i do what i dooz cuz i dooz it. don’t hate the player, hate the blog numbering.
For Techcrunch:
Keep: Mike’s opinion pieces, however on or off target they may be.
Lose: Duncan’s beatup’s of the techmeme du jour.
Keep: Erick’s usual nicely distilled & concise analysis.
AC
Well said. HA HA Myspace!!! See ya…
Some people don’t like the Kindle form factor. Venture capital guy Brad Feld does. I haven’t touched it yet, but want one for sure. I think other hardware folks could do better.
How about Amazon should leave the design of the kindle to Apple, Apple should be a little bit more Pro open source like Google, Yahoo should give up on social networking PLEEEEEASE!!! Facebook is trying too hard, it is making them look bad!
Microsoft…instead of focusing on the competetion, try not to lose your biggest asset, VISTA! stick to Operating systems!
how about some tech that adds value in our lives in 2008 instead of creating contrived needs? nanosolar is a good example. someone in alternative energy is going to get “larry and sergey” rich folks, if you want a piece, go beg one of these firms for a admin, systems, or floor sweeper job just to get the options
I am sure both Yahoo and Google are working on new search algorythms, and if they are not, they will probably buy some “semantic search” startups.
TechCrunch — Quality NOT Quantity: You’re flooding your RSS readership with articles they’re not interested in.
Either come up with multiple subject-related feeds so we can narrow your broad-sweep coverage or, even better, follow up Dave Winer’s ideas to enable readers to select the topics they’d like in their personalised feed.
I lurve TC but feel it’s time to yell before I drown!
Why is this at the top again?
Good post though…..But i suggest you must cover other topics at TC then talking about big heads like facebook and Google….Everyday hearing about the same companies makes go bit tired…Anyways keep up the great work
unsticky this please. it makes it look like you guys havent done shit in a few days.
Great resolutions… http://www.fixing-computers.com
For a good ranking, there should be an uncensored commenting and rating system with voting allowed on that ranking.
What do you guys think 2008 holds for facebook? I personally am getting a little tired of having applications pop up 24/7 that I don’t want to deal with, like Oregon Trail, Zombies and Hotness points… But, i still love facebook.
And yes - eBay should sell Skype. I never really understood that acquisition in the first place.
I think in terms of Facebook its glow will start to fade much like myspace. Im starting to get tired of facebook now and can’t think why people spend hours and hours on there each day.
I have yet to bite somebody , or race somebody or whatever yet my wall seems to have dozens of notifications each day about somebody biting me or whatever.
I realised early on that posting a public message to somebody is a bad idea s people can take it the wrong way so prefer to use the inbox , which makes me realise that I could just email or IM people just as easy.
Facebook was Hot but now its not. Doubt that 25Billion cashout will ever happen. They should have taken it in 2007 before facebook lost its glow.
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http://www.xenbet.com
Google — Time to allow ads for desktop clients in general (not only Firefox).
Yahoo — Time to swing into buying spree mode like 1999.
Amazon — Time to make available flat-rate storage services.
Facebook — Time to be less arrogant.
Microsoft — Time to pick up smart clients again.
Great analysis, great posts, keep up the good work. However the posts from Techcrunch usually focus on North American and Israeli companies. Don’t look too far: MobileCrunch has much more global thinking in its field in my opinion.
For the better good.
http://pa.gd
for me this whole Facebook hype is a little bit boring
I resolve to take a one hour break for every 4 new episodes of a television series that I watch on Hulu.com.
Facebook - be less of a advertising bully and network control freak and more of a global enabler
Google - promote some of your social community purchases (orkut) insteads of relying on strategic search partnerships
Microsoft - do what you do best and “copy” better
Apple - turn itunes into a social media powerhouse
Greengineseo.com - hire more so you can help more clients turbocharge their online marketing campaigns
C’mon Techcrunch, when Slashdot scoops you on the Zango/Facebook story you’re losing your edge.
Scoble did that on purpose. He wanted the press from the fallout.
As far as Google goes, PageRank seems to already have been ousted in favor of better indicators. Google has been positioning themselves for years to use better metrics for search rank… think about two of their acquisitions: Urchin (analytics) and FeedBurner. The data Google has from Analytics and FeedBurner alone puts them far ahead of any competitors (as if they aren’t already otherwise) in combating black hat SEO.
I agree. Kindle is going to be a revolutionary and amazing product. It is going to be this year’s must have for all tech geeks.
^^ Best clueless spam in awhile.
When I read this type post I always hear that capitalism is evil undertone. I might be overreacting to it but I don’t think making money is wrong. BTW if Apple had followed IBM’s lead and left its technology open there wouldn’t be an Apple today to make the iPhone and iPod. Apple has protected its intellectual property as it should.
http://www.pagemailr.com/netlatch
hahah skype, it is bad. especially for that price.
Google let go of PageRank quite some time ago (just google any term and look at the different page ranks spread over the top 20 results).
It is the users who have been slow to let go of it - buying irrelevant text ads on PR5+ page that will do nothing for their rankings.