Is software taking over the world? In this Wall Street Journal article, Mark Andreessen argues that it is taking over the economic world. Most of today’s business stars, are, at some level, software companies. His predictions about the future of global business and the American economy are worth thinking about.
Category: 13.3 E-Business 2.0: Reinventing Web Commerce
It’s generally wise to understand the tools and tricks that people and institutions use to manipulate our behavior. This Wired article is packed with insights into how everybody from Amazon to Zynga gets you to spend more time and money at their sites.
wired.com/magazine/2011/06/ff_gamed/all/1
In the early days of eBay, online auctions made the company one of the dot-com revolution’s biggest success stories. Today auctions are in decline relative to other forms of e-commerce. But the things that made auctions popular in the first place—flexible pricing, consumer empowerment, and the thrill of the game—can be found in many other types of online shopping experiences. This Wired article puts auctions in perspective.
People use eBay and other auction sites for C2C transactions involving material goods. TaskRabbit is a C2C clearinghouse for services. Need somebody to run an errand or put together your new desk? Ask TaskRabbit.
Few people doubt that social media are changing our world, but what does that really mean? This animated video presents a rapid-fire sampler of facts and figures that drive home the point: It’s happening, and it’s happening fast.
Who owns your data? If somebody else collects information about you, should you have the legal right to see and use that information? New York Times Columnist Richard Thaler argues that consumers and businesses alike would benefit from laws ensuring that you have access to your information.
Read on New York Times site
This groundbreaking music “video” by Chris Milk combines music, art, and interactive Web technology to create a deeply personal experience. You may need to switch Web browsers to make the experimental HTML 5 technology work, but it’s worth the effort.