I often rant that Google’s “search only” view of the world doesn’t work for most people, and that folks need visible structure to understand where things go. We want folders and to know where stuff is. Techies tend to object and say, “Just search — it’s all there. Why put it in a folder?” The […]
Just because Google does it, it isn’t necessarily better
February 9, 2015
Newsletter #995: The “Lessons from Google You Weren’t Expecting” Issue
July 3, 2014
[Welcome back to the Damn, I Wish I’d Thought of That! newsletter. This is text of the great issue all of our email subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the right.] What is there left to say about a company like Google? You’ve already heard about their amazing offices, played with their […]
Superhero word of mouth marketing
May 24, 2014
This is a post from our WordofMouth.org project. Check it out for more great word of mouth marketing tips like this every day. People love talking about those rare moments when companies make someone’s day or, even better, when they save the day. It’s all about the small stuff, like amazing customer service experiences, and […]
The NSA isn’t the one spying on you
March 25, 2014
It’s actually the social media companies. They provide you information and entertainment — in exchange for total ownership of your personal data. Here’s a great editorial from Bloomberg Businessweek: Silicon Valley’s Hypocrisy on Spying The logic of Silicon Valley sometimes works in strange ways. Take the public-relations campaign by a collection of high-profile technology companies: […]
How many million people DIDN’T hear about it?
February 26, 2014
Google has all sorts of cool apps for Chrome. But they hobbled the ability to share the app — the only sharing options are Gmail or Google+. Why is this wrong? If the sharer doesn’t use those tools — the sharing can’t happen If the sharer would rather share some other way (Outlook, Twitter, or […]
If you aren’t paying for the product, then YOU are the product
February 4, 2014
Something to remember: You’re not paying for all those online services and apps that you enjoy. But those businesses are spending and making big money. How? By selling you — your attention, your clicks, your privacy, your personal data. I’m not saying it’s bad. Sometimes it’s a good deal (trading your info […]
Competition is irrelevant
July 12, 2013
Google’s Larry Page explains why so many companies miss the future and fail in an interesting Wired interview: I worry that something has gone seriously wrong with the way we run companies. If you read the media coverage of our company, or of the technology industry in general, it’s always about the competition. The stories […]
Stopping the sharing #2
June 22, 2013
I just wanted to email this great new Google app to my wife. I don’t use Gmail. She doesn’t use Google+. So, I didn’t share. Only Google loses here. Lesson: Let people share any way they want. More sharing choices = more sharing = more customers. That helps you more than making people share in […]
Newsletter #942: The “Great Ideas from Tech Stuff” Issue
June 20, 2013
[Welcome back to the Damn, I Wish I’d Thought of That! newsletter. This is text of the great issue all of our email subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the right.] We like to focus on smart marketing that anyone can pull off — whether you’re a candlestick-maker working out of your […]
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