Geoff Livingston's Blog

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Archive for the ‘Geekery’ Category

The Death of Facebook

Posted on: August 27th, 2010 by Geoff Livingston 13 Comments

The following is draft material for my next book, Welcome to the Fifth Estate (the follow up to Now Is Gone, which is almost out of print). Comments may be used in the final edition. You can download the first drafted chapter of the new edition — Welcome to the Fifth Estate — for free.

Who in their right mind would predict the death of Facebook given its ever increasing dominance? But this is a question everyone asks, “What’s next?”

One thing long term Internet citizens have seen over the past 25 years, communities and social networks get huge, even as dominant as Facebook is currently, and then they fade. Some continue to stay relevant as the leader in their niche — YouTube, for example — and others completely fade away into a second tier or worse — a la Friendster and AOL.

In my opinion, one of the secrets to Facebook’s longevity is its replication of McDonalds’ business model. That’s right, McDonalds.

A good part of McDonalds relevancy lies in its ability to offer a cheap menu of foods and beverages that are popular in contemporary society. You want a latte? Go to McDonalds. Ice cream? We got soft serve! Salad? No problem! And, oh yes, we still have your favorite Big Mac, just in case you want a burger.

Facebook does the same with its social network functionality. It literally watches competitors create new features, and then incorporates that functionality into its network, competing head to head with the leading social network in that functional space. Facebook relies on its incredibly large user base to accept and use the new features.

Most recently, we saw this with Facebook Places and the competition it offers Foursquare. Other examples:

Get to the Funeral, Will You?

This strength is also Facebook’s weakness. As we have seen over time, Facebook constantly updates its interface to incorporate these changes. This is relatively easy because of its text-based, three column layout.

Frankly, while text allows Facebook to offer all of these features, the user interface has become cumbersome. In essence, being the McDonalds of social networks, the user interface or menu has so much junk on it, the social network has been forced into an over-reliance on text.

Enter a new interface, the almost completely visual tactile (touch) input to a social application. A couple new apps on iPad have shown a new way to interact. Early signs show these applications are becoming immensely popular.

Flipboard allows users to create their own magazine based on preferences and socially recommended content. And ABC’s iPad app (300,000 downloads) features a visual globe of news stories. Both application interfaces rely heavily on pictures with very few words, and why shouldn’t they given that a picture is worth a thousand words?

To me, it’s only a question of time — maybe even within the next two years — before an almost completely visual social network launches. Processing time, software development and bandwidth will inevitably increase to enable it. How will Facebook possibly upgrade its interface to compete with this kind of competitor?

It would take an almost complete gutting of its social networking code. Frankly, this system has become so clunky that Facebook CEO Marc Zuckerberg can’t make changes that he wants to in order to open it (Plus Facebook’s original feature of private, closed social networking was its big differentiator. The privacy tension caused by the movement towards openness continues to haunt Facebook).

No, such a network upgrade would likely force Facebook to abandon users that are still text based. It would be very hard for McDonalds to keep serving Big Macs while offering a tastier Filet Mignon sandwich that holds market share (Angus Wraps aside).

Think it won’t be a tactile input-based network? Bandwidth and technology permitting, how about Third Life, a better would-be virtual avatar based world where interaction occurred in a computer generated 3-D world? Or a video-based network like but more nimble than the original Seesmic?

Isn’t it just a question of time before Facebook meets a competitor with a better, next generation interface that it can’t match? To me, given the context of Internet history and technology development, it’s not an if, but a when. The Fifth Estate moves with what’s hot, and without thinking about

As communicators and strategists, we cannot afford to become too entrenched on a mega social network like Facebook (or Twitter). If we cannot move with our community because of an over investment in one network, we lose our opportunity to serve our stakeholders effectively.

What do you think?

Popularity: 6% [?]

People Won’t Buy Green for Green’s Sake

Posted on: February 17th, 2010 by Geoff Livingston 1 Comment

Triple Pundit featured a great panel summary from last week’s State of Green Business Forum (image by a Geek Mom). Of the four green marketing points, the first title was a message of clarity: “No such thing as a green consumer.”

Continuing forward into the panel report, it says:

Although perhaps about 7 percent of consumers are motivated by altruism, the majority are motivated because they see the product as better in some way for themselves (such as health, lower energy cost, or safety). In many cases, the green product is the tiebreaker or the cherry on top, thus green consumers must see the product as the same, or better, than the competition.

The issue becomes more than that of diffusing new technology. Companies are creating green products as separate items in their line-up. Or they green their existing products and charge a healthy wallop for the new technology diffusion. Instead the real approach must be making green an cost competitive feature set for existing products.

Such a simple thing. It makes sense really, and explains why so much geeky, cool green tech doesn’t actually make it on the mass market.

It also explains why there’s so much greenwashing on today’s traditional products. Manufacturers are fudging the line for that extra push and sale.

What do you think? Will the captains of industry move to hasten green diffusion by making it more pragmatic and affordable? Or will this just continue the trend of consume in spite of ecological impact?

Geoff Livingston is a regular contributor to the Live Earth blog.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Six Things To Change In Buzz

Posted on: February 15th, 2010 by Geoff Livingston 21 Comments

My professional opinion on Buzz aside, as a user I find it to be a frustrating experience (image by tifa). Perhaps I’ve become spoiled with other networks, but Buzz strikes me as the Hyundai of social networks. Rather than just complain, I’d like to offer some suggestions. Here are six things I’d like to see changed in Buzz, all of which have been submitted to the Buzz team.

1) The background is killing me. There’s so much white space in Buzz, that I find it hard to read. Google’s patented look yes, but it does not lend itself to a friendly web screen presence… And since there are no real Buzz clients yet, please allow me to inject some customization and color. My old man eyes need it.

2) Can’t say it any better than this: It’s new and clunky. Make Buzz fluid, please.

3) Don’t forward commented posts. A fellow who shall not be named posted eight photos of a young lady’s derriere yesterday. I commented on the post to this effect: “She’s beautiful, yes, but this photoset indicates stalking.” Next thing you know this fellow’s post is in all of my follower’s feeds, and the ladies were not happy about it. I unfollowed said person simply because I cannot afford to anger my user base with someone else’s online behavior.

4) Give users the option to decouple email: Buzz makes Gmail a bacon haven, and that’s not good. I get too much email, and more socnet email is not what I want. Nor do I want notifications in my email desktop. Making people figure out a GMail filter is not cool, either. Generally speaking on Gmail and Buzz together, Boo!

5) Hasten the apps process: I think not having desktop or mobile clients out the gate was a mistake. Did Google strike with an element of surprise? Yes, it did. Does its service suffer for it? Why, yes, it does.

6) Similarly, publish a FAQ. Why do I have to search for all of the ways to integrate Buzz into my social media. Google should be doing everything it can to make the experience easier on users.

What would like to see changed about Buzz?

Popularity: 24% [?]

The Chevrolet Volt Rocks + Your Answers!

Posted on: January 31st, 2010 by Geoff Livingston 7 Comments

Earlier this week in Washington, DC, Jen Conner, John Taylor and I had the privilege of driving the Chevrolet Volt. We wanted to share our experience with this new technology-driven, plug-in electric car with Live Earth readers. Our primary goal was to find out if it would actually function as a day-to-day car. Here’s a little video on our findings:

In addition, we crowdsourced many questions from you, my readers. Tony Posawatz, vehicle line director for the Chevrolet Volt, joined us for our ride and took questions.

Here are the answers to some of your Qs. The back seat answer for Todd Jordan is in the main video above. Video for all of the transcribed answers below can be found here on YouTube.

Q from Jim Woods: I’ve always heard that hybrid/electric cars lacked the power for fast pick-up, especially on hills. True or false?

A: False. A vehicle like a Chevy Volt is an electric drive vehicle, not a hybrid vehicle. Electric drive provides you instantaneous torque The peak torque of the Chevy Volt is at 111 kilowatts, [or translated] it’s like a 250 horsepower V-6 engine.

Q from John Taylor: For someone who is not a car person, what does that mean?

A:: It’s the equivalent of a CTS, our entry level luxury sports car. [We then punched acceleration to prove it, and yes, it's fast enough.]

Q from Marc Meyer: How is the sound system?

A: We’re not going to show it today, but in the future you will see a Bose premium sound system, very unusual for a compact or a small car to have it. It’s the first of its kind, the most energy efficient sound system. It actually recaptures the energy from the shaking of the speakers, and it has a lower electric consumption than our base system.

Q from John Taylor: Do you feel that the Chevy Volt is a great car that happens to be green, or is it green vehicle that just happens to be a great car?

A: Our engineers who worked on this car viewed it as let’s create a technological marvel. The technological marvel had a few goals: Displace petroleum and make the car able to be your everyday car. I think it’s a technology car first that does so many things well: It can be your primary car and green and fun. I don’t think any car [available] today has been able to do it.

Electric cars have been attempted to be delivered to the market for 100 years. Thomas Edison, Ferdinand Porsche, no one has been able to solve it, and they were smarter than my team is. But collaboratively we’ve made this thing happen, and I think this can be a mass market car.

Q from Rebecca Davis: What does it feel like?

A from Geoff while driving: It feels like a real car. I’ve driven a lot of cars, I’ve had some sportier cars like Audis and obviously, I ride motorcycles. This is a nice ride, it’s pretty tight, feels good, it’s got some gumption. It definitely feel like it’s got some horsepower under it’s hood, I like it a lot. It’s very nice.

Q from Roger Williams: How close to 230 mpg do you get from start to finish of your trip?

A: It all depends. If you drive 10 to 20 miles a day, 30 miles day; if you get more than one plug in, you may get even better than that. We’re not advertising anything. The 230 was really an identification of the potential this car has, and it’s different than a conventional car. More news will come on tha., but the more plug-ins you have, the more electric miles you get.

Q from John Taylor: Talk to me about the larger approach GM has with green.

A:Well, if you look at the Chevy portfolio, we’ve used the language of gas-friendly to gas-free, so we probably have more choices for folks. The Volt is really about choice… Look at what the Volt offers you, the opportunity to use E-85 as your extended range fuel, regular gasoline, plugging it in at 120 volt in your garage, 240 volt with a special system… Chevy offers hybrids from Silverados to Tahoes, and we have more ethanol vehicles than anyone else. So I think the future is one of choice and a blended set of solutions.

Q from Andy Sternberg: Do you see any opportunities to recharge along the way?

A: One of the things we’ve announced here are start-up regions. So we’re hoping that now that someone knows [these] cars are coming, infrastructure will be put in place. And the beautiful thing is there’s some interesting fast charging technology. If people are willing to invest the monies, the Volt can literally be charged up in 10-15 minutes with one of these fast chargers. In a normal situation with 120 volt eight hours while you’re sleeping, 240 volt, three hours.

Follow up Q from Geoff: How will that impact carbon emissions with an electrical charge versus an actual gas charge?

A: The electric grid is getting greener and greener all the time. Depending on the source of the energy — and they have their own standards they have to meet — we think the battery the Volt has right smack in the center of the car, if this car is plugged in and people want to use solar and wind energy, I’ll gladly collect it in this battery and give you a green ride all the way through.

Geoff Livingston is a regular contributor to the Live Earth blog.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Crowdsourcing My Chevrolet Volt Test Drive

Posted on: January 24th, 2010 by Geoff Livingston 7 Comments

On Tuesday, I will test drive the new Chevrolet Volt, the highly talked about electric vehicle that will be released this year. In addition to its place as on of GM’s cornerstones of the future, the Volt is supposed to be an incredible emissions saver, delivering 40 miles on a full charge. 75% of Americans drive less than 40 miles everyday. The car then uses it’s gas engine to deliver a hybrid performance.

What better way to test drive the car than to crowdsource it with your input? In partnership with the Live Earth blog, the test drive will be filmed by John Taylor using a flip camera. Let us know what you’d like us to find out for you. We’ll post the film on Thursday.

Geoff Livingston is a regular contributor to the Live Earth blog.

Popularity: 21% [?]

Droid Does Meh

Posted on: January 17th, 2010 by Geoff Livingston 4 Comments

If you’ve been following my Buzz Bin posts, you know that I’ve been reporting frequently on the evolving Android marketplace. This past week I picked up a Droid phone, in large part because my iPhone drops so many calls I could not run a business using it. So I got to test the new device and the Android operating system first hand. Here are my thoughts:

First of all, Motorola’s Droid works great as a phone. It’s a nice relief to be able to conduct a conversation without losing a conversation.

That’s about where my admiration for the Droid and the Android OS ends.

The operating system surely represents the best competitor to the iPhone OS out there. That being said, it’s not the same thing, and in comparison offers an awkward user experience. The OS feels clunky and seems to move in a less fluid fashion. In fact the comparison of Droid vs. iPhone may as well be Windows vs. Macintosh. I find the metaphor works well, and encapsulates the experience.

The apps are not as well vetted as the iPhone store, and as a result there are a lot of crashes. Not good. And because Android is relatively new, a lot of the apps are inferior in comparison to their iPhone brethren.

All in all, the device does an adequate job for an Internet phone. But the hype doesn’t meet the experience. If you’ve had an iPhone, you’re likely not going to be happy with a Droid, at least not yet.

Google continues to develop the Android marketplace, and I am confident that the OS will mature as will the apps. So will Apple. In the end, I expect Android will win the most marketshare simply because it has the entire mobile phone industry behind it. That means those of us concerned with online communications can no longer avoid Android.

For me, right now, I guess it’s two worlds. Droid for voice and to experiment for business reasons. But personally, I’m keeping my iPhone for Internet use. In that sense, it’s still the best.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Top Photographers on Twitter

Posted on: July 5th, 2009 by Geoff Livingston 18 Comments

I am really enjoying working with the Nikon D90, and just purchased my third non-stock lens, a Sigma 10-20 mm wide angle. As I step up my photo game (follow me on Flickr or on Twitter), I decided to follow more photographers on Twitter, and put out a general crowdsourcing call for image masters.

Here’s who was suggested (sans a few people who really don’t seem to be on Twitter), amateurs and pros alike in alphabetical order by Twitter handle. I also added @hyku and @noreaster, two amateur photographers I greatly admire.

Amy Venderford – @amiev – “roaming photographer”
Amy Montgomery – @amymontgomery – “Photographer. Designer. Mother. Dreamer. Lover of this life and the pictures that keep it fresh.”
Chase Jarvis – @chasejarvis – “Maniac Photography Director”
Chris Sembrot- @csembrot – “Advertising and editorial photographer from Philadelphia.”
Danny Garcia – @danmiami – “computer forensics lab supervisor;cell phone forensics trainer;amateur poker player and photographer; travel”
Eric Doggett – @ericdoggett – “Energized portraiture.”
Gloria Bell – @gloriabell – “People Connector, Social Media Enthusiast, Life Lover, Friend, Hugger, Organizer, Thoughts/Musings at http://asseenthroughmyeyes.wordpress”
Henie Resinger – @HennArtOnline – “Writer, Photographer, Artist, Passionista, Social Media Participant, Cerebral Provacateur”
Holly McCraig – @hollymccraig – “i’m a liberal, dog-loving professional wedding & portrait photog. yo.”,/li>
Josh Hallett – @hyku – “Director, Voce Connect – Doing the social media thing since 2003.”
HughE – @iPhillyChitChat – “Paralegal by Day, Paparazzi by Night”
itsDarkDaze – itsDarkDaze – “There is only you and your camera.”
Jenae – @jenaew – “friend. lover, mother, artist, new yorker, midwesterner”
Jennifer Jasso – @jenjasso – “L.A. based photographer”
Jeremy Cowart – @jeremycowart – Photographer to the Stars, the Suffering and Everyone in Between.
Jim MacMillan – @jimmacmillan – “Pulitzer-winning visual journalist, university educator and new media consultant based in Philadelphia.”
Justin A. Schuck – @justinschuck – “photographer, writer, designer, blogger, political consultant, SWM, yer mom”
Kristin Farwell – @kfarwell – “Marketing Program Manager at Bulldog Solutions / Photographer at Karmalized.com / Geek at Heart”
kgustafson – @kgustafson – “Photographer/blogger/professional commuter”
Kris Krug – @kk – “techartist, quasi-sage, cyberpunk anti-hero from the future”
Lyndon Wade – @lyndonwade – “Lyndon Wade photography”
Mickey Gomez – @mickeygomez – “Reader, writer, guitar player, fan of nonprofits, Whedon, social media and dogs. Believes everyone can make a difference!”
Mike Birce – @mikebrice – “Toledo Photographer.”
Milli G. Funk – @millifunk – “Exploring small town MO after life in NYC.”
Jen Consalvo – @noreaster – “all about the internet, building cool apps and leading great teams. photo buff. chronic case of wanderlust.”
Raquita - @raquita – “Photographer, Mom, you want to work with me now before the world finds out I’m awesome”
Scott Bourne – @scottbourne – “Host – Photofocus Podcast, Publisher Photofocus.com, President Bourne Media Group – photographer, author, teacher, speaker, new media pioneer”
Scott White – @SDWhite – “Christian, husband, dad, police officer, IT type, admin weenie, conservative, Patriot Guard Rider, wanna be social media guru, photographer”
Shaminder Dulai – @Shawagg – “Photojournalist, multimedia producer, trying to find the answers”
Shawn Duffy – @shawnduffy -”Freelance photographer and photojournalist”
Steph Brooks – @takinpitchas – “Old school news photog… turned Marketing Exec. Diving into SoMed Marketing and makin’ a splash! Faves include: Coffee, my LolaPup, learning something new.”
J. Pollack Photography – @stlphoto – “STL-based wedding, family, commercial, and editorial photographer”
Todd Adamson – @toddadamson – “gggggggggggggg”
Todd Jordan – @tojosan – “Live/Record/Share, Coder/Analyst/Soc Med Pusher/Photographer/Blogger”

Pretty cool stuff. Now, I just need to put them in their own Tweetdeck group! Photo District News has also published this post featuring the five biggest photographers on the Internet (h/t @jimmacmillan).

Popularity: 53% [?]

Louisville Slugger Museum Rawks

Posted on: June 29th, 2009 by Geoff Livingston No Comments

When you are a baseball geek like me, taking a trip to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory is a true treat. Consider that I’ve visited 21 MLB stadiums, Cooperstown (three times), and three minor league parks. So my recent trip to Louisville had to include a visit to the museum. Friend Jason Falls set me up for a tour with his client, the Museum (thanks, Jason!).

I thoroughly enjoyed the factory tour, which showed how major league bats are chosen and made. The bats are made by high tech lasers with pinpoint details chosen by Major Leaguers. The factory churns out thousands of bats everyday, a necessary production load given that players will churn through 100-120 bats in any given season.

Of course, sustainable forests are used to harvest the lumber, and there’s a mandatory grading system for which bats make it to the major leagues (very few, my friends). What was really cool was seeing how the bats were made. Plus all of the different stains and paints you can add, well rocked. I couldn’t help it, and purchased my own personal bat (below), as well as a two tone cherry/maroon special for my Dad’s father’s day gift…

To me, baseball has always been about the kids. Combined with the museum tour, you can’t go wrong at the Louisville Slugger Factory. I highly recommend it for anyone touring the Kentucky region… Or for any baseball fan looking for a unique view of the game.

I am amassing a large photo album on Flickr of all of my 2009 baseball experiences, which so far include the museum visit and trips to the New Yankee, AT&T, and Nationals stadiums. Check it out. Photos from the new citi Field will go up later this week.

Popularity: 36% [?]

Shooting Photos with a DSLR

Posted on: February 22nd, 2009 by Geoff Livingston 1 Comment

I recently bought a refurbished Nikon D60 with a nice 18/200 lens, and wow! The difference between what I was using (Canon IS3) and this is amazing. I am still learning the camera, but have already had a couple of nice photo shoots in London and last night at the Wizards-Spurs game.

I am stunned by the difference the D60 makes. I definitely asked from advice from the likes of Richard Binhammer and Andrew Feinberg, who all said, “Invest in the lens and not the camera!” It seems they were right.

I also bought a tutorial video, which is helping rapidly learn the D6 and how to use it. I was amazed at the quality of shots from the game, but not satisfied. If I knew how to use the shudder speed and the manual settings a little better I could have had even better shots!

So one of my next, immediate goals is to learn how to shoot better pictures with my camera, and how to use Photoshop to my advantage. I am thinking of toying around with the camera a bit more on my own until I finish teaching my class at Georgetown. Then I think a class is in order.

The thing that photoblogging and walking is doing for me is it’s providing a creative outlet. My personal blogging and painting has waxed as I’ve taken over my business blog in the past four months. This gives me a new creative outlet, and one that’s relatively easy to do. Simply grab the camera and go.

So, we’ll see where this crazy photo adventure takes me. It promises to be a fun ride!

Popularity: 83% [?]

25 Random Things You Probably Already Knew About Me

Posted on: December 25th, 2008 by Geoff Livingston 2 Comments

Jessica, my high school blogging bud, tagged me in the 25 things you probably already knew about me meme. I promised her I would write the list as soon as I got through the work year, so here we are:

1) I’ve lost a great deal of weight recently, and damn happy about it, too!

2) I love science fiction books and movies. While I can be very eclectic in tastes, this inevitably is my sweet spot.

3) I like riding motorcycles. A lot.

4) Now Is Gone is the book I wrote, but I wanted to write a novel instead.

5) There are 101 things I’d like to do before I die.

6) People that buy into their “personal brand” or other pseudo Internet fame related stuff drive me crazy. It’s absolute utter bullshit.

7) I am teaching a class at Georgetown next spring.
My dog is a black pug named Junior!

9) Coffee and cigars are my two biggest vices of consumption (mmm, good idea!)

10) Baseball is my favorite sport by a long, long mile.

11) Twitter: Love/hate relationship is an understatement. Right now it’s some serious hate.

12) I love a good steak. Gibson’s in Chicago is my fav steakhouse.

13) Sneaker fetish: Yup, I love em. Kinda like Turtle on Entourage (yeah, I know that’s embarassing).

14) Video is an exciting not so new medium for me that seems to be intriguing, yet not enough to take the full-on dive. Satisfied with being an amateur.

15) I used to be a wireless reporter.

16) In college, my nickname was stovetop (God help me).

17) I went to Georgetown grad, but AU was the home of most of my undergradutate education.

18) I started out at Syracuse University. It was too damn cold up there

19) My personal vision is not to remain a marketer for the rest of my life. Yeah, not at all.

20) I spent my childhood summers alternating between Provence, France and the Jersey Shore.

21) My great, great grand uncle started the Jewish Anti Defamation League.

22) Geek? Did you say geek? Yeah, that’s me. Give me a new tech toy every week, please!

23) My idea of a good time is quiet time.

24) I hate the iPhone, but like the iTouch.

25) I prefer mountains over oceans…

And to pass this fine meme along, I’m tagging Amber Naslund (heh, payback!), Xiobhan (beware of what you ask for), and Christopher.

Popularity: 56% [?]

Geoff Livingston's Blog

Archive for the ‘Geekery’ Category

People Won’t Buy Green for Green’s Sake

The Chevrolet Volt Rocks + Your Answers!

Crowdsourcing My Chevrolet Volt Test Drive

Droid Does Meh

Top Photographers on Twitter

Louisville Slugger Museum Rawks

Shooting Photos with a DSLR

25 Random Things You Probably Already Knew About Me

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