Netizen

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Google Is Working On Search

More Search Options And Other Updates From Our Searchology Event ordering results by time, by type (eg only reviews, only forum posts) .......... search will soon be synchronised between your desktop computer and your phone ....... showing you the relevant bits of reviews through 'sentiment analysis', and pulling out metadata (eg a star rating) thanks to support for RDFa and Microformats ........ a "related searches" system, but one that's displayed as an Ajax-driven spider diagram .........on-the-fly research spreadsheets. Type in "small dog" (their example) and it builds a table of breeds, pictures, vital statistics and other information automagically...... Google sees potential threats not from Yahoo, Microsoft or Ask ..... but from the likes of Twitter, which looks ready to pounce in real-time search, and from the yet-to-launch Wolfram Alpha, which is a very powerful data munger.
Searchologists Give A Glimpse Of What Google's Worried About
SearchEngineLand
Bits

It is good to see Google compete with itself. Search is so fundamental to the web that constant innovation is the only way to go. Windows can reach saturation, Office can, but not search. We are barely scratching the surface.

By now the way Google does search is so capital intensive. But real time search is not capital intensive, and there Twitter is the one with the buzz.

I don't think either Twitter or Wolfram Alpha will beat Google, but good thing both will keep Google on its toes. Because when it comes to search, much is lacking, much too much is lacking.

Search Come Full Circle: That Human Element
The Search Results, The Links, The Inbox, The Stream
Search: Much Is Lacking
The Next Search Engine
Email, Search, News

What If The Plateau Lasts Nine Months?

Image via Wikipedia

That Plateau Feeling
Job Hunting And 2.0
New York City: Transformed Forever?
Reimagining The Office
Microfinance, Nanotech, Biotech, Software/Hardware/Connectivity
David Gelernter: Manifesto
Visionary Entrepreneurs Will Recreate The World
Sites That Pay You To Blog

That Plateau Feeling?

I blogged about it: That Plateau Feeling. But have we really hit the plateau phase? Or are we still in the bungee jump phase? It is possible for the financial markets to hit the plateau phase, and for the job markets to still be in the bungee jump phase. Usually the financial sector recovers first.

Budget

Cut expenses mercilessly. This is for personal and family budgets.

Work

Even if it is a much lower paying job. Can't eat into savings too much, and not forever.

Reinvent

We live in a day and age when people will have several careers, not jobs but careers, over a lifetime. Reinvent yourself.

Focus On Personal Growth: Prepare For Takeoff

There is the bungee jump phase. That, by definition, can not last forever even if it lasts longer than anticipated. Then there in the plateau phase. Then there is the takeoff phase. The plateau phase is the time to prepare for the takeoff phase.

The Best Things In Life Are Free

Really. Life slowing down is not all bad news. In many ways it is good news. A slower life is time to discover people, relationships, hobbies. It is time to catch up on books you always wanted to read. It is time to hone on skills that you think you will need once it is time to takeoff.

This perhaps is good time to smell the roses.

That 90-10 Rule

If 10% of the people are unemployed, 90% are still working. But then there are pockets of 22% unemployment rates. And that is not even taking into account the chronic unemployment in the inner cities, and other underserved areas. That is not taking into account the permanent poverty in much of the world.

That Plateau Feeling?

What if America and the world hit a new plateau of lower paying jobs across the board? That would not be a happy plateau. Personally I don't think that is where we are headed. But then I am counting on the political leadership to deliver. (30 Points Down In The Polls) The financial markets will be regulated, and made sane. This economy will be restructured.

Time To Make Big Fortunes

The most trailblazing of companies have been founded in the most depressing of times. This time that is going to be extra true.

Globoeconomics: Name Of The Game
A Single Global Currency, A Global New Deal, A Global Economic Council
A Brighter Future Ahead
Needed: A New Global Financial Architecture
Stimulus: Make It A Trillion
Stimulus: Size Matters
Global Finance, Global Terrorism, Global Warming

'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'
'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.
'I don't much care where --' said Alice.
'Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.
'--so long as I get somewhere,' Alice added as an explanation.

Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Mideast Peace: Tech Industry Style

"Life is brief, and then you die, you know?"
- Steve Jobs

Mideast: Permanent Peace Is Possible
Bloodbath In Sri Lanka: Where Is The Outrage?
The Final Inch

Larry Ellison is Jewish. Steve Jobs is Arab. And they are the best of friends.

Larry Ellison - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Monday, May 11, 2009

Job Hunting And 2.0

"Recruiting is hard. It’s just finding the needles in the haystack. You can’t know enough in a one-hour interview."
- Steve Jobs

Image by paramendra via Flickr

Web 2.0 is very real to me. It is my primary reality. America is Europe. The Internet is my America.

The economy went ahead and did a bungee jump. Many people lost jobs. I was not, am not into jobs. I did not lose a job. But I did lose some investors. I will find new ones, not to worry.

My primary tech startup might have taken a momentary backseat, but my secondary tech startup - to do with online tutoring - is also thick in 2.0. 2.0 is reality. And it is exciting. And it could pick up fast. It also helps me network in Mumbai, India's NYC, a sister city. That networking is crucial for my primary startup.

Personally I think a downturn like this one is high time for ambitious entrepreneurship, but most people prefer to do the job thing. And that's fine. Dropouts who create trailblazing companies depend on big name colleges to populate those companies. Entrepreneurs need jobholders, many, many of them.

For now I wanted to share this wonderful article about job hunting and 2.0. It is comprehensive and helpful. I personally know too many people who are between jobs. It is not a happy sight. I hope this helps a little.

Computer World: Job Hunting? Use Social Networks To Make Crucial Connections social networking Web sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter ...... a highly organized, scientific approach to his job search ...... a spreadsheet ..... made concentrated use of social networking sites to present himself online and to research targeted companies. ......... LinkedIn was one of the most useful tools ....... the de-facto must-use tool in today's career environment. ...... If you're not on Twitter, get there. Start Tweeting ...... sending out about 60 to 70 resume/cover letter blasts to job sites, companies, etc ....... sent out 103 blasts -- but this time he used LinkedIn ....... trying to find people who worked at the company who had a role in the product area he was interested in ......... follow-up messages. "And the response rate from those follow-ups was much higher than the original sendouts," he said, at 40% compared to the first response rate of only 5%. ........ maintaining his online profile, doing status updates on sites such as Facebook and Twitter ....... four weeks and one day after the targeted resume/cover letter blast.

Get to know the hiring manager LinkedIn was vital to her success. ..... garnered 35 recommendations from former co-workers and posted them on LinkedIn .... used LinkedIn contacts ..... you must be willing to take action outside your comfort zone ....... Don't spend too much time in front of the screen. Phone calls and face-to-face meetings are vital ...... get connected to someone working at the company you're targeting ....... Don't be afraid to reach out to anyone on the Web in your targeted area .... stay engaged in your field, keep up on the latest news, products and services -- and check out start-ups, which can be a great place to find a job
Why in-house contacts matter His data confirms that an in-company referral is priceless..... how crucial it is to use social networking sites for one specific purpose and one purpose only. ..... 50 to 70 times more likelihood of being interviewed ....... she used LinkedIn to actually find four people she knew well who in turn knew current associates in her targeted company ...... I also used LinkedIn to research the three individuals I interviewed with
Fewer resumes, but more focused "In 2001, I probably put out, over five months, 10 resumes a day" ........ only 20 to 30 resumes in total ........ very much more laser-focused" approach that includes asking a social contact to put him in touch ...... used Twitter mainly as a "listening post," keeping himself up to date on current events in his areas of interest.
The power of going local face-to-face networking with short and quick "elevator pitches." ....... it's often a case of contacting someone who knows someone who knows someone who knows a person at a company looking to fill a position. ...... "a lot of touch points" ...... a large number of recommendations on his LinkedIn profile
Don't spend all your time online Contacting people, staying on the phone [is important] ........ spend no more than 10% to 20% of their time with online tools ...... Find a way to get their phone number. Find a way to get a meeting with them. ....... information interview ......... And too many simply post their resume to job sites and hope that that will get them a job. And that is one of the least effective methods that's out there. ........ nothing more than a printed-out profile from LinkedIn .... all relationship based ...... Tyler Cooper received his first job offer from a blog.
Don't be afraid to reach out Use the Web to keep track of trends and new start-ups and reach out to companies, Web sites, bloggers and other resources. By "reaching out" he means taking the initiative to contact people you may come across on the Web. "Never be afraid to reach out. If someone leaves their e-mail address, send them a message, ask questions, send suggestions. You never know what will come of it" ......... TwitterJobSearch Twellow.com "Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it."
10 don'ts for job hunters
Can your online past come back to haunt you?

Losing Job May Be Hazardous to Health New York Times
What to Do When You Lose Your Job - Room for Debate Blog
For Job Losses, No Sign That Worst Is Over
Bright Spot in Downturn: New Hiring Is Robust while 4.8 million workers were laid off or chose to leave their jobs in February, employers across the country hired 4.3 million workers that month ...... In February — before the economy started to show the first faint signs of a possible recovery — there were three million job openings nationwide. And despite large new job losses likely to be announced Friday, there are still millions of job openings. ...... “You’re facing more competition for every job you apply for, but the reality is there is a lot of hiring going on” .... “You’re never going to find anything unless you apply.”

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Brands Will Still Matter

I am as excited about the social web as anyone. But I think sometimes we draw off the mark conclusions as to what the social web is going to do to various market traditions. The market is the invisible hand. It is like that magnetic force that so fascinated child Einstein. The web does not displace the invisible hand, or many of its fundamentals. If anything, the web makes it even more invisible - if that is possible - and more handy. The web makes it more invisible by making possible transparencies that could not have been imagined before. JP is in London - or at least most of the time when he is not jet set - and when he goes for a cup of tea, I get to know like I were sitting next to him. That is amazing transparency, if you think about it.

Brands will still matter, but just like the invisible hand will become even more invisible, brands will become much more alive. The staying power of brands that deserve greater staying power will be enhanced. Brand names that deserve to sink will sink and fast. It will become less possible to prop up brand names through dishonest marketing techniques. In a world thick with the social web, sizzle and buzz will go to those who will deserve sizzle and buzz. The power will shift much more to the individual, and is that a bad thing? Is that not what we wanted all along? But it will not be any one individual. It will be individuals across the board. It will be the masses come alive. But not your faceless masses of demographic research or focus groups. It will be masses of people interacting with close and not so close friends.

A great gift of the social web will be the possibility of many, many niche brands. For someone like me who was born in one country - India - and grew up in another - Nepal - and has been in a third 10,000 miles away for over a decade now - America - the web is the only place where someone can see me whole. Is that amazing or is that amazing?

Facebook Faceoff Firefox
Stand Up Comedy: Thinking On Your Feet: 2.0
Is Reading Socializing?
New York City: Transformed Forever?
Reimagining The Office
Stream 2.0: The Next Big Thing?
Define Social Media
The Stream, The Lifestream, The Mindstream
David Gelernter: Manifesto
Blogging: Monkey Business?
Content Is Queen
Converting To The Mass Follow Formula On Twitter
Blogging = Learning + Teaching + Churning + Entertaining
The United States Of Entrepreneurs
My Relationship With Ashton Kutcher
The Human Is The Center Of Gravity In Computing
Blogging Several Times A Day
Visionary Entrepreneurs Will Recreate The World

Facebook Faceoff Firefox

Firefox Could Be the Real Facebook Challenger ReadWriteWeb
Mozilla Weaves Its Firefox Cloud InformationWeek
Google Chrome- Faster Than a Speeding Browser Connected Internet

Google Chrome Update Scheme Beats Firefox, Safari, Opera InformationWeek

Firefox to converge with social networks, predicts analyst StrategyEye (subscription)

C for capitalism. C for competition. Capitalism is all about competition.

Some have compared Facebook to an operating system, to a browser. And that is not recently. To many people on Facebook, that is also how they surf the web. That is how they read the news, consume videos. And look at all those people writing applications for Facebook, like they used to write for Windows, like they do for the iPhone, like they do for Twitter. (Skype: Hub)

Google also thought, we already have the people and their contacts, we call it Gmail. But Gmail is not exactly a Facebook threat.

Firefox would have to go through a fundamental reengineering to give Facebook a run for the money. And how do you do that without losing the basic soul of a web browser?

For now I see a ton of growth space for Facebook, and a ton of growth space for Firefox. And Chrome's got plenty of buzz.

Fractals: Apple, Windows 95, Netscape, Google, Facebook, Twitter
What Should Facebook Do
Microsoft, Google, Facebook: NY Tech MeetUp Has Arrived
The Unfacebook

I am not saying the fight is over before it has begun. What I am saying is I am excited as to what a social Firefox might mean.

In The News

Do we all work for Google now? CNet
Kachingle to 'sprinkle' dollars to online publishers
YouTube slowly building ad-friendly content
Refresh alerts come to Facebook's home page 'stream'
Sun shareholders sue to block Oracle acquisition
Study: Bioelectricity bests biofuels on miles per acre

A Mom's Day Menu