Marcela's Musing

A return after a hiatus of writing only in livejournal. In an effort to keep my research separate from my personal life, I'll try to keep this to links and commentaries on readings and articles. I'll keep on doing livejournal and probably my travel blog as well.

Salon linking Brazil and Finland's attitudes on open-source:
http://www.salon.com/tech/htww/2006/05/09/brazil_finland/index.html?source=newsletter

danah boyd on what's wrong with mobile social software
http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2006/05/03/innovating_mobi.html
This headaches have a detrimental effect on the development of mobile social software. Successful social technologies requires cluster effects. Cluster effects require everyone within a particular social cluster to be able to play. If 20% of your friends can't play because their phone/carrier won't let them, the end result is often that NO ONE plays. Of course, there's a tipping point where people buy a new phone or switch carriers, but that tipping point is hefty and right now, it's for things like SMS not neuvo apps. Switching carriers is even uglier - it requires a huge drop in price.

Being able to get to basic cluster effects is the *baseline* for a mobile social app to succeed. This alone won't make it work, but you need that to even begin. There are lots of other limitations, especially when the MoSoApp depends on geography.


Note to self--what are cluster effects? Another use of "tipping point"".