Redes sociais: a nova bolha?

A discussão sobre redes sociais lembra muito a discussão sobre Internet, poucos anos atrás: há os que encontram neste fenômeno (que não é novo mas que está se firmando como tendência muito forte) um renascer da Humanidade, ou pouco menos. Há os que preferem entender como uma epidemia capaz de acabar com muitas das coisas boas que tivemos até agora (privacidade, vida social real...), deformando as mentes (e os dedos!) de nossos filhos. As empresas se perguntam onde é oportunidade e onde ameaça (sounds familiar?). Muitos procuram fazer, gastam ou investem dinheiro sem ter muito claro como e para que fazer. E outros alertam: gente, para que seja investimento e não gasto, vamos ver como se ganha dinheiro nesse treco! Alguns destes últimos recomendam prudência, coisa que irrita os entusiastas... e por ai vai.
Estou colhendo material, mas o volume é estarrecedor. Uso aqui este blog para armazenar alguns dos artigos ou reports que pretendo utilizar nas análises que estou fazendo. Agradeço qualquer imput da numerosa audiência.
Vamos lá, estes são:
Um artigo bastante aprofundado, com intenção científica, veja clicando aqui
(deste roubei o texto, em inglès, no final da página: uma listagem de sites de rede social)
O Index de Atividade na Internet, da OPA, que agora inclui um indicador de Comunidades. Também da OPA, algumas pesquisas.
Um artigo do The Guardian falando sobre os caminhos para a rentabilidade, clicando aqui.
Um artigo da CIO (Australia), sobre o mesmo tema, aqui.
Mais um: The Economist se interroga sobre os caminhos da rentabilidade, aqui. Ainda do TE, um editorial inteligente sobre as barreiras entre redes sociais (e aqui eles apontam para o que dizemos acima: lembra os inícios da Internet), aqui.
Um relatório de especialistas (em PDF, dá para fazer download) sobre o presente e o futuro da Internet, com bastante sobre redes sociais, aqui.
Otro relatório, State of the News Media, excelente no geral, muito bom no que diz respeito ao online, aqui.
Notícia sobre um falho da Justiça a favor de sites de rede social, em um processo por difamação, aqui.


What's out there?
The Big Two
Facebook
Since 2004, 97 million users, general social networking site, started with college students but now open to anyone over 13. Facebook users were the kids who sat up the front of the class and did their homework.
MySpace
Since 1999, 300 million users, general social networking site with a focus on music and pop culture. MySpace attracts the kids who sat down the back of the bus and wrote on their pencilcases.
Other networks
LinkedIn Swap career information with people you know
Twitter Sends SMS updates on your hourly activities
Bebo Share reviews and bookmarks
Friends Reunited School reunion theme
Specialist Social Networks
My Experiment Social networking site for experimental scientists who can discuss methodologies and specialised techniques
Twine Shares information, links, articles and comments
Pronetos The 'Professor's Network' is a global think-tank for academics worldwide
KIVA Allows individuals to loan to small business in the developing world
Sharing stuff
Social bookmarking (where people share and review website links):
• del.ico.us Privacy settings allow you to just store or share
• Digg Websites are rated and commented
• Technorati Analyses keyword searches and results
Sharing photos and videos:
• youTube
• FlickR
• Photobucket
Virtual Worlds
Second Life
Many other "virtual worlds" exist - such as 'There' and 'Kaneva,' but Second Life (inspired by cyberpunk novel 'Snowcrash') has become the best-known.
There are also hundreds of multi-player game sites, some with millions of players, many of which include a strong social networking component.

Google, we love you!

Em 2004 lançaram a $ 85. Hoje, valem quase $ 600.

As ações da Google continuam subindo: o modelo de negócio está sendo eficaz, a proposta de valor funciona. E os investidores fazem a festa. Veja a matéria na Bloomberg clicando aqui.

Google Stock Approaches $600 as Web Ad Spending Soars

By Ari Levy

Oct. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Google Inc. shares may surpass $600 for the first time as investors bet the world's most popular Internet search engine will capture more sales from companies shifting advertising spending to the Web.

Google, which began trading at $85 in 2004, has the sixth- highest stock price in the U.S. and has surged 27 percent this year. The shares rose $1.84 to $584.39 at 4 p.m. New York time on the Nasdaq Stock Market and earlier reached $596.81.

The search engine has taken users from Yahoo! Inc. and Microsoft Corp., pushing sales growth to at least 70 percent in each of the past three years. Google plans to lure more Web surfers and advertisers through the YouTube video site, bought last year, and has introduced software to sell mobile ads.

``Google is still dominating,'' Piper Jaffray & Co. Web analysts including Gene Munster said in an Oct. 1 report.

Mais uma vez: alguém tem dúvida sobre o modelo de negócio na internet?

A Letter to Readers About TimesSelect

Dear NYTimes.com Readers:

Effective Sept. 19, we are ending TimesSelect. All of our online readers will now be able to read Times columnists, access our archives back to 1987 and enjoy many other TimesSelect features that have been added over the last two years – free.

If you are a paying TimesSelect subscriber, you will receive a prorated refund. We will send you an e-mail on Wednesday, Sept. 19 with full details.

Why the change?

Since we launched TimesSelect in 2005, the online landscape has altered significantly. Readers increasingly find news through search, as well as through social networks, blogs and other online sources. In light of this shift, we believe offering unfettered access to New York Times reporting and analysis best serves the interest of our readers, our brand and the long-term vitality of our journalism. We encourage everyone to read our news and opinion – as well as share it, link to it and comment on it.

We welcome all online readers to enjoy the popular and powerful voices that have defined Times commentary – Maureen Dowd, Thomas L. Friedman, Frank Rich, Gail Collins, Paul Krugman, David Brooks, Bob Herbert and Nicholas D. Kristof. And we invite them to become acquainted with our exclusive online journalism – columns by Stanley Fish, Maira Kalman, Dick Cavett and Judith Warner; the Opinionator blog; and guest forums by scientists, musicians and soldiers on the frontlines in Iraq. All this will now reach a broader audience in the United States and around the world.

This month we mark the 156th anniversary of the first issue of The New York Times. Our long, distinguished history is rooted in a commitment to innovation, experimentation and constant change. All three themes were plainly evident in the skillful execution of TimesSelect; they will be on full display as NYTimes.com becomes entirely open.

Sincerely,

Vivian Schiller
Senior Vice President & General Manager
NYTimes.com

(veja mais sobre o fim do conteúdo pago no NYT clicando aqui)