JAFDIP

Just another frakkin day in paradise

Archives for July 2010

Firefox 4 beta

Firefx 4.01 download Firefox 4.01 beta has been available for testing for a few weeks now and I thought that it would be nice to help some of you get up and rolling with the new version. You will want to surf over to Mozilla and download the version of Firefox 4 Beta appropriate for your operating system. In this example we are working with the Mac OS X version. Once your download starts you will see something similar to the progress bar displayed in figure 1.

Firefox 4 beta download progress
Figure 1

After the download has completes your system should unpack the disk image and mount it on the desktop presenting a mount icon as shown in figure 2.

 

Firefox mounted disk image
Figure 2

Inside this mounted disk image you will see the familiar Mac OS X application  installation screen. However in lieu of dragging the application to the ‘Applications’ folder icon as shown in figure 3 we will copy it to the desktop shown in figure 4.

 

Firefox 4 beta application install
Figure 3
Figure 4

I am copying Firefox 4 beta to the desktop is because it is a beta application and I do not wish to corrupt my stable copy of 3.x. Therefore, I will use this opportunity to rename the application bundle before placing it in the ‘Applications’ folder as displayed in figure 5.

 

Figure 5

Now that I have successfully renamed and copied the beta application to the ‘Applications’ folder without munging my production installation I can launch it without issue. Upon first launch you will be presented with the downloaded applications are potentially unsafe warning as shown in figure 6. This message is intended to protect users from themselves much in the same way that coffee cups are required to have a “Contents may be HOT’ warning. In any event, I usually just click ‘OK’ and proceed to the important tasks at hand.

 

coffee cup warning: Contents may be HOT!
Figure 6

Of course if you are like me then you will receive this notice advising you that you are indeed an idiot because you can only have one copy of Firefox open at one time. Yes I felt rather dumb when this popped up, mostly because on a FreeBSD or Linux where one can install from source you can have multiple versions of an application thus avoiding idiot-grams like the one in figure 7. Please note that because Mac OS X is actually a UNIX based operating (truthfully a close cousin to FreeBSD) one could use the MacPorts to install multiple copies of Firefox, but that’s really not within the scope of this text.

Firefox duplicate application idiot-gram
Figure 7

Now once I realized the error of my ways I shutdown the 3.x version I was running and of course happily received yet another warning to quit or save and quit as shown in figure 8. Obviously I chose the latter option saving the tabs I still had open.

Figure 8
Figure 9

Now finally after all of this I am able to successfully open Firefox 4 beta and interestingly enough it picked up the tabs I saved in version 3.x so I am potentially back up and rolling as if I hadn’t spent the last 30 minutes reading silly warning messages. To verify that things are indeed functional I opened the about page as displayed in figure 9.

Obviously this is a sign to rejoice as I have successfully completed my goal of installing the application without borking the previous version. With this step complete I can get down to business and actually put Firefox 4 beta through it’s paces. One thing I observed immediately is that this first beta is missing the top tabs of it’s Windows based counterpart. There is an explanation that the development team is working on this.

One other issue worth mentioning is that most of my plugins and add-ons are disabled in this version of Firefox. This is entirely understandable as many of the plugin and add-on developers are just starting to work with this new version and it will be some time before they are ready to update their applications. Still all of those misses aside I am most impressed with the stability of this beta application. I had one tab that was misbehaving and this new version caught the exception offering to nullify the tab thus saving me from a complete restart. I like it when things work as advertised.

At this point it looks as if Firefox 4 beta is well worth the trouble endured (no trouble really) to get things up and running. I intend to report further as I use the new version a bit more thoroughly. Until then if you’ve followed along I would like to invite you to return and comment with your findings as you test drive the beta application. Finally here are a few useful links related to the project.

Feedback:
http://feedback.mozilla.org/

Bug reporting:
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/

Release notes:
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/4.0b1/releasenotes/

Known issues:
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/4.0b1/releasenotes/#issues

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mikel King has been a leader in the Information Technology Services field for over 20 years. He is currently the CEO of Olivent Technologies, a professional creative services partnership in NY. Additionally he is currently serving as the Secretary of the BSD Certification group as well as a Senior Editor for the BSD News Network.

The meaning behind the acquisition of Playdom by the Walt Disney Company for approximately $763 million

Playdom

I know this isn’t particularly technical but since I’ve become deeply mired social media, I felt it’s worth considering for a moment what the acquisition of  Playdom for an estimated $763 million by Disney will mean for online gaming as we know it? If you were unaware Playdom is the largest social game publisher of the online world. Honestly you must ask yourself what does this mean? Why should Disney care about Social Gaming as all they make movies for little kids right? Let’s examine a few interesting thoughts.

Unless you’ve been living on another planet or under an internet deprived rock you would know about the social media sites Facebook and Myspace. You would also know that Playdom is the social media gaming giant that has built games on top of these two entities. Although there are others like Zynga for instance who are closing in fast with some very creative marketing campaigns. This acquisition by Disney does widen the gap between these two players.

It also opens the door for Disney to tap into a captivated audience of gamers for potential Ad revenue in the billions. Some thing currently not represented in social gaming sector is the fact that gamers tend to spend hours engrossed in these alternate realities. Hours spent playing Social City for instance that could easily be populated with Disney propaganda. If you do not believe this will happen then you have never been to a Disney theme park, listen to Disney Radio nor watched any of the Disney owned channels. Disney does not promote anything that doesn’t in someway promote Disney in return.

Consider if competitor Zynga were to suddenly offer you products in Cafe World from the Coca-Cola company? Or even more appropriately ingredients for your recipes from Kraft Foods? More interestingly enough consider what Facebook’s open information policies means to these companyies. They are set to offer regionally focused advertising with truly pinpointed targeted demographics. We are about to be bombarded with virtual advertising from all angles turned to our specific likes or dislikes. This is why Google is courting Zynga, and exactly why Disney bought Playdom.

Returning to the acquisition of Playdom by Disney, don’t be surprised if all of the sudden your Social City has billboards for the cool new Disney movie. I’ll wager that you’ll likely see Mickey Mouse, Elmo, Piglet or the Power Rangers walking down your virtual streets. You’ll build playgrounds for your virtual children with these characters to play in. All while tuning you into the Disney über-infectious marketing machine.

Although I believe Zynga has far more short term potential with Cafe World in this advertising profiteering I believe that ultimately the long term winner in this will be Disney. Obviously this is but one man’s opinion however, the pieces of this puzzle fit together too nicely to be summarily ignored. Let’s wait and see what develops.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mikel King has been a leader in the Information Technology Services field for over 20 years. He is currently the CEO of Olivent Technologies, a professional creative services partnership in NY. Additionally he is currently serving as the Secretary of the BSD Certification group as well as a Senior Editor for the BSD News Network.

Press Release:

THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY TO ACQUIRE LEADING SOCIAL GAME DEVELOPER PLAYDOM

Burbank, California – July 27, 2010—Advancing on its goal of bringing consumers its well-known stories, characters and brands in ever more engaging ways, The Walt Disney Company has agreed to acquire Playdom Inc., one of the leading companies in the fast-growing business of online social gaming.

Playdom shareholders will receive total consideration of $563.2 million, subject to certain conditions, and a performance-linked earn-out of up to $200 million.

In just two and a half years of operation, Playdom has established itself as a pacesetter in building popular games for social networks enjoyed by consumers around the globe. Through well-known titles like Social City, Sorority Life, Market Street and Bola, Playdom engages an estimated 42 million active players each month.

By acquiring Playdom, Disney will strengthen its already-robust digital gaming portfolio, acquire a first-rate management team and provide consumers new ways to interact with the company on popular social networks like Facebook and MySpace.

“We see strong growth potential in bringing together Playdom’s talented team and capabilities with our great creative properties, people and world-renowned brands like Disney, ABC, ESPN and Marvel.” said Robert A. Iger, President and CEO, The Walt Disney Company.

“This acquisition furthers our strategy of allocating capital to high-growth businesses that can benefit from our many characters, stories and brands, delivering them in a creatively compelling way to a new generation of fans on the platforms they prefer,” Iger added.

“We are at the start of a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the way people of all ages play games with their friends across devices, platforms and geographical boundaries,” said Playdom Chief Executive Officer John Pleasants. “Disney is an incredibly forward-thinking company that shares our vision and is the ideal partner to further our mission to bring great entertainment to people around the world.”
Playdom, which has 15 game development studios, will remain headquartered in Mountain View, California. Pleasants will become an Executive Vice President of the Disney Interactive Media Group (DIMG) and General Manager of Playdom, reporting to DIMG President Steve Wadsworth.

Disney expects Playdom’s expertise in social gaming software tools, business intelligence and rapid innovation to broadly benefit DIMG, which already has a substantial global presence in online, console and mobile gaming

The transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and certain non-U.S. merger control regulations, is expected to close by the end of Disney’s 2010 fiscal year.

About The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with five business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products and interactive media. Disney is a Dow 30 company and had annual revenues of about $36 billion in its most recent fiscal year.

Forward-Looking Statements:

Certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements relate to a variety of matters, including but not limited to: the operations of the businesses of Disney and Playdom; the timing and consummation of the transaction; the expected benefits of the integration of the two companies; the market for online social gaming and other statements that are not historical fact. These statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Disney regarding future events and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty including uncertainties regarding the business of each company, the receipt or timing of regulatory approvals and continued consumer acceptance of online social gaming.

Disney undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that may cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements are set forth in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Disney for the year ended October 3, 2009 and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the SEC by Disney.

The voice of social media

I have read much discussion about the voice of social media from numerous self proclaimed experts and I believe that I may have reach a sort of social epiphany. First let me start off by stating for the record that I am NOT an expert but a mere enthusiast who keeps their ear to the ground, somehow observing trends in seemingly disconnected events. Unfortunately this may not be one of those cases. What I mean is that at this point I know some of what I wish to say in this article but as often happens I do not know where I’ll end up when it’s complete.

So you are by now asking yourself hey Mikel get to the point what do you mean by the ‘Voice of Social Media?’ Well frankly I am glad you asked. What I am referring to a the VOSM, what an ugly abbreviation that makes, is who speaks for the brand in your social media efforts. I’ve listened to several experts claim that you should talk in all of your efforts with one voice. To this I can only partially agree, because we should not make the mistake of confusing the man (or woman) with the company nor should we confuse the company with the man.

As much as his personality permeates the entire core of the company, Apple is not Steve Jobs. It is unfortunate that sometimes they appear to be one and the same, but I can assure you they are two distinctly separate personalities. Which leads to my first point, be careful not to allow your voice to speak for your company. A company is like a machine the culmination of all of it’s parts and even if you are a company of one you are still an individual who can go home at night kick off your shoes to enjoy a quiet even of True Blood. Remember you are a person with hobbies likes and dislikes. A company can not enjoy such indulgences.

In addition you have a duty to your personal brand. There is nothing wrong with your company supporting your personal brand but it should never usurp it. Remember companies have a logo and an identity all to themselves one that they should hold true to. When a company usurps your personal brand then it pollutes it’s identity and yours. Consider this if you were to sell your company and move on to other enterprises do you want your personal brand to still be associated with the former company? If you have been careful then this would not happen.

This follows to my second point, and it’s a bit more difficult to spot directly. The majority of job listings that I see pass my inbox on a daily basis are for some sort of Social Media Marketing _________ (fill in the blank) position. Even if the title does not state it the description and required skills will list multiple years of marketing experience as a must and I am here to say that, “Social media does not belong in the hands of a marketing department.” I’m sure some of you just spit coffee all over your nice pretty new notebooks and iPads but let me restate it to be clear. Your social media campaign should not be in the hands of your marketing department. If it is you are likely chase an unattainable ROI and worse alienate your customers.

As I have stated in previous articles social media management is no about broadcasting one’s message over and over again until you beat it into your customer’s heads with a digital stick. It all starts with listening something that marketing specialists are not keen to do. This takes tact and compassion as well as a boat load of patience. Your company’s brand must be protected and it’s message consistent. Honestly the only logical hands that this mission could fall on are your public relations team. Social media is about the customers’ needs not the company’s. The company’s with successful social media campaigns are the ones who don’t focus on broadcasting their corporate dogma but helping customers solve their problems. Coincidentally enough sometimes those problems are not even related to the company’s products and services.

Once I had a customer engagement where the conversation turned to home brewing, and they asked my opinion on a brewing method. I gave them my honest assessment of the technique and I am happy to say that they are a very good customer of my company. They bought an entire network infrastructure upgrade all because I helped solve a problem not even computer related. More importantly I did this as myself and not as the company. No person is going to look up computer support company’s to ask beer brewing questions, but if your Twitter profile or Facebook fan page happens mention you brew beer then the door is open.

This of course leads me to my final point and that is if you are a public figure then your personal brand and company are actually indeed the same. Let’s face it when Lindsay Lohan well tweets anything it becomes news regardless of her intoxication level. However the major difference is that she could go into rehab well after the jail time and clean up her act. If a major company suffered from some of these antics well the only option would be an complete rebranding of the company not unlike PhilipMorris I mean Altria. The only way for a company to change a bad image is either a hell of a lot of time or a complete name change. Oddly enough both seem to take a hell of a lot of time.

Even though celebrities tend to be their own personal brands there are some who follow  a similar path as I have outlined previously. Before we part ways consider Alyssa_Milano and her company TouchByAM both are distinct brands. She does a fantastic job of keep the identities separate. Follow TouchByAM I expect to hear statements about baseball and the company’s product line but I do not expect to see info about TV show she’s working on. The latter is usually served up by her personal identity or a special one for that project.

The point here is that the information relating to each brand personal or business is kept relevant to that brand. In addition the company that sells sportswear also comments on sports activities thus engaging the customer base in a common conversation. The  company is involved in sports i.e. baseball. This is something that marketing would not likely do, but a good PR person would.

Ok so we’ve covered a lot of ground and yet come full circle. If there aren’t any questions then I’ll be on my way. The beer doesn’t brew let alone drink itself you know. So what’s your Social Media Voice?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mikel King has been a leader in the Information Technology Services field for over 20 years. He is currently the CEO of Olivent Technologies, a professional creative services partnership in NY. Additionally he is currently serving as the Secretary of the BSD Certification group as well as a Senior Editor for the BSD News Network.