The Other Drummer

I know. Infographics are so 2010. But there are some interesting Facebook statistics over at Mashable. The one above caught my attention.

If I’m interpreting that correctly, the most popular things searched for in the United States in 2010 weren’t Obama, oil spill or Justin Bieber. They were “Facebook” and “Facebook login”.

This indicates some generalities about folks online:

1. Even though people use Facebook all the time (+70% of US Internet users), many can’t remember “facebook.com” is where you login to Facebook.
2. People don’t know how to use their browser to get to “facebook.com”.
3. People don’t know how to bookmark pages in their browser.
4. People don’t know how to use basic browser functionality.
5. To many people, Facebook is the Internet.
6. Google should be scared to death right now.

I realize I’m a nerd outlier when it comes to technology. But when the main reason people are going to google.com is to search for facebook.com it has me a little worried. Mainly because I think people are starting to think of Facebook as the Internet.

You know…like AOL was back in 1999.

A threat to the real Internet

If people don’t know how to use their browser to get to the site they spend hours on each day how could we expect them to navigate to other places on the web? If the walled garden of Facebook is truly being perceived as the Internet, it means innovation will be stifled and people will be essentially crippled as far as their understanding of what it is to be online. If these things aren’t understood, it’s also a huge threat to Net Neutrality.

That’s not a good thing. The web is wonderful and great and innovative and amazing because it’s open and fluid and information flows freely. In Facebook, information flows in but doesn’t flow out, ala roach motels. And it’s all controlled by a privately held company which isn’t accountable to anyone.

Google

And why should Google be wetting its proverbial pants? Because Google relies on people linking to things to generate its search results. When people link to things inside Facebook, Google can’t see (most of) those links. So the more people share links, pictures, comments and videos behind Facebook’s walled-off “Internet”, the less relevant Google becomes.

Google is already feeling the heat because they haven’t found a way to crack the social aspect of search: people are searching for things from their friends via Facebook instead of Google’s algorithms. A closed, proprietary and walled-off Internet is their worst nightmare and it’s becoming a reality.

Conclusion

What do you think? Am I getting all worked up over nothing? Or is this something to be worried about? Set me straight in the comments.

This post originally appeared on the ThomasArts blog.

This is a prototype remote control Sony designed in the early 80s to be used on space shuttle Atlantis while in orbit. Unfortunately, NASA engineers (all smart people with PhDs in subjects like physics, engineering, aeronautics) found it to be too confusing and cumbersome. As a result, Sony lost the lucrative government contract.

Fortunately, it bounced back quickly, released the Walkman and has had an otherwise impressive design history.

Wait. No. This is the remote control Sony designed for the upcoming Google TV, scheduled to be released later this year (2010 AD) and used by everyday people who just want to watch Dancing with the Stars and 30 Rock.

It will ship with this TV:

That’s a beautiful TV. What happend to the remote??

Sony, for future reference I would like to direct your attention to Vizio, your low-cost, made in the USA competitor offers who offers this remote which 1. doesn’t frighten small children 2. doesn’t look like it should fly model airplanes and 3. looks like it was designed this side of the millennial divide.

If you would like any additional device (or would like me to give feedback on new/unreleased products) my consulting fees are reasonable.

Mr. Hatch,

I’m writing in regard to the recent Google/Verizon proposed policy regarding net neutrality. I think their proposal is absurd. It proposes establishing net neutrality retroactively and leaves future technologies (wireless and other “additional, differentiated online services”) open to the discretion of massive corporations which put their interests over those of the public.

The proposed legislation is the equivalent of saying, “The masses can use a hand-crank printing press for anything they want. But Verizon and other corporations will have control over telegraph, radio, telephones, TV, and anything that might come in the future.”

This is unacceptable. I believe an open, unhindered Internet is crucial to free speech, innovation and democracy. The wireless spectrum that was licensed to Verizon and other carriers belongs to the American people and should be used in our best interest. What was proposed by Google and Verizon clearly isn’t.

Senator Hatch, please don’t accept this policy or any other policy that benefits large, anti-competitive corporations instead of the American people.

This was also sent to Congressman Matheson. Use these links to find your Senators and Representatives in Washington and tell them what you think of the proposed policy.

Google has moved one step further away from its mantra of “don’t be evil”.

Google has been in closed-door talks with Verizon crafting their version of net neutrality. After information about the meetings was leaked the two behemoth companies held a press conference to discuss what was “really” going on.

The good part

Googizon (Veroogle?) have been working on drafting public policy to submit to the government with regard to net neutrality. They’re OK with net neutrality existing on existing broadband networks (meaning one company can’t pay for faster speed/priority for their content at the detriment to others). This is good. It means everyone has a level playing field, from Google to the startup working out of a garage. It fosters innovation and preserves the most significant advance in technology the world has known since the printing press.

Then it gets evil

The bad part comes when you read what they left out:

1. It doesn’t apply to wireless networks (which is the future of broadband and arguably more important than wired communications)
2. It doesn’t apply to any new networks that are developed (the future of broadband)
3. The FCC very little control to enforce the rules

This means a second network (the Schminternet, if you will – great post, read it) could be created and the net neutrality rules which helped bring so much innovation and advancement in our society would be stuck on the old, slow, clunky networks while Google and Verizon and the other incumbents frolic on their speedy new networks, untouchable by other potential competitors.

Think of it as all “the little people” using dial-up and only the big players being able to use a fiber optic connection.

Why is this evil?

Bailing on net neutrality (which Google has been a big proponent of, so what gives?) would horribly stifle innovation. Who is going to use a new, yet-to-be-discovered search engine, or social network, or video service that runs slow when Google, Facebook and YouTube’s respective sites load so much faster and, therefore, is capable of so many more features?

Give us the dumb pipe

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: all we really want are dumb pipes. Give me my data, give it to me fast and where I want. Let me connect whatever I want to it. Make that the grounds on which you compete, not someone CEO’s decision about what I should and shouldn’t be able to do with the service I pay for.

Sadly, I feel a little dirty right now as I look at all the Google services I use. But what are the other options? Each alternative I can think of also has major downsides as well. The upside is that this is just a draft of something they’re proposing – it isn’t law. Still, the fact that Google has gone from champion of the free Internet to getting in bed with Verizon royally ticks me off.

Additional reading

Here are some articles you should check out:

Engadget (Thorough, understandable analysis. Must read.)
Wired (“Why Google Became A Carrier @#$$!@#, Net Neutrality Surrender Monkey”)
Buzzmachine (All about the second Internet.)

Let’s talk

I do think there could be space for some careful regulation of the Internet – providers need to be able to protect their networks from malicious activity, obviously. There are obviously many more facets to this discussion. Where do we draw the line? Who draws it?

Courtesy of JorgenSmith

Time for a rant.

Seriously folks, I’m about to do it. I’m toying with the idea of ditching my iPhone for an Android handset.

iOS is starting to look extremely antiquated. A grid of icons? How very Palm Pilot circa 1999.

The notifications system is a joke. Multitasking is half-baked. Accessing basic system settings is restricted from app developers and cumbersome at best for end users. I seriously worry that Apple is ending up in the same place they were with the PC market: break out with an world-changing product then fall behind.

The only innovative thing about iPhone 4 was the retina display. And don’t talk to me about FaceTime – it’s a gimmick backed by overly dramatic advertising.

iOS 4 was a minor bump in functionality (congratulations, you can now change the background on your homescreen) but nothing even close to “Holy cow that’s awesome. They’re totally pushing the envelope here.”

I hate to say it, but Apple needs to spend a little less time making sure you can’t see pixels on your icons and a little more time looking at functionality.

Function over Form

Today I came across an Android application called Tasker (you can read a review here). For $6 it will do pretty much anything you want to your phone. What do I mean by that?

Using a series of “if, then” processes, you can get your phone to behave however you want, whenever you want, wherever you want.

“When I go to the movie theater, dim the screen by 50%, turn off WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G. Silence the ringer, put the phone on vibrate and only ring/notify me if the call or text it comes from the babysitter’s number.”

Or…

“If I place my phone face down on a surface while at work, forward my calls and stop checking for email.”

Or…

“I want my alarm clock to go off at 7:00 AM, play X song, turn on WiFi and stop call forwarding. Turn on text message notifications, check all email and social networking accounts. Open my to-do list then tell me ‘David, you’re  a handsome rock star but you need to get out of bed.’ Only do this on weekdays for the month of August.”

Kind of like this:

It’s basically Tony Stark’s bedroom window. But on your phone. And without the blond skank.

For $6.

And it’s only available on Android phones.

This is the kind of killer app I keep looking for Apple to come up with – or at least enable others to come up with.