Reddit will be bigger than digg
Conde Nast, bought Reddit today. Yes, it’s big news. Yes, it’s not Digg. Yes, I think this will be bigger than Digg. Here’s why.
Already Reddit has licensed it’s technology to other companies, leading off with Lipstick.com as a test site for Conde Nast. After proving that the technology works, they have now sold the four person company (That’s a quick flip, good for those guys) and licensed their technology to other companies. The largest of these companies being Gawker Media. Reddit’s technology designed for social control over which stories get shown and moved up a list will fit in GREAT with most of Gawker’s sites. I read Deadspin, ValleyWag, and LifeHacker the most, but occasionally glance at some of their other sites. All of these sites have alot of readers and allowing those readers to push stories in front of eyeballs in a quick manor and ON that site, will lead to more return visitors and more eyeballs viewing their ads.
I think having this control within your site, even if it is linking out to other stories, will prove to be a huge success for those who license the technology (as well as Conde Nast) as it drives more traffic. How many times a day does a digg reader check the site, I would imagine the number is high. If I can check Deadspin and see what other stories those people are reading, I’m hooked. It will all be topical, and it won’t be controlled by the majority computer geek crowd that currently controls digg.
I hear that one of the main reasons Reddit, was aquired before digg had to do with control. Reddit, was going to allow others to license their technology and digg, did not want to do this. I think digg, could still be aquired for more than Reddit, but I think Conde Nast got a very sweet deal that will change alot of sites in the near future.
Family Guy Effect
A good read at T.U.A.W. about how one of my favorite shows, The Office, was saved by iTunes. It reminds me of how Family Guy was brought back after HUGE DVD sales. This is a sped up version of great DVD sales that saved an already cancelled show, or in this case saved the show from being cancelled.
The Office was not scoring good ratings on television, but it was the number one downloaded show on iTunes (recently surpassed by Lost). This prompted NBC to keep the show on television rather pull the plug to early on a huge hit. It’s a great show which is continuing to grow its fan base as well as the story. I wasn’t aware that it was on the block, but now that I’ve read the story, I’m glad iTunes saved this.
How iTunes saved The Office. [TUAW]
Interesting read
I read about this book on Guy Kawasaki’s blog, and it looks very interesting. I, along with Kawasaki, am not a person who uses the word asshole much, but it is one of those terms that really can hit the nail on the head to describe those people. The book is, “The No Asshole Rule” by Robert Sutton and it should be coming out soon. I don’t work with any of these people, but I know alot of people who are always complaining about working with these people.
I am also a little scared about The Starbucks Test, as my normal drink is a Grande, no room, water first Americano. I don’t feel that it’s unnecessary and I really prefer the taste of it over a normal Americano.
If you feel you may work with an asshole, or if you’re scared you are one, you may want to check out the book.
The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t
Product (Red) iPod Sales Soaring
Looks like I was right in my prediction that the red ipod nano, backed by Oprah and Bono would be a huge hit. It’s the fastest selling item at Apple Stores, and it sounds like they are having to order more than initially thought. There are also rumors that Apple is considering making a Product (Red) MacBook. I think that would look pretty good, but I think it would not fly of the shelves as quick. Not only is it a higher priced item, but it’s not being released at the right time for kids to get in on it for the cool factor. They’re good on their laptop for the year, and it’s not a typical Christmas present. You may get some in the housewife department, but I would imagine most of them are set with either a laptop or a PC at home, and don’t need to sport the red MacBook just to show off.
I hope it happens, as they’d look great, but I strongly doubt the sales would be that monumental.
New Sites Coming Soon
Keep your eyes open for a new site coming soon. Nothing special, just a small addition to the otiskimzey.com brand. I’ve been working on it tonight, and that is the reason for no real updates to this site today. Hopefully Amazon is showing something that you may find interesting on the left, I added their new store, which they provide product recommendations for the site. I have no control over them, so we’ll see how their collaborative filtering is.
About Otis
I live in Seattle, Washington. I am passionate about working with and interacting with others. My work experience includes marketing, account management, and sales.
I am a huge sports fan who on top of cheering for my favorite teams (Go Beavs!) also appreciates coaching strategy, as well as the marketing behind teams, players, and events.
Personally, I enjoys exploring new cities and areas (particularly small towns) and getting outside and playing.