April 22nd 2008
Editor’s note: this post isn’t about the web and law – but it’s of interest to anyone trying to gain high-value customers online, which certainly includes some lawyers. I’m excited about the capabilities of a Bay Area start-up firm called Marketo. I became one of their early customers last year, and was complimented to have […]
April 14th 2008
This week, Alaska and Idaho passed laws that prohibit the state from taking measures to comply with the REAL ID act of 2005. That now makes nine states who refuse to participate in the new federal identity system, which is due to start operation in about a month. My friend and former state government colleague, Dazza […]
April 12th 2008
Have you heard about the brutal beating of a 16-year-old cheerleader by eight teenagers, who recorded the assault for broadcast on YouTube? That’s right, the attack was both to get someone back and to gain fame. And naturally, the Net is being cited as the main culprit. Shelly Palmer blogs a fantastic analysis of ethical and media issues […]
April 9th 2008
Last week I wrote about how Craigslist benefited from a 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that it is not liable for discriminatory housing messages posted by users in its forums. The court ruled the site serves as an intermediary party, not a publisher. Therefore it was protected by the safe harbor provision of […]
April 8th 2008
Credit card numbers were selling for as little as 40 cents each and access to bank accounts was going for $10 in the second half of 2007, according to the latest twice-yearly Internet Security Threat Report from Symantec, which you may download here. As highlighted in our earlier article, Big Business Big Brother, data breaches […]
April 8th 2008
This week, the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet held the first-ever Congressional hearing to learn about virtual worlds. Committee Chair, Rep. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, convened the meeting, which took place both in the Rayburn Building in Washington and in a virtual Rayburn Building in Second Life. Representatives asked questions such as: Could Second […]
April 5th 2008
Last week Deutsche Telekom, owners of the global T-Mobile brand, sent the website Engadget a late birthday present: a hand-delivered letter direct from their German legal department, requesting the prompt discontinuation of the use of the color magenta on Engadget Mobile. However, rather than gaining cooperation, T-Mobile has generated a host of unintended consequences. Engadget […]
April 3rd 2008
Today’s conference kicked off with Chuck Scothon, General Manager and SVP , Girls Mattel Brands, and Rosie O’Neill, who is Sr. Brand Manager and “Chief Barbie Girl.” That means she manages development of initiatives including the BarbieGirls.com virtual world. Social critics suggest such toy centered worlds provide a pedagogy of consumerism, and make products and […]
April 1st 2008
Back in November, I wrote about Facebook facing a huge privacy slapdown over social advertising. Michael Arrington, founder and co-editor of TechCrunch, is obliging us by attempting just such an action — and, as in professional wrestling, for him it’s all about the timing. In his excellent public explanation, Mr. Arrington cites a California law which […]
March 31st 2008
There’s a reason superheroes wear masks. Nobody wants to be perpetually liable for saving the world. Plus, such heroes would be attacked, lobbied, and ultimately reviled when they can’t be everything to everyone. This week, Craiglist enjoyed the benefits of not being a censorship hero. The 7th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Craigslist […]
The future of digital experiences will be built by strategists who grasp the full array of emerging business, social, and technical models. Specialties in user experience, branding, application design, and data science are laying the foundation for richer user experiences and business models breakthrough products and revenue based marketing.
UsefulArts is a soapbox to discuss the front line of digital experience, and the agencies and platforms that enable it. Digital business needs a cadre of leaders who can connect c-level enterprise thinking with the ways these new interaction models can help organizations to matter more to their most important stakeholders.