The internet is such a new invention, a code for the collective conscious or "distributed networked intelligence". The internet is our collective externalised mind. I think of it in terms of the concept of feedback: the infinite oscillation of our collective conscious interacting with itself, adding a fuller, richer dimension to what it means to be human.

It’s not about computers. It’s not about what music your friends are listening to. It’s about human communication. "We’re talking."

[Via

12 Digital Predictions for 2012 | VINT.

]

“A new U.S. survey sponsored by the American Assembly has revealed that piracy is both common and accepted. The surveys findings show that 46% of adults and 75% of young people have bought, copied, or downloaded some copyright infringing material. 70% of those surveyed said it’s reasonable to share music files (PDF) with friends and family. Support for internet blocking schemes was at 16%.”

Pornstars, was just a naughty reference – it actually meant that people should be able to play with their identities and take a persona whatever they want to.

Google+ is backtracking from Real Names and Brands also allowed.

Sometimes I might not be really funny, but can be right. But most importantly is it a challenge to Facebook ? Not yet, but keep watching. Anyways, Facebook is not what it used to be.

Poynter explains this change, exactly what I was discussing in my blog post:

With this change, Twitter also moves from being a passive conduit for messages toward actively curating Web content based on tweets. Many third-party services already attempt to analyze Twitter data to find trending news stories, but this is the first time Twitter is doing so itself.

Twitter is simultaneously testing a similar “top people” results section that shows a popular Twitter user matching some search results. This may largely serve celebrities, but journalists may also benefit if, for example, a Twitter search for “Kristof” highlights Nicholas Kristof’s profile and makes it easier for people to follow.

It’s not surprising, twitter always had this data with them and it makes perfect sense for them to feature these results in front of the users. The interesting thing to note would be “when would twitter build channels or streams of such curated topics or categories”.

Can twitter provide better real-time search results than search engines ?. May be not in the volume, but in quality may be yes.

What is the impact on content and publishers ? If this new feature is adopted really well by the users and according to my assumptions if it is standardized as permanent curated topics and channels. It makes situation more worse for the publishers.

• The life of an aggregator will become more difficult as twitter is the new aggregator
• The original content publisher with breaking news and immediate viral effect might get exponentially rewarded from what they are receiving at present.
• OR not on the merit of content but just by the benefit of twitter integration and early adoption, even syndicated content users or sheer lucky publishers might receive handsome rewards.
• The expertise formation or the new qualifier for top expert around particular topic can be this new feature. Again, good in some cases but over a period of time top doesn’t necessarily denote what’s fresh, current and original.

Such curation might sound very open, fair and publisher agnostic and twitte has proven that in terms of breaking stories or ad-hoc unique content purely emerging out of twitter but my worry is that – in the long term for established or general topics dues network by pure sense of the science behind the social networks aligns itself and shows polarity towards the handful few.

The topics which are popular and much in use from a long time, in that particular pool of content there will always be a particular set of publisher and users (re-tweeters) who would exist and form a dominance. The more they stay the more difficult it becomes for a new entrant (publishers / users ) to change that power equation.

The most positive impact is on the ad-hoc and fresh topics those will be formed on the internet and spread via twitter. The second most impactful change would be “how facebook reacts to this change”. It too, shows the spread of the share on what’s popular within users own network.

Although, facebook is not much search oriented right now and the popularity is through spread of content amongst strong-ties (friends and family). It is moving towards subscribers module and again logically the next step which follows “top topics” in your network and if they do it smartly – the definition of network can encompass not just the friends and friends-of-friends but the information that you provide in your profile – city and country.

Thank God ! Facebook, Google Reader & Gmail got G+d.Finally I can spend some quality time with my friends and family now – send them a sms or a tweet, build tumblr with my daughter or say hi to my friends on messenger. I love you all. If you really want to save your friends from spam, copy and paste this quote on your wall. There are only handful friends left on your fb, rest are brands, lists and subscriptions

Why Google reader, why ? I was completely faithful to you for last 4-5 years or so. I used to praise your beauty like anything and facility of the scanability of 1000+ daily feeds. You were essential to me in my ny resolution along with my weight loss plan. Remember, I used to tag you, label you, subscribe some, unsuubscribe some. We had so much good time together – those serendipitous late night readings with you. Twitter, I still hate you but can’t live without you now. #life of an infovore.

But I am not the only one. This is what Ex-Google Reader PM says “Reader redesign: Terrible decision, or worst decision?”

In the name of visual consistency, Google has updated the visual style to match Gmail, Calendar and Docs. I have nothing against visual consistency (and in fact, this something that Google should be doing), but it’s as if whoever made the update did so without ever actually using the product to, you know, read something.

When you log into Reader, what the hell do you think your primary objective is? Did you answer “stare at a giant header bar with no real estate saved for actual reading”? Congrats, here’s your prize:

Read more on his blog.

My biggest complain about this change is (or may be I need to get used to it ), earlier it was so easy to scan, read and act upon numerous feeds. And yet it was very soft on eyes. It doesn’t feel like that any more. Somehow my belief is that when there’s too much information, the design has to be as low-key and low-fi as possible. It should be present without declaring itself and making it presence felt.

Why Quora, Twitter and Facebook have a particular inclination in design aspects. Points to think about.

Secondly they need brands and pornstars. Yeah! Pornstars. When you see pornstars following you – that’s ‘the real social network’ success criteria. Google + in future or for any other social network to be successful needs brands and / or pornstars.