This week I've been taking a break from work (with some interspersed conference calls every now and then) to try and gather myself for all there is to come in the next year. These are exciting times, where companies no longer wonder the value of digital products and simply demand how fast can we get them to market. It is a dream come true for digital product developers only clouded by the stress that speed to market puts in our lives.
But who are we kidding, we love pressure, and my break is just some time to get out of the things that I don't care for so I can focus on the ones that matter: building.
Our roadmap encompasses monthly releases of multiplatform products of the utmost quality, so stay tuned as I post information once available. If you are a Shaw customer, your are in for many treats in 2012.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
No Digi Awards
So, we didn't win... but it was still a fun night that gave me a chance to connect with old friends I had not seen for quite a while. At least we now have a clear goal: to develop award winning products.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
That was quite the break!
Amounting to half a dozen posts over the last five years is beyond embarrassing. It doesn't matter that I do keep another blog for bed time tales (www.themailthread.com/tales/) or that during this time I completed my masters degree (and wrote a significant number of essays for school) and have been faced with increasingly difficult job challenges. It is unjustifiable, but it is a fact.
Working twelve hours a day to help the late Canwest (now Postmedia) launch their redesigned newspaper sites back in 2008 should have still left me with enough time to squeeze a line or two. I could have shared a lot about the incredible group of developers working on the project, the amazing designers, and the inspiring collaborative process we employed to work in much needed features even after the scope was locked down.
Working twelve hours a day to help the late Canwest (now Postmedia) launch their redesigned newspaper sites back in 2008 should have still left me with enough time to squeeze a line or two. I could have shared a lot about the incredible group of developers working on the project, the amazing designers, and the inspiring collaborative process we employed to work in much needed features even after the scope was locked down.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Why Newspapers Are Losing the Internet Battle
It has become a challenge for newspapers to survive in the digital world, and while most of them have embraced the Internet as a new medium to deliver their content, many are lagging when it comes to being ahead of the curve.
The evidence is in the facts: Classifieds used to be a newspapers owned industry, however the top online classifieds companies today are not associated to any newspaper (Craiglist, Kijiji, among many others). Most newspaper maintain their classified section and continue to push it as an extension of their print product, but are so constrained in their thinking because of their dire need to turn a quick coin that can't seem to understand that online business models differ from the conventional one they are so used to.
The evidence is in the facts: Classifieds used to be a newspapers owned industry, however the top online classifieds companies today are not associated to any newspaper (Craiglist, Kijiji, among many others). Most newspaper maintain their classified section and continue to push it as an extension of their print product, but are so constrained in their thinking because of their dire need to turn a quick coin that can't seem to understand that online business models differ from the conventional one they are so used to.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Geo-fencing is killing the Net
The Internet was supposed to be this extraordinary place, with no boundaries and scarce rules, where information was supposed to flow freely; and users were to be happy about their free access to this precious wealth of information. What happened?
On the one corner stand newspapers and other publications, everyday giving you more content at absolutely no cost. Even the last few advocates of paid subscription models are opening up, realizing that the revenues lie in selling advertising, hence the higher the traffic, the more money they can generate.
On the one corner stand newspapers and other publications, everyday giving you more content at absolutely no cost. Even the last few advocates of paid subscription models are opening up, realizing that the revenues lie in selling advertising, hence the higher the traffic, the more money they can generate.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Oh My God! The Internet is Overwhelming... Again
I am not the first to say it, but I will say it louder. The Internet is completely overloaded!
There is not one single original idea that doesn't find replicators (multiple replicators may I add), leading to an increased number of repeated offers with no significant improvements from one to another. For some time we had two champions to choose from: either MSN or Yahoo! for web portals, Yahoo! or Google for search engines, Expedia or Travelocity for travel. But today, it is a sea of options that seems to have no end, and apparently, this is just the beginning.
There is not one single original idea that doesn't find replicators (multiple replicators may I add), leading to an increased number of repeated offers with no significant improvements from one to another. For some time we had two champions to choose from: either MSN or Yahoo! for web portals, Yahoo! or Google for search engines, Expedia or Travelocity for travel. But today, it is a sea of options that seems to have no end, and apparently, this is just the beginning.
Monday, August 27, 2007
The Personal Computer Has Ceased to Exist
Seriously...
I am baffled at the nascent web applications that are simply creating virtual working spaces, thus enabling users to work seamlessly anywhere they go. Personalization is no longer in the machine you are using (at home, office, or school), but on the Internet, allowing users to carry their persona wherever they go.
Applications such as Netvibes were incredibly impressive; a manifestation of the capabilities of Ajax and how it would transform the Internet experience forever. Yet it took me a while to figure out the purpose of these sites, until just recently, when I came across Schmedley (http://www.schmedley.com/). With a stunning visual interface and incredibly useful and simple widgets, it was almost a replica of my Mac's desktop (with dock, animation effects and all).
I am baffled at the nascent web applications that are simply creating virtual working spaces, thus enabling users to work seamlessly anywhere they go. Personalization is no longer in the machine you are using (at home, office, or school), but on the Internet, allowing users to carry their persona wherever they go.
Applications such as Netvibes were incredibly impressive; a manifestation of the capabilities of Ajax and how it would transform the Internet experience forever. Yet it took me a while to figure out the purpose of these sites, until just recently, when I came across Schmedley (http://www.schmedley.com/). With a stunning visual interface and incredibly useful and simple widgets, it was almost a replica of my Mac's desktop (with dock, animation effects and all).
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