Comments on: Community is the new IP http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2006/10/10/community-the-new-ip/ My opinions only. I do not represent any organization in this publication. Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:20:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Mike Linksvayer http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2006/10/10/community-the-new-ip/#comment-38768 Mike Linksvayer Wed, 11 Oct 2006 16:19:07 +0000 http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2006/10/10/community-the-new-ip/#comment-38768 Gordon, I agree regarding YT vs GV branding and design, though I love the Google/anti-marketing aesthetic. (Though I think GV design has many problems from any perspective.) Lots of people have pointed out myspace-ugly-as-comfort-affordance, I may have regurgitated that. And I've had the same experience -- GV for lectures, YT for crap. Makes sense to keep them both around. Gordon, I agree regarding YT vs GV branding and design, though I love the Google/anti-marketing aesthetic. (Though I think GV design has many problems from any perspective.) Lots of people have pointed out myspace-ugly-as-comfort-affordance, I may have regurgitated that.

And I’ve had the same experience — GV for lectures, YT for crap. Makes sense to keep them both around.

]]> By: Nonsense communities and sensible communities - newsmotto! http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2006/10/10/community-the-new-ip/#comment-38705 Nonsense communities and sensible communities - newsmotto! Wed, 11 Oct 2006 13:07:59 +0000 http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2006/10/10/community-the-new-ip/#comment-38705 [...] Mike Linksvayer writes that “Community is the new IP” and comments on the value of a community. He quotes an interesting piece by Tim Lee: YouTube is an innovative company that secured several millions of dollars in venture capital and used it to create a billion-dollar company in less than a year. Yet as far as I know, strong IP rights have not been an important part of YouTube’s strategy. They don’t appear to have received any patents, and their software interface has been widely copied. Indeed, Google has been in the video-download business longer than YouTube, and their engineers could easily have replicated any YouTube functionality they felt was superior to Google’s own product. … Like all businesses, most of the value in technology startups lies in strong relationships among people, not from technology, as such. Technological change renders new technologies obsolete very quickly. But a brilliant team of engineers, visionary management, and a loyal base of users are assets that will pay dividends for years to come. That’s why Google was willing to pay a billion bucks for YouTube. [...] [...] Mike Linksvayer writes that “Community is the new IP” and comments on the value of a community. He quotes an interesting piece by Tim Lee: YouTube is an innovative company that secured several millions of dollars in venture capital and used it to create a billion-dollar company in less than a year. Yet as far as I know, strong IP rights have not been an important part of YouTube’s strategy. They don’t appear to have received any patents, and their software interface has been widely copied. Indeed, Google has been in the video-download business longer than YouTube, and their engineers could easily have replicated any YouTube functionality they felt was superior to Google’s own product. … Like all businesses, most of the value in technology startups lies in strong relationships among people, not from technology, as such. Technological change renders new technologies obsolete very quickly. But a brilliant team of engineers, visionary management, and a loyal base of users are assets that will pay dividends for years to come. That’s why Google was willing to pay a billion bucks for YouTube. [...]

]]> By: Gordon Mohr http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2006/10/10/community-the-new-ip/#comment-38599 Gordon Mohr Wed, 11 Oct 2006 07:19:35 +0000 http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2006/10/10/community-the-new-ip/#comment-38599 GV may yet survive as (1) the search portal to content at many other sites including YT, capitalizing on its Google brand/functionality; or (2) home for more staid content: educational, documentary, travel.consumer, etc. movies. In my experience, the times I've been referred to GV have usually been for things like lectures. When referred to YT, it's usually for funny/musical/mashup clips. GV may yet survive as (1) the search portal to content at many other sites including YT, capitalizing on its Google brand/functionality; or (2) home for more staid content: educational, documentary, travel.consumer, etc. movies.

In my experience, the times I’ve been referred to GV have usually been for things like lectures. When referred to YT, it’s usually for funny/musical/mashup clips.

]]> By: Gordon Mohr http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2006/10/10/community-the-new-ip/#comment-38597 Gordon Mohr Wed, 11 Oct 2006 07:16:03 +0000 http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2006/10/10/community-the-new-ip/#comment-38597 Fed by their community and community features, YouTube built a killer brand: fun, edgy, slightly underground, young. They're synonymous with easy-to-upload, easy-to-watch, and entertaining video. The name is perfect. The UI is *almost* too busy but as you note great for social discovery. Google Video could use more of that 'busy'. But even if they had duplicated YT social features, their name/pedigree was a handicap. 'Google' means utilitarian search, and Google's UI aesthetic is spartan and functional. As I recall you once noting, 'ugly' (as in MySpace) can actually be more inviting to participants who may feel their own work isn't sleek. (See also: Markus of plentyOfFish asking <a href="http://plentyoffish.wordpress.com/2006/06/04/are-designers-clued-in/" rel="nofollow">Are Designers Clued In?</a>.) Fed by their community and community features, YouTube built a killer brand: fun, edgy, slightly underground, young. They’re synonymous with easy-to-upload, easy-to-watch, and entertaining video.

The name is perfect. The UI is *almost* too busy but as you note great for social discovery.

Google Video could use more of that ‘busy’. But even if they had duplicated YT social features, their name/pedigree was a handicap. ‘Google’ means utilitarian search, and Google’s UI aesthetic is spartan and functional. As I recall you once noting, ‘ugly’ (as in MySpace) can actually be more inviting to participants who may feel their own work isn’t sleek. (See also: Markus of plentyOfFish asking Are Designers Clued In?.)

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