Bookmarks of the Week: 2/5

I thought I'd try something new this Friday and share some of the stories and interesting tid-bits I've gathered from the web in the last few days. Who knows, maybe it'll become a regular feature...

online communities:

Community managers must be scratching their heads. Endgadget turned off website comments on Tuesday in an effort to stop the bickering and "threatening" conversations that have been taking place lately. Isn't this exactly why companies are scared to open up their communication channels to the public? Where is the wisdom of the crowds when your pages play host to hateful comments? Is negative talk in the comments even a reflection of Endgadget or other companies that experience this?

Speaking of online comments and forum posts, you may have seen the hub-bub comparing Australia to China. What's that all about? Well, Australia had a law that went into effect on January 6th stating that during election periods, no one could publish anonymous commentary regarding candidates or political parties. The law excluded online newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals written by real journalists. It was a direct attack against bloggers and commenters. Ouch. There was such a backlash that the Premier has promised to retroactively reverse the law.

technology:

Brian Herzog over at Swiss Army Librarian wrote about the RedLaser app for the iPhone. This handy app scans barcodes and lets users compare prices with Google product search. What's even cooler about this is that you can build your own little database to scan any websites that you want to for pricing and availability. Herzog, who works in a library, focused on the book trade. With RedLaser, you can browse bookstores and then search for the lowest price, or, using the build your own database feature, even see if it is available at your library. Super cool!

looking to the future:

It's always good to keep your eye on the next big thing. Dave McClure spat out a crazy, curse-laden blog post on February 1st that covered a couple of interesting things. First, he outlines a history of the internet and its development around acquisition and Google dominance. McClure thinks that this model is going to be outdated soon. Instead, we will be paying for content! Nooooo, I don't want to pay. Okay, I will pay for some content, but not a lot, especially if the alternative is not having quality news. What does this mean for internet marketers and PPC? I'm not even going to get into the philosophical implications of requiring payment for information...

McClure also explores the problems with passwords (paying for content will require ID walls) and says that frequent use sites will do better at the new subscription model. Another simple answer to this problem is the rise in Facebook Connect, Google Gmail, and other logins that work across the nets. I love it when smart people share their thoughts on the internet's future, but it hurts me wee brain.

In my own future I see chicken wings, beer, and the Colts winning the big game.