Is Yahoo! Determined to Remain a Web 1.0 Company?

Oct 27, 2009

Yahoo! announced in April that it would shut down its free website service, GeoCities, despite the fact that collectively GeoCites websites get over 10 million unique monthly visitors. This week it made good on the promise.

The decision to shut down GeoCities rather than sell it or do something more creative like partner with another business to keep it going is short-sighted, and, in my opinion, sends the message that Yahoo! is willing to put profit before customer satisfaction. It’s probably driven almost completely by the desire to show a profit in the short term. That would explain why the best alternative Yahoo! can come up with is offering GeoCities users its paid hosting service.

There are many other alternatives like WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress that have – without setting out to do so – essentially replaced services like GeoCities.

Someone with vision and initiative at Yahoo! might have gone to a service like WordPress.com to see how they could partner to provide GeoCities users with – at the very least – a smooth transition to another platform or, even better, an arrangement that would let Yahoo! keep a connection with the thousands of apparently satisfied GeoCities users. Instead, they dump out the baby with the bath water hoping to cut their losses. Maybe they think no one will notice.

WordPress, Premium WordPress Themes, and the General Public License (GPL)

Oct 13, 2009

Of the millions of WordPress users, I’d bet that less than 20% understand the significance of the General Public License (GPL), especially when it comes to premium WordPress themes (custom themes that you pay for). I say this with confidence because only recently did I get a clue myself. This is an excellent video made from a series of interviews with WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg.

Matt Mullenweg gives an overview of the GPL and how it benefits WordPress, why WordPress is licensed under the GPL, how the GPL fosters innovation, affects themes and plugins, and creates value. Here is a directory of premium theme authors who support the GPL.

My 5 Favorite "How to Use Twitter for Business" Posts

Oct 8, 2009

The series called “How Not to Use Twitter” is rolling along. I would love your contributions. Meanwhile, on a more positive note, I’ve been thinking about ways to introduce people to Twitter.

Laura Fitton has a new book for “beginners” – which is about 90% of us! Twitter for Dummies.

There are literally thousands of Twitter how-to’s online. Here are my favorites, in no particular order. I’m hoping to get your suggestions about more. Rowse, Brogan, Stelzner, Owyang, Walling of ReadWriteWeb – these are all some of social media’s best and brightest. Definitely follow them in one way or another.

ProBlogger: How to Use Twitter – Tips for Bloggers

Chris Brogan: 50 Ideas on Using Twitter for Business

CopyBlogger: How to Use Twitter to Grow Your Business

ReadWriteWeb: How to Use Twitter for Business: An Official Guide Finally Arrives

Jeremiah Owyang: How I use Twitter, and you?