Also: Google investigated over DoubleClick deal | Huffington Post | iPhone in the wild | IPC's homes site | Facebook distraction
UK publishing has to be more entrepreneurial in spirit and less afraid of ventures failing, according to Index partner Saul Klein.
Speaking to a board meeting at the UK's Association of Online Publishers on Thursday, Klein said said that few online businesses have great success without failures.
"Failure plays a key part in evolving vibrant entrepreneurial communities. The US has embraced this idea better than Europe, though there are now definitely more great online entrepreneurs coming out of the UK."
It's very interesting that the AOP chose to invite a tech entrepreneur to its board meeting, and reflects the amount of buzz around the current UK tech scene. The idea, presumably, was that some of that would rub off.
Klein also warned the gathered publishing execs about bolting on stuff like social networks: why start a new one when it might make more sense to partner with an existing community?
If the alternative is buying up a suitable service, make sure that investment solves a problem that customers already have. He referred to Stardoll (the slightly terrifying Index-funded virtual doll site) and said that although Index backed it because it fulfilled a unique demand, it was only later that its lucrative revenue of selling virtual accessories emerged.
In this new, vest landscape of syndicated content, publishers have the advantage of an existing, extensive infrastructure of their branded content, said Klein.
His last tip was on languages, citing Skype, another Index-backed company. The service had 45m users before launching in the US, so multiple language versions was a key part of that success.
"No home market is big enough anymore." (AOP)
Google investigated over DoubleClick deal
Google is being investigated by the Federal Trade Commission in the US, according to the New York Times, over its proposed $3.1bn acquisition of online ad company Doubleclick.
The FTC began a preliminary antitrust investigation last week, triggered by industry concerns about the size of the deal and the merger of two major specialist services.
Antitrust investigations are shared by either the FTC or the Justice Department, but privacy campaigners have said it is significant that the FTC is handling this enquiry as it is also the agency that monitors issues around online privacy. Jeff Chester of the Center for Digital Democracy said control of our personal information rests with a few powerful gatekeepers led by Google, and that the deal could have lasting implications.
Google, meanwhile is confident that the deal would be approved. (New York Times)
Huffington Post expansion
The Huffington Post has had a refresh as it gears up for expanded coverage of the US Presidential election next year. Five new sections, each with their own front page, have been added to cover media, business, entertainment and a lifestyle section called "Living Now. A new politics section will highlight the site's much-trumpeted "real reporting" of the election, as well as shared content in a deal with Talking Points Memo. (Huffington Post)
iPhone in the wild
The US is weeks away from the launch of Apple's iPhone. hence frenzied anticipation in the style of the GeekNUZ blogger who spotted an Apple rep using one "in the wild". If you can actually see the iPhone in his rather shy photos, you win a prize. (GeekNUZ)
IPC's hew homes site
IPC has launched an interior design website at housetohome.co.uk which will include gallery of "inspiration rooms", decorating toolkit, product finder and a personal scrapbook tool. The site is edited by Ideal Home editor Isobel McKenzie-Price. (housetohome.co.uk)
Facebook distraction
Love it or hate it, the Guardian is well represented on Facebook's groups:
• Haters of the Guardian "Newspaper" - 39 members
• Guardian Readers - 165 members
• Guardian Readers Society - 61 members
(I'm not quite sure why there seem to be two groups for Guardian readers, but it might be a kind of Judean Peoples' Front situation...)
• Guardian wall charts lighten up both my lounge and my life! - 9 members
• If the Guardian says it, it must be true! - 3 members
• I read the Guardian/the Observer and am not a snob - 93 members
All good fun. I also noticed:
• I read the Daily Telegraph therefore I am smarter and superior to you - 35 members
• I fucking hate Piers Morgan - 56 members
• I used to think Piers Morgan was a prat but I have changed my mind - 14 members
• Piers Morgan is my hero - 15 members
More suggestions welcome...
