Twitter launched a number of new features for its website today that allow more companies to embed their content in the site’s right-hand media pane, making the site feel even more “app-like.” Coincidentally enough, while Twitter was making this announcement Google was launching Chrome OS, and talking about all the great apps that users can download from the Chrome store — many of which cost money to download and have features that don’t work fully unless you are using a Chrome browser or the Chrome OS. One is about the web and the other is about apps.
Obviously, Twitter has apps too — it has an iPhone ( aapl) app, an iPad app and an Android app, and may even be working on a Chrome OS app. But the company has also been spending a lot of time and resources on its website and adding new features to it, including the ability to embed Slideshare presentatations, Instagram photos, iTunes links shared via Ping, YouTube videos, Rdio tunes and other multimedia content. The new version of the site (which is still being rolled out to users) even feels app-like in the way content slides out into the media pane. But you don’t have to download it and you don’t have to pay for it.
The features that Google’s Chrome OS apps have to offer are nice as well, and the user interface in many cases is very slick, but they still represent new apps that users have to find and download from a new app store, just as they have to download apps for their iPads or iPhones, or their Android devices. Everyone seems to want to have an app or an app store — even Mozilla is apparently developing one — in part because of the monetization potential that many see, not just from users paying to download the application, but also from in-app purchases or subscriptions or upgrades.
So what happened to just using the Internet and the regular web? The father of the web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, wrote recently in Scientific American about the rise of the walled-garden approach to applications, and his concern about how users are being restricted by proprietary platforms, with limited abilities to link or share content, both of which are at the heart of the web’s power — and he is right to be concerned. In some ways, the web seems to be getting subsumed by a flurry of different platforms and app stores.
One of the powerful things about HTML5, as Google CEO Eric Schmidt noted in his talk following the Chrome OS launch, is that it allows developers to produce rich, interactive websites that look and feel like applications. So why don’t more companies take the approach that Twitter is taking, and develop better websites instead of focusing on building apps for a dozen different stores? Obviously apps have a number of benefits — monetization through downloads being one of them — but there are a ton of benefits to just having a better website as well, and one is that anyone can use it without having to pay for it.
Related GigaOM Pro content (sub req’d):
- Why Google Should Fear the Social Web
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- What We Can Learn From the Guardian’s Open Platform
Aaron Brazell notes, as many have, that it’s amusing to watch the apoplexy aimed at Julian Assange and WikiLeaks for posting stolen classified documents while his co-conspirators in the mainstream press publish them with next to no criticism. But Aaron moves from this to make a more novel argument, namely that Assange is threatening to topple what’s left of the traditional media business model.
he media is on the sideline, their power usurped from this rogue operative with a rogue website. Instead of the New York Times or Washington Post benefitting from the receipt of leaked information as has been the case in their traditional past (see Watergate), an upstart “news organization” is stealing their thunder. Sure the Times and a variety of other media outlets were given the data eventually, but the arbiter of information was no longer them.
While the media wrings their hands over a contrived battle between the morality of publishing leaked, national security documents and preservation of national secrets, the bigger capitalistic battle is happening and that overshadows journalistic sense of responsibility.
The ability to be first is being tainted here. While Wikileaks promises to distribute new information, acting as a benevolent dictator, to news organizations, these news organizations are capitulating their responsibilities simply to make sure they have some crumbs off of Assange’s table.
No one, certainly, is suggesting that news outlets should become a lap-dog, as I have heard toss around, of the government, bowing to their every will and whim. Certainly not, lest we live in a Communist system. However, the media is expected to operate in a suitably responsible way.
In this case, the media knows that they are on the outs. In a last gasp of industry-pride, they have sacrificed themselves in a last-ditch effort to remain relevant. Put in another way, they have come to serve themselves instead of the people they exist to serve.
I’m not sure I agree with either part of this.
WikiLeaks and Newspaper Profits
First, it’s true that the Internet has been killing the old business model based on advertisements in printed copies. And WikiLeaks is to some extent furthering this. But, as it is, WikiLeaks is only important because hundreds of reporters from well established newspapers are sifting through the piles of mostly worthless documents to ferret out what’s interesting and distill it for their readership.
The upshot is that Assange is handing these papers mini-scoops and exciting stories to cover, thus boosting their bottom line. By contrast, I haven’t the foggiest notion of how Assange is making any money off of this.
Now, it’s conceivable that Assange could bypass the Guardian, Times, and others and simply dump them out there for crowdsourcing. Maybe Josh Marshall and the TPM gang or Arianna Huffington’s minions over at HuffPo would do the sorting, instead. But right now, the threat to the mainstream media is minuscule at best.
WikiLeaks and Journalistic Ethics
Is the press here ignoring the real risks of going public with classified documents that could ostensibly cause real harm to their publics? Maybe. Then again, this is hardly the first time. Leaks are the bread and butter of scoop journalism and they have been for some time.
Further, it appears — granted, we have nothing to go on but the publishers’ own accounts of the process — that the newspapers in question actually took the risks seriously, carefully vetting the information before going to press. The NYT, especially, seemed to bend over backwards to get commentary from the US Government and to pass along any objections and their own redactions to other papers who’d received the dumps.
Beyond that, once Assange made the documents publicly available on the Internet, the only thing the editors would have achieved by refusing to report on what was in them was to lose money. Someone was going to report anything of interest.
Turning full circle, I’d also note that there’s an important distinction between the conduct of the newspapers in question and of the WikiLeaks gang: The former didn’t encourage the commission of crimes by those entrusted to protect America’s secrets and set up an elaborate conspiracy to make doing so easier. Yes, they routinely cultivate sources with access to such information and happily abet legitimate whistleblowers. But they’re not out to create anarchy just for the hell of it.
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bench craft company scam
John Lennon's Final Interview | Rolling Stone Music
On December 5, 1980, three days before he was murdered, John Lennon sat down with Rolling Stone's Jonathan Cott for a nine-hour interview. Select exce...
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News Corp.'s much-hyped, tablet-only newspaper will not launch before the end of the year, the company's chief operating officer said on Wednesday.
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bench craft company scam
John Lennon's Final Interview | Rolling Stone Music
On December 5, 1980, three days before he was murdered, John Lennon sat down with Rolling Stone's Jonathan Cott for a nine-hour interview. Select exce...
<b>News</b> Corp. Tablet Newspaper Won't Launch Before January - Digits - WSJ
News Corp.'s much-hyped, tablet-only newspaper will not launch before the end of the year, the company's chief operating officer said on Wednesday.
Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba
From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.
bench craft company scam
John Lennon's Final Interview | Rolling Stone Music
On December 5, 1980, three days before he was murdered, John Lennon sat down with Rolling Stone's Jonathan Cott for a nine-hour interview. Select exce...
<b>News</b> Corp. Tablet Newspaper Won't Launch Before January - Digits - WSJ
News Corp.'s much-hyped, tablet-only newspaper will not launch before the end of the year, the company's chief operating officer said on Wednesday.
Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba
From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.
bench craft company scam
John Lennon's Final Interview | Rolling Stone Music
On December 5, 1980, three days before he was murdered, John Lennon sat down with Rolling Stone's Jonathan Cott for a nine-hour interview. Select exce...
<b>News</b> Corp. Tablet Newspaper Won't Launch Before January - Digits - WSJ
News Corp.'s much-hyped, tablet-only newspaper will not launch before the end of the year, the company's chief operating officer said on Wednesday.
Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba
From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.
bench craft company scam
John Lennon's Final Interview | Rolling Stone Music
On December 5, 1980, three days before he was murdered, John Lennon sat down with Rolling Stone's Jonathan Cott for a nine-hour interview. Select exce...
<b>News</b> Corp. Tablet Newspaper Won't Launch Before January - Digits - WSJ
News Corp.'s much-hyped, tablet-only newspaper will not launch before the end of the year, the company's chief operating officer said on Wednesday.
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From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.
bench craft company scam
John Lennon's Final Interview | Rolling Stone Music
On December 5, 1980, three days before he was murdered, John Lennon sat down with Rolling Stone's Jonathan Cott for a nine-hour interview. Select exce...
<b>News</b> Corp. Tablet Newspaper Won't Launch Before January - Digits - WSJ
News Corp.'s much-hyped, tablet-only newspaper will not launch before the end of the year, the company's chief operating officer said on Wednesday.
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From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.
bench craft company scam
John Lennon's Final Interview | Rolling Stone Music
On December 5, 1980, three days before he was murdered, John Lennon sat down with Rolling Stone's Jonathan Cott for a nine-hour interview. Select exce...
<b>News</b> Corp. Tablet Newspaper Won't Launch Before January - Digits - WSJ
News Corp.'s much-hyped, tablet-only newspaper will not launch before the end of the year, the company's chief operating officer said on Wednesday.
Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba
From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.
bench craft company scam
John Lennon's Final Interview | Rolling Stone Music
On December 5, 1980, three days before he was murdered, John Lennon sat down with Rolling Stone's Jonathan Cott for a nine-hour interview. Select exce...
<b>News</b> Corp. Tablet Newspaper Won't Launch Before January - Digits - WSJ
News Corp.'s much-hyped, tablet-only newspaper will not launch before the end of the year, the company's chief operating officer said on Wednesday.
Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba
From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.
bench craft company scam
John Lennon's Final Interview | Rolling Stone Music
On December 5, 1980, three days before he was murdered, John Lennon sat down with Rolling Stone's Jonathan Cott for a nine-hour interview. Select exce...
<b>News</b> Corp. Tablet Newspaper Won't Launch Before January - Digits - WSJ
News Corp.'s much-hyped, tablet-only newspaper will not launch before the end of the year, the company's chief operating officer said on Wednesday.
Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba
From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.
bench craft company scam
John Lennon's Final Interview | Rolling Stone Music
On December 5, 1980, three days before he was murdered, John Lennon sat down with Rolling Stone's Jonathan Cott for a nine-hour interview. Select exce...
<b>News</b> Corp. Tablet Newspaper Won't Launch Before January - Digits - WSJ
News Corp.'s much-hyped, tablet-only newspaper will not launch before the end of the year, the company's chief operating officer said on Wednesday.
Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba
From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.
bench craft company scam
John Lennon's Final Interview | Rolling Stone Music
On December 5, 1980, three days before he was murdered, John Lennon sat down with Rolling Stone's Jonathan Cott for a nine-hour interview. Select exce...
<b>News</b> Corp. Tablet Newspaper Won't Launch Before January - Digits - WSJ
News Corp.'s much-hyped, tablet-only newspaper will not launch before the end of the year, the company's chief operating officer said on Wednesday.
Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba
From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.
bench craft company scam
John Lennon's Final Interview | Rolling Stone Music
On December 5, 1980, three days before he was murdered, John Lennon sat down with Rolling Stone's Jonathan Cott for a nine-hour interview. Select exce...
<b>News</b> Corp. Tablet Newspaper Won't Launch Before January - Digits - WSJ
News Corp.'s much-hyped, tablet-only newspaper will not launch before the end of the year, the company's chief operating officer said on Wednesday.
Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba
From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.
bench craft company scam
John Lennon's Final Interview | Rolling Stone Music
On December 5, 1980, three days before he was murdered, John Lennon sat down with Rolling Stone's Jonathan Cott for a nine-hour interview. Select exce...
<b>News</b> Corp. Tablet Newspaper Won't Launch Before January - Digits - WSJ
News Corp.'s much-hyped, tablet-only newspaper will not launch before the end of the year, the company's chief operating officer said on Wednesday.
Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba
From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.
bench craft company scam
John Lennon's Final Interview | Rolling Stone Music
On December 5, 1980, three days before he was murdered, John Lennon sat down with Rolling Stone's Jonathan Cott for a nine-hour interview. Select exce...
<b>News</b> Corp. Tablet Newspaper Won't Launch Before January - Digits - WSJ
News Corp.'s much-hyped, tablet-only newspaper will not launch before the end of the year, the company's chief operating officer said on Wednesday.
Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba
From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.
bench craft company scam
John Lennon's Final Interview | Rolling Stone Music
On December 5, 1980, three days before he was murdered, John Lennon sat down with Rolling Stone's Jonathan Cott for a nine-hour interview. Select exce...
<b>News</b> Corp. Tablet Newspaper Won't Launch Before January - Digits - WSJ
News Corp.'s much-hyped, tablet-only newspaper will not launch before the end of the year, the company's chief operating officer said on Wednesday.
Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba
From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.
bench craft company scam
John Lennon's Final Interview | Rolling Stone Music
On December 5, 1980, three days before he was murdered, John Lennon sat down with Rolling Stone's Jonathan Cott for a nine-hour interview. Select exce...
<b>News</b> Corp. Tablet Newspaper Won't Launch Before January - Digits - WSJ
News Corp.'s much-hyped, tablet-only newspaper will not launch before the end of the year, the company's chief operating officer said on Wednesday.
Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba
From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.
bench craft company scam
John Lennon's Final Interview | Rolling Stone Music
On December 5, 1980, three days before he was murdered, John Lennon sat down with Rolling Stone's Jonathan Cott for a nine-hour interview. Select exce...
<b>News</b> Corp. Tablet Newspaper Won't Launch Before January - Digits - WSJ
News Corp.'s much-hyped, tablet-only newspaper will not launch before the end of the year, the company's chief operating officer said on Wednesday.
Small Business <b>News</b>: The Small Business Samba
From the slow dance Republicans and Democrats have been doing in Washington the last few weeks over tax cuts and jobless benefit extensions approved earlier.
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