Can Google+ change the Social Media Landscape?

Did you check out Google’s new social networking service, the Google+ project? This currently invite only service, claimed by the analysts as a direct onslaught on Facebook, can enable users to do much more than what they do on Facebook. The attractive features include:

•  'Circles' enable you to communicate directly with specific groups, and as a result everybody cannot see your updates.
• ‘Hangouts’ allow you to video conference with your friends.
• ‘Sparks’ enable you to discover relevant content identified by Google Search and the Google +1 button.

 There are many more such innovative features. You can check out what Google has posted about it online, or the service demo.

This latest development will likely change the social networking media landscape in a big way. The changes that I foresee happening are:

• As more competitors are entering into the arena, Facebook’s fast pace growth will be hampered and company will definitely try to tie-up with other players or develop more innovative features to keep its users intact.
• With the innovative features in Google+, Google will definitely cut into the Facebook users but to make a major impact it will take time.
• Search will play a major role in the social networking media, and I am sure along with Facebook other players too will try to add this feature.
• Most of the players will offer cloud services for the ease of the users.
•  Instead of broad based communications, group based communications will become more important. Majority of the users are not comfortable allowing everybody to see their updates, nor do they like to be disturbed by everyone’s updates.
• Instant video conferencing (currently offered by Google+) will become an extremely popular feature as users would prefer to talk rather than type/chat.
• Another change that I foresee will be that the social sites will enable video updates just like the way we do text updates currently.
• With social media becoming popular with end users as well as the businesses, it will engulf a major part of our personal and work space.

 There will be many such changes in the arena which will enable us to connect more easily and in the way we want to. It will definitely change the way we communicate and do business.

What’s your take on this?

Gaming Industry-- Free Speech Vs Consumer Protection

You must have heard that the US Supreme Court has recently struck down a California law that would have banned selling "violent" video games to children. The state law that was expected to have lots of repercussions was hailed by the parents as a ‘definite right move’. But it would have impacted the gaming industry as the games were increasingly becoming violent and gory, and would have definitely cut into their profits. 

Like many of you, I am extremely opposed to the children being exposed to the violent games. Various medical reports and child psychiatrists have indicated that these games impact the child’s mind in a bad way.

As a result of this verdict, I see the following trends happening and turning into reality:

• To attract the kids, the games will definitely become more violent and gory.
• The companies will not think much before creating more violent content.
• As the law was turned down, the industry profits will not be impacted and the sales of the video games will definitely keep increasing.

There are a number of negative effects of violent games but instead of simply talking about them, but I would like to propose some steps which will help the industry, allow freedom of expression and also keep the parents/state happy:

• The gaming industry is venturing everywhere, from the CD to the mobile, and is making tons of money. It will be of their interest to keep the violence and gore at an acceptable level. If the consumer goes against the industry, their sales will definitely dip.
• Creating of a content controlling authority will help the industry as well as the consumers.
• Instead of protesting against the content, the parents should keep a tab on the games their children are accessing and should deny the access to adult content.

The gaming industry is on a boom and content creation for the industry is highly lucrative. There are games which not only improve your knowledge but also your reflexes and the games are definitely a great way to pass time. But the industry, consumers and the controlling authority should work together to create a strong ground for the proliferation of the gaming industry with the appropriate content.   

Please do share your thoughts.

Google Wallet-- Freedom to the Way You Shop

You must have heard about the Google Wallet. This android application turns your phone into a wallet by storing virtual versions of your existing plastic cards and forever change the way you shop. To make the payments, you just have to tap your phone on the Google wallet reader, and bingo—you have paid!

This exciting application will definitely change the way we use our money. It will bring in changes which will be the trends of the future. 

• Internet banking is already a reality. Google wallet will enable further inroads and people will bank online more.
• This application in the future will do away with the ATMs and even bank branches to a certain extent. Just imagine the amount of money that the financial intuitions can save by reducing their infrastructure and manpower.
•  E-commerce will be on the high, as more people will hit the online stores.
• It will make cash redundant and the plastic cards obsolete.
• We do not have to run to banks for making demand drafts, money orders etc; we can use our phone to transfer money.
• Banks will no longer be able to dictate us; we (the consumers) will dictate the banks.

 There will definitely be numerous benefits. Feel free to chip in with your thoughts on how this application can change the way we do business.

IT Act's Amendment - Detrimental to the Internet Spirit

A strong IT act can protect as well as the propel the growth of the IT industry. But wrong and confusing rules and regulations can be detrimental to the growth and put the whole industry into turmoil. The current amendment to the Indian IT act though seems to mean well but are sending out wrong signals, as I can gauge from the media reports and response by the industry.

As per the new amendment, Internet companies have to remove objectionable content from their sites, including anything "grossly harmful" or "harassing," within 36 hours of being notified by authorities. If you do not comply, your executives will likely face penalties like stiff fines or jail time.

The buzz around the topic is already heating up the offline as well as online media. Though I support the need for a strong IT Act and cyber laws, but I am bit concerned about the amendment.

• Whereas it makes good sense to remove objectionable content (some companies are already doing it, while some are putting in checks like you cannot access unless you are an adult), but how do you define “objectionable” items? It will be extremely important for the policy makers to define the term in its fullest context.
• At times, the online company might not have the bandwidth to monitor the huge user generated content within the said period of time.  What to do then?
• India being a democratic company, we have the freedom of expression. Why should it be different for the Internet? I believe a free and open Internet is essential for the growth of digital economy and safeguarding freedom of expression.
• How and why should intermediaries be responsible for 3^rd party content?
• The rule is not very concrete and is open for interpretation; political parties can use it to settle scores with their opponents or government and bureaucrats themselves might misuse it for their gains.
• Bloggers and online writers will be hugely impacted as their opinions and viewpoints can be deemed objectionable by the government. How do we ensure that things like this do not happen?
• It will be difficult for multi-national brands to comply with such regulations. How do we customize it? We sure do not want to go into a regulation era and bid the MNCs goodbye.

There are many additional loopholes and issues as pointed out by the industry experts and media. Arbitrary and half-baked rules will be detrimental to the huge strides that the Indian IT industry has made. The need of the hour is to have an IT Act that promotes the IT industry as well as propagates a safe Internet.