1995: 16 Million People on the Web

In June 1995, there were 23,500 websites. In December 1995, only 16 million people were using the web. Amazon launched. eBay and Craigslist too. Match “dot com” and MSN (then called “The Microsoft Network” that was embedded into Windows95 and its “active desktop”).

211% — The Value of Design

Although it’s a few years old, this one data point still resonates with me. It shows that design-driven…

Content on the Blockchain

The news media are fixated on the Bitcoin Bubble and, typically, missing the real story. Instead, we should look at Blockchain as the spawn of Napster.

After the first wave of file sharing was stymied by the limits of client-server systems, the first wave of…

42% Take a Break from Facebook

Pew Research released findings from a recent study that deserves our attention. This Pew study implies…

[Only…] 66% of US Businesses Use Online Advertising

“Online advertising is also more affordable; White estimates that advertising to 10,000 people via direct mail costs about $5,000. Reaching the same number of consumers on Facebook costs $500 — one-tenth the price of direct mail.” — The…

Down 50% in 2 Years — Facebook Faces a Reckoning

45% Plan to Buy Another Smart Speaker

In my own ethnographic research, I found that many current Amazon Echo owners received their first smart assistant speaker as a gift. At first it was a novelty device. They used it for trivia, Jeopardy and other games, and to stream music.

Content on the Blockchain

The news media are fixated on the Bitcoin Bubble and, typically, missing the real story. Instead, we should look at Blockchain as the spawn of Napster.

After the first wave of file sharing was stymied by the limits of client-server systems, the first wave of…