Comments on: Reasonable performance expectations for free Web 2.0 services http://broadcasting-brain.com/2008/06/09/reasonable-expectations-free-web-services/ Communication, social media, and technology from small places to big places by Mark Dykeman Fri, 21 Nov 2008 04:50:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Web 2.0 - Prepare For Epic Fail? | Fog of Eternity | Website design and discussion http://broadcasting-brain.com/2008/06/09/reasonable-expectations-free-web-services/#comment-2423 Web 2.0 - Prepare For Epic Fail? | Fog of Eternity | Website design and discussion Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:31:30 +0000 http://broadcasting-brain.com/?p=675#comment-2423 [...] no practical way for most of these sites and services to charge. They’ve created an expectation that they will be provided for free. The quickest way to kill their user base will be to charge, with the exception of some niche sites [...] [...] no practical way for most of these sites and services to charge. They’ve created an expectation that they will be provided for free. The quickest way to kill their user base will be to charge, with the exception of some niche sites [...]

]]> By: sammysunshine http://broadcasting-brain.com/2008/06/09/reasonable-expectations-free-web-services/#comment-2415 sammysunshine Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:54:21 +0000 http://broadcasting-brain.com/?p=675#comment-2415 I have to just stand up and applaud here. I went to read Mark Evan's post as well.(Excellent!) I am so completely sick of the web 2.0 whining. It's free, for Pete's sake, they never promised a rose garden or anything. If I am being quite honest, the sarky tech snobbery and whining are two of the major things that have kinda put me off Twitter. I still post there but, the sark factor gets monotonous after awhile. I have to just stand up and applaud here. I went to read Mark Evan’s post as well.(Excellent!) I am so completely sick of the web 2.0 whining. It’s free, for Pete’s sake, they never promised a rose garden or anything. If I am being quite honest, the sarky tech snobbery and whining are two of the major things that have kinda put me off Twitter. I still post there but, the sark factor gets monotonous after awhile.

]]> By: Julian Baldwin http://broadcasting-brain.com/2008/06/09/reasonable-expectations-free-web-services/#comment-2414 Julian Baldwin Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:53:01 +0000 http://broadcasting-brain.com/?p=675#comment-2414 @Mark I think we should expect what the service claims they can do for us. If they guarantee 97% uptime, because it's free we accept it. If they undershoot their estimate by a significant % then they need to readily admit what their new guarantee is and why the last one fell through. Better communication and predicted availability would help, users assume 100%. Check out <a href="http://julianbaldwin.com/blog/2008/06/08/google-we-need-your-help-to-lower-gas-prices/" rel="nofollow">Google, We Need Your Help To Lower Gas Prices</a> from Julian Baldwin @Mark

I think we should expect what the service claims they can do for us. If they guarantee 97% uptime, because it’s free we accept it. If they undershoot their estimate by a significant % then they need to readily admit what their new guarantee is and why the last one fell through. Better communication and predicted availability would help, users assume 100%.

Check out Google, We Need Your Help To Lower Gas Prices from Julian Baldwin

]]> By: Michael Martine | Remarkablogger http://broadcasting-brain.com/2008/06/09/reasonable-expectations-free-web-services/#comment-2412 Michael Martine | Remarkablogger Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:32:02 +0000 http://broadcasting-brain.com/?p=675#comment-2412 @Mark - more like discussing, really. Debate sounds too much to me like argument. ;) Check out <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/michaelmartine/ymYs/~3/307973058/" rel="nofollow">Should You Squidoo?</a> from Michael Martine | Remarkablogger @Mark - more like discussing, really. Debate sounds too much to me like argument. ;)
Check out Should You Squidoo? from Michael Martine | Remarkablogger

]]> By: markdykeman http://broadcasting-brain.com/2008/06/09/reasonable-expectations-free-web-services/#comment-2411 markdykeman Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:09:59 +0000 http://broadcasting-brain.com/?p=675#comment-2411 @Michael, @Robin - this is so cool, you guys are actually debating here! I almost didn't leave this comment for fear of breaking the train of conversation. Woot! @Michael, @Robin - this is so cool, you guys are actually debating here! I almost didn’t leave this comment for fear of breaking the train of conversation. Woot!

]]> By: Michael Martine | Remarkablogger http://broadcasting-brain.com/2008/06/09/reasonable-expectations-free-web-services/#comment-2410 Michael Martine | Remarkablogger Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:58:27 +0000 http://broadcasting-brain.com/?p=675#comment-2410 @Robin - I see much more caution this time around. For many of the new breed of services we're now used to, their business model was in place from the beginning and is solid (Twitter knows more than they're telling). I guess I just don't see it as a boom, but as normal tech growth, which should be expected to grow faster than other economic sectors. My bet is that there is no bubble, and that there will be no pop. But time will tell. :) Check out <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/michaelmartine/ymYs/~3/307973058/" rel="nofollow">Should You Squidoo?</a> from Michael Martine | Remarkablogger @Robin - I see much more caution this time around. For many of the new breed of services we’re now used to, their business model was in place from the beginning and is solid (Twitter knows more than they’re telling). I guess I just don’t see it as a boom, but as normal tech growth, which should be expected to grow faster than other economic sectors. My bet is that there is no bubble, and that there will be no pop. But time will tell. :)
Check out Should You Squidoo? from Michael Martine | Remarkablogger

]]> By: Robin Cannon http://broadcasting-brain.com/2008/06/09/reasonable-expectations-free-web-services/#comment-2408 Robin Cannon Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:22:01 +0000 http://broadcasting-brain.com/?p=675#comment-2408 @Michael - I think the boom mentality is a wider issue for online business as a whole. It seems to me to be a mirror of the original dot com boom, lots of excitement and lots of big numbers, and not enough focus on monetisation and sustainability. The end result will also be the same, a bust and a consolidation. In terms of performance expectations, you kind of prove the point. Regardless of whether you specifically are paying, the fact that the providers of the service have said they are doing fine financially has created an expectation of performance. That's a legitimate expectation given the PR of the free services and their monetisation. Check out <a href="http://www.fogofeternity.com/index.php/2008/06/be-realistic-be-like-internet-explorer/" rel="nofollow">Be Realistic, Be Like Internet Explorer</a> from Robin Cannon @Michael - I think the boom mentality is a wider issue for online business as a whole. It seems to me to be a mirror of the original dot com boom, lots of excitement and lots of big numbers, and not enough focus on monetisation and sustainability. The end result will also be the same, a bust and a consolidation.

In terms of performance expectations, you kind of prove the point. Regardless of whether you specifically are paying, the fact that the providers of the service have said they are doing fine financially has created an expectation of performance. That’s a legitimate expectation given the PR of the free services and their monetisation.

Check out Be Realistic, Be Like Internet Explorer from Robin Cannon

]]> By: Michael Martine | Remarkablogger http://broadcasting-brain.com/2008/06/09/reasonable-expectations-free-web-services/#comment-2406 Michael Martine | Remarkablogger Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:41:48 +0000 http://broadcasting-brain.com/?p=675#comment-2406 @Robin - Ev Williams (one of the founders of Twitter) has said they have plenty of money operate. It's interesting that you see a boom mentality as part of the problem. I find that it makes more things possible because people are more willing to take risks. They are indeed getting paid from somewhere, and they didn't build it to break, so I feel that it's reasonable that we expect it to work. Check out <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/michaelmartine/ymYs/~3/307973058/" rel="nofollow">Should You Squidoo?</a> from Michael Martine | Remarkablogger @Robin - Ev Williams (one of the founders of Twitter) has said they have plenty of money operate. It’s interesting that you see a boom mentality as part of the problem. I find that it makes more things possible because people are more willing to take risks.

They are indeed getting paid from somewhere, and they didn’t build it to break, so I feel that it’s reasonable that we expect it to work.

Check out Should You Squidoo? from Michael Martine | Remarkablogger

]]> By: Robin Cannon http://broadcasting-brain.com/2008/06/09/reasonable-expectations-free-web-services/#comment-2405 Robin Cannon Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:59:39 +0000 http://broadcasting-brain.com/?p=675#comment-2405 I think part of the problem is that we're in that kind of boom-mentality. Many of these free services are talking (or being talked about) in terms of their prospects for monetisation and overall value. Therefore while the service is free people are starting to think about these groups as economically benefitting from providing the service. The fact that the relationship isn't as direct as "I pay you, you give me a service" doesn't seem to matter. I think the idea is that "you're getting paid...from somewhere...so I expect things to work". Check out <a href="http://www.fogofeternity.com/index.php/2008/06/be-realistic-be-like-internet-explorer/" rel="nofollow">Be Realistic, Be Like Internet Explorer</a> from Robin Cannon I think part of the problem is that we’re in that kind of boom-mentality. Many of these free services are talking (or being talked about) in terms of their prospects for monetisation and overall value. Therefore while the service is free people are starting to think about these groups as economically benefitting from providing the service.

The fact that the relationship isn’t as direct as “I pay you, you give me a service” doesn’t seem to matter. I think the idea is that “you’re getting paid…from somewhere…so I expect things to work”.

Check out Be Realistic, Be Like Internet Explorer from Robin Cannon

]]> By: markdykeman http://broadcasting-brain.com/2008/06/09/reasonable-expectations-free-web-services/#comment-2404 markdykeman Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:39:07 +0000 http://broadcasting-brain.com/?p=675#comment-2404 @Julian - nonetheless, would you say that we should be able to expect high availability from these "free" services? @Julian - nonetheless, would you say that we should be able to expect high availability from these “free” services?

]]>