» The New Firefox Cookie Policy Web Policy

The key point here is most analytics are used by publishers to show readership numbers, most advertising networks are used as a revenue source and unclicked social widgets are used to promote content.

So is this the death of the web as we know it?

Beta versions of the Firefox browser will limit tracking by ad networks. Safari has long done the same, but Safari desktop market share is about 8%, Firefox has around 20% of the browser share, creating a serious dent in the ability of ad companies to track and therefore monetise consumers.

Without advertising revenues, accurate visitor numbers or promotional opportunities many website would struggle I feel. Anyway read more below and at the original article.

 

“If a user does not seem to have intentionally interacted with your content, or if you’re uncertain, you should ask for permission before setting cookies. Most analytics services, advertising networks, and unclicked social widgets would come within this category.

In sum, working around the policy’s technical limits may be reasonable in certain cases, but undermining the policy’s privacy purpose is never acceptable.”

via » The New Firefox Cookie Policy Web Policy. Also worth reading the Mozilla blog post.

Freakonomics » An Economist on the Oscars

“We don’t think our customers are smart enough to tell us which of our products are good. So we created a ceremony to correct our customers.”

Movies are not a product made just for the members the academy. These ventures are primarily made for the general public. And yet, when it comes time to decide which picture is “best,” the opinion of the general public seems to be ignored. Essentially the Oscars are an industry statement to their customers that says: “We don’t think our customers are smart enough to tell us which of our products are good. So we created a ceremony to correct our customers.”
The Oscars are hardly alone in the entertainment industry. We see something similar in the sports industry. The fans are not generally asked to choose the “best” player in each sport. Instead, experts (i.e. sports writers) often tell us who is the “Most Valuable Player,” who is an “All-Star,” or who is worthy of the Hall of Fame.

However, what if we asked the customers?

via Freakonomics » An Economist on the Oscars.

Brands Brace for Deluge of New Domains in April | Adweek

In the last few weeks, the Association of National Advertisers and more than 60 companies, including Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, Time Warner, Microsoft and General Mills, have sent comments to Icann that call for a limited preventative registration (LPR). For a fee, the LPR would enable companies to block registration of their trademarks across all Internet domain registries.

via Brands Brace for Deluge of New Domains in April | Adweek.

 

Sadly it isn’t in ICANN’s interests to allow brands to limit their costs and when all the new domains come into force it’s going to be  a return to cyber squatting and the like.

Ikea Wins Valentine’s Day With Offer of Free Crib—Nine Months From Now | Adweek

Ikea Australia has done the maths (or has it?) and come up with an amusing Valentine’s Day offer—a free crib for babies born nine months from today. You’ll have to clip out the voucher and keep it in a safe place for those nine months, and also provide proof of birth (whatever that means). The coupon also notes, “Delivery not included.” That, of course, is the mom’s job.

Happy VD

via Ikea Wins Valentine’s Day With Offer of Free Crib—Nine Months From Now | Adweek.

Facebook to Make Targeted Ads More Transparent For Users | Digital – Advertising Age

Finally FB agrees to use the AdChoices icon.

Facebook is about to get more transparent in the way it targets advertising at its users.

The social network has agreed to start displaying the little blue “AdChoices” icon on its display ads served through its FBX ad exchange after months of public and private complaints from ad agencies and advertisers.Facebooks AdChoices icon

The icon — intended to provide enhanced notice of behavioral targeting and allow users to opt-out — will look the same as the one seen across the web, with one big caveat. Rather than appearing directly on FBX display ads, the symbol will show up only when users mouse over the gray “x” displayed above the ads shown on Facebooks right rail.

via Facebook to Make Targeted Ads More Transparent For Users | Digital – Advertising Age.

Online Food Ordering Startup Delivery Hero Fully Acquires Hungryhouse

The online food ordering market has become even more competitive after Berlin startup Delivery Hero announced it has fully acquired UK-based firm Hungryhouse, as well as purchasing smaller UK player EatitNow.co.uk, and putting pressure on its major rival Just Eat in the UK and across the world.

The deal comes after Delivery Hero acquired a ‘controlling interest’ in Germany’s Lieferheld and a ‘pivotal’ stake in Hungryhouse in March 2012, adding its resources to the UK brand and allowing it to triple the size of its business with more than £6 million in sales across 11,000 restaurants every month.

“We believe there is still a lot of growth potential left in this business, and so we re- invested 98% of the purchase price of our shares into Delivery Hero,” says hungryhouse Co- Founder Tony Charles. “We had always planned to make an exit, but the opportunity to continue the Delivery Hero success story was too much fun to turn down!”

via Online Food Ordering Startup Delivery Hero Fully Acquires Hungryhouse.

Support the Stonewall – Hold your peace campaign

If you are an advocate of equality (and let’s face it why wouldn’t you be?) then you should support the @StonewallUK campaign for #equalmarriage  – check out their campaign at Stonewall or if you are too lazy then here are bullet points!

On Tuesday 5 February 2013 MPs will vote on the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill which will extend the legal form of marriage to same-sex couples. This is the first key parliamentary step towards securing marriage equality in England and Wales.

Speak now, or forever hold your peace.

Write to your MP

Please write to your MP to let them know why you support marriage equality. If you hear back from your MP don’t forget to let them know by emailing [email protected]

You can find out who your MP is and how to contact them here.

Tweet your MP

Tweet your local MP to let them know you support #EqualMarriage.

You can find out if your MP uses Twitter here. If you hear from your MP via Twitter then again let Stonewall know by tweeting them at @stonewalluk.

And don’t forget that you can also share one of their fantastic e-postcards with them!

Show your support for equality online

Stonewall have a huge selection of Twitter and Facebook profile pictures, Facebook banners and e-postcards that you can share online.  Make sure your friends and family know that you’ve said ‘I Do’ to equal marriage. Check them out at the stonewall website http://www.stonewall.org.uk/

Donate

Your donation will help Stonewall tackle this very well-funded campaign against equality and help us continue to push for the extension of the legal form of marriage to same-sex couples.

Become a Friend of Stonewall

Stonewall will be campaigning hard over the coming months to ensure that MPs and members of the House of Lords support this final modest measure of legislative equality.

They need your help to do this. You can become a Friend of Stonewall by donating just £5 a month.

Follow Stonewall

And don’t forget to follow Stonewall on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date with the campaign – tweet about the campaign using #equalmarriage.

via Stonewall.

Oh, those crazy Frenchies: Facebook faces family photo tax in France • The Register

Facebook should pay the French government for hosting the holiday photos and status updates of the French people, a new report commissioned by the French government has suggested.

The new 200-page report* on taxing the digital economy – commissioned by four French Cabinet Ministers – proposes that France should tax data collection. The touted idea would see new tax bills from the French government landing on Google, Facebook, Amazon and any other web companies that store data about their French users.

via Oh, those crazy Frenchies: Facebook faces family photo tax in France • The Register.

Who needs dating sites now you have Facebook Graph Search?

“Single women who live nearby and who are interested in men and like Getting Drunk”

Actual Facebook Graph Searches: “Single women who live nearby and who are….

Apps providing spin-off opportunities for popular magazine brands | Technology | guardian.co.uk

A great article on how some publishers are looking to bespoke apps and experiences to monetise mobile rather than replicating the magazine format on tablets and mobile.

… a new app released by Dennis Publishing’s male health mag aims to change that, although it’s no digital replica. Men’s Fitness Cover Model Body Plan is a spin-off: a £1.49 paid app offering workout plans promising “you’re just four weeks away from a physique worthy of the cover”.

While I mull the prospect of a “V-shaped torso” by Springtime, the app’s release also made me think about the market for these kinds of spin-off apps for magazine publishers, as they slice and dice their archives of articles and photography in new ways for smartphones and tablets.

Much of the focus on magazines and apps has been on the replica editions, whether offered through aggregators like Zinio, or as standalone apps in the app store newsstands of Apple and Google.

via Apps providing spin-off opportunities for popular magazine brands | Technology | guardian.co.uk.