Month: April 2007

Apparently Google has considerable trouble in regards to the letter D.

First the Dmarc founders left Google.

Now http://www.dodgeball.com/ (dead link 11/2010) founders, Dens Crowley and Alex Rainert (please drop me a note if you read this guys), not only have left Google but they posed for a thumbs down photo that they have posted on Flickr, a Yahoo! property. The photo already has over 26,000 views and appears to have a viral element based on the view count growth, the interesting comments on the Flickr photo and a lot of blogosphere reaction. I’m trying to imagine how frustrated someone must be to post of photo of this nature, announce new project associations and state that they are throwing a party “to celebrate our escape”.

Putting my investment management hat on, I’d like for independent analysts to be allowed on the earning call this Thursday. If allowed to do so, I’d like to ask the following question, “Why is Google having such a hard time with HR and staffing issues, whether it is regarding hiring new employees, retaining pre-IPO employees (see podcast) or integrating acquisitions? Has Laszlo Bock’s background proven not to be the right style of leadership and is it time for a change?” The “all big companies are always ineffective” is a major cop out as there are big companies that are admired and in fact some cases adored.

Ideas on what to do with Dodgeball are everywhere you look. The comments on the Flickr photo are fascinating to read. P.S. When searching for these entries on Google Blog Search I found considerable splog/spam (MFA Made for Adsense) sites – Google should work to solve that issue.

http://spudswebnews.blogspot.com/2007/04/did-dodgeball-even-have-chance.html – Dodgeball Founder Departure – April, 2007 post – Dead link November, 2013

http://www.blogator.com/g/2833510 (dead post 11/2010)

Dodgeball Founder Departure – April, 2007 post

http://www.electrolicious.com/archives/2007/04/did_twitter_kill_it.html (dead post 11/2010)

Dodgeball Founder Departure – April, 2007 post

http://www.yugatech.com/blog/gooooogle/google-bought-and-killed-dodgeball/ Dodgeball Founder Departure – April, 2007 post – dead link 12 /2013

Dodgeball Founder Departure – April, 2007 post

http://mcmanus.typepad.com/grind/2007/04/two_dodgeball_f.html (dead link 11/2010)

“http://topicstop.blogspot.com/2007/04/google-alert-google_1007.html (dead link 11/2010)

Dodgeball Founder Departure – April, 2007 post

“http://ipfreaks.com/dreamscene/?p=2258” (dead post 11/2010)

Dodgeball Founder Departure – April, 2007 post

“http://www.tmesolutions.co.uk/web_design_kent/Marketing+News/2007-04-16/Google+dumped+by+Dodgeball+founders/3800849030” (dead link 11/2010)

Dodgeball Founder Departure – April, 2007 post

http://yummy.vermontconnect.com/cool/dodgeball-founders-leave-google-and-that-leaves-dodgeball-probably-dead/ (dead link 11/2010)

Dodgeball Founder Departure – April, 2007 post

http://google.blogoscoped.cn/?p=417 Dodgeball Founder Departure – April, 2007 post – Dead link November, 2013

Dodgeball Founder Departure – April, 2007 post

http://www.spiceee.com/pensaletes/2007/04/16/dodgeball-founder-quits-google-will-google-kill-the-serviceDodgeball Founder Departure – April, 2007 post – Dead post November, 2013

Dodgeball Founder Departure – April, 2007 post

http://www.teknolife.com/tech-news/disgruntled-dodgeball-founders-leave-google-infoworld/ post removed

Dodgeball Founder Departure – April, 2007 post

http://averageiq.org/dodgeball-founders-google.html – Dodgeball Founder Departure – April, 2007 post – dead link November, 2013

Dodgeball Founder Departure – April, 2007 post

EDIT: November 25th, 2012 – all of the URLs below are no longer active on the web, I’m removing them active link status:

http://youngmanhattanite.com/2007/04/ym-exclusive-dodgeball-founder-leaves.html
http://www.hypersuper.com/article/google-dodgeball-founder-quits-google-will-google-kill-the-service–610415
http://www.wayneporter.com/2007/04/16/dodgeball-knocked-out-by-twitter-google-snacks-on-dclk-is-twitter-next/
http://cellop.com/news/?p=2621
http://www.vecosys.com/2007/04/16/google-google-going-gone/
http://www.kpsforum.com/rss-news/10998-dodgeball-founders-leave-google.html
http://internet.webexpresspro.com/internet-news/disgruntled-dodgeball-founders-leave-google-infoworld
http://www.fixmood.com/dodgeball-founders-crowley-rainert-quit-google-in-frustration/2007/04/16/
http://techfold.com/2007/04/16/exodus-from-dodgeball-googles-growth-working-against-innovation/
http://www.infobong.com/wordpress/2007/04/16/linkdump-for-20070416/
http://pcniche.info/index.php/disgruntled-dodgeball-founders-leave-google/
http://indianinside.info/blog/2007/04/17/dodgeball-founders-quit-google/
http://socialnetworking.knowhow-now.com/blog/2007/04/16/disgruntled-dodgeball-founders-leave-google/
http://www.supermogul.com/2007/04/dodgeball_founders_dodge_veste.php
http://googlified.com/2007dodgeball-founders-leaving-google/
http://www.personalbee.com/227/12457964
http://dodgeball.sport-blog.biz/8626/dodgeball-founders-stop-playing/
http://mobiko.blogs.com/mutant/2007/04/dodgeball_found.html
http://coloradostartups.com/2007/04/16/overheard-at-the-googleplex/
http://ecpm.typepad.com/clickety_clack/2007/04/roundup_tellme_.html
http://www.vidfreeblog.com/2007/04/17/startup-meme-%C2%BB-dodgeball-founders-quit/
http://www.unofficialseoblog.com/2007/04/17/dodgeball-founders-quit-google/

Many times during yesterday’s unfortunate events at Virginia Tech, the problem of many of the people needing communication being in transit was discussed.

Mobile text messages(sms) and potential alerts were mentioned on numerous occasions as something that could have improved communication. While I firmly believe in the potential of mobile search and mobile communication combined with LBS to create increases in quality of life and lift ROI, yesterday also showed some limitations. Chief among these is the fact that there were numerous reports of “not being able to get through on mobile phones for hours”. Put simply, in most places, the mobile networks can’t handle everyone trying to use their phones all at once as they did during the Virginia Tech crisis yesterday and other crisis situations of the past. It appears that increased usage of Internet and mobile search services will tax existing infrastructure to it’s limits in many places and I’ve not seen heavy discussion of this issue or potential solutions.

Bleeding edge mobile technical solutions alone aren’t enough. Reliable networks are a must to make mobile search and mobile communication of the type that could have helped if utilized yesterday a reality. Let us ask the leaders of the mobile operators to make those networks a reality around the world using consistent standards that puts the customer experience first. Let’s start the process of addressing these bottlenecks now before the next crisis or surge in usage of services takes place.

Twitter

Virgina Tech Shooting Tragedy – Potential Mobile Implications

Live.com Search Interview and Some Questions I Still Have

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