Matt Cutts Defends Google Docs, Hulu Posts Profit, LinkedIn Updates, InteractAd, Infoaxe - Free Line 11/18/08

On the last action-packed edition of the Free Line, we reported on a survey that claimed that Google Docs had only a 1% share of the market. Those findings are now being called into question by self-described “GoogleGuy“  Matt Cutts. According to Cutts, one cannot get an accurate reading from “just” 2,400 users. He also suggests that the “cash and prizes” motif of the ClickStream polls lends itself more to casual users than to hardcore techs. Cutts then brings up Wakoopa, a voluntary data tracking app that is targeted to more “tech-savvy” users. In the Wakoopa findings, Google Docs has a 5% share. “Google Docs is clearly the underdog in this area. But I’ve talked before about how Google’s tech-savvy user base can skew usage metrics,” he writes. “It would be a shame if people read the ClickStream Technologies press release and failed to consider some of the additional factors in estimating market share.”

Turning to the “video” end of things for a moment, it seems as if Hulu is turning out to be more profitable than was once suspected. The site, which provides users with “professional” content from the likes of NBC/Universial and Fox, is expected to rake in about $70 million by the end of 2008. By comparison, current video leader YouTube is on track to breaking the $100 million mark in revenue. While Hulu might be posting better than expected earnings, it still does not match the popularity of other sites. According to a recent poll conducted by Neilsen, Hulu gets around six million users a month — a far cry from YouTube’s 83 million.

Elsewhere, LinkedIn has contracted a case of “upgrade fever.” The business-centric social networking site has officially added a few tools designed to make profiles and address books play nicely with each other. Users can now both access and edit contact information directly from their profile page. A “view contacts” link has been added as well. The LinkedIn team also added the ability to easily share and discuss news within their user groups. The updates, which are being billed as the “first of many,” are live and available now to all users.

In other news, advertisements on social networking sites are about to become much more … well, social, thanks to InteractAd. Run by advertising heavyweight ONEsite, InteractAd is platform designed to get users as involved with the ads as possible, using a combination of data tracking, viral media releases, and profile pages. Advertisers can also easily follow the success (or lack thereof) of their campaign, and also elicit opinions on how they can improve things. Although it’s not exactly “free,” InteractAd is perfect for anyone who is looking to jump headlong into the “next wave” of advertising.

Finally, we have Infoaxe. Infoaxe is a social service designed to make your web browsing habits a distinctly social affair. Unlike the previously mentioned Timelope, Infoaxe doesn’t go digging through your history folder. Instead, it utilizes an Internet Explorer and Firefox compatible toolbar to record what the sevice calls your “web memory.” You can then do a variety of things with your newly found memory, including search the web, organize your Delicious account, and share it with the masses. Despite the originality of the service, many within the industry question the need for such a service. Infoaxe is currently up and running.

No comments yet. Be the first.

Leave a reply

*email address will be kept confidential


Close
E-mail It