Disqus - Latest Comments for MParekh

Re: The Golden Triangle

MParekh — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:29:34 -0000

Yes Aistis, Blackberry/RIMM for mobile/portable, AOL for social and eBay for real-time (auctions) in the '90s

Re: The Golden Triangle

MParekh — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:27:53 -0000

I'd actually suggest "infinite screens and a cloud". We're likely going to surprised how rapidly evolving display technologies and costs will make displays and touch-driven interfaces possible in so many places. The traditional templates of "TV, PC and mobile" are very restrictive, driven by specific use cases of the past.

Re: The Golden Triangle

MParekh — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:23:16 -0000

Excellent point on broadly definining these terms, Tim.

Also important to keep in mind that in many cases these are the same basic ingredients being used in newly tweaked recipes.

AOL in the nineties owed a fair bit of it's mainstream popularity to real-time instant messaging/chat, and eBay 's success was driven by real-time auctions. Of course, the big mobile revolution was Blackberry/RIMM for real-time email.

Re: Quitters

MParekh — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 12:33:22 -0000

Reminds me of the media's focus on AOL's churn during it's growth phase in the late '90s.

Re: What Drives Consumer Adoption Of New Technologies?

MParekh — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:07:53 -0000

Disqus needs to be easier to install, especially on standard blog templates by Typepad et al.
I've wanted to install it on my Typepad blog for months, but I'd need to use Advanced Templates first.

It's Great once it's installed and running though, and as a commenter, it's terrific to be able to log-into it on various blogs, so definitely social and useful there...

They'll still need to work on sexy though :)

Re: Yeah, I ordered the new iPhone 3GS

MParekh — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:27:47 -0000

Upgraded my 3G to 3GS as well with a pre-order...like that Apple/AT&T are offering ability to pre-order online, despite early glitches. Rationalizing it by reminding myself the iPhone is really a mobile computer, and mobile computers, well, they need to be upgraded more frequently than cellphones. :)

Re: Conferences

MParekh — Sun, 31 May 2009 23:49:18 -0000

Lot resonates in your post.
However, would highlight that TED has evolved considerably over the years and is something that's pretty special under the current "curator-ship".
It really helps bring focus on people with ideas that one doesn't traffic in normally in the tech business alone.
Not a regular "Conference" at all.

Re: Only Ten Years Too Early

MParekh — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:23:17 -0000

10 years too early and the current netbooks bundled by wireless carriers in 2 year deals also reminds me when AOL, MSN, et al were bundling PCs w/ PC vendors, with their dial-up access in multi-year deals.

Re: My New Gig

MParekh — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:15:06 -0000

Very cool, Tom, Congratulations.

Re: Financial McCarthyism

MParekh — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:49:22 -0000

Well said!

Re: Financial McCarthyism

MParekh — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:47:09 -0000

Touche!

Re: My Favorite Line From The President's Press Conference Last Night

MParekh — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:36:44 -0000

Not enough Fred. He needs to exhibit leadership and declare clearly that not ALL WALL STREET is bad and evil.
Some bad apples and bad practices need to be fixed no doubt, but the entire industry should not be pilloried and vilified.
If he went on to highlight how our financial industry has contributed immensely to our record of innovation and leadership in the world over so many decades, that'd be a bonus.

Re: Financial McCarthyism

MParekh — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 00:03:26 -0000

Speaking of compensation systems and practices, one also needs to be looking at what's been in place for our political representatives as well as Wall Street.

I'm not referring to just financial compensation and lobby-driven fund-raising for politicians, but also the rewards that political representatives get for short-term actions in terms of public exposure and bragging rights for their next election and/or political position.

What is the equivalent of "Bonuses" for politicians? What is the equivalent of a "clawback" on these publicity bonuses, "earned" for short-term performance on long-term legislation?

Where are our systems where we rate and judge legislation passed by classes of Congress, and compare that to the "bonuses" earned by those politicians in those years in terms of PR windfalls through hearings, and TV interviews?

The sub-prime and CDO debacles didn't happen in a regulatory and legislative vacuum. Nor did they happen without active participation and encouragement by politicians at the national, state and local levels.

Compensation practices need to be reviewed not just for Wall Street, but for Washington as well. And we may as well look at compensation systems for media as well.

What about the bonuses earned in terms of ratings by TV and radio personalities, done for short-term gains vs. long-term interests of the country? Both on the right and the left?

We should be generous in our demands for accountability, and not just restrict it to Wall Street.

Re: Financial McCarthyism

MParekh — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:25:51 -0000

Bill, not sure I follow that logic. The people brought into fix this mess at AIG are different than the ones responsible for the debacle. Those folk are long gone.
Just as the past administration has been replaced by a new one.

Re: Financial McCarthyism

MParekh — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:16:59 -0000

Damon,
Especially since it looks so good on TV!

Anderson Cooper on CNN 360 last night kicked off the whole AIG executive coverage with "Lifestyles of the Rich...", introducing a CNN piece where their reporter accompanied a bus tour organized by groups with an ax to grind. The bus tour visited the houses of AIG executives complete with speeches and letters dropped in mail-boxes. Ironically, these executives had nothing to do with the actions that got AIG into trouble. They were simply hired to fix the problems last year for the largest shareholders, us. None of this was pointed out in the "story".
The people in the tour were out-numbered by reporters by 2-to-1.

The media needs to be held accountable for their role in these matters, just as the politicians do.
The same thing occurred in the months before our going to war in Iraq, with little public discussion of roles played by these constituencies.

Re: Financial McCarthyism

MParekh — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:15:02 -0000

Well said, Nivi.

Re: Financial McCarthyism

MParekh — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:12:13 -0000

Kidmercury,
To quote Winston Churchill:
"The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries. "

Re: Financial McCarthyism

MParekh — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:46:50 -0000

New West Living, you're way off base here, especially in your personal criticism of Fred.

As Americans, we're all capitalists and have a critical stake in the system regardless of what we do for a living.
Name calling and trying to evoke class warfare is precisely what's wrong with this "issue".

The financial irresponsibility of a few is being used for political purposes to drive a wedge between groups of Americans. That's very wrong.

Re: Financial McCarthyism

MParekh — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:39:06 -0000

Thanks Fred for that consideration. Feel strong enough about this issue though to participate in the discussion.

Re: Financial McCarthyism

MParekh — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:33:29 -0000

Harmiclir, regarding your comment: "The original McCarthy used lies, fabrications, fantasy and paranoia to attack large numbers of innocent people for political advantage",
All four of those tools can be found in the Congressional hearing transcripts on AIG and related "Bonusgate" deliberations. Not to mention the various "list" extracting subpoenas being issued by one state AG after another.
The House has gone on to include all TARP recipients in it's bonus tax initiative when most of the public still thinks it's primarily targeted at AIG.
The Senate version goes beyond TARP and starts to look at all bonuses, even if it has nothing to do with AIG.
All of these actions are using the public righteous anger against the original perpetrators of AIG's downfall, most of whom are long gone and had collected their bonuses long ago.
I have friends who work for banks who're being told they're evil AND responsible for the current crisis by fellow passengers on a plane...in coach. And they've had nothing to do with AIG or the subprime mess.
When hundreds of thousands of people in the financial industry are AFRAID to identify where they work, it's similar to the McCarthy era, when thousands of people in Hollywood were afraid, and in many cases utterly unable to work in their field.
We're going down a slippery slope that could lead to that situation. It just needs to be flagged and discussed as early as possible. And hopefully nipped in the bud.

Re: All Mac Household Now

MParekh — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:41:24 -0000

Do you use Outlook in Windows mode on the Mac? Been trying to get my wife to go all Mac, but she's utterly tied to Outlook. Entourage doesn't cut it for her, so Windows in Parallels or Bootcamp only option if I get her to try Mac.

Re: From Blog To Forum

MParekh — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:02:48 -0000

have tried to install disqus a few times, but I use a standard Typepad blog, and it seems to require lot more software tinkering on my part to make it work, and ran into a show-stopper (for me anyway), each time...
will take a look at it again. Thanks.

Re: From Blog To Forum

MParekh — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:21:31 -0000

Good listing of success drivers of the AVC blogs morphing it to a forum in addition to a blog. To the list I'd add your comfort level in being candid with how you feel about things, and laying out your thought process in doing so...tough for most to do, especially since the web is for posterity.

Also, Disqus also an important driver as you note. Separately, hope they're thinking/working about how to bring a comment/forum feel to users on Twitter.

Re: How To Survive A Horrible Seat Assignment

MParekh — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:19:49 -0000

Fred,
The only additional gadget that I've found helps in these kinds of flights is the Amazon Kindle...but a portable LED back-light is essential since I almost always seem to find that only the reading light over my seat doesn't work.

Re: Ten Things I Want On My Mobile Phone

MParekh — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:10:51 -0000

Fred, re: "Shazam for Places", I like "WikiMe" for that type of application...its does Wikipedia searches on your location for popular categories...I've found it to be fairly useful...here's a description link with more info: http://iphone.iusethis.com/app/wikime