I recently stumbled upon news article, which is about a new “web based marketplace where investors and entrepreneurs can make serious investment connections.” I thought this was interesting because it shows the real world applications encompassing many of the things we have been learning about in the past few weeks. Mainly, it shows how the power we have recently been talking about can be applied to some types of businesses such as this one. The basis of this site is very similar to many others, such as ebay and online dating sites. Their function is to be gatekeepers, whether local or not, and match up, or connect two people that have a common goal or interest. They use this inherent power in being a gatekeeper to make money and that is how the website/ business functions. People who use these sites are looking to expand past their own social network into that which they normally couldn’t expand in order to get what they want, whether it be to buy or sell a good, or in this case to invest in companies or even a company looking for investors. This site can create a link which in turn will give both parties what they want, for a small price of course. Many are realizing that this power can be easily tapped through the internet and is a great way to start up a new business, or as in this case expand a business.
In the article it says “Fundability bridges the gap between the fast pace of entrepreneurial startups and the slow and inefficient fundraising process.” This highlights the aim of this new web site, which is to become a gatekeeper for these entrepreneurs who would otherwise have a very difficult time trying to advertise, or expand their network to find people willing to invest, which on their own could take a very long time. Lack of funds drive many startup businesses out of business. The aim is to make it easier to expand their network and thus obtain investors. The web is a powerful tool and many are learning about the power that can be utilized through it, which closely ties to what we have been discussing in lecture recently.
http://www.foxbusiness.com/article/startup-tv-network-
launches-fundability-web-site-connect-entrepreneurs-50_492471_1.html
about www.fundability.com
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=5065558
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/technology/05regulate.html
After today’s discussion of information networks and general breakdown of the internet, I was curious to look at the ongoing battle between the Internet giants Google, Yahoo and Microsoft. During this morning’s lecture we spent some time discussing how the internet was a type of directed network, which included some pages that did not reciprocate the sending of information. Instantly I thought of these corporations and their dominant presence in the internet. These sites serve as perfect examples of “gatekeeper nodes” that we touched on in Week 1. Because of their market share, they control the vast majority of internet navigation and communication.
As noted in the economist article above, the battle between these sites started to heat up in 2005. Google clearly has been in the driver’s seat for the past year, being the most visited site on the internet. In an effort to catch up, Microsoft had planned to merge with Yahoo so they could take on their rival. This plan is briefly outlined in the Times story listed above. The plans for the historic merger went awry when Yahoo refused the offer from Microsoft this past week. But what if it had gone through? As the article points out, if Microsoft had taken on Yahoo’s market share we may well be in the midst of another antitrust scandal. In the corporate world today, mergers are commonplace and industries are being increasingly controlled by large companies. However, when examining the world’s primary means of communication, I am leery of such polarization. Today’s conversation really made me examine how much I rely on the internet for information and day to day communication. It is just interesting to think how people’s access to the internet would be changed by such a dramatic polarization in the market. Imagine a network with only one or two gatekeepers to the worlds greatest information source. While it seems like a smart business move to make, the outcome could be remarkable. Giving these corporations an unprecedented level of power over our primary information network could dramatically alter the way people communicate and in today’s world.