The Hotmail story is interesting because the viral loop doesn’t increase the value of the network, but does increase it’s marketing reach. For instance, with Facebook, Metcalfe’s law is clear, whereas with Hotmail, the platform is email, not just Hotmail. And since the links reach people who are already on email, it doesn’t really grow the network size of email users.

PS: I Love You. Get Your Free Email at Hotmail http://bit.ly/3T1XJM

“When building a start-up with an eye toward a future acquisition, it’s important for start-ups to know the companies they are targeting, panelists said.” http://bit.ly/2g9l71

Mike Hudack: “signs of potential collateral damage have already emerged. Shows seem to have suffered because they have been displaced to new time periods, like “Law & Order SVU,” which was the leading drama when it played at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays, but now is finishing last after moving to 9 on Wednesdays.” http://bit.ly/9CpcN

seth goldstein: “Internet ads and personal cookies are being traded like (unregulated) commodities on networks & exchanges. CTRs going down. Now what?” http://bit.ly/2QEe1F

Mike Hudack- “ad spend as a percentage of GDP is at its lowest percentage ever” http://bit.ly/2li5nn

In other words, marketing is fine, but make sure it’s prioritized correctly: Seth’s Blog: “Notice me” “Attention is fine, as long as you have a goal that is reached in exchange for all this effort.” http://bit.ly/4ihNJe

An opinion on the economics of iPhone apps. Naturally, it sounds very similar to the competition in online media:

“So what does the App Store Effect mean, right now? In the short term, we’ll get lower prices. This is great. But in the long term, it might not be sustainable. The promise that sales volume will make up for the rock-bottom prices you need to charge just to be seen in your app category seems increasingly hollow, and to put it bluntly, if developers don’t have a chance in hell of recouping their fees, they’ll stop trying. ” http://bit.ly/1P2kmR

Global strategy vs. multi domestic: Nokia Tries to Undo Blunders in U.S. – NYTimes.com “it mass produced devices shaped like candy bars for the global market to save on production costs.” http://bit.ly/QMOVe

Why Are Smartphones Stuck in the Dark Ages? “mobile is still largely a Web 1.0 world. ” http://bit.ly/1YPuuk

Took me a while to get behind this post: This is going to be BIG! – Comments on New York Tech Community, Startups, Venture Capital and Career Education “If a VC invests in a seed round, something has to go pretty wrong for them not to follow on.” http://bit.ly/5f3EV