12 Sep 2009

Translation Technology Can Open Your Eyes to a Global Social Web

As more of us around the world join the web, a lot content is going to start to be produced in non-English languages. This hasn't been a factor for a lot of us, but I suspect it will as we begin to discover content-rich resources and individuals we want to interact with. 

Case in point. Recently I started reading a German blog that covers technology. It has a lot rich content, like for example the latest build of a portable version of Google Chrome - but it's all in German.

I was delighted to discover that not only can Google Reader translate RSS but it remembers this setting on a feed-by-feed basis. Even though the translation is Yoda-like it's incredibly handy and is opening up my eyes to new voices. I hope that the big social networks like Twitter and Facebook can one day follow suit.
26 Aug 2009

Gallery: How the Leading Social Sites Describe Themselves

I just wrapped up a nine-day swing through California, the majority of which I was in Silicon Valley. Every time I visit the Bay Area (which I truly love to visit) I am always struck by how technology pervades the region much more so than any other. Digerati chatter is everywhere, from the coffeehouses to the billboards that line US 101.

While technology influences all of us, life is different inside the bubble of the Valley. This is why I am glad I get to spend so much time each year in several major cities: Chicago, New York, Toronto, London, LA, as well as San Francisco and Silicon Valley. My travels help me maintain a broader perspective that I believe the Valley sometimes misses. I am increasingly embracing my time on the road because it (hopefully) helps me maintain a wider worldview.

Here's a small example of what I mean. In the gallery below I pulled together the welcome screens that grace some of the more popular social networks and communities on the web. As you look at these note how similar the language is - particularly Twitter, digg, Friendfeed and Stumbleupon. 

Now try to imagine you're a new user from Bismark or Des Moines who heard about these sites on CNN, would you sign up - and how might you choose?  Do these sites only speak to Silicon Valley, rather than the broader universe of citizens they hope to attract? If so, how might this hamper their growth?

That's what's on my mind tonight now that I am back in NY.

           

Steve Rubel's Posterous

Steve Rubel (bio) is SVP, Director of Insights for Edelman Digital, a division of Edelman - the world's largest independent PR firm.

He is charged with helping clients identify emerging technologies and trends that can be applied in marketing communications programs. Rubel also explores these topics on his site and in monthly columns for Forbes.com and Advertising Age. He can be found on Twitter and Facebook as well.

Steve can be reached via email at steverubel@gmail.com.

Note: Everything posted on this site is Steve's personal opinion. It does not represent the views of Edelman or its clients.

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