Between the Lines

Love or hate this post? Sound off for the eavesdroppers

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It seems that those comments you leave on blogs like this one may, in fact, be reaching the intended parties - the companies behind the products, services and technologies that you love or hate. Just don't be offended or creeped-out if the messages reach them via cyber-eavesdropping technology.

That's the technology behind "Track the Yack," a set of findings that stemmed from eavesdropping on blog comments, web forums and other online communities where people engage in discussions and debates on the topic of mobile computing. Basically, the technology scoured the Web to find out what you all really thought of the mobile computing experiences, whether notebook, netbook, smartphone or even GPS unit. There's really not many surprises in the findings. Yes, WiFi connectivity could be better. Of course we want longer battery life. We all know most laptop sound systems leave a lot to be desired. Oh yeah, and then there's that heat thing. Track the Yack, however, is less about the findings and more about a technology that enables efficient monitoring of public forums where people speak out because they want to be heard. Established by Fractal Analytics, the Eavesdrop technology was used as a substance-builder for a new initiative called Reinvent Mobile. As a new destination Web site, Reinvent Mobile is building a community where mobile computing enthusiasts can learn new things or share what they know about mobile - with the idea being that the community can have an impact on the future products and services that are introduced. Reinvent Mobile was established as a joint effort between the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council and Phoenix Technologies. In a statement, Donovan Neale-May, executive director of the CMO Council, said:

The efficiencies and value of online listening and sentiment tracking using spidering and agenting technology is now available to the industry and brands will have the ability to use eavesdropping for more customized, deep dives in the marketplace.

I agree. Just as blogs were a forum for people to sound off on a variety of issues, the comments sections of those blogs have become the sounding board for the readers of such blogs - or at least that segment of the readership that has an opinion and wants to be heard. This is one example of how those comments - your comments - can deliver some value to the future of technology, products and even companies.

posted by Sam Diaz
January 5, 2009 @ 5:00 am

Between the Lines

Love or hate this post? Sound off for the eavesdroppers

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