Scobleizer - Latest Comments in 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

Sat, 16 May 2009 14:41:47 -0000

You might want to kill that Blue Lava link. This guys are pulling a massive rights grab. Look at their terms of service:

In order for Blue Lava to make the Service available to you, you hereby grant Blue Lava a royalty-free, non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide right and license which may be sublicensed or transferred, to use, display, distribute, reproduce, copy, make derivative works from, modify, adapt, transmit, translate, perform, publish and sell your Content in mediums or formats now known or later developed.

Blue Lava may work with third parties to provide users with the option to purchase DVDs, CDs, photo albums or photo books containing such users' content or other users' submitted Content. Blue Lava does not monitor such purchases or control the ultimate distribution or sharing of such Content by others.

see more on this here: http://www.photoattorney.co...

Why would you want to support such offensive business practices?

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

Sat, 16 May 2009 14:41:47 -0000

You might want to kill that Blue Lava link. This guys are pulling a massive rights grab. Look at their terms of service:

In order for Blue Lava to make the Service available to you, you hereby grant Blue Lava a royalty-free, non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide right and license which may be sublicensed or transferred, to use, display, distribute, reproduce, copy, make derivative works from, modify, adapt, transmit, translate, perform, publish and sell your Content in mediums or formats now known or later developed.

Blue Lava may work with third parties to provide users with the option to purchase DVDs, CDs, photo albums or photo books containing such users' content or other users' submitted Content. Blue Lava does not monitor such purchases or control the ultimate distribution or sharing of such Content by others.

see more on this here: http://www.photoattorney.com/2009/05/sharing-lo...

Why would you want to support such offensive business practices?

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

Tatyana White — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:03:29 -0000

Hello Robert,
We'd love to show you MessageSling and feel free sign up for our beta.
Please email me to set up a time to talk.

Cheers,
Tatyana White
Marketing
MessageSling.com

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

Jennifer — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:46:40 -0000

Hi Robert,

Thanks for taking a look at our software. Feel free to participate in our Personal Fortress Beta!

Regards,

Jennifer M, Fortressware

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

damiandavilarojas — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 22:11:59 -0000

Hello Robert,

Thank you for the feedback!

Cheers,

Damian
Blue Lava Technologies

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

Gavroche — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:11:47 -0000

Interesting take on a cursory look at the sites. Being on site at DEMO for the past two and a half days, I have to say I've seen some cool companies and especially liked the folks who are tapping the power of community to achieve very specific goals, such as Semanti and SimOpps. We're trying to do the same thing at MixMatchMusic, involving the folks who are both producing and consuming content. I was also interested in other sites that monetize user generated content, such as Photrade and MeDeploy.

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

Hypeshow - the video playlist — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 05:39:35 -0000

Now, that's better!
See you can, when you really try?..

Keep up, Bob, now you talking

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

Kris Colvin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:56:54 -0000

I don't think there is any need to backpeddle here. Of course, I may be a little biased because I was massively inspired by this entire fiasco. I really love working with startups, and know how hard it is do this stuff and make it work. I wrote yet another blog post about it, this time called "How to Launch a Product 101" - but this is my last post on this darn topic. LOL!! For now... :-)

But everyone's comments, and the originator of them, have provided great food for thought for me. I appreciate them.

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

Andrew Eglinton — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:32:49 -0000

Dude have some cojones, don't backpeddle just cos your potential funders are getting antsy. Backpeddling destroys respect more than blunt statements do.

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

Christopher Coulter — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:20:18 -0000

Caring enough to comment that I don't care. A bag of 100 some odd startups, all of whom shouldn't exist, and effectively, in the memory banks of most, won't in 48 hours.

Startups, such as these, are just fake companies, living on someone else's dime, hoping to win the lottery. Real startups are just small companies with good product and a small loyal customer base, poised to grow. Everything was a startup at one point. And growth, unchecked does more damage than anything.

But the usage here, is more a con job, the same ole, dazzle them, shoot up town, and then get outta Dodge before the Sheriffs catch up. The Ashton Kutcher keynote gig pick, was hilarious, for all the wrong reasons, ego, celebrity and sprinkle dust. Nothing to see here, even in stereo.

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

Patrick, ceo of ffwd — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:37:40 -0000

Hi Robert, glad you liked the logo. We were actually the only pre-launch company in the top 20 of the TV section in an ongoing web design contest (http://commandshift3.com/ta..., mostly because of the logo I think. Anyway, the site was down, prepping for the cut over to production when the DEMO embargo came off. As of 4AM Pacific this morning, we’re live, so please free to check out the rest, or I can give you a tour personally when I return to SF on Wednesday.

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

Patrick, ceo of fwd — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:37:07 -0000

Hi Robert, glad you liked the logo. We were actually the only pre-launch company in the top 20 of the TV section in an ongoing web design contest (http://commandshift3.com/ta..., mostly because of the logo I think. Anyway, the site was down, prepping for the cut over to production when the DEMO embargo came off. As of 4AM Pacific this morning, we're live, so please free to check out the rest, or I can give you a tour personally when I return to SF on Wednesday.

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

Allison — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 09:41:00 -0000

I think you should check BizEquity's website again. It's working for me.

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

Dominic — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 09:03:57 -0000

[Following Mark Lancaster;'s comment] Plastic Logic's worst crimes are far worse than having massive text and dodgy menus. Their product information seems to consist entirely of you-tube videos (which of course, via Related Videos, means you end up seeing all their competitors products instead!). They also have a very dodgy 'european-centric' map of the world, which says a lot of negative things about their attitude, I think.
Robert is definately right to criticise these sites - companies pitching at this level should be making more effort to give the right impression, and especially those that actually have web-based products...

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

Kris Colvin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:26:35 -0000

Amen, David Knighton! NICE!! :-)

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

David Knighton — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:08:37 -0000

I really don't see what all the ruckus is over your original evaluation, Robert. You were offering up an educated and valid opinion on what these companies were doing wrong with their websites from a marketing standpoint. These are the same types of companies that will pay tens of thousands of dollars to consultants to be abused in the same way, only with a flashy Powerpoint presentation. They should be thanking you for the free advice, and taking steps to make sure they don't suck, instead of bogging down the Intertubes with hate-mail. Put down the Kool-aid, people!

These start-ups take themselves entirely too seriously, many to the point of critical mass. They have invested so much of their egos into their ideas, they become blind to constructive criticism that could mean the difference between success and failure.

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

Dominic — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:29:18 -0000

Hey Robert, nice comeback, but I do think you are still being a little harsh. For example, take Adapx.com - I've never heard of them but their site is full of info, case studies, and after only a few minutes on their site I already want to buy one! In fact the worst thing about their site is probably those annoying menus, but I guess that's personal taste :)
And Awind.com - whilst you reckon there's nothing good about this site, by contrast with many of the others it is not at all bad; their product range is clear and the information is easy to find.
Clintworld on the other hand is very poor, apart from the fact that it's unwise to use their particular choice of font with the word CLINT , it's also full of ridiculous sentences that are too long and almost impossible to digest.
But thanks Robert for doing such a great job of keeping us informed - no doubt we'll soon see some more of your usual enthusiam in praise of whatever deserving products do come out of Demo (assuming people are still talking to you ;) )

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

EeTt — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:03:23 -0000

Wow, how is that for being passive-aggressive, alas, I agree with you %99. Most of these are not very inspiring.

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

Mark — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:42:30 -0000

You forgot plastic logic extreme use of non breaking spaces ( ) to space their menu's.

It's awesome, it takes me back to 1995 internet. Ah nostalgia!

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

optionshiftk — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:39:13 -0000

Robert, I commend you for going back and taking the time to find some Good startups. Nice job.

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

Zee — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:32:20 -0000

Genuinely never cease to both baffle & amaze me...crazy.

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

chopps — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:31:56 -0000

Keep digging that hole!

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

Tsahi Levent-Levi — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:29:16 -0000

A few interesting days here and around the net because of you.
I sent this one to our marcom to see what to do with our own website, which is due for an overhaul.
I think most people didn't understand your rants - the fact that the companies have good products and demos doesn't mean that they can neglect their website. Totally agree with you on this one.

Re: 72 Nice Things about Demo’s Startups’ Websites

@JoeHobot — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:21:15 -0000

Thanks Robert for the list, I had few too on that list , but Ill share it on twitter with you.... btw saw your "I think its your" magazine @ barns and noble.... lol

ttyl buddy