Q: What's better than kickstarting a new year with a new post?
A: Kickstarting with a list post!
Here are 10 wishes for the digital space in the year 2012:
- May we find something better than advertising to monetize content on the Internet. (Flattr?). That, or, may ads become less annoying and unobtrusive.
- May everyone and their uncle STOP making mobile apps, because, it's the in-thing, you know. Mobile optimized websites will work as well, thank you.
- May we fix the mobile payment ecosystem [1].
- May e-Commerce websites stop bleeding cash.
- May daily deal sites graduate from hair/tattoo/nail-art/massage spas... and NOT get into the regular e-Commerce category.
- May we get a payment aggregator that doesn't suck. Serious, the bar is that low! (Zaakpay?)
- May we get a some digital marketing agencies that don't suck. Again, the bar is that low!
- May Google stop screwing advertisers and users over. Seriously, how many 'organic search results' do you see these days? [2]
- May telecom operators & TRAI figure out a way to stop SMS spam that actually works. Without crippling the SMS system completely.
- And finally, may we preserve and extend freedom on the Internet. And not get snooped/monitored in everything we do online. [3]
Amen.
[1] It's very easy to bring up-to-speed with the desktop Internet ecosystem. Hint: Mobile optimized 3D-Secure & Netbanking. At least http://m.hdfcbank.com seems to be moving in the right direction
[2] Tell me where to stop: hiding referrer information for free/organic traffic, but NOT paid traffic. Ad sitelinks & umpteen other 'ad extensions'. Flight meta-search widget. Hotel meta-search widget. Stuffing hotel related searches with place results. Media ads
[3] SOPA. Protect-IP. Internet censorship (or 'pre-screening'). Sec 69 of Indian IT Act 2008.
