Hraba Hospitality Consulting

A snapshot of now.

Hello friends, travel and hospitality people.. I have abandoned you for too long!  Well, my mind has been racing, and I am trying to put all these pieces together… how will it all fit?  How will interaction by the brand influence, connect, or impact the future of the social graph legitimizing and strengthening search?  *That’s* not even the important question – The real question will be how will a search built off network science control and influence brands?  Will there, finally, be a thwarting of the spam through human powered relevance ranking?  Will poor management styles, lack of interaction, or opaque manipulation of the consumer made to be transparent in regards to the brand?  These are small beans compared to the impact of wikileaks on the future of human government.  If you want to catch up on the *REALLY* important stuff, listen to this NPR Fresh Air episode with Bill Keller, from the NY Times, on the impact of Assange and Wikileaks.  But back to our silly little vertical.

Google search is inundated by spam – even their CEO Eric Schmidt admitted that “The Internet is a Cesspool“, and at the time 2 1/2 years ago, he insisted it would be brands that sorted out those murky waters.  I think that’s part of it, such as a brand interacting with the social graph, while publishing meanginful content to an interested audience that actively supports or bolsters the brand’s online relevance and presence.  But where Schmidt agreed the future of meaningful editorialism or content was in question, I think it’s the tapping into of the social graph that will sort all this out.  People will always try to game search, but the amalgam of a human powered network will wield sorting relevance like a skilled warrior, making antiquated algorithms look clumsy and slow.

The spam problem for Google is multi-layered. (more…)

No, it’s no vacation.  It’s the loud foot stomping of behind the door positioning in the travel vertical of the modern web wars!  In fact, the positioning is more like a game of Twister, and although I am not sure anyone is going to fall, someone is surely going to get tangled up.  Is that Expedia / Tripadvisor? Facebook?  Google?  What about ITA?  Maybe it will simply be Yelp.

Here we go!

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I am ripping this off and reblogging this from Wilbur Hot Springs, a historic hotel and hot springs that I work with here in Northern California.  It’s epic information, and is so vital I don’t mind spreading chunks of pasted text around.  If you have seen the intriguing and engaging mini doc “The Story of Stuff”, or recently heard about the “100 thing challenge”…. this will be vital for you.  SO.. here you go.  Learning how to be happier, buck consumerism, live simply, and recenter our humanity around what matters… each other.  Don’t live an emotional life through the surrogate of connecting to “things” rather than “people”.  It’s not healthy, it doesn’t make you happy, and as you will all see…. it’s simply perpetuates the chain of mindless consumption and blathering mediocrity.  So enjoy – there is a lot of meat in these New York Times & Economist articles… so don’t try to read all at once.  But keep this bookmarked, let it engage you… let it roll around in your head.  I challenge you to think deeply about your relationship to consumerism and technology, and review how it effects your life, and affects others around you.

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Another major issue about the accessibility of this network, the functionality. For people who really work, and own and operate their own businesses, etc – they are WAY too busy for this stuff. I am a hotel operator, and we all got pulled into the online conversation, listening, learning, etc via social reviewing and brand mentions on twitter, etc. I took it as a chance to jump off the 16 hour a day treadmill on property level of hotels… so now I do get a chance to watch these new tools work themselves out. But the earth shattering impact of this new communication hasn’t necessarily been comprehended yet… it’s still the “wild west” as everyone says… and I don’t think tools like FB or Twitter are there yet. Facebook is unfettered narcissism, and the point should be that it’s about everyone else… not one’s vacation or baby pics. These tools work best in forums like this… with interaction, etc. This is one of the few arenas of FB that I have seen with legitimate, bona-fide interaction. It’s fairly cool, and gives me a modicum of hope.

Everyone is banking on it, for some reason, when there is *ZERO* legitimate or demonstrable equity in it. Booking engines, reservation pages, etc…. where’s the ROI? Where’s the proof that it is anything other than brand building?? Do people use it as a marketplace? Is there an economy in Facebook?

I cannot speak negatively enough about FB. Beyond the fact it isn’t a real network (hidden streams erase nodes, so the network is not legitimately stable)…

But point being… I know chefs and general managers, etc that have heard of this thing “facebook”, but haven’t had a moment to check it out.

I always wonder *who* are all these people on FB that don’t have anything better to do. I am one of them, and surely excuse myself….. but I would love the demographics of this 500M.

Facebook “offers a gateway for hundreds of shallow relationships and emotionally detached communication.”

http://www.businessinsider.com/well-these-new-zuckerberg-ims-wont-help-facebooks-privacy-problems-2010-5

Zuck: Yeah so if you ever need info about anyone at Harvard
Zuck: Just ask.
Zuck: I have over 4,000 emails, pictures, addresses, SNS
[Redacted Friend's Name]: What? How’d you manage that one?
Zuck: People just submitted it.
Zuck: I don’t know why.
Zuck: They “trust me”
Zuck: Dumb fucks.

http://mashable.com/2010/05/23/facebook-ceo-mistakes/

http://arnab.org/blog/deceiving-users-facebook-button

Is it too late?  Is there any conceivable way I could move away from Facebook?  I stopped using it, but it amazes me how pervasive it is. With these new like buttons everywhere, it seems like it will be an unstoppable force.  I always assumed that something better would come along and knock it off it’s pedestal, but they are completely embedding themselves into the architecture of the internet.  What’s more, it seems like so many people use it that I am brought back to it for business a lot of the time.  Some people are using it more than Linked In.  I am sort of sad, in a sense…. it just feels like the capitalistic value of compeition is at work here, and it is more of a steam roll effect.

# – My rant: I wholeheartedly disagree – twitter inherently allows the user to opt out of privacy. 
# I voice constant concern about Facebook – is the conversation meaningful? Do they book?

You know I quit facebook.  Sort of.  I hadn’t been able to explain why… oh wait, I sort of can explain why.  Maybe not in my own words…  I have had some humble coming to terms lately.  I don’t wish to admit the social networks I use, but most people don’t know them… yelp talk, tribe.net, 4chan (I am not sure I have laughed that hard in awhile, but beware).  Even Buzz seems to be working for me right now, even if it isn’t fit for purpose.  I understand the dopamine receptor seeking out new information and how that DAMNED infernal inbox number keeps climbing… I have filters in place and self control at hand, so it doesn’t seem to be an issue.  I also note the amount of earnest, interesting, compelling information and discussion, quite literally, DESTROYS Facebook.  We have tech talk, travel talk, philosophy talk…. all engaging a wide range of people from all walks of life, belief systems and locations around the world.  Like twitter, you start and opt in aware of openness, and you benefit from being exposed to so many different opinions, thoughts, and connections.  Facebook seems *so* irrelevant to me, and you have seen me rail on it in the past for architectural or logical structural issues.  I never worried about privacy, my profile is wide open.  But for those that *DO* worry about privacy in that context (which blows my mind because who in the hell expects any level of privacy on the intetrnet? Seriously… if you post that picture of you half naked or drunk and holding an illicit substance… you can’t be upset when a potential employer asks you about it.

But I have wondered what the hell is going on, and precisely why Facebook is a big problem now.  Beyond not creating meaningful interaction due to passive connections (people being friends out of proximity to each others in school hallways rather than based off interest or relevant topical info like a hobby, etc), it is trying to root itself deeper and deeper into the infrastructure of the web.

http://tbottle.com/tb/2010/04/30/facebook-vs-google-isnt-about-social-vs-search/

7 things to stop doing on FB. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2010/june/electronics-computers/social-insecurity/7-things-to-stop-doing-on-facebook/index.htm

http://www.google.com/buzz/chris.messina/G8w8jUVDfZW/Understanding-the-Open-Graph-Protocol
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/openlike_all-start_team_to_challenge_to_facebooks.php
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/facebook_centralization.php
http://www.azarask.in/blog/post/identity-in-the-browser-firefox/
http://gigaom.com/2010/04/21/facebook-makes-itself-a-central-point-of-failure-for-the-web/
http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2009/09/14/the-web-at-a-new-crossroads/
http://eu.techcrunch.com/2010/04/23/privacy-issues-google-engineers-leaving-facebook-in-droves/
http://netgrowthgroup.com/blog/social-media/18-places-in-your-facebook-profile-where-your-privacy-may-be-at-risk/
http://searchengineland.com/matt-cutts-deactivates-facebook-account-40543?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+searchengineland+%28Search+Engine+Land%29
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/04/logins-for-sale-be-wary-of-facebook-friends-in-need.ars
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2362967,00.asp?kc=PCRSS03079TX1K0000585
http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2010/04/23/what-i-like-about-facebooks-openness/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+factoryjoe+%28Chris+Messina+-+FactoryCity+Blog%29
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/life/Resistance+futile+Facebook+assimilation/2946372/story.html
http://topnews.us/content/217973-facebook-privacy-joke
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36755138/ns/technology_and_science/
http://www.pcworld.com/article/194866/facebooks_new_features_and_your_privacy_what_you_need_to_know.html
http://mashable.com/2010/04/23/hacker-facebook/
http://www.fastcompany.com/1624745/time-to-audit-your-facebook-privacy-settings
http://techcrunch.com/2010/04/23/exodus-movement-of-g-people-from-facebook-after-f8/

http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=16163396

http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=16167766

Also shows why FB is super duper dysfunctional:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/White-pepper/60807926519?ref=search&sid=1211590808.3584311691..1&v=wall

83 people liked white peppercorns. Massive conversation ensues.

Oh wait…. massive mindless clicking LIKE and zero participation is more like it.  Bout time for FB to publish info on TRUE interaction.

What Facebook got wrong is that friendship no longer needs to be relevant to geographic proximity. That’s archaic.
Using the FB HTML app I know how to alter tabs on pages… so I could easily add a booking tab or gift shop…. but powering it is something different. I don’t develop apps.  thoughts?

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Another trend that seems obvious is that most successful social media programs are not operated by these fabled “gurus”, but by industry veterans who have worked incredibly hard and somewhat tirelessly garnering the knowledge and connections that they now have at their disposal.  Gregg is in this category as well – orchestrating countless bloggers and travel industry experts / agents from all over the world, all from an office in Canada.

FLIGHT CENTRE

First, before we jump into the interview, let’s give a background to those unfamiliar with Flight Centre.  Andre Sammartino said it most concise:

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“in any organization there ought to be the possibility of discussion… fence sitting is an art, and it’s difficult, and it’s important to do, rather than to go headlong in one direction or the other. It’s just better to have action, isn’t it, than to sit on the fence? Not if you’re not sure which way to go, it isn’t.” (p. 100)

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The last coffee break was so enjoyable, I have to add one more.  Marketing… it’s not *all* bad.  Some of it is… maybe most of it is.

The concept of creating a need, or unecessary want, to encourage a mindless consumer to buy a product is dehumanizing.  To make someone feel “less” without a certain product is not only disingenuous & manipulative, it’s somewhat disturbing.  It’s a (more…)

What does it all mean? (that link is a funny Youtube clip, as a palette cleanser).

Depending on how this one goes, I think this is my second to last or last post *ever* haranguing on, or thinking this deeply about, Facebook.  Blue in the Face makes one look crazy, especially if no one is listening… and beyond the simple fact that I may be wrong, and happily eat humble crow as I become more aware….. I do see some meaningful interaction on Facebook.  It takes some time, and for me it took *opening* my network.  This concept of a “closed” network seems bizarre to me, and it limited real, meaningful interaction, the likes of which I remember from IRC or topical boards.

You have seen me talk about this in regards to Hospitality Brand’s respective Facebook Pages, and the lack of real interaction… even when they are done well. When it comes down to it, there are some problems with the way Facebook Pages work.  This post is, to some degree, a slapdash missive of a rebuttal to this post about the Top Ten Facebook Brand Pages.  There are 100′s of those (more…)

I plan to take this blog in some new directions (I might even gussy up the design a bit, in the future). But, I want it more dynamic with real conversation about the state of Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality as it becomes more highly integrated with social media and Travel Tech.  It’s obviously changing our industry, and it’s really time to start connecting each other with peers and professionals, so we can brainstorm and communicate about how to best utilize these impressive, and overwhelming, tools. Instead of my (more…)