I am excited on many levels to see Google release Google+. First, it was about time that Facebook faced some head on competition. If nothing else it will make Facebook better. Competition is a healthy thing. Second, I like the idea of trying a different cut on how to organize people and relationships. We have had friends and followers, groups and lists, and now we have circles (incidentally, Etsy has had circles for a while). There are two important issues that I am really curious about when ...

I am excited on many levels to see Google release Google+. First, it was about time that Facebook faced some head on competition. If nothing else it will make Facebook better. Competition is a healthy thing. Second, I like the idea of trying a different cut on how to organize people and relationships. We have had friends and followers, groups and lists, and now we have circles (incidentally, Etsy has had circles for a while). There are two important issues that I am really curious about when ...

As of last Friday I am off Exchange and my Blackberry, joining the rest of the Union Square Ventures team on Google and Android. While there are still a few small glitches to be worked out, I am happy with the transition. Typing on the screen of my Nexus One is still slower although I am picking up speed rapidly due to the excellent auto correct. I do still miss the keyboard shortcuts and will have to find the native work modes for each app. I am genuinely excited about trying out some of the...

As of last Friday I am off Exchange and my Blackberry, joining the rest of the Union Square Ventures team on Google and Android. While there are still a few small glitches to be worked out, I am happy with the transition. Typing on the screen of my Nexus One is still slower although I am picking up speed rapidly due to the excellent auto correct. I do still miss the keyboard shortcuts and will have to find the native work modes for each app. I am genuinely excited about trying out some of the...

Today we posted on the USV blog about a letter against the Protect IP Act. The letter is signed by 53 VCs from 40 different firms representing over $13 billion in equity capital. Our central objection to the act is that it will harm innovation but we are also pointing out that it will be used by other nations to justify even more restrictive legislation thus harming everyone. Finally, if you don’t believe that government agencies will inevitably overreach, read Marco Arment’s account of the F...

Today we posted on the USV blog about a letter against the Protect IP Act. The letter is signed by 53 VCs from 40 different firms representing over $13 billion in equity capital. Our central objection to the act is that it will harm innovation but we are also pointing out that it will be used by other nations to justify even more restrictive legislation thus harming everyone. Finally, if you don’t believe that government agencies will inevitably overreach, read Marco Arment’s account of the F...

The Internet has experienced an epic set of attacks over the last few months. This has ranged from massive compromises such as Sony’s Playstation Network to the smaller but potentially equally impactful breach of Mt. Gox (a bitcoin exchange that is still trying to recover). The affected entities have included both companies and governments, as in the recent hack of the CIA’s web site. It would be naive to believe that groups such as Anonymous or LulzSec will go away easily or even if they did...

The Internet has experienced an epic set of attacks over the last few months. This has ranged from massive compromises such as Sony’s Playstation Network to the smaller but potentially equally impactful breach of Mt. Gox (a bitcoin exchange that is still trying to recover). The affected entities have included both companies and governments, as in the recent hack of the CIA’s web site. It would be naive to believe that groups such as Anonymous or LulzSec will go away easily or even if they did...

I had an opportunity to buy shares in the Pandora IPO but chose not to. If I was a super active trader and had stayed on top of it I could have made a fair bit of money as the stock popped by about 60% in early trading but closed even the first day up only about 10% from its IPO price. Yesterday, only a couple of days later, Pandora is trading below its IPO price. Today the price is down a bit more. Why did I not jump on Pandora? There are two key reasons. First, I spent a bunch of time readi...

I had an opportunity to buy shares in the Pandora IPO but chose not to. If I was a super active trader and had stayed on top of it I could have made a fair bit of money as the stock popped by about 60% in early trading but closed even the first day up only about 10% from its IPO price. Yesterday, only a couple of days later, Pandora is trading below its IPO price. Today the price is down a bit more. Why did I not jump on Pandora? There are two key reasons. First, I spent a bunch of time readi...

For the end of her 5th grade, my daughter had to complete something called the “capstone project” – meant to be a first original research project. She came up with what I thought was a rather original project: she wanted to look into “how does ESP work?" Her teacher didn’t seem to think so and suggested she find another topic. Katie batted around a few other ideas but it was clear that she wasn’t excited about any of them. I felt pretty strongly that her being excited about the topic was more...

For the end of her 5th grade, my daughter had to complete something called the “capstone project” – meant to be a first original research project. She came up with what I thought was a rather original project: she wanted to look into “how does ESP work?" Her teacher didn’t seem to think so and suggested she find another topic. Katie batted around a few other ideas but it was clear that she wasn’t excited about any of them. I felt pretty strongly that her being excited about the topic was more...

This is the week for “revisited” blog posts. Today: bitcoin. In my first post about bitcoin I expressed my concern that we may be experiencing a speculative bubble that might ultimately destroy the currency’s usefulness. Since that post, which was just last week, the $/bitcoin rate has gone from $8 to $26! That’s already above the target estimate for the currency that I heard from one entrepreneur working on a bitcoin related business. I ran across another link recently suggesting that were b...

This is the week for “revisited” blog posts. Today: bitcoin. In my first post about bitcoin I expressed my concern that we may be experiencing a speculative bubble that might ultimately destroy the currency’s usefulness. Since that post, which was just last week, the $/bitcoin rate has gone from $8 to $26! That’s already above the target estimate for the currency that I heard from one entrepreneur working on a bitcoin related business. I ran across another link recently suggesting that were b...

The filing of the Groupon S1 has resulted in a lot of discussion about Groupon’s business model. Most of the comments were negative, going as far as calling Groupon a “Ponzi Scheme,” although there were a few defenders, such as Steve Cheney. I was particularly intrigued by a thorough analysis by Yipit that shows that Groupon’s economics appear to be deteriorating in a more mature market such as Boston. If that is indeed the case, then it supports my previous contention that Groupon does not r...

The filing of the Groupon S1 has resulted in a lot of discussion about Groupon’s business model. Most of the comments were negative, going as far as calling Groupon a “Ponzi Scheme,” although there were a few defenders, such as Steve Cheney. I was particularly intrigued by a thorough analysis by Yipit that shows that Groupon’s economics appear to be deteriorating in a more mature market such as Boston. If that is indeed the case, then it supports my previous contention that Groupon does not r...

Like many others, I find myself fascinated by bitcoin. Not only is it a wonderful example of the real world catching up with science fiction, but it also shows off the incredible power of the Internet to disrupt existing institutions (there are already some lobbying efforts to have it banned). As I am wondering about the implications of bitcoin, including possible investment opportunities that it may create, I am wrestling with quite a few questions. I will pay some nominal amounts in bitcoin...

Like many others, I find myself fascinated by bitcoin. Not only is it a wonderful example of the real world catching up with science fiction, but it also shows off the incredible power of the Internet to disrupt existing institutions (there are already some lobbying efforts to have it banned). As I am wondering about the implications of bitcoin, including possible investment opportunities that it may create, I am wrestling with quite a few questions. I will pay some nominal amounts in bitcoin...

I have argued in the past that we need an Internet Bill of Rights. If anyone doubted that, then they should look at what has been happening at and around the eG8 summit. There have been many great tweets from people there and around the world. The two that summarize the situation best for me are first Jeff Jarvis tweeting thatAt # eG8, government acts as if it should protect us from the internet. Instead, the internet needs protection from government.And then this wonderful response by Scott ...

I have argued in the past that we need an Internet Bill of Rights. If anyone doubted that, then they should look at what has been happening at and around the eG8 summit. There have been many great tweets from people there and around the world. The two that summarize the situation best for me are first Jeff Jarvis tweeting thatAt # eG8, government acts as if it should protect us from the internet. Instead, the internet needs protection from government.And then this wonderful response by Scott ...