Wireless Muse: Reiter's Wireless Internet Weblog

Battle between citizens and governments in information dissemination in "Us vs. Them"

One of my most interesting weekly “Thinkernet” wireless communications columns for CMP’s “Internet Evolution” Web site is, I believe, the most recent one:  “Us vs. Them on ‘The Internets’” (see below).

The column examines the continuing — and growing — battle between citizens (us) and governments (them) in the dissemination of information via the wireless and wired Internet.  I discuss how SMS, microblogging, live streaming cellular videos, online videos and e-mail are circumventing governments’ attempts to prevent information while, at the same time, governments seek ways to block information.

My column includes examples of protests in Myanmar (Burma), Tibet and along the route of the Olympic torch bearers around the world.  New examples crop of fairly frequently, and a few are noted in the comments section below the column.

JumpTap: Back to the future

JumpTap, a new mobile data search company, has what is one of the worst taglines I've seen for users.

The company's tagline (see below) is:  "We help wireless carriers make the mobile web their walled garden...."

In other words, JumpTap takes one of the reasons the Web has become so successful and is so useful -- openness -- and turns it into one of the most user-hostile aspects of cellular operator behavior:  Creating "walled gardens" or as I prefer to say, "walled prisons."

Insulation

The company says on its Web site, "With the simple addition of JumpTaps [sic] search box, carriers insulate themselves from Internet veterans that [sic] seek subscriber and economic ownership across carriers.  By collaborating with wireless operators to make mobile content and services easily accessible, JumpTap is creating a global community of innovation that will equal - and surpass - the wired Internet."

The sad fact is the cellular industry -- that wants to "control the customer" -- will not look askance at this.  Certainly some operators -- especially employees within cellular companies, though not necessarily top executives -- will realize this tagline is a sad example of prehistoric thinking.

JumpTap taps into one of the worst attitudes of the wireless data industry -- an attitude they seem proud of.

I hope to add more about JumpTap if they are exhibiting at the CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2005 conference, although I didn't see them in the program.

Possible value, but...

There might indeed be value in the overall JumpTap service, that's a "white label" search engine product desiged to work with WAP, Java and BREW.  There's certainly nothing wrong with offering subscribers different search capabilities that are designed for wireless devices. 

There's also nothing wrong with offering cellular operators ways to generate additional revenues -- as long as subscribers know the limitations of a carrier-specific search engine that's slanted in the carrier's favor.

Two notes to JumpTap:  1.  Someone who knows grammar should proofread your site and (2) Don't place a "walled garden" around your phone number; list it on your Web site.  To be fair, the phone number --  617-301-4550 -- is on the press kit I got at the CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2005 conference.