Microsoft's Unsolicited Bid for Yahoo

As Microsoft's bid for Yahoo of $45 billion seems to be too low, we ask, what will it take and why is Microsoft so set on obtaining the company? This deal could be one of the biggest deals in the technology sector and a major claim to the online marketing division.
Microsoft is obviously very concerned with Google obtaining a monopoly position in the market and it hopes to combat this threat by introducing a rival that can compete with the search engine giant. This also shows that Microsoft is struggling in its in-house strategy and is looking to re-focus and compete with companies such as Google.
Some say that if the two companies combine, then the combination of the captured audiences will put them on top. But is this necessarily true? Most web surfers rely heavily on google to navigate through every aspect of their online needs. Google has mastered the art of online marketing and when a company seeks to advertise or get a piece of the online market, Google is usually where they turn first. This dynamic of companies and consumers turning to Google first will be very difficult to interfere with. Even if Microsoft spends the needed money to obtain Yahoo, to actually break into the Google customer base will be a very difficult move. With Microsoft's difficulty in making a strategic plan to determine the direction the company wants to take or the direction they wish to focus on, it may be a struggle to enter the battle with Google.

Cyber Valentine's Day

The days of men coming home empty handed to an angry woman on February 14th are over. No man who goes near a computer at any point within a 2 week frame of Valentine's Day will not be reminded that on this day in mid-February, they are responsible for some sort of emotional expression towards the woman or women in his life.
The internet has revolutionized the way we go about Valentine's Day and any holiday for that matter. Now as you go to search for something on google or yahoo, you are bombarded with advertisements for flowers, candy and special gifts to give your valentine. From the marketer's stand point this is an amazing phenomena. No longer do we only get the straggling male who accidently wandered into the mall on his lunch break and realizes he needs to get his wife candy in two days because of a giant sign in a store window. Basically, this target market is difficult to remind to go into a florist or jewelry store on a given day in February unless the placement is on a case of beer or disposable razor packaging. Thanks to the internet, we can bombard men with advertisements not only to remind them of the holiday, but also to guide them through the gift giving process.
Along with placing reminders and guiding the purchasing process, men are suffering now from greater expectations from their girlfriends and wives on romantic holidays. Now, anyone can send flowers or buy chocolates, but due to advancements in technology, gifts can be specialized and unique, making the expectations more demanding. Luckily, you can google "unique valentine's day gifts" and thousands of options will appear and be sent all with the click of a mouse.

Democratic Debates on Youtube

The internet has undoubtedly changed the design and approach to the presidential race. Starting this year, the democratic debate not only was aired on the internet through CNN and Youtube, but it also gave citizens the chance to in a sense, interact with the candidates. Youtube accepted video clips of questions for the candidates to be submitted prior to the debate. During the debate, the host would present the candidates with the video clips to receive their response. In past years, it is generally a panel of reporters who are asking the questions, however this approach has completely changed the way the debate is designed. It is said to be a more democratic approach to the debate, which I agree with. It is in the best interest of the voters to present their own questions, since it is the voter who needs to make an informed decision as to which candidate will best serve our country. This format allows the voters to receive answers to the questions that really matter to them.

Besides allowing the voters to take a more directly involved role in the debates, the use of internet has also led to a more informed nation overall. This is the first election that has been so highly reported on in an online media format. It grants access to the information to those who depend so heavily upon the internet as it is. This also happens to be the generation that has been heavily criticized for their loack of knowledge and participation in the elections and politics as a whole. This gives the 18-24 demographic the ability to not only have the information readily available, but in a format that they are exposed to daily. It in a sense makes it "cool" to be informed, which as wrong as it sounds, is the only way to motivate a nation of young people to become involved in such an important part of our country and its politics.