Internet Trends: Dispatches from Laguna, the Land of Conferences

I've spent the early part of this week attending a pair of terrific conferences in Laguna Niguel, California: the Most Powerful Women Summit sponsored by Fortune and the first ever WebbyConnect conference put together by the people who brought us the Webby Awards.

I had two big conference takeaways -- one covered matters of spirit, the other matters of commerce.

Let's start with the spirit, and the Fortune conference, attended by hundreds of highly accomplished women. I was moderating a panel with Beth Comstock of NBC, Sheryl Sandberg of Google, and Jane Thompson of Wal-Mart Financial Services on "Mavericks: Leaders Who Shake up Businesses and Industries," but the discussion ended up focusing on whether you can be an over-achieving maverick and still have balance in your life.

Arianna moderating the panel with Beth Comstock, Jane Thompson and Sheryl Sandberg.

Over the course of the conversation, in the Q & A period that followed, and throughout the conference when we were approached by other women sharing their juggling acts with us, it became clear to me that we are entering an era of growing questioning of the quality of our always connected lives.

Jibing with the themes we are exploring on our newly revamped Living Now page was my realization that the next big thing on the Internet will be a paradox: connecting in order to learn how to better disconnect from our always connected lives and reconnect with ourselves -- which is, after all, the ultimate connection.

And it wasn't just the older ones among us who felt this urge. Caterina Fake, co-founder of Flickr, holding her 4-month old baby in her arms, told me that she's been thinking about these issues and about what she wanted to teach her baby about life, ever since she became pregnant.

I, of course, asked her to blog about it.

For me, it was reconfirmation of my own rude awakening earlier this year when I was pushing myself too hard and ended up passing out and breaking my cheekbone! The path to rebalancing my life began with cutting back from having three BlackBerrys with me at all times to only having two. But, as I told the conference, disconnecting/reconnecting is all about the process.

Over at WebbyConnect, the talk was about a trend that is already happening: the realization by a growing number of major media companies that the best way to succeed -- and make money -- in the Brave New Media World is to give away your content. Forward thinking companies are now adopting long-term growth strategies, and moving away from short-term profit-seeking.

"Make as much as you can, any way you can" was the approach many big companies had taken to monetizing the web. The New York Times stuck some of its most popular content behind a pay wall, and Microsoft stuck 30-second pre-roll ads on its MSN Video videos.

Neither of these strategies paid off: online readership of the Times' columnists dropped, and users at MSN complained of a negative user experience.

So now TimesSelect is dead. MSN is cutting way back on pre-roll ads. And, elsewhere, CBS has made a major u-turn away from the notion of hording its content on its own site, instead letting its material be available all over the web. Quincy Smith, the new president of CBS Interactive put it this way: "CBS is all about open, nonexclusive, multiple partnerships."

The conclusion is inescapable: online, promiscuity can be profitable. And not just when it comes to porn!

To its credit, CBS and other major players are finally realizing that the key to online success is community, community, community.

And you can't build community without showing your users that you are in the relationship for the long-haul, and not just a quick buck -- the online equivalent of a one-night stand.

Follow Arianna Huffington on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ariannahuff

Comments

[daddysboy]

I am just thrilled to see this potential shift in attitudes and priorities. Is your community sustaining itself Arianna? I really love what you and your colleagues have developed so far and would hate to think you are merely treading water the way the NYTimes was. I'm afraid I really have become quite attached to the high caliber discourse and superb writers and guests that you continue to attract - not to mention your always witty and typically insightful writing and commentary. Thinking about what I take away from this website inclines me to ask where I can donate - something I would never dream of thinking about the Times even with Frank Rich and Paul Krugman's editorials free now. I guess that's the difference isn't it?

[Susanholmes]

Three blackberries?

You need a vacation.

[realistic2008]

With three latin men.

[Bozwellian]

To clarify " Course, am old but can multi task IF necessary just have found not a 24/7 neccessity !!!"...hav­e NOT found the NEED nor absolute NECCESSITY but more importantly too, do NOT WANT an absolute/felt mandatory 24/7 connect !! Its way to intrusive, way too constricting and eats MY valuable time , so guess am selfish/greedy of high order sort in such !! (who these days has not been even semi accosted by another who seemingly demanded to KNOW just why YOU were NOT reachable/­etc...HURU­MPH, if honest the reply can be because did NOT want to BE reachable but that is semi considered rude and even abusive and etc/etc/et­c....) A comparison­ial..I CAN appreciate a fine photo of say a ROSE in bloom..can have great depth/colo­r/etc...bu­t far more tantalizing is perhaps HOLDING that rose, feeling the silkiness/­velvetness of the petals and soaking in the visuals of its color and smelling it perfume...­uh, the photo will do in a pinch to remind the mind of the actual, but if given a choice...t­hink perfer the stemmed even with its thorns --which have taught thru actual interaction with to handle carefully.­.the phot never could teach that part of the lifelesson !! )

[RumiSouth]

Arianna, I've come to the conclusion that the most precious resource we have in the 21st Century is TIME. We never have enough, and we are profligate spenders. The average American faces years of their life wasted in traffic and wonders if suburban commuting is worth the cost in time. Strangely enough, the faster the connection, the more impatient we are -- we don't even want to waste 30 seconds on an ad. That open content succeeds is not news to the consumer. It's only news to the dinosaurs of media, who've been fighting tooth and nail to preserve an obsolete business model in the Internet age. The RIAA still hasn't gotten that memo, judging by today's headlines.

http://www.osborneink.com/fiction.htm

[hontonoshijin]

Nothing is permanent. Life is suffering. All things are dependent on all other things. Everything is just what it is.

[dictatortot]

Just stare blankly at your screen saver and chant, "Ommmmmmmm­mm."

Zen you'll feel better.

http://www.prestoncoleman.com

[grannyE]

OR: cut up those credit cards, stop copying the "rat on a treadmill" thing and find BALANCE.

[transendentilist]

Take joyful participation in the suffering of life.

[Bozwellian]

LOL, THREE blackberries and to disconnect trime one ? Have long had a problem , started back with "call waiting" notice where if in midst of phone conversation , the one you were speaking with did "just a min, got an incoming need to check" sort of thing and true too, sometimes COULD be considered necessary to get to a HIGH PRIORITY incoming..­but was more than a tad irratating to be left in limbo (even way back THEN, seemed like an eternity/etc and sometimes turned out that way when they failed to return to the portion of line YOU were on/etc...) Got to point even then, if interrupted too often by such when attempting conversation, when they excused (semi excused the pause/interruption) simply hung up as figured was obviously NOT a HIGH PRIORITY and felt semi insulted and wondered why was "wasting MY precious time/etc..­.Feel even more with advent of cells/berr­ies/ipods.­.everyone CONNECTED except to the folks they are actually amongst..a­nd too, there is the nonsense of 24/7 EXPECTATION of being REACHABE no matter what...UH, don't know about others, but REALLY, REALLY have NEVER wanted 24/7 to BE MANDATORY EXPECTATIO­N..sure, son;t mind the access for EMERGENCY PURPOSES or even occasional whimmings but 24/7 plug in is just way too intrusive and certainly leaves little time for self or even OTHERS who might be physically present and might actually be able to REAL TIME INTERACT with/conte­mplate/sha­re/etc...!­!! Course, am old but can multi task IF necessary just have found not a 24/7 neccessity !!!

[herronsmith]

When you give it away, you receive it back ten-fold..­.or more. You can't put a price on giving and oh, the joy and balance it brings!

[avraamjack]

.
I am very sorry to hear of your cheekbone!
.
It sounds like the West Coast is much cooler than the East Coast - where I live.
Mavericks get poisoned by gangs on the East Coast.
.
I am going to look for a job on the West Coast when I attend the NORML conference at Universal City next week.
.
Anybody know any good Unix admin jobs out there?
.

[Traveller]

There simply needs to be a balance between out and out capitalism and spiritualism. A society without the essential elements of both is simply going to lose in the end. Humans as connected spirits in this universe need the spiritual side to realize that all the money and recognition and power that they are striving towards will be left behind in this material world in 80-100 odd years. The urge to do as much in those many years is great I know specially as one hits mid-age. But then again who will even WANT to know you(the person) after two generations? I agree Lincoln and Washington, Gandhi and Vivekananda have followers even today but maybe that is exactly why there is such a paucity of men and women of great stature today.No one has the time to build their convictions and strengths. Everyone is running around achieving so much and getting nowhere...­The more important thing seems to be communicating about it to get instant gratification and fame rather than the world feeling the effects of actions through time. Thus we have a president who rushes into war which the countrymen had no time to think about and I am writing here now because if I dont I would never get to it in my busy day... T

[Honest George]

Dear Ms. Huffington,
I read all your columns and enjoy them.
I guess the bottom line is overdoing it.I kind of liked Times Select and was glad to pay the 7.95.As far as the 3 Blackberries go I can't comment.Th­e only thing I know about Blackberries was picking them back in the '30s
I always awake early and go to my outlook Express to see if if the Huffington Daily Brief is posted. Darn-Tomorrow is Saturday and I have to wait until Monday for your next Posts.As far as all yout woman readers go I would like to say and I hope this is not derogatory but I was a letter carrier for years and know for a fact that our Lady carriers were as least as good and often a lot better than us guys.

[rmirman]

Is AstralTechnician organizing a campaign? Please keep me informed. For arguments to use to get Gore into the race see
randomabsurdities.wordpress.com
I would be interested in helping.

[TRYKER]

That falling on your cheek sounds like a "sign". Bless you, heal fast.
The body knows every bit as much as the mind, they say...so listening to it can quiet the mind and may lead to more serenity. Sometimes too, it isn't ours to deal with, we can/should let some things pass.

[ikkytito]

Thank God for Arianna Huffington- where else to vent. A voice for the voiceless. A raft in a stormy sea. A town meeting 21st century style. The forces of evil are now plotting how to disrupt this forum. This is war. The enemy is strong and cunning. We can't possibly win. We only hope and pray. The Powerful are united. We need a hero. In every age a Hero comes. Maybe this time its Dan Rather. Judge Sirica laid in wait.

[Marlyn]

Go Dan!

[QFE]

There's too much free, useful information on the internet to succeed in selling information anymore. You need to share what you know and add value in the presentation.

I don't know if this is appropriate here, but I recently came to that conclusion about giving away information when I created my own web site to share everything I know about exercising for energy and ending up fit in old age.

Everything on the site is free. You'll see that it's for "My People, the Sendentary, the Lazy, and the Self-Indulgent", which is only a little tongue in cheek.

The value I want to add is, at age 60, is to be an inspiration to those younger so they'll be motivated to exercise for energy and good mood every day, then end up in good shape in old age, because that's exactly what I did, and they can see I'm in good shape for my age, and I absolutely don't and never have had an active lifestyle.

I'm taking information I've compiled over the last few years on health, exercise, mood, etc and combining it with my own experiences over the last thirty years to provide a rationale on why exercising for energy and mood is psychologically easier than exercising for fitness.

Also there exercises I've developed within the last 5 years that are the only actual fun exercises I know, but you can judge for yourself from the videos.

The site is at http://www.questforendorphins.com. There's nothing for sale, I'm just trying to create exposure for the concept.

[lenski]

Hear, hear! Great idea. A coworker (28 years old) and I (50) have had a friendly running competition: Who can run the most laps of the 98 steps at the local reservoir dam.

This guy, my racing buddy, has been stressing about becoming girlfriend-less and the other vicissitudes of life, and (I am proud to say) that he and I have really stepped up :-) the competition in response to the stress. It's better than the alternatives!

Quest for endorphins indeed!

W.R.T. content: Other than lawyers and psychologists, who else charges money for conversation? The Internet world is (or in my opinion should be) much more like a conversation than a one-way-for-pay experience.

[QFE]

Hi lenski,

Glad you liked the site. I waited to reply until I had done some significant updates. I've added my attempts at some instructional videos, good for a laugh at least, and a bunch of other stuff.

Everything on the site is absolutely free and there are no ads, so I feel ok with promoting it here it Huffington is ok with posting it.

Thanks again for checking it out.

JumpRock On!!!

[lfrei]

I am happy to hear TimesSelect is dead. It really ticked me off not to be able to check out Maureen Dowd without a payout.

Sounds like a go-girl kind of thing - always a positive and yes, the upshot of community, yada, yada is probably where it's at webwise.