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5 Ways to Stop Teddy Maynard

Called "The Ad LIbrary," Google is tracking political ads across its platforms to increase transparency. This is bad news for Teddy Maynard.

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5 Ways to Stop Teddy Maynard

On August 15th, 2018, Google finally published an archive of all the political ads across its platforms. Included in this report are results from Search and YouTube. Dubbed “The Ad Library,” Google is reacting to lawmaker’s insinuation that stricter laws could be passed if they don’t make a move towards greater transparency.

Good news for voters.

Bad news for Teddy Maynard.

The Brethren

Back in 2012, John Grisham published “The Brethren.”

Aaron Lake, a significant character, is a representative to Congress from Arizona.

He’s affable, good-looking, and well-connected in Washington DC. Everybody likes him, and he doesn’t make a fuss. However, he doesn’t seem to want to move up in the party at all.

That is until he meets Teddy Maynard.

In the world of “The Brethren” Teddy Maynard is the Director of the CIA. Although he suffers from ailments that plague him continually, Maynard is just as cunning and shrewd as ever.

Maynard is also worried about a specific political figure in a foreign land. Given he’s in charge of the Central Intelligence Agency, Maynard is aware of a great many things. The United States general population, however, is kept in the dark.

At the beginning of the book, there’s a presidential campaign that’s already underway. The front-runner is not someone Maynard is fond of. It has very little to do with the man’s personality and more to do with his politics.

This guy’s soft on foreign defense.

Maynard wants someone in the Oval Office who is tough...which is why he’s keen on Aaron Lake.

Lake is likeable, and with the right amount of money behind him, Lake could be the sleeper hit for the upcoming Presidential Election. All they need to do is find contributors and staff. With Maynard’s connections and a long list of favors, it’s possible. Difficult, but possible.

So Maynard sets off to disrupt the election.

I should mention “The Brethren” was published in 2012 before President Trump was elected. Before the accusations of Russian collusion. Maybe Grisham knew something?

Whether he did or not, Teddy Maynard presents an interesting scenario; The Director of the CIA who is messing with a federal election and no one being the wiser.

It’s 2018 now. Google’s launched their political ad archive. Should Teddy Maynard have tried to pull off his little covert plot, it would have been a lot more difficult.

Thanks to Google’s archive of political advertising and a recent report, here’s why.

The Ad Library tracks the money

Google’s Ad Library is logging ads that appear on its platforms, and this includes Search and YouTube. It’ll list who paid for the ads, a rough estimate of the cost to deploy the ads, and how many impressions each ad received.

For Teddy Maynard to start running ads now, someone is going to be watching him. Well, maybe not him.

Maynard’s plan was to get others to fund Lake’s campaign. He’s got the favors, and he’ll be cashing them in. In return, Lake gets a lot of money, really fast. These contributors can then run ads on behalf of Lake.

With the Ad Library and similar programs from other social media sites, all these contributors are listed. A swift uptick in spending on a candidate, like Aaron Lake, will catch someone’s attention.

Top Keywords

The concurrent report Google released with The Ad Library will list keywords. Specifically, keywords that advertisers are going after. These keywords are linked to demographics and critical audiences.

A watchdog agency or a very concerned public citizen could find that specific keywords are being targeted more than others. When this happens, Teddy’s going to get found out.

Spending by State and Congressional District

Beyond the keywords, there’s the spending by State and Congressional District.

For the battleground states or swing districts, Teddy will likely spend more money on advertising here. His goal is to garner more and more favor for Lake in these areas.

As the old saying goes “follow the money.”

This would be another way to catch on to Teddy Maynard and expose his evil scheme.

Only Federal Campaigns

As of this writing, The Ad Library is focusing on federal elections at this time.

Good news for Teddy, if he were trying to rig a state senate election or the election of a city. Though bad news for someplace like San Antonio. Someone could seize control of a smaller area without the ad archive tracking them.

However, Maynard’s going for the big one.

Issue Ads Not Included

While there are plenty of ads for and against candidates, there are also issue advertisements.

These issue ads, though sometimes annoying, are meant to raise awareness. Should Maynard seek to sway the public to vote on issues, this could still work for him. However, elections are increasingly about the person running for office and less about the issues.

Case in point, Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton.

This most recent presidential election was between two people whom both had rabid supporters and vengeful critics. Moreover, there were those people stuck in the middle who liked neither candidate.

Instead of talking about issues, the media focused instead on something else. The main topic in 2016 became “who is the better person?”

Not “what’s their stance on X?”

While their positions were part of the discussion, inevitably, it came down to who was liked more. If someone disliked both candidates equally, the question became who was less of a horrible person?

Both had their flaws, and some of those flaws got broadcast louder than others. Both had their skills and strengths. Ultimately, it was about which person was a better person.

When evidence surfaced that maybe someone, from outside the US, had been working to disrupt the election, things got worse.

Hence, the push for transparency in political ads.

Does Teddy Succeed?

While Teddy Maynard’s dubious plot to get Aaron Lake elected is a significant part of “The Brethren”, they are not the main characters.

The eponymous “Brethren” are three federal judges who’ve come to find themselves in federal prison. Each one has committed some crime, and as a result, they’re now serving time.

To pass the hours, and to earn money, they’ve taken to running a scam. This scam gets embroiled in Teddy Maynard’s scam. Only John Grisham could write something like this and make it entertaining.

I won’t ruin the ending, but rest assured, bad things happen and mostly to bad people.

Go pick up a copy of “The Brethren”.

You won’t be disappointed.

Greater Transparency

As mid-terms approach, politicians running for office, or running to keep it, are wary of someone messing with the election for the sake of disruption. While they work to manipulate voters and constituents, someone may be managing them. That's not a fun way to think of the next election.

The good news is that Google, along with other social media platforms, is pushing for more transparency. They’re digging into their advertisers to find where the money comes from and how many people are affected by it. With this knowledge, we’ll have a better idea of who’s getting involved.

While these moves may not erase disruption and manipulation, they will make it more difficult.

In the meantime, do your research into your favorite candidate. Also, pick up a copy of “The Brethren”. Who knows, you may find a real-life Teddy Maynard!

Moreover, check out the best Spectrum internet deals in your area while you’re at it. You’ll get to research the issues, the candidates, and save some money in the process.

For more news on Google updates, and book reviews, keep your browser open to On The Download.

Digital Literacy; Seeing Through Technology

Digital technology is an amazing thing, but not without its dangers. To protect ourselves, we need to learn digital literacy.

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Digital Literacy; Seeing Through Technology

Digital technology is a fantastic thing, but not without its dangers. Which is why we need digital literacy.

Digital literacy provides a means to see through technology for what it is.

Look at it this way, you’ve traveled to a new city. It could be Chicago, New York, or even somewhere a little less glamorous, like Dallas, TX. These new cities can be filled with amazing things to see, terrifying in scale, or both.

And they’re not without their dangers either.

As you walk down a crowded street, a man is inviting you to play a game.

“It’s easy, just watch the ball,” he says as he places a ball under one of three cups. He proceeds to move the cups. You follow the cup you know has the ball. He moves the cups around but not too fast that you lose sight of the right container. When he’s finished, he lifts it to reveal that, indeed, the ball is still under the right cup.

“Want to play?” He asks. “You win, you get double your money back.”

To play, you need to pay five bucks.

You hand over your five-dollar bill, he pockets it and places the ball under a cup.

The cups move a little faster this time. Not too fast though.

You follow the cup until he stops.

You point to the right cup.

He lifts it to reveal there’s nothing there.

Seeing Through the Con

It’s a standard street con. The method behind it has been modified many times to use different elements for different situations.

You could say it’s a magic trick, but magicians do this to entertain, not take your money.

On the internet, there are many cons. Some of which are blatantly obvious. Has anyone gotten an email from a deposed prince of a foreign nation?

Others are a little cleverer. I once got a bill in my inbox claiming I’ve purchased an expensive program. Of course, I didn’t. But I wanted to make sure my bank account wasn’t hacked. So I check my bank account and no money is gone. This is good.

I sigh in relief and go back to the email.

There’s a convenient link at the bottom to confirm the billing information.

I deleted the email right then and there.

And then there are the cons that don’t involve money at all. These are the more nefarious ones as they want you to believe something that’s not true. Or take information from you.

Digital literacy is a means to see through the cons out there on the internet and protect yourself. It’s a field of instruction that’s growing. But not enough people are aware of it yet.

In response to some inauthentic profiles and growing concerns with protecting subscriber data, Facebook has launched their Digital Literacy Library. This accessible online repository is full of lessons, activities, and articles to help subscribers become more digitally literate. The Facebook Digital Literacy Library, however, can’t teach you how to detect CRAP.

This isn’t to say Facebook’s Digital Literacy Library IS crap. It’s a useful tool. And it’s an excellent place to start. But it’s lacking information on discerning fake news from real news and more.

For that, you’d need a comprehensive curriculum.

Cyber Civics

In 2010, Diana Graber taught her first digital citizenship class.

The school had just witnessed its first ever incident of cyberbullying. Graber, having earned a Masters in Media Psychology and Social Change, offered her academic knowledge to prevent similar incidents from happening again. The goal was to teach students the life skills needed to be wise and competent digital citizens.

And since the subject matter involved technology, Graber brought in technology to help teach the concepts to her students.

It began as one class once a week class for only the 6th grade. The class grew in popularity and became a full three-year curriculum for middle school students.

The coursework begins with a foundation of understanding digital citizenship. Upon that foundation, students learn about cyberbullying, sexting, researching, and of course CRAP.

CRAP is the acronym used to teach students how to tell if an article or post is fake news.

Is it Credible?

Is the source Reputable?

Who’s the Author?

And what’s the Purpose of their Point-of-View?

Now, Graber admits with a smile, students look forward to the class where they get to learn about CRAP.

Students have also expressed more significant interest in this class over other subjects. One went as far as to say “Why do we have algebra five times a week and only come here once? We’re going to use this way more than algebra!”

Options

Cyber Civics has expanded from a pilot school in California to 41 states and four countries.

For students, and parents, who attend a school where Cyber Civics curriculum isn’t taught, there is a homeschool option available. If there’s just not enough time in the school day to cover the entire curriculum, Cyber Civics offers a condensed version of their Level 1 material.

There is also a family option. This curriculum isn’t restricted to students who attend a school where Cyber Civics is taught. It’s available on their website for download. Any family can order it to learn more about digital citizenship within their own home.

Diana Graber also has written a book full of information gleaned from her first eight years building and teaching Cyber Civics; Raising Humans in a Digital World: Helping Kids Build a Healthy Relationship with Technology.

The book details the fundamentals of Cyber Civics, lessons to do at home, and more information. It’s a great supplemental resource or introductory course to Cyber Civics.

Why Become Digitally Literate?

Anyone and everyone who goes online is a digital citizen. To survive in a digital world, and to not let it control us, we need to become digitally literate.

And much like Chicago, New York, or even Dallas, the internet is a place with both people who want to help and people who want to hurt.

Everywhere we go on the internet there is someone who can see what we’ve been doing. Some may think what they’re doing won’t matter to the larger crowd. But what if someone decides to look at the digital footprints you’ve been leaving?

A scammer would know where to look.

And much like the street con, these scammers can either get your information out of you directly or by seeing where you’ve been. Once they have it, then they can use it against you.

Then there are those who aren’t scammers but are trying to gather people to their cause. It may be a noble cause, it may not be. Or worse, they’re trying to spread false information.

With a program like Cyber Civics, you’ll at least be able to discern if there’s CRAP.

Why is it Important?

Digital literacy programs aren’t meant to restrict students from getting on their phones. Instead, it’s intended to equip them to handle the technology properly.

Kids today spend up to 11 hours per day on their phone. That’s half of the day just on their smartphones. That’s a lot of time being exposed to a whole world of information.

It’s not easy to monitor.

Kids are also very perceptive and can pick up things quickly, especially when they’re interested in it. Smartphones will hold sway over kids, even adults, for a long time. Wouldn’t it be better to build a mindset that prevents the technology from controlling them?

Facebook’s Digital Literacy Library, though not sufficiently comprehensive, is a good place to start. For the good stuff, check out Cyber Civics. They even have a few free lessons you can work through.

As you learn how to become digitally literate, you’ll learn how to avoid being conned.

Avoid other cons by keeping your browser open to On The Download.

3 Ways the Writers' Room is Changing

When it comes to television, the success of a show hinges on writers in the writers' room. And these wrtiers' rooms are getting smaller.

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3 Ways the Writers' Room is Changing
When it comes to television, the success of a show doesn’t hinge on the actors, the producers, or even the network. It’s the writers' room. The actors, the producers, and the network do contribute a great deal to a show dying a horrible death though. The last one on that list contributes the most. Anyone remember Firefly? The point is, writers are what give the show it’s meat. The dialogue, the scenes, the action, the emotions, all of that is produced by the writers' room. The producers provide the money, and the director gives the whole production a goal. And the network makes the “smart decisions.” These smart decisions usually end a show. Anyone remember Almost Human? It’s the writers that provide all the important parts that make a show a show. The funny one-liners, the jokes, the turns of phrase, the speeches, and the list goes on. Without a writers' room, the show wouldn’t exist. Ironically, it’s the writers who get the least amount of credit. This team of creatives sit down day after day and do the hard work of writing. While writing is seen as a creative endeavor, make no mistake, it involves hard work. I speak from experience. And it’s so frustrating to see all the hard work of the writers get thrown away when a network decides a show “just isn’t right.” Anyone remember Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip?

Studio 60

It starts with a well-loved sketch comedy show, Studio 60, getting shaken up. To fix the public relations disaster, the showrunner hires a well-known producer-writer duo. Played by Matthew Perry, Matt Albie is the writer. He’s got awards, he’s proven himself, he’s what the producers think will save their show. Albie, like most writers, is always battling his creative demons. The first Monday after being hired, Albie is tasked with writing his first episode. Walking into the head writer’s office, he sees the previous occupant put up a neon sign. Turning it on, he finds a famous quote there. “Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.” On top of it is a running clock, letting him know how much time he has until the next episode airs. And the rest of the episode all his creative demons and writing problems are summed up with that running clock.

Should Have Gone With a Writer’s Room

The ironic part is this doesn’t accurately portray how a real television production works. And yet, it’s on television. In a real studio, Albie would have leaned on his writers' room. It was more dramatic to have him go it alone. But in real life, the less drama there is the better. This writers' room would have already had ideas they were working on and getting ready for them to test out. Ideas would have been bouncing around as multiple writers thought of different ways to convey an idea. Or how to make an idea better. The writers' room is an integral part of the production process. Possibly the most integral part. But it’s changing. In this era of Peak TV, more and more shows are being produced. The vast majority of these shows are short and sometimes don’t last long. Until recently, an idea would be pitched to a producer. If the producer liked the idea, that person would put together a budget and pull in writers to help write a pilot. The pilot would get produced and pitched to a network. If the network liked it, they’d order a set of shows along with the pilot and air it for the next season. If the show did well, it’d get picked up. There’s a lot of “ifs” in that last paragraph. Anywhere along the way, a show could have gotten derailed or canceled. This meant the loss of money and time invested to create it. This was called the “pilot-model.” Now shows are being created with more than just a pilot shot. Sometimes there is no pilot at all. The choice for many production companies is to go with a mini-room.

Mini-Room?

Writers’ Rooms usually had a lot of writers in them. Now the common trend is to have a room with four or five writers working on a single project to come up with possible scripts for episodes. Sometimes they hash out an overall arc. Other times its coming up with ideas to build upon for more shows and possibly later seasons. Other times a mini-room means a group of writers will only be employed for a short time as they work to write out multiple scripts for a show so the producer has an idea of what the show will look like beyond a pilot. Sometimes it means both. The major complaint here is that mini-rooms do not provide a stable income for writers. By their nature, they will only last for a short time. Another complaint is that the process doesn’t work for some producers. Either they’re used to the old way, or they’re not liking what’s coming out of the room. On the upside, mini-rooms have their advantages.

Writers’ Rooms are Getting Smaller

An obvious point, but it bears mentioning. With fewer writers in the room, the most common praise is “greater intimacy.” Meaning, they feel comfortable talking about heavy-subject matter. When writers feel comfortable with each other, they can get to some very deep issues and ideas. This isn’t as common with a large room of writers. It also helps when a smaller group is hashing out ideas as it’s easier to manage. A cohesive storyline can form faster and work can pick up. What may have taken a season to write may take half or a quarter of the time.

More Writing Opportunities

With more writers' rooms popping up, more writers are needed to fill them. The pool of chances just got bigger. Aspiring writers without the right connections would have a better shot of getting their work in front of a producer. And believe me, having connections in the business makes a world of difference when it comes to getting started. Why do you think Miley Cyrus became famous? It couldn’t have been because her dad was Billy Ray Cyrus, right?

More Chances for Marginalized Voices

The push for more voices from different backgrounds is gaining steam. Yet, there women and minorities are still only accounting for about a quarter of the content coming out of Hollywood. With more writing opportunities available, through mini-rooms, more writers from these backgrounds have a chance. A chance to get their writing in front of producers. Maybe the industry will finally shift? We can hope.

Mini-Rooms Becoming the Norm

With any change in the industry, there are those who love it and those who hate it. The biggest argument against mini-rooms is they’re turning the industry into a gig economy. There is some truth to that, but as more and more companies outsource and get leaner, it makes sense this would happen. On the upside, there are more chances for aspiring writers to make an impact. And that’s not a bad thing at all. With the wave of content still rolling strong, there will be a need for more and more writers. As well as people who will want to watch them. So make sure you have a reliable connection and decent download speed. Check out the best internet deals to save you some time and money. As for Matt Albie of Studio 60, he did manage to pull off the show. Though unrealistic, the ending had a touch of cosmic fate. As he watches the audience applause and the cast bow, he smiles and walks away from the window. Only to hear the sign click. He looks back. The timer has rolled over and it’s counting down to next week’s episode.

3 Reasons Cloud Gaming Will Be Awesome

Electronic Arts has revived the dream of cloud gaming with their Origin Access Premiere. Here's 3 reasons why it will be awesome!

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3 Reasons Cloud Gaming Will Be Awesome
The promise of Cloud Gaming seemed to be a false promise. But now it appears Electronic Arts (EA) can revive that dream. Back in June 2018, EA demonstrated they were able to stream high-quality games via a high-speed connection. The person on the other end simply needed a controller to hook up to the television, computer, or laptop, and they could play the game. Just like Netflix brings movies and shows straight to the consumer, EA is working to launch their own game streaming service. All players will need is a controller, a high-speed internet connection on their device, and of course, a subscription. Then they’ll have access to a huge array of games to play with. This would have been nice if they’d come out with this technology a lot sooner.

That One Roommate

Before Cloud Gaming, before even Netflix streaming, I was a college student sharing a house with five other guys. The house, affectionately dubbed “The Shack,” should have been condemned. There were roaches living there, not to mention the squirrels and cats too. The squirrels left us alone, but the roaches were constantly inciting a turf war. The cats just used the place to procreate, and loudly. Rent was cheap though. Which was the point, I guess. To make the situation more livable, TV’s were brought in, DVD players, huge selections of DVDs, and games. One guy had an Xbox. Let’s call him Rick. While I did my fair share of movie watching, Rick played video games. Non. Stop. I shouldn’t judge, he turned out to be a great guy. And I did spend a few nights trying to beat Gears of War. I wasn’t totally immune. Yet, if you were to walk in there, 99 times out of ten, it wasn’t me on the Xbox trying to level up in the hottest game to come out that year- Halo 3. It would have been Rick. So the soundtrack of the house was a constant stream of explosions, gunfire, Rick shouting into his headset, and vulgar putdowns from other people playing the game as well. This was college. Since Rick played hours upon hours of Halo, he was good at the game. I wasn’t. I would be lucky to get five kills in a multi-player match. And Rick wouldn’t hesitate to point this out to me any time I picked up a controller. As if living in that cesspool wasn’t bad enough, I couldn’t prove myself in the last arena of true battle- online gaming. I graduated college, got married, and soon found online gaming really wasn’t the measure of a true man. But I digress. I didn’t own a game console. Thus, I wasn’t good at gaming. In hindsight, this wasn’t a bad thing. I did, after all, get into books. And I couldn’t be happier. Gaming, however, is going to change. As more and more games come out that only emphasize their online gaming mode and not their story mode, the video game companies will need a better way to market their games. Enter Cloud Gaming. It’s not all bad. And here are three reasons why.

No Consoles to Pay For

Part of the reason I never bought an Xbox or a PlayStation was the expensive price tag. And I was a poor college kid. My parents were also not big into gaming. So I can’t blame them for not shelling out the cash to buy me one that one time I put it on my Christmas list. With a streaming service, there’s no need to buy the console, or even the game itself. Just hook up the internet, plug in the controller, and away you go. A streaming game service was attempted back at the start of the 2010’s. Two companies, GoLive and Gaikai, each showed cloud gaming was a viable possibility. The only problem was the technology required to make it work was expensive and not as available as it was today. There was also the widely accepted belief that one buys games and does not stream them. Streaming was for movies and wasn’t seen as a stable method for delivering a high-quality gaming experience. EA has cracked that. Now all they need is enough subscribers to make it profitable.

Subscriptions

With Cloud Gaming, you'll only pay once a month, or once for the whole year. Paying once a month and getting games cheaper is better than having to pay for the console and the games too. At least, I would think so. I’m no expert here, but I do know what I like. And I’d much rather pay a little bit at a time than a lot all at once. It’s unclear if other game production companies will create their own subscription services like EA’s. But who am I kidding? Of course they will. Once EA proves this will work, other companies are going to launch their own subscription services to make it happen and compete. Soon the entertainment world will be one big subscription service, with subscription services to manage subscription services. At least the games will be cheaper.

Availability to More Players

Rick, though a good guy, was still hogging the Xbox most of the time. With a subscription service, this opens the door for even more people to plug in and play…so long as the internet speed is fast enough. There’s a way around that, just get the best internet bundles and you’ll be able to have multiple players, on multiple devices, all streaming their games at. The. Same. Time! If there are not enough ports for the controllers, then pull out a laptop, computer, or just another TV with an internet connection. Players would then be able to join in the game and no one would have to wait their turn to play. Cloud Gaming would make gaming accessible to a much wider audience.

When Is The Future?

EA’s Origin Access Premiere is still in its infancy. There will still be some kinks to work out, but as of right now, it seems to be working well. This is good news for EA as they continue their domination of the video game industry. For those who don’t enjoy video games, or don’t object to EA on principle, there are always books to read. As for me, I don’t see myself getting involved with video games beyond the few apps I have on my phone. Maybe when I’m older and my life slows down just a little bit I’ll have some time to just waste on a game. But I doubt that will happen any time soon. Rick, my old roomie, did give up gaming. I’m not sure when, but it must have been some time after he got married and started working a real job. Then he had kids. Last I spoke with him he was getting his masters and taking care of yet another baby. How he manages kids and masters level courses, I don’t know. I barely made it through my masters’ level course with one child. A few weeks ago I was near my alma mater and thought, just briefly, if that god-forsaken Shack was still there. Low and behold, it was. Some other poor sap decided they’d live with the roaches, the squirrels, and the cats, in that confined space. Hopefully, they have fast, reliable internet, and a streaming service.

Walmart V. Amazon: Is it Good for You?

Why would Walmart compete against Amazon? They’re both large companies that make a good profit, so why compete? And why would it be good for You?

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Walmart V. Amazon: Is it Good for You?

Why would Walmart compete against Amazon? They’re both large companies that make a good profit. Walmart has dominated the big-box store competition. Amazon has dominated just about everything else. But Amazon bought Whole Foods. For a technology company that can deliver things so quickly and efficiently to buy a grocery store means Walmart’s going to have serious competition soon. Reminds me of another epic rivalry.

Hi, I’m a Mac

 

Not too long ago, Apple ran this advertising campaign to highlight the differences between the two brands. Microsoft, who makes PCs, was played by the unassuming John Hodgman. Hodgman was great as the embodiment of the PC computer who was terminally befuddled with problems. Some issues were legit, like Microsoft’s horrible Vista operating system. Most of the time it was about the identity of the brands. Justin Long, the embodiment of the Mac, was the young and hip guy who casually took care of every problem and had no issues whatsoever with his operating systems. As you can see from the clip above, they were hilarious. Superb comedy writing. But they distracted from the real issue- buying a computer is more a personal choice than a rational one.

Mac or PC?

Microsoft makes great computers. Apple makes great computers. Which one is best comes down to a matter of personal choice. Microsoft, who makes the PCs, are reliable computers. They may not be sleek or classy looking, but they do the job that’s required of them. Apples are elegantly designed. What makes Apples different from PCs, besides aesthetics, is that Apple has branded itself as the “different” computer company. Those who want to see themselves as different, innovative, or an outsider, are usually going to buy a Mac. This stems from Steve Jobs prompting customers to “think different” when it came to buying a computer. Macs were made to be simple to set up, easy to use, and intuitive. PCs, however, were clunky and took a lot of work just to get turned on. In the intervening years, PCs have come a long way in terms of their functionality and ease of use. It also helps that Microsoft Word works best on a PC, and Word is the industry standard for the publishing industry. This article, in fact, was written on a PC…then copy and pasted onto our On The Download blog. While there is a version of Word available for Macs, it’s not as sleek or easy to use. Somewhat ironic really. So when it comes to a Mac or a PC, I go for the PC. This doesn’t mean I don’t like Macs. I get more benefits out of a PC than I do Macs. In the contest between Amazon and Walmart, it’s shaping up to look like the Mac v. PC commercials. In the end, it’s a good thing for the consumer- you.

Hi, I’m Amazon

Amazon started out as just an online reseller of books. It has since grown to become a behemoth in the online retail space. Amazon has hundreds of warehouses and sorting centers across the world. It took years to build this up and cost a lot to pull off. But all that hard work has proven extremely advantageous as Amazon can ship things relatively easily across the world, sometimes getting something into your hands within a day. You do have to pay extra for the service, but Amazon is the only one doing it right now. With their huge warehouses of stuff, and third-party vendors able to sell their wares on the site as well, Amazon has a definitive edge when it comes to operating an online retail space. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows though. Their last Prime Day had a rocky start, and then there were the issues with Whole Foods. When Amazon bought Whole Foods, it was expected they could start delivering grocery orders within hours. That has not quite worked out. Though Amazon has tried starting their own delivery service with sub-contractors, and even going as far as partnering with Uber and Lyft, the service hasn’t quite taken off. This may be because grocery shopping is still a personal activity. I speak from experience as I would rather pick my groceries myself than have someone do it for me. It would save me on time but at the expense of getting the wrong cereal. And that’s a blow that’s hard to come back from. Amazon is still working to iron out the kinks, but the food delivery issue is still unresolved as of this writing.

Hi, I’m Walmart

Walmart has the big-box chain thing down, pat! The only issue with this is the world is becoming increasingly digital. Walmart’s method of delivering goods from warehouse to store, while efficient, is also costly. For this reason, Walmart may not have as big a profit margin as Amazon does. What they do have, however, is brand recognition. Drive through rural America and you’ll see a Walmart in any decent-sized town. It won’t be huge or flashy, but it will be busy. Walmart’s brand of “saving you more” has stuck and people from far and wide will drive great distances to get a better deal on their weekly groceries. Yet, the world is becoming more and more digital. As cities grow and rural communities shrink, Walmart’s advantage will shrink with it.

Walmart's New Advantage

Unlike other companies who said “we’ve done things this way and it’s worked out for us so we’ll keep doing it this way,” Walmart is taking a different path. Walmart is currently ramping up Vudu, the movie streaming service it owns, and will turn it into their personal entertainment streaming service completed with original content. Walmart is also working on solving the grocery delivery and infrastructure problem. To do this, they’ve created two tech incubators, one in San Bruno, California, and one in Austin, Texas. A tech incubator is a shelter for startups. Incubators are geared for looking for a specific type of technology or process and then working on how to apply it to the parent organization. In this case, that’s Walmart. And Walmart is looking for the right startups, or even entrepreneurs, who might have solutions to their problems. Once those are identified, they’ll provide a workspace for them and money to work on their idea, process, or product. Given Walmart has these two tech incubators in very tech-heavy markets is a sign they’re aggressively seeking solutions. While Amazon has the brand image of creating new technology in-house, Walmart is working to bring in thinkers to solve its problems. That may not be part of Walmart’s overall brand, but it’s a wise move considering how business practices are changing. On a minor note, Walmart could have saved itself some money and set up shop in San Antonio, TX, just an hour down the road from Austin. It would have still had access to all the tech genius of Austin but at far cheaper overhead. Just saying.

Who Will Win?

In the coming contest for online retail dominance, Amazon appears to be frontrunner here. They’ve been building their digital platform, they’ve already run into problems with delivering groceries so they’re farther ahead on solving them. Walmart, however, isn’t sitting back and doing nothing. They’ve invested in finding people who will come up with answers and then how to incorporate those answers. They may be proverbially late to the game, but they’re not showing up short-handed either. The key to whole competition will be who will devise a better customer experience. Price will factor in too. Customers will overlook that if they like the customer interface enough. A system may be more intuitive than the other or have more features, but if a customer does not like it, that will hurt the overall performance of each company. In the end, it’s all about how well you take care of your customer. Before that happens, however, you’ll need to have a decent internet connection. Check out the best internet bundles and save yourself a little bit of money too. When Amazon and Walmart finally figure out how to get groceries to your front door, you don’t want your internet making that difficult.