While I do find the development of monetization models for online marketing infinitely fascinating, I am very concerned for the the prospects of brick-and-mortar retailers in this new age. The Long Tail would have you believe that niche markets have found renewed life unconfined by the "tyranny of physical space", just as Google would likely claim that they are radically decreasing the barriers of competition for the "little guys" with CPC services like AdSense. However, many of the tech developments we are studying imply a degree of consolidation across several industries that could very well destroy the small commercial centers across the country. Put in the context of the current economic crisis, I feel like this is a really big deal.
I would love to see more online marketing tools that have the potential to strengthen the health of our cities by driving traffic there and, where appropriate, reinforcing that sometimes there is no substitute for an authentic experience (shoutout Walter Benjamin, Jane Jacobs, and Guy Debord!). I know, of course, that this presents the problem of not being able to track the effectiveness of the online tools used, but I would like to believe this is what is coming!
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