Bright Things Share Discussion Threads

[carl79] 11/6/2010 10:52

Dont worry about me Norbus...I am fully aware of how to sell and lock in profits :-)

[norbus] 11/6/2010 09:04

Carl
I hope BP hit the bottom yesterday for your sake.

[carl79] 11/6/2010 00:13

TA yup, shame we dont have access to that kind of insight...imagine the possibilities if we did ;-) . . . and yes, i am guessing the other directors did not see the issue as they are fully expecting to bust a gut making this hands down the best solution out there - if they succeed it wont matter where they are based...if apple were british, id bet a million to one they'd still have taken the US by storm with their innovations and thousands of US citizens would have cold sweats right now in anticipation of IPhone 4...but as you say you need to work damn hard to be that far ahead of the competition - can we do it, i think so! I've noticed that the service responses have got quicker lately and seem more involved so thats good...even if something is not "fixable", im being told why, when a fix may be possible and what to do in the meantime...previously i was getting no responses to difficult questions or deflecting answers...im pleased this side of the operation seems to be improving becasue it was irritating me (All based on personal experience - i did not conduct a survey or anything so take my stories of poor experience with a pinch of salt...)

Hi MCSean - if you search for a couple of minutes in the news pages on ADVFN you'll quickly see what they were on about when refering to DVD. But that is the past so no sweat if you cant be bothered. Your point (if you were trying to make one?) is valid, there is a clear disconnect between what they did and what they are doing now - the mgt realise this and are going to change the companies name in line with what they do now so that things are more transparent lined up. The latest news/rns gives more details...

As far as income, it comes from network owners paying for premium services - this revenue stream has grown month on month consistently since product launch and it is an ambition of many shareholders that they actually b/e from this revenue stream alone within the next 18m or so - when the next figures are released we should be able to get a better read on this...Given the relatively low cost base, the developer skill and the size of the market, we have a good chance - especially if the next software release is as good as we hope.

[mcsean2164] 10/6/2010 23:52

From the shareholder information page,
"The management have considerable experience in publishing interactive entertainment on a variety of formats including the DVD format which is still evolving as a platform for interactive games. "

--the DVD format--

What the hell are they talking about?

Where does their income stream come from?

[the analyst] 10/6/2010 23:28

You are right, I am not advocating they become a US company, just appreciating that US companies in a US market do have a bit of an advantage. Just means that Dom et al have to work a bit harder, that's all

The good news is, there are plenty of non-US web companies (like Partypoker, which was basically an Indian company) that have taken the US by storm. If only we had that sort of experience on our Board of Directors.... :)

[the analyst] 10/6/2010 17:42

If the company were American, I think the most positive effect would be in PR

The US media like to search out US success stories, but will shy away from talking about foreign companies that are starting up or doing well.

Local news is huge in the US, with the nationals feeding off them. A story about a local Silicon Valley start-up would appear in favour over a British company every time, which would then go on to national coverage, creating a PR snow ball effect

I don't think it's a coincidence that the two weeks that SocialGO had huge sign-up figures were just after The Miami Herald PR. The rate went up to 9000 in a two week period from what would normally be around 3500. I could see no other reason for the rise at the time, other than that press coverage.

Put together compound growth of the effects of extra PR along with a small increase in conversion rate due to patriotism and you grow more quickly. I think the new Board are seeing this and as a result they are spending a lot more time over there in the US, to be seen to be working from their offices in The Valley

[carl79] 10/6/2010 17:42

You may well be right Norbus - I am keeping an eye but for now i'm buying...

[the analyst] 10/6/2010 17:41

Carl, looks like if you'd been at the AGM you would have sided with the other Directors that Dom thought "don't really get it"

Dom brought up the subject at the AGM, with other Directors not really buying into it, but I agree with him. As it happens, Dom and I were the only people in the room to have lived in the US and the only people with the same view. Go figure, as they say

The difference being american would make would be small, but significant, imo. Just taking conversions up very slightly would make a difference...

I'm not saying they need to move, just that if they had been American from the start, it would have resulted in a higher growth rate

[norbus] 10/6/2010 17:32

Hello Warren

Chmn of Sun Aliance wrote scathing open letter to Obama. interview on Sky 7.30 with Jeff Randall. still, I think BP is too risky right now.

[carl79] 10/6/2010 16:03

TA, That was not a quote, it was just a figure of speech and comes from me :-) ...simply to emphasise that I dont think if BGT was a US company they'd be doing much better than they are now...

Norbus, hey its all about risk, i may lose my entire portfolio tomorrow and im fine (ish - lol) with that. I like to buy when people are fearful (if I can see past their fears and think the market is calling it wrong). It tends to work as long as you keep your wits about you - you only need look at the past 12-18 months to see how irrational things got and how much contrarian investors will have made as a result. Im mean, come on, barclays at 50p! Wow...At the time you may have believed we were all about to be transported back to the dark ages but looking back, it kind of seems obvious there were bounces right across the FTSE just waiting to happen...PS I dont think it is plain sailing and fully expect a retrace / period of uncertainty for some time yet...im not about to advocate putting all your assets into stocks but i do see opportunities to trade

Back to BP, I simply think there has been a gross overreaction to the current situation; trading on the NYSE today indicates i may not have jumped to the wrong conclusion but if im wrong im wrong, i'll live to invest another day. Im greedy when others are fearful and vice versa - worked for Buffet, works for me... :-)

[norbus] 10/6/2010 15:33

Carl79
Don't get carried away with greed on BP. It may not survive in its present form unless Obama is no more.

[the analyst] 10/6/2010 15:19

Carl, I don't think I know anyone that would express your "become a US company and well double our growth" statement - out of interest, where does that one come from?

[the analyst] 10/6/2010 11:50

I don't think the BP situation will have any specific effect on SocialGO, but the fact it is not a US company does have at least some effect, I'm sure.

I discussed this situation with Dom at the AGM last year and he is well aware of the fact that US customers are fiercely patriotic and hate buying from foreigners (although the other Directors didn't really get it)

That's why they set up the US office and also the reason Dom spends so much time in California working on the business, why most press releases are from San Fran etc.

At some stage I can see SocialGO being bought out by a US company. My guess would be some time in 2012, once they have reached break-even (2011) and shown some subsequent growth in cash-generation, even if it's just one financial period

[uncle_bob] 10/6/2010 11:31

The Yanks hate buying into anything English at the best of times. I wonder if the BP disaster will have an adverse effect on US demand for Socialgo.

[the analyst] 10/6/2010 10:27

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[the analyst] 09/6/2010 12:04

UB,

Just looks like a second-rate journo has picked up on a 2009 press release from socialgo and re-published it

[uncle_bob] 09/6/2010 11:31

Anyone know anything about this.

[carl79] 09/6/2010 08:16

interesting...

socialgo.com estimated value $194,210



Will be interesting to see how that improves over time...

This is by far an exact science from what i can tell, bit Ning's domain is valued at just over $14M

[the analyst] 08/6/2010 01:21

If they had just 3000 revenue-generating networks at this stage, I'd be buying more shares

Wonder if they have got near to the 2000 mark yet? Hard to tell as we have no idea of attrition rates, but the 2000 landmark would represent another positve milestone reached in their steady progress...

[carl79] 08/6/2010 00:01

I created a network and from the generated suffix worked out what network number they are on. At the rate they are growing they are probably on 158,000 + now...

No i just mean created networks - active will be a fraction of that and producing revenue a smaller % still. If there were 158k networks producing revenue even at a rate of £5 per month we would not be arguing the toss over whether this is heading down to 1p or up to 4p, it would be more like wtf isn't it already at 14p

[uncle_bob] 07/6/2010 11:53

carl79,
Where did you get that number from and what when you say networks do you mean those that produce revenue.