The Cameras Are Never Off
July 23, 2008
Interesting video as President Bush asks that the cameras be turned off and then makes some remarks we have to assume he didn’t want recorded. Unfortunately these days, especially when you are a public figure, the cameras are never off. Somebody out there has a cell phone with video or some other kind of pocket recording device. We live in a time of constant recording. To many people are carrying devices capable of recording and distributing that recording to millions via the Internet is also so easy now. One camera I saw yesterday specifically records video in YouTube compatible format, a feature that was highlighted prominently on the box. Remember when America’s Funniest Home Videos was a top TV show? Now YouTube is America’s Funniest Home Videos. Watch yourself out there in public because the camera is never off. Neither is the audio recorder or the snapshot.
Seesmic Video WordPress Plugin
April 23, 2008
Seesmic is already an interesting video platform but this new WordPress plugin takes things to the next level. {seesmic_video:{”url_thumbnail”:{”value”:”http://t.seesmic.com/thumbnail/YDCHJRXiqP_th1.jpg”}”title”:{”value”:”Seesmic Video WordPress Plugin ”}”videoUri”:{”value”:”http://www.seesmic.com/video/53MaznvsaV”}}}
Twitterposter and Measuring Influence
November 28, 2007
A few weeks ago, an application called Twitterposter made a splash in the Twitter community. Twitterposter is an interesting Twitter API application that purports to display the relative influence of Twitter users. The problem is that it uses the number of followers as it’s measure of influence.
We need to stop getting caught up in raw numbers as the measure of anything significant. How many followers do you have on Twitter, how many friends on Facebook? Those numbers are not what really matters. It’s not how many people are following you, but more who is following you. What is the real influence power of those following you and are you even saying anything interesting or worthwhile?
Technorati Tags: Influence, Twitter
Google, Yahoo Both Working On Next Generation Social Networks
August 2, 2007
There has been lots of talk lately about social media burnout and people reaching their breaking point with Facebook. In the midst of all this angst, its funny to read reports of Yahoo working on a new social network. The barrier to entry is higher than ever because even those who have not burned out are starting to say, enough already. Unless the Yahoo service is mind blowing fantastic, I don’t think they have a chance to make a real impact.
Much smarter is what Google is working on and sponsoring via Carnegie Mellon univeristy. Socialstream aggregates social network and hopefully social media into one cohesive place. Depending on when they can release it for use, Socialstream could be the perfect solution at the perfect time. Once again Google wins. Will anything stop these guys?
Technorati Tags: google, socialstream, Socialnetworks, yahoo
MPAA Fake Bittorrent Site Outwitted
July 6, 2007
The MPAA, RIAA, take your pick; these guys never learn. The latest in the saga of stupid anti-piracy tricks is a fake bittorrent website supposedly loaded with first run movies for download. Actually an MPAA front run by a company called Media Defender, the site was designed to trap and bust people trying to download copyrighted content. What happened next should surprise no one. The website ZeroPaid found out, ran an article which hit digg.com among other sites and in a matter of hours, everyone was the wiser. You can’t sneak around the web playing dirty tricks on people. Someone is going to find out and the word will get out, fast. So the MPAA accomplishes nothing and looks like idiots in the process. I can’t believe the MPAA is going to walk through the same meat grinder the RIAA is waking through already.
Technorati Tags: MPAA, Piracy, Bittorrent, RIAA
New Media Firehose
June 21, 2007
It’s exausting to keep up with, the flood of new apps and services pouring out of the tech world these days. I’ve never 
seen such fast moving and creative innovation. It’s a great time be around. One new service I learned about today via Twitter, a place I learn so many new things these days, is Kyte.tv. Kyte is an online video site for user generated content. Somewhat like YouTube but with a better user interface, one feature that grabbed my attention is the ability to open a channel and allow anyone or a selected group of people to upload videos. It’s almost like comments on a blog but in video. With all the notebooks with built in video cameras, we’re going to see more and more user generated video.
Facebook Ready to Blow Doors off Myspace
May 24, 2007
It’s already a much better social network, technology and otherwise, than myspace, but now Facebook is taking it to
another level. Announced today was the Facebook “platform” which will allow third party application developers to create mini apps that will run on a Facebook profile. Amazon, Microsoft and Digg among 65 others are already on board. It’s an exciting announcement and if they can pull it off, it could re-define the nature of social networks.
Will Joost Eat YouTubes Lunch?
February 21, 2007
The smart guys who brought us Kazza and Skype are in beta tests for their latest venture called Joost. It’s an online video service but it’s not YouTube. It is not clear how much, if any, user generated content will be available on Joost, but the service has had success signing commercial content from National Geographic and others. And right in the wake of the announcement of Viacom signing a big content deal with Joost comes news that CBS and Google can’t make a deal on CBS content for YouTube. If the major content owners see Joost as a better deal than YouTube, Google could be in for a long road. All of a sudden Google isn’t the fast, small disrupter anymore. Now they are the big giant and there is another fast, small company disrupting them.
The Internet Lightning Rod
November 9, 2006
A small Houston gardening company just got a lesson about the power of individuals and the Internet. Garden Guy chooses not to do business with homosexuals and said so in an email to a prospective client. There was nothing belligerent or angry about the email, but the client didn’t take it kindly and forwarded it to several of his friends. Soon it was all over the net and the Garden Guy website was flooded with posts to its message board as well as personal emails to the owners.
As a business, you have the right to work with whomever you choose for whatever reasons you choose. In this case, I feel for the business because they said as much in their email in the nicest way possible but still got burned. Should they have made up a different excuse? At least they were open and honest.
What may have made things worse is the company also has a specific anti-gay marraige message on the website with a link to another anti-gay marraige website. It’s a big mistake to promote or put forth in any way a social or political adgenda on a company website. No matter what kind of stand you take, there is surely somebody who will take office. Business is business and should not mix with political or social issues. Imagine, a single email to a single individual. Within hours or a day it becomes national news. That can be a very good thing for a company, or a very bad thing.
Disney Orgy - Messing With The Brand
October 13, 2006
How out of control are companies with regard to their brands? Very. Check this video out; shot backstage at Disneyland Paris presumably by a Disney cast member. The combination of cheap, mobile video recording and media sharing social networks like YouTube make this kind of thing all to easy. I’m sure these cast members thought they were backstage and therefore in a safe place where they don’t have to be “on”. Backstage should be a safe place for employees but someone did shoot the video and it did get out. Disney’s new or reinforced policy will be, when you have the outfit on, you’re “on”, no matter where you are. Think of Abu Ghraib in Iraq. People casually taking digital pictures, but with the power of the network, they got out and created a firestorm.
It also means as a person living in this connected world, you have to be extra careful of what you do or say. You could be recorded at any time, by anyone. So where are the lines drawn? Does anyone have the right to record you with audio, video or a photo and share that to the world? Do you control those permissions? Will there be a wave of lawsuits by people who have not consented to have their image or voice published on the Internet?