Renetto makes his move!

This is the video we've all been waiting for. Renetto has given a name to his big idea. In fact he's gone one better than that. Two big ideas and, therefore, two names. Paul Robinett has managed to cast himself a love-him-or-hate-him character but I'll say this in his defence. He has passion. Meet him in person and he is a charismatic leader, a motivator, an inspiration. Now he will no-longer be YouTube bashing - let's hope YouTube finds a suitable replacement thorn-in-the-flesh! Instead his attentions are turned to creating Web 3.0!

I write all this because, at 11 minutes long, his video is only for the dedicated. But here's the names you should be looking out for:

Thetropolis

Renetto writes: "Imagine a city alive with conversation...Alive with connection...Vibrant with voices from anywhere and everywhere...Stories you never dreamt you'd hear...Friends you never knew you'd know......Coming soon... Thetropolis.com"

Sorff

Renetto writes: "Never surf the web alone...The future of the web is Social Surfing or...What will soon be known as...Sorffing...Coming soon... Sorff.com"

Ever since Paul began agitating on YouTube I've pondered my response. Do I agree with him? Would I follow someone like him away from the home of online video? Watching today I think I might. Times change and YouTube has certainly changed. Social media is so much more joined up and will only become more so. Watch his video and you'll see it's not histrionics. He's not spitting out the dummy; he's saying let's grow up and take this to the next level. And I'm inclined to think he's onto something good!

Global warming?

I'm sure I'm not alone in being inconsistant in my adoption of new technology. While I've thrown myself whole-heartedly at YouTube I've dragged my feet with Facebook. But everything is subject to change. In the aftermath of last night's Champion's League semi-final between Chelsea and Liverpool I had a 'wall-to-wall' converstaion with Tom (tlg847 of YouTube Community Council fame!). This sudden, spontaneous, piece of real-time global interaction changed something.

This morning 'Matt is gradually warming to Facebook!' I've never posted a Facebook status before; funny, because I regularly change mine on MSN. With the growing interest in Twitter, and rival services, I see 'status' as being a great way to counter the curse of 'out of sight - out of mind.' It was Tom's 'status' that prompted me to start the conversation. Perhaps mine will provoke responses for those who've heard my anti-Facebook rants. So in the interests of transparency I felt I should share my belated conversion experience!

ICE - it's why we're here

My YouTube video about ICE!

ICE itch and the Scratch-Factor

What are people looking for online? I was talking about this with some Christian leaders the other day. One commented the church should be scratching where people are itching. Now that's nothing I hadn't heard before but the more I've thought about it the more challenging it's become.

It's too easy to think 'how can we add a little scratch-factor to what we're doing?' That misses the point. We should be asking 'where are people itching and how can we scratch that?' Thinking like this seriously challenges how we communicate.

Online video is exploding. Everyone from advertisers to amateur pop stars want to use this platform to catapult themselves into the spot light. It is a new platform, the rules are not defined, the opportunities are huge but online video is not here to bring church platforms into the spotlight. Churches need do discover how to scratch before jumping in and doing their thing.

So what's the itch? From my eighteen months of watching online video I offer this suggestion. ICE: Instruction / Conversation / Entertainment. Now in order of priority that should read ECI but as that's less memorable let's explore the ICE itch.

Instruction:
backstage / behind the scenes / making of / secrets of
diet / fitness / health
explanations / how to's / tutorials
lifestyle
reviews

Conversation:
belonging / community
challenges / discussion / opinion
personal interest
shared values

Entertainment:
celebrity gossip
comedy / fun / humour
comment / controversy / news / opinion
future / gadgets / insight / tech
games / machinima
horror / shock
movie clips / trailers
music
risqué / sex / titillation
sensation / the weird and wonderful
sport
tv shows

ICE should be our starting point if we are serious about scratching. But do we understand how our message is woven through these things? And do we have the confidence to do something new?