Saving Face[book]

I was on the train back from London tonight. I'd just witnessed Spurs depressing defeat in the UEFA Cup. However I'll spare you my thoughts on that. Instead I'll talk about something that caught my eye in the metro. Or, more precisely, someone. The ever be-sandled Mr Zuckerberg.

It seems that lucky young chap has climbed into Forbes Rich List - qualifying as Americas youngest billionaire. While he's still a long way off the top guns at $1.45bn he's just a few bucks off being able to afford YouTube. Imagine the scandel!

Bill Gates' plan to give away his fortune must be working because he's slipped a couple of places. With Zuckerberg on the up perhaps he'll also be able to replace Gates as the most reviled man in computers! Beacon was a great start and I'm sure it can't be too long until Facebook unveils public-relations-disaster-part-two.

You should never judge a book by its cover nor a man by his sandles but sometimes that's easier said than done!

Feeder - free but frustrating!

I've ranted about giving away free music before. If you want a good example of how not to do it look no further than this recent attempt by UK rock band Feeder.

Now I own several Feeder albums, have seen them in concert several times and have their posters on my living room wall - I guess that qualifies me as a sort of fan. But this annoyed me. Perhaps I'm the only one, and maybe all the positive feedback on their blog confirms that, but here is a message I sent them last night.

this stupid free download doesn't want to work! if you'd really like me to hear your cool new music why not just put it as a download from myspace? oh, cos you won't harvest my details for FeederSpam! yeah, I get it - except I never did get to hear this track cos it won't extract properly.i think you get my point ;)

This morning I got this reply...

You are the first person to say there is a problem ... please can you try again ?If it doesn't work still, please can you describe the problem ?I should add, we never send out spam via our mailing list, it's always important news which we think our fans would like to know!

I did try again. I got it to work. It's playing as I type - but I stand by my request for simplicity.

No love for Bebo!

I hereby declare Bebo 'home of the shallow'!

Let me explain. All social networking sites have their quirks and idiosyncrasies. For every person desperate to write on a Facebook wall there's another who simply wants to leave a comment on MySpace. These both share the same function: communication. But what of the more banal, or arguably exploitive elements? Facebook has its gifts - a dollar for a clutch of pixels in a gaudy arrangement - but Bebo has 'love'.

In the realms of cyber communication what is less lovely than reducing 'show love' to a tiny red heart icon? Ok, so I know there is genuine abuse that happens online but this discussion is about how the majority engage. I'm seeing a generation grow up thinking they can bitch about each other in conversation but then get online and type 'ly' on the same person's profile and 'show love'. (They'll probably compliment the semi-pornographic photos too!)

There's nothing to be praised about people who rejoice in being vain or shallow. Perhaps the only consolation to those desperate to look cool amongst Bebo's scene kids and emos is that you can download free photo-editing software! But do you really want to be just another air-brushed androgyne flaunting your shallow existence to a leering world? I hope not!

So am I down on social networking? No. It's changed my life - but that's another story! My point is let's be careful where we look for love. Because I've got to say that so much of what I've seen on Bebo smacks way more of showing off than of showing love.

Is anyone even interested?!

"Is anyone even interested?"

That may not have been the exact words but that was the essence of it. I replied with a passionate defence of the opportunities new media brings but I was visibly losing the argument. Now I'm old enough to accept not being right, or not winning every debate, but surprised that my concession was to - apparently - the youngest person in the room!

I know that blogs and online video, podcasts and the finer points of social media are not everybody's cup of tea. They don't have to be. But there are far from inconsequential. In a world were our future is shaped as much by our corporate emotions as by any reliable facts and figures these elements of New Media can swiftly move from the sidelines to being key players in defining the path ahead. Old Media still has the upper hand in some areas - think the Northern Rock fiasco or the Mail's recent hyperventilating about plastic bags - but it was the internet that finally outed Harry's front line engagement in Afghanistan, thereby according him 'hero' status.

Perhaps it a personal choice, to embrace New Media or to ignore it. But, like burying one's head in the sand, the latter is not recommended!

Stream it...

Much has been said already about Sarah Meyers' exclusive that, the now Google funded, YouTube will unveil its own live streaming functionality this year. As vague news goes this is up there with the best of them. A broad concept and ten months of 2008 in which to make good on a throw-away comment. Hardly a strategic announcement!

But, IF they do deliver will it work? What YouTube has going for it over any other streaming start-up is consistent, and high, levels of traffic. As live streaming is time specific you want to know there are going to be people around to watch what you're broadcasting. For this reason alone I see no reason my YouTube won't dominate this area of online video by the end of 2008.

New Media versus Old Media

I know which side I'm on. Sure, Old Media still has its place, somewhere. But so much media today is throw-away. When shelf-lives are barely longer than the time it takes to put in on the shelf and take it off again there's little point in committing hours to perfecting production values.

Sure, someone out there wants to make art and good on them. I like art - but I also like communication. Often timeliness is next to godliness when it comes to getting something out there.

And so I present two videos to illustrate my point. Neither is art. Both quick, throw-away bits of new media. The first shows the New Media/Old media argument being played out in my living room.




The second is a clip of my brother's reaction to the last minute of extra-time during last weekend's Carling Cup Final between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. It gained thousands of views mainly, I believe, because it was online within an hour of the final whistle. OK, so that and some careful titling and tagging!

I have not lost Hope!

It seems ridiculous that it is that 'spare' day that only occurs every four years and it is the first time I post here in 2008. I have been too slack and, yes, I am repentant!

There are several reasons for my return to typing - not least the growing success of my brother in this arena. There's nothing like a bit of sibling rivalry to encourage overdue action.

But last weekend I allowed him to share the platform with me as I delivered a session on Online Video to the assembled camera crews for the Hope News training organised by Vivid Broadcast. It was a laugh - or at least we had a laugh. However it was the realisation that what to us was elementary was online video revelation to our audience. At least that's what people were telling us. So it seems my work here is far from done.

I've never wanted to be just another voice shouting off the same song-sheet as a dozen other bloggers I shall once again turn my attentions to expounding 'The Gutenberg Effect'. And I guess as I'm away on Monday, speaking on New Media at CGI's Leadership Institute now is as good as a time as any to pick up this blog again. Ironically, people stopping good projects they've started is a pet hate of mine. See I told you I was repentant!