Conspicuous Charitable Giving

On a day when BlogCatalog sent me an email asking me to Unite and YouTube was full of Nerdfighters and their Power Project for Awesome, I made a video questioning our seeming need to get recognition for our charitable deeds.

Jesus said this: When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. (Matthew 6:2-4)

I'd rather have God's reward for any good I do than a short-lived stint as acharity celebrity!

Bubbles or froth?

An interesting post from Inside Online Video drew my attention to one of YouTube's lastest tinkerings. They've been playing with a few things over the last couple of days. I don't like the new 'my account' page. It adds another click to finding your video comments. As this is something I do regularly I'm already noticing just how much a simple navigation change can annoy me!

But this post is about the bubbles! Yes, YouTube have launched some strange - read gimmicky - navigation that's supposed to make finding linked videos easier. I messaged Peri Urban about this. I liked his thoughts on it, so here they are.




Peri also has a music channel on YouTube and a blog.

Push-me-Pull-you

I read all the Doctor Dolittle books as a child; I watched none of the Eddie Murphy movies as an adult! I can't tell you if it appeared in the films, but the books had a great animal called a Pushmepullyou. If I remeber right it was like an antelope with a head at both ends.

Today I was caught in a discussion about the comparitive merits of post physical mailings to a supporter base or using digital distribution. Someone commented that the problem with the digital domain is people have to come and get it - actually navigate over to your website. What about RSS? Obviously, this arguement is flawed, but perhaps only in regard to early adopters.

But then I'm not so sure.

I like design and I loved gettig things that can gather dust on my bookshelf. I can glance over my shoulder and see a postcard from Wembley Stadium, that ping-pong paddle from Mini, the Manhatten Portage label from my bag: the list goes on. However, unless you break into my house you'll never see these things. Digital advertising doesn't disappear once it's be posted though a cyber letter-box. It still exists for more to find and theres a good chance that some who received it will remix it and serve it up to a fresh audience.

Pushing or pulling,it is, of course, the quality of the content that matters most.

Nalts gives us stupid video moments

This from Nalts. It's WillVideoforFood.com’s Top 10 Stupidest Moments of Online Video in 2007. Nalts is currently one of my favourite all-rounders on YouTube: comedy, community and the occasional serious video. He's better than Renetto because he posts more frequently; he is, perhaps, slightly more sane!

So why post his list?

My question is how do you score? How many of these 10 come as news to you, how many did you watch unfold. 10/10 would possibly make you a viral video genius - like Nalts himself!

I make a less-than-impressive 7/10.

1. Chris Crocker becomes a viral sensation after this weeping video defending Britney Spears.

2. YouAre.tv gives up, and embarrasses itself while trying to hype its own auction (with a paltry 2,000 visitors per day) on eBay.

3. Sneeeer: Techcrunch publishes “The Secret Strategies Behind Many Viral Videos,” which leads to a dramatic backlash among online-video enthusiasts, bloggers and the video community.

4. Oprah makes her debut on YouTube by taking over the homepage with online-video clichés (dog on skateboard, cats doing tricks), then creating a YouTube channel that looks more like a network PR site.

5. JewTube launches in the summer, and Google later challenges the name (based on copyright infringement of YouTube). Lesson: Niche sites are smart. But build your own brand.

6. The Daily Reel dies after morphing from “Entertainment Weekly for online video” to a video podcast series to a video-hosting site to a video-enthusiast community site to a site thats’ now frozen in time like some parts of New Orleans years after Katrina.

7. ZeFrank killed his popular online-video show in March, just as his fame was developing.

8. The New York Times calls YouTube “celebrities” hot property.

9. Experts project that television advertising budgets will pour online.

10.Viacom demands YouTube remove all of its content and tries to build an “old media consortium” to compete with YouTube (Viacom, News Corp and NBC ).


And what about Renetto? Well, today he posted this video about the YouTube Partner Program - in a bra!

Be a partner...oh, sorry wrong country!

Big news and bad news.

YouTube announces they are "expanding the YouTube Partner Program."

Great, I've generated over a million video views in just over a year. Oh, but there's a snag.

Only "anyone living in the United States or Canada can apply to become a partner at www.youtube.com/partners."

Wouldn't you know it. Penalised for being English!

While they add an aside "(We're looking forward to rolling out the program to additional international markets soon.) " this definately falls into the 'vague news' catagory for readers this side of the pond.

But, just to prove I'm not bitter - and for the benifit of my American readers - here's their video announcement.



(Nice to see a bit of vintage Esther in there, but pity about the typography!)

So let's see what happens from here.

Will this tranish the prestige of the existing partners, diluting what little quality is left in the most viewed lists - or is it the start of a user-generated renaissance?

You gotta hand it too them

I was shopping today. Big mall, seasonal stock stacked high and a Friday rush. But all the hustle and bustle couldn't stop me noticing just how dialled Apple have got the next generation of physical retail. This become all the more obvious when you see the painfully try-hard attempts of certain competitors to reproduce that cooler-than-cool shopping environment.

I'll single out Virgin*, because they're a company always on the look for the limelight. It's widely accepted the Apple is sexy; sexy in a clean, cool kinda way. White works. Virgin Media try to go sexy with their red and black branding and end up with a look that's a very different sexy. Hot and dirty - and I don't mean either as a complimest. Caustraphobic.

They may be failing but at least they are trying to be this millenium. Woolworths remains firmly rooted in the 70s!

*Virgin's homepage points me to Superbrands, who've named Virgin Atlantic as their 10th coolest brand of 2007. They still lose to Apple and the iPod!

Keeping in the picture

You hit December and suddenly everyone starts making predictions about next year. A few honest ones ponder on what they got wrong in last years predictions! Two days ago I told my brother that online video would become firmly 16:9 in 2008. Yesterday everyone starts talking about the advent on HD video online.

What do we make of this? Online video is here to stay and with the spend of advances in the technology it'll not be long before buying a DVD becomes as obsolete as buying an audio cassette would seem today.

This can only be a good thing. As we enter the holiday season consider how much waste you are producing through unnecessary packaging. Actually don't - it's depresssing! But high-quality online video will remove the need to have unwatched box-sets gathering dust on your shelves.

Get your FREE GIFT from YOUTUBE!

The Good Book tells us it is better to give than to receive and this holiday season YouTube will help us do just that. My attention was draw today to the new 'Send this as a Video Holiday Card' button that's appeared to the right of YouTube videos. It lets your send friends videos of your choice wrapped in a festive skin.

It's not a cool as watching videos on a new iPod, but it is free!



I recommend sending your friends Christmelicious!

Blowing bubbles

Everyone, it seems, in the tech-blog world is posting on this today. My choices were to ignore the trend or go with it. As 'it' was essentially a sideways glance at bandwagon jumping and things getting inflated out of all proportion I have to jump in.

Quite why this video made Robert Scoble snort Diet Coke through his nose I don't know. Yes, it's amusing but...well, you decide for yourself!

Annoyed by money-grabbing Old Media

I spent the weekend in Sarajevo. My laptop stayed at home and there's no 3G network over there, hence the silence on TheGutenbergEffect. Strolling down Maršala Tita, one of the main shopping streets, I saw a sign saying 'Journalism Development Group' with 'New York University' written in their purple underneath.

It's no secret I love New York so that's what grabbed my attention. But then I remembered back in the early nineties I read an article in The Times that openned my eyes to how wonderful writing could be. Why it was this article I don't know, why was it not Shakespeare or Keats or Pepys? It just wasn't. It was Bernard Levin and an article titled: Satan laughs at Yugoslavia.

I have the cutting buried somewhere so on arriving home I went to dig it out. Then I paused and thought in this day and age it's more appropriate to google it. Nothing. To be fair I'd forgotten it was Levin who wrote it. I knew it was The Times and I knew the headline. So I searched thier online archive. Success. But success at a price, an unexpectedly, annoyingly, inexplicably high price.

Ten quid for access to ten archived articles! Maybe that's not a lot but in Bosnia ten quid bought a nice dinner for my wife and I. I wasn't about to spend that on access to one article I want, one I know is hiding somewhere in our attic. So for now I'll revisit the articl in my memory, until I find the time to mount a physical search.

As for The Times and their unexceptably awkward archive system. Perhaps it's time to write a letter to the editor!

ICE - it's why we're here

My YouTube video about ICE!

Pedants beware!

Is it wrong to be riled at talk of podcasts when downloads is what is most certainly meant, to choke when blogs are spoken of although they are without a doubt referring to online video? Should there be grace within a realm where the rules are barely - and rarely - written and nuances so easily lost on a novice?

The democratisation of print let the masses publish with concept or cognisance of leading or kerning; unleashed without respect for the dark art of typography. All was not lost but many a retina was scared in the process. Now New Media brings the same accessibility to audio and video production, and with it the chance for the uninitiated to meddle - and muddle - with the terminology, as they grapple with form and functionality.

I should not rant, for I might still be numbered amongst them; those still embracing the new world of new media. Yet in that embrace we can find clarity. And so let each ‘thing’ be called for what it is.

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?

Should I, shouldn't I?

Thanks to those nice people at Beet.tv for turning me onto today's hot find. However, I'm in two minds as to whether to confess. I'm only doing so because it got me out of a miser's problem!

Ever tried to download a YouTube video? It's not that straightforward - not if you don't want to pay money. Converters I've found will give you a flash file but then you need a flash player to play it. What if you want to edit it? Then, in my case, I need to convert it to a Windows movie file. A demo version of a ImToo Zune converter will do files under five minutes for free. So I was stuck when I wanted to convert a movie pushing the six minute mark.

Enter idesktop.tv! So I don't quite understand why I want a another interface to consume videos I'd happily watch (probably perfer to watch) on YouTube. However the simple download function, with options for Windows or Mac compatible output is a winner. I've not pushed the limits but my six minute file is now converted. And the best bit...yes, it's free!

Nintendo - not just for kids!

I'll say that the poster caught my eye as I cycled past. That's my shameless attempt to get some zero-carbon emissions kudos. In reality, my wife had the car! But back to the poster.

I've posted before about how technology is for everyone, not just young people. It seems Nintendo are keen to make the same point. Their latest poster campaign in the UK features the likes of Nicole Kidman, Patrick Stewart, Julie Walters, Phillip Schofield, Fern Britton, Zoe Ball, and Johnny Ball playing Brain Training, and other Nintendo titles, on the DS. It caught my eye...and I'm younger than all of them!

Do unto others...

'Do to others as you'd have them do to you' is derived from the second of two great commands Jesus gave. It being the end of National Anti-Bullying week in the UK I was speaking to some oung people along those lines tonight. But then my thoughts drifted to online video - betraying a shameful obsession?

There's a big difference between the videos I like to watch and the videos I like to make. That may explain why many of the videos I watch get far more views than the videos I make! Is it all about the views? No...unless you are serious about communicating a message. If my YouTubing is purely recreational then my hit-and-miss production style is fine. However, if I'm serious about communicating perhaps I should pay more attention to why I like certain video producer and analysis how I apply the disciplines they do.

So what's the difference? Visit my channel and you'll find a selection of random self-indulgence with, perhaps, the odd spark of genius! Visit redstateupdate or MarkDayComedy or PoliticoPlaybook and you'll most likely see the formula that's brought them success.

If they're that stupid...!

'Youngsters Unaware Of Web Vetting' shouts the headline, as if pronouncing some great technological injustice. The reality? It's merely describing a general lapse in common sense. Alongside the myth that the web is anonymous lives the lie that you can delete things! Once published you have commited your thoughts and actions - in word, photo or video - to the collective consciousness, probably for the rest of earth's existence.

This isn't a problem if you've nothing to be ashamed of, but who's really in that position? Sky's article talks of the potential issues this raises for university or job applicants. Those mundane examples have nothing of the allure of 'seeing' Obama's checkered drug history or the moment when Bill did not inhale! As the implications of greater transparency grip society we have to choose: judge as we would not like to be judge or reassess our appeciation of grace, mercy and forgiveness.

Making video? READ THIS!

Dan Ackerman Greenberg of the Comotion group posted his Secret Strategies behind 'viral' videos on TechCrunch. When I checked, the comments seemed to be questioning the wisdom of such a post.

But if you're serching for that elusive viral video at whatever means his list is as good a place as any to start. Remember 'all's fair in love and war' and we live in an age that loves online video! Have I used any of these 'tricks'? That'd be telling. (One look at my account would show I don't have nearly enough views to be using them!) However, if you want video success know that optimising and cheating are different - even if only slightly!

Out there with the Feminist Mormon Housewives!

Here's a hilarious example of how our media can turn up in the most unexpected of places. I made a video for Remembrance Sunday. It had 'honours' from Youtube - like '#1 - Top Favorites (This Month) - Nonprofits & Activism - United Kingdom'. But sure honours come a go quickly. I checked back on it today and saw it had been linked from a couple of sites.

I clicked one of the links to find myself somewhere I didn't belong! The Feminist Mormon Housewives hadn't embedded my video in their blog but by embedding a related YouTube video mine was appearing on their site once the other one had finished playing. And people had clicked to watched my video.

So what do we learn today?

1. There is such a thing as a Feminist Mormon Housewife
2. You have no idea where a YouTube video will end up

Don't say that!

I recently turned 33 - making me the same age as Jesus, but that's not my point! A friend caught me repeated citing my age as an excuse for things.

'I'm too old to...'

'Don't say that, you sound like you're having an early mid-life crisis!'

I'm not...but I have started to watch my language. Old age is about feeling old and if it's true we're as old as we feel let's not feel it too much!

'I'm too old for this technology stuff' is - respectfully - an excuse. Consider Peter, aka Geriatric1927, who at 80 has become the internet grandad. One year on YouTube has openned a role as an age awareness ambassador, including an invite to the World Economic Forum at Davos. And let's not overlook his becoming a pop recording artist with The Zimmers.

He's not too old. You might be too disinterested, apathetic or unbelieving but you are not too old. Having removed those excuses, what's stopping you from embracing new technology?

Content ot Context?

I heard someone say - and I wish I could remember who - 'context is king' in our age of digital distribution. Perhaps. But 'content' hasn't given up its crown completely. New media provide a vehicle and a place to say something but you still need something to say.

'Embracing the new world of new media' is my tag on this blog. This new world only exists because there are 'real world' thoughts and ideas to be communicated. New Media advances are not an end in themself - not in my book anyway. They may give you a 'context' to talk in but if you have nothing to say you'll quickly find youself out of context.

So do something. This is your content. And then you just might find people listening.

We Deliver!

"As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God. Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few. Too much activity gives you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool."
Ecclesiastes 5:1-3

Promises are dangerous things. I love this advice against rash commitments we cannot deliver on. But we do need to make promises and we do need to deliver. This applies as much to people supplying technology as to those of us who use technology to engage with our audience. So while all the content of this clip may not apply to you, listen to what futurist Patrick Dixon has to say about fulfulling promises.

Things you can't do by email...

Doubtless this could be a big post but, fear not, I'm going to present you with an inexhaustive list of one! Why? Becuase this morning I returned from ordering the new Mini Cooper Clubman to discover this on my doormat...



I've been a new Mini owner for six years - a relationship that I can trace back to a pop-up add on the SkyNews site. From the beginning Mini's advertising design and ingenuity has been a major attraction. Funny then, that having just decided to buy back into the brand I should receive the most unique piece of direct mail ever.

Email can do many things, but it can't send you an unfortgettable ping-pong paddle!

My Magic Phone

The Apple iPhone launched in the UK last night. My wife went down to the local O2 store at 6.02 hoping to collect some promised freebies. They hadn't arrived. Yes they had the iPhone but even the enthusiastic sales assistant couldn't convince her to be excited about it. Her impression was it is big (not in a good way) - and there were no freebies!

Which brings me to my point. Earlier this week I watched some videos from Google. One asked a bunch of young school children what their 'magic phone' would do. There answers were interesting but very different to mine. My 'magic phone' would make and receive calls, surf the internet and show video. Nothing different there. But here's the difference: it would have no usage limits and the phone would cost me nothing. No buying an expensive handset and no monthly payments.

How do you monetise a service like that? I have few ideas but let's not let reality get in the way of a good idea. Just think about how popular it could be!

How YouTube works - drama edition

This is a 'day in the life' collection of videos that shows the community aspect of YouTube...

Act 1: Enter Oprah, carelessly

[embedding disabled by request] so you'll have to go find it!

Act 2: Renetto responds, passionately



Act 3: Talk talks, cheekily



Act 4: Community collaborates, educationally

Technological pragmatism...we can but should we?

I picked up a book called Five Big Ideas by Mal Fletcher. I've not finished it so don't read this as a review - or an endorsement! - but the first ideas he addresses is Technological Pragmatism. He questions the common premise that because we can do something we should do it. It's right to question.

Sometimes it's also right to do the things we can do because we can do them. Today I was at a conference that was supposed to be webstreaming to a select group of satellite centres. At least one hadn't realised this service was availble to them. Why? Because although conference streaming is easily done it sometimes isn't for a confused assortment of reasons. If it was simply the case that every conference was streamed people would anticipate the service. When it's here and there, open assess and then secret access users get lost or left behide, so everybody loses out.

We can but should we? Let's answer the question and then be clear and consistent.

ROCKETBOOM on Social Networks...

Rocketboom put out a great video podcast - with many of their videos also available, as you can see, on YouTube. Here's their up-to-the-minute take on where Social Networking is at.

When FREE MUSIC isn't worth it!

I wasted time tonight. That wouldn't be such a problem if i had time to waste. The distraction was the lure of free music. My iTunes is populated by free - legally - downloaded music so I rarely miss a chance to add to my collection. However that may change.

My new iPod Video Nano - thanks family! - has seen me download a few favourite tunes in return for some hard earned cash. This is quick and you get exactly what you want. Better than a hour lost downloading music, music I'll probably never listen to, just because it's being given away. Besides the attached strings means my inbox will be flooded with emails about bands I have no interest in. Consider my music acquisition policy offically reviewed!

But if you just must get your hands on some free music you find some at hearitfirst.com and a solitary new track at delirious.co.uk.

Who are you?

It seems like an obvious question but can you give it a simple answer? Your answer my give your name, it might describe your job function or even some of your traits or characteristics. Now refine the question, putting it in the context of who you are when you type a blog or film yourself for YouTube - or whatever your favorite new media interaction is.

Are you real? Believable? Because your credibility here won't come from your name, and probably not from your job function, it'll come from you. (If you reading this and you are a genuine household name that last statement doesn't apply!) You need to know who you are so you can show people who you are. Be yourself. Don't act. The internet chews up and spits out frauds much like God promises to do with the lukewarm!

Conclusion: unreal, lukewarm new media is as attractive as vomit.

How Tom stopped peeping!

Tom is everybody's friend. Well in the world of MySpace he is unless, like me, you deleted him! It seems that him and Mark, who doesn't add himself as your friend when you sign up to Facebook, are causing something of a surprising change online.

This week TIME put out an article called Facebook: More Popular Than Porn. It states that, in the US, more 18-25s are spending time on social networks than on adult sites. It offers a few suggestions as to why. I'll add one it didn't

When I logged into MySpace tonight I girl whose name I can't remember wanted to be my friend. Like so many others she was new to myspace, didn't understand it but had a webcam - oh, and she thought I was cute. Why do all these friend requests have exactly the same body text? (rhetorical question!) The porn industry hasn't overlooked the success of social networking. But perhaps it hadn't banked on how much people would prefer to be titillated by the provocative posing of their online freinds!

Thoughts of Excellence

Excellence. Apart from the word goading me to shout 'excellent' in a Wayne's World style it's got me thinking. I've got a meeting next week about video blogging. So what make's excellent video blogs? The camera and the lighting quality? The set and the style of the blogger? What they say or the tone of their voice? Or is it the fact they say something, anything...that fact they just keep putting our videos?

What I do know is excellence must not be confussed with perfection. Perfection is that elusive quality with the power to stall any project, break any budget and kill any creativity. And in video blogging perfection is an unnecessary aim. In a medium with a topical lifespan of a few days there's little point in striving for high art. You'll deliver your masterpiece just in time to see the back of an online community already on to the next thing.

Becoming agnostic!

I just saw this video and the phrase at the end struck a chord. We must become 'channel agnostic' - delivering content to people how they want to recieve it.



The Economist is a fantastic weekly read that I highly recommend. Of course you could visit economist.com and save yourself the cover price! Although, can you browse a website in the bath?

I watch BeetTV on Youtube. That's where this video came from. Andy Plesser puts out a fascinating array on business tech content so check it out!

Make the music - it'll sell the T-shirts

I was part of a discussion about communication strategy earlier today when I stumbled on an analogy. I liked it, so I thought I'd document it here. We were discussing how 'church' can sell it's products and services. My thought turned the the music industry.

Band's make music. That's what makes and band a band. Bands also make t-shirts. That's where bands make their money. Fans buy t-shirts. But why?

I recently bought t-shirts with printed designs from Primark, they cost £3 each. I've bought t-shirts from gigs for as much as £20. Are the worth the extra £17? Not on the physical value - or even the design merit - of the the product. It's the association, buying into the band identity, that makes me dig deeper than I know is sensible too.

The 'church' problem is trying to sell the T-shirts. You'll never convince people they're great quality or killer designs - because they're probably not. But write some great music and put on an awesome show and the T-shirts will sell themselves.

Let's not forget to make the music. If 'church' lived the life it should in a way that showed people not only would lives be changed but people would be queuing at the merchandise table!


To understand more of where the music industry is going read this article aboutgiving music away and this one about Madonna ditching her record label - both from the Times.

After 2.0 comes 3.0!

Just yesterday someone said to me that by the time some of their clients where fully caught up with Web 2.0 we'd be on to Web 3.0. How true. Today I was scotting around the Times web site, only the discover this article.

Maybe I'm off the pace - possible, because nobody can know everything! - but this was the first time I'd seen Web 3.0 in 'print', albeit print of the pixel generated kind. The article also goes on to speculate on the characteristics of Web 4.0.

If these trends do play out as predicted we will be living in a much more joined up world very shortly. The 'intelligence' of the machines, from which our lives will be largely inseperable, will have been derived from the way we act, how we join the dots together. So let's teach like we would like to be taught.

In praise of action!

I'm going to give an unashamed shoutout to Mr Paul M Gutteridge. Not only did this guy have the courage to convince people I was someone worth listening to he actually listened himself. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the proof of the pudding...



While I take no credit for the inspired content I do know that a touch of telephone consultancy help push Paul in front of the camera. I'm impressed with the results. His views are steadily climbing - and, thus far, he's posting regularly.

It's the most encouraging thing to have people act on what you talk about. Not so much because it massages the ego but because when you believe something is worthwhile it's exciting to see other embrace it - especially if they excel as they do so.

A finger on the digital pulse

I'm not going to pretend this blog will break the biggest tech story of 2008 but it will keep you stocked up with things to think about, places to visit and online video to watch.

Seek and ye shall find!

Google shocked people by proving there was a market for 'search'. We search everything now. And if we can't Google it it probably doesn't exist!

Podcast or not to cast?

The terminology confuses some but podcasting can be audio or video that is pushed to the consumer, usually via RSS. Downloads are downloaded and therein lies the difference! If you're looking for easy, entry-level ways to distribute video stick to YouTube.

Start Your Own Podcast by MacWorld
How To Start Your Own Podcast by wikiHow

I love online video!

Online video = YouTube!

It's really is that simple. Yes, there are other sites and services out there but nothing matches YouTube for audience. The fact it's linked to Google makes it almost incomprehensible as to why you'd host your video anywhere else. Perhaps I should point out I've not made a penny for online video - yet - but I think the community element of YouTube is a fascinating development in human interaction.

My 101st YouTube video was this: YouTube 101



This is the Unofficial YouTube Anthem from the self-proclaimed 'King of YouTube' Paul 'Renetto' Robinett.



Kevin 'Nalts' Nalty is the self-appointed 'viral-video genius'. His break came with a video titled 'Farting in Public'! But this is something sensible from him.

Get networking...socially!

I recently saw a video from a Facebook developers conference where someone described Facebook as THE tech event of 2007 - funny that! That said, with a unique audience increase of 541% in the UK between December 06 and August 07 it is seeing impressive growth. In the same time frame MySpace has grown 20%! If you think I'm making this up visit Nielsen NetRatings.

This page looked like it was worth exploring...

Start blogging

This is a blog. It costs me nothing but my time to maintain it. Start one if you have anything remotely interesting to say!

Blogs about tech/web stuff: TechCrunch, WillVideoForFood.com, Gizmodo

Click here for 101 Steps to becoming a better blogger

New Media Literacy

I owe Tom for putting me onto this. If you want to get a grip on how we should be training our young people for the world they're growing up in then get Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century. Henry Jenkins, Director of the Comparative Media Studies Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology published this white paper that explores new frameworks and models for media literacy. It's well worth reading.

Check out Tom's video's on YouTube. He goes by the user name tlg847. This is a taste of what you'll find...

How did Jesus do it?

Let’s look at how Jesus engaged.

He told stories to the crowds. These were memorable, painting graphic pictures. But they were often oblique, prompting people to question what he meant.
Examples: The Parable of the Lost Coin – Luke 15:8-9 / The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant – Matthew 18:21-35

He confronted religion in those who should have known better.
Examples: Demons and Beelzebub – Matthew 12:22-37 / Seven Woes – Matthew 23

He taught his disciples, explaining the parables and correcting their mistakes.
Examples: Teaches prayer – Luke 11:1-13 / Correcting Disciples – Matthew 17:14-23

He did good, and demonstrated God’s goodness.
Example: Zacchaeus – Luke 19:1-10 / Pool of Bethesda – John 5:1-15

He made announcements, but not church notices!
Examples: Repent, the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand – Matthew 4:17 / Destroy this temple – John 2:19

He answered questions, although not necessarily like people expected.
Examples: Whose wife will she be? – Mark 12:18-27 / Caught in the act – John 8:1-11

What do you do? What will you do?

New opportunities

We've never had the chance to do so much so easily. The greater the opportunities the harder it is to justify our excuses for not engaging. Spare a thought for the great communicators of days gone day who would have killed for the opportunities we have - if they were the killing type, that is!

And if I can't tempt you into action with that, how about this article from The Times: How to tap in to online riches!

It's not enough to just say it...

...nothing is truly communicated until the intended audience actually understand it.

Oh that communication skills could be bought as an off-the-shelf commodity! But we do realise that they need to be practised and honed, don't we?

Where is everyone?

According to Nielsen it seems they're on MSN! If they're not then try Facebook or Myspace and you're bound to find them there. If you want to follow the trends then visit Nielsen BuzzMetrics for a wealth of information.

Search and Discover!

I can't think of a better way to illustrate this point further than by saying the video below is my favourite find of the last month!

Church vs New Media

The differences need to be acknowledged. You can't play the new game by the old rules...and vice versa. But in the new game the rules - to borrow from a screen pirate - 'are more like guidelines', certainly for now.

This is an revision of a video that was hugely popular a few months back. It's a must see for anyone who wants to get their head around Web2.0 and it adresses the need for a new mindset in so much of our communication and interaction very well.

A new world of New Media

Right here is where we have to start embracing the new world of New Media. USA Today printed this article a few years back and since then we seen start-ups like Google, YouTube and Facebook. Is it evolution or revolution? Whatever it is it's happening fast.

For more about User Generated content click here and here.

Bibles and Reformation

You can fool some of the people some of the time...but give them the Bible in their own language and they'll be able to think for themselves. Thus ended the religious monopoly of the Catholic Church in Europe. Click here for more about the huge personal cost many paid to bring us the world's best selling book.

Moveable Type - a revolution

Gutenberg's genius was 'moveable type' - a system that defined print for the next 500 years. I'm told this is the definitive work on the subject. I guess I should read it.

You can also check this article, or this rather more hefty piece. Then, of course, there's Wikipedia!

Creating 'Christmelicious'

This is the nearest I've come to 'viral video genius' - so far! A 5 five minute video that got 500,000 views in 5 days - that's equivalent to 5 years of back-to-back plays!

I didn't coin the word 'Christmelicious' - although I know who did. The day I uploaded the video it returned precisely zero results of Google. The word now exists, we created it!

Being 'thematthellyer'

So, to my knowledge, there are no embarassing baby photos of me on Facebook - although doubtless that's just a matter of time. You can find evidence of my work at here. I also owe a lot to the guys at Vivid Broadcast for the opportunities they contiue to give me. And finally, my contribution to the pure art form that is online video can be found on YouTube.

This is 'One Year On The Tube' - my obviously titled compilation-celebration!

Welcome to 'The Gutenberg Effect'

I'll be posting links and comments that have got me thinking. In this vast and enthralling subject there's no shortage of things to discuss. But I'll also keep you posted on what I'm actually doing in New Media - least this look like a lot of talk!