Your Content Laid To Rest!

James used to work for Politico make videos every week day. I miss his take on American politics and current affairs. But the reason for featuring this video here is it tackles the issue of online accessibility. The internet has the power to make access easy for people, wherever they are. As he says, this does not always go down well with 'The Man'. (It's probably not helped by the fact that some of the web's most ubiquitous names still have yet to turn a profit.)

As a content provide to you make you content available to your users / followers / audience / customers? Or do you employ annoying layers of, seemingly unnecessary, login and verification is a blatant attempt to mine data? Heaven forbid you actually charge for what you upload!

I agree with James that the most important bits of information will leak round any form of online premium or protectionism policy. Putting a wall around your content could be the best way to let is rest in peace.

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.

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?

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.