I love the way Gary Stein puts the Denuo announcement into historical context.
I imagine that the idea-marketplace is beginning to re-emerge. There was a lot of work in idea-creation in the late 90s, but that crashed quickly, giving way to the Accountability Era (which we’re currently in).
I’m completely behind Fred’s view on the Ricky Gervais podcast. I love love love the podcast. I haven’t been a huge adopter of podcasts, having lost my iPod on a trip last year, but we often listen to Ricky Gervais (and pals) on the computer or on our stereo via TiVo’s functionality. “Monkey News” has become a catchphrase around our household. (Could it be the first podcast-spawned media meme?) But still, I’m not willing to pay. Put advertising on it and make it free, will you? Or at least make that an option. They’ve already been doing house ads for Gervais-related content properties, and that doesn’t detract from the experience at all.
P.S. Should I get a video iPod? (It’s like I need the blogosphere’s blessing before I take the plunge.) Or maybe just a Nano or Shuffle? Too many iPod choices.
UPDATE: I’ve noticed this blog entry is one of my more popular content items, probably because people are searching for the actual Gervais Podcast. And so, by popular demand, here is a link to where you can access both seasons. The page where you used to be able to access season 1, for free, is apparently no longer making it available. That’s lame. Not only do you have to pay for season 2, but they’re also making you pay for season 1, previously available for free. Yuck.
My journalism school buddy Trevor Butterworth weighs in on the blogging phenomenon (let’s just say it isn’t a puff piece) in the Financial Times. And the paper has set up a blog of sorts to round up comments. Leave it to a Brit to spend several paragraphs musing on whether George Orwell and Karl Marx would have been bloggers, had the form existed when they were alive. While the anecdotes won’t be new to anyone familiar with the “is blogging a revolution?” and “is blogging journalism?” arguments, Trevor is a great writer and it’s worth a read.
I’m so pleased Jason “Trickster” Chervokas has turned his sharp mind and excellent writing to the subject of media again. If only because I can link to it from this, my very neglected blog, and chime in with agreement. Of course, I’m not the only one linking. Fred has shared an applicable personal experience, as well.
I had a conversation the other day with a guy a bit younger than myself, who didn’t believe people (specifically young people, like college-aged and teen-aged) would pay for media. I think they will — maybe not those folks but their parents, for sure, if it’s priced reasonably — if they can access it on their terms. I find myself not buying from iTunes nowadays, when I used to do so fairly regularly, because the proprietary format doesn’t play on my TiVo. (BTW, I tried the Apple device, whose name I forget, to play iTunes songs on my stereo, and it sucks, at least for PC users.)
UPDATE: Tom has some thoughts, too.
No, this isn’t about the ads. I’m saving ad stuff for ClickZ and the ClickZ Blog. But isn’t it great that we live in a media environment in which Pittsburgh Steelers fans can personally thank quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for his performance, in the comments on his blog. I like it.
Unfortunately, I missed many of the ads (and the accompanying game) due to a certain nearly-seven-month-old who hasn’t yet developed an appreciation for media and popular culture. He mostly still appreciates milk. And is developing a healthy relationship with bananas.
