Thursday, November 03, 2005

Random thoughts of an industry traveller

By way of introduction, let me first say that I was recently honored to be invited to be a guest blogger on this site for a period of time. With this, my first contribution, I would like to start by saying a little about myself, followed, of course, by a, hopefully, thought provoking post-of-the-week.

My name is Scott Smyers, and for my day job, I am the Vice President of the Network and Systems Architecture Division at Sony. Organizationally, my division is in the corporate Standards and Partnerships group, and I focus on strategically important international standardization activities and, to some extent, on inter-company relations.

My outside responsibilities include the Digital Living Network Alliance, where I represent Sony and also serve as chairman of the Board of Directors. I also represent Sony on the Board of Directors of the Coral Consortium and the Steering Committee of the Marlin Joint Development Alliance.

As you can see, I spend my life thinking about network and content interoperability. For those of you who perhaps travel in circles of a different vernacular, by network interoperability I mean making sure that networked consumer devices can meaningfully communicate with one another. In other words, if you have content, such as music or video, on a networked server and you have a display device on the same network, something ought to happen. By content interoperability I mean making sure that any lawfully acquired commercial content should be able to play on any authorized device. In meeting my responsibilities in this area, or attempting to anyway, I interact with companies of all descriptions (tech, content, service, retail, etc.), big and small. It's a lively undertaking.

I could go on with this thread, but I'll leave it for now by saying that the good news is that all the business arrows appear to be aligning - people see the business opportunity when networked consumer devices can reliably interoperate and when content purchased, rented or subscribed to by the consumer can be reliably enjoyed in a predictable manner on all those devices. And when that happens, the technology for obtaining and consuming content of all types, including traditional news media, will be sought by the mass market, way, way beyond what exists today.

So what is the value and what is the role of traditional media (news, informational, recreational) in this dawning era? It's kind of an interesting question. I'm not at liberty to disclose how much money I'm being paid to write this piece (zero), but it's safe to say that unless something changes, I won't be leaving my day job. Beyond my contribution to this blog, enthusiasts everywhere now have the ability to not only consume content, but to create it as well. This creates a diversity of content that has never existed before, and unprecedented access to that pool of content. But what does it do to the media business, or any and all businesses? Beyond that, what does this do to traditional human interaction in general?

To address that question, albeit from my limited perspective, I would say that services of all types can not exist without up-to-date, topical and interesting written content. For an example of this, go to Sony's Connect.com online music store and in the upper left hand corner you'll see an offer for a free newsletter to which you can subscribe. Indeed, print media is alive and well, and well ... free. There are other examples, such as web portals that have their own original news wire. The point is that written content is ubiquitous, and is a mandatory accoutrement for all services. But will the adornments of web portals and online stores meet the needs of people to read, learn and explore? To some extent, and for some people, I think the answer is yes. This and other unmistakable trends will demand flexibility and adaptability to anyone in business today, and the results are very difficult to predict.

Yes, things are certainly changing, and one can only guess where they will go. But I would like to suggest that the changes we are now surviving are much more fundamental than can be addressed in the business world by simply dreaming up an interesting bouquet of content and services for which you can charge consumers a monthly subscription fee. The consumers themselves are interacting, and yes, creating and sharing content, not just passively consuming it. If I knew where this is all leading, I wouldn't write it here. But fortunately, I have no idea. So my word to live by is simply this - live your personal and professional life knowing that a fundamental change is happening. In contrast to what some companies are doing, don't cling to status quo, assuming you'll still be in business in 3 years, or 5 years. Instead, adjust, or be ready to adjust on a moments notice, and you'll be safe. For a while.

Responses more than welcome, and even invited.

More next week.

Posted by scott.smyers on November 3, 2005 at 04:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

The Big Brother insurance bot

This came into my inbox today. It got me thinking about other uses for it and how media companies might benefit. It also creeped me out a bit.

Get $50 for participating in a research study.

As a valued Progressive Direct customer, we're inviting you to participate in an innovative research study. The purpose of this study is to help us reduce the cost of car insurance. And you’ll earn $50 just for participating.

How it works:

Let us know you'll participate by visiting us online.

We’ll send you a TripSensor –- a matchbook-sized device that easily plugs in near your vehicle’s steering column. Just plug it in, drive as you normally do, and forget about it. In six months, we’ll ask you to unplug the TripSensor and send it back to us, and we'll send you $50. It's that easy.
The data you provide are for research purposes only, and will not, under any circumstances, have an effect on your current or future car insurance rate.

Continue reading "The Big Brother insurance bot"

Posted by Chad Capellman on November 3, 2005 at 02:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

World Editors Blog

The World Editors Forum (I'm on the board) has re-launched its blog with a new design that puts more emphasis on analyzing global newspaper industry trends. WEF director Bertrand Pecquerie says the new motto is "Editorial solutions for the newspaper renaissance."

Renaissance? Sérieusement?

Anyho, the blog offers a practical digest of editorial, management and business trends impacting newspapers around the world. If you're a newspaper editor anywhere you should check out the blog and
the organization. And maybe suggest a new motto.

Posted by Andrew Nachison on November 2, 2005 at 04:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Hi, I'm Lex and I'll be your blog hijacker today

Well, not exactly, but I did want to get your attention.

I'm Lex Alexander, the citizen-journalism coordinator for the News & Record in Greensboro, N.C. The kind folks at the Media Center have invited me to guest blog here on Morph from time to time as the N&R continues to evolve its news operation. You can expect to hear from me or my boss most Wednesdays.

If you haven't heard about the N&R's evolution, here's the condensed version of the backstory: In 2004, the N&R's metro editor, Mark Sutter, produced a report recommending ways to boost readership. One of his recommendations was to turn the newspaper's Web site into more of a virtual town square, not only a trusted source of news and information but also a forum where the community could come to discuss its problems and issues and, we hope, work constructively toward solutions. The paper's top editor, John Robinson, then turned to me right before Christmas last year and said, "Find ways we can make this happen and report back in a week." Allowing for vacation, I did, with a lot of help from readers and others near and far, probably including some of Morph's regular visitors.

Continue reading "Hi, I'm Lex and I'll be your blog hijacker today"

Posted by Lex on November 2, 2005 at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

How Blogs Could Breach the Newsroom

Last week at the Online News Association’s annual conference, Arthur Sulzberger commented about bloggers in his keynote address:

“While these individuals are making contributions in innumerable ways, we have to be aware of what we're getting. This is an immense group of writers that may adhere to a wide spectrum of standards. Some take journalistic protocols seriously, some wouldn't have a clue."

He then quotes Joan Walsh, editor-in-chief of Salon.com:

"What the mainstream media can still offer its audience is a commitment to some version of the truth and an organization and infrastructure that goes out and finds it. But some bloggers only play journalism on the Web...without the commitment to fairness and accuracy that still distinguishes the best of mainstream media. While the Internet requires innovative analysis and creative applications, companies must still find a way to instill their core journalistic values into their online activities."

Sulzberger is, of course, chairman of The New York Times. The audio of his speech is available here.

Does Sulzberger, and hence the Times, still approach the blogosphere with an Us-versus-Them mentality? This divisiveness is disappointing because it indicates that the Times is not furiously working behind closed doors to figure out how to lead the newspaper industry out of its quagmire of crumbling credibility and falling revenues; such an effort would involve giving many content forms thorough consideration, blogs included, which would have obviated any public Us-versus-Them posturing.

Continue reading "How Blogs Could Breach the Newsroom"

Posted by Gloria Pan on November 2, 2005 at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Monday, October 31, 2005

Life Imitates Online: The Best Halloween Costume Ever

I love that indie artists are using MySpace.com to promote their music and interact with fans. The site is not just for music, and all sorts of people are making their own pages and sharing them with their online "Friends." On a radio show I was listening to today, the jock asked listeners to call in and talk about cool Halloween costumes they'd seen over the weekend. One young woman called in to say that her girlfriend went to a party as her "MySpace page." She took a big piece of poster board and made a replica of her page, cutting out a square at the top for her face. During the party, she carried a Polaroid camera, took pictures of people and pasted them into her "Friend Space" on the page.

Next year, I'll hang a flip chart on my neck, make a crown of Sharpies and go as my blog,.letting people make comments on me. Maybe I can get a couple of friends to do the same and we'll use elastic to do track backs and links (although pings sound like they'd be a little painful in real life!)

Posted by Little Judy on October 31, 2005 at 08:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Media, Technology & Repression - Any Questions?

At The Media Center we try to focus on enabling a better-informed society, and to seek trends, insights and opportunities hidden within the remarkable chaos we're witnessing at the intersection of media, technology and society. Technology is enabling a level of individual empowerment that's unprecedented in human history - a capacity not only to access the world's information but to create, share and apply it, what we call We Media.

The power to connect cuts across all sectors of society, not just media companies or institutions in the traditional sense. My language, my reference points, maybe even the name of my organization, probably do an injustice to the sweeping changes empowering individuals, businesses, non-profits and governments to communicate directly with each other, to be media rather than use it.

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Posted by Andrew Nachison on October 31, 2005 at 04:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Special Websites for Special Counsels

By Alan Rosenblatt, Ph.D., Executive Director, Internet Advocacy Center

On 9/11/1998 a bomb was set off on the Internet. That was the day Independent Council Kenneth Starr posted his report on President Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky to Congress’s website. The surge in web traffic hit major media sites carrying copies of the massive report, too. Even adding five extra servers was not enough to handle the flow to CNN’s servers.

In one fell swoop, the Starr Report put Congress on the Internet in a big way, by using the oldest Internet trick on the books: post porn on your website. People flocked to the site. On top of that, the massive flood of email to both the House and the Senate that day from citizens looking for report slowed Congressional communications to a standstill.

Continue reading "Special Websites for Special Counsels"

Posted by Alan Rosenblatt on October 27, 2005 at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

What Not to Blog: When Your Under-Age Child Is Ready to Blog

Over at Buzzmachine, Jeff Jarvis tells us about how he recently told his son, “You can’t blog this," then asks, "How many fathers and sons share that warning?" Frankly, I can't tell if Jeff is being serious or rhetorical, because of course there are very few things Jeff would hesitate to blog.

As a parent of an 11-year-old who is thinking about starting a blog, I think that's a very serious question indeed. With everything we hear about cyberpredators these days, there is no way I'm going to let her just let it all hang out.

Continue reading "What Not to Blog: When Your Under-Age Child Is Ready to Blog"

Posted by Gloria Pan on October 26, 2005 at 01:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (1)

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Strategy Part Deux

I’ve had several e-mails this week asking about the Web strategy I referenced last week. The questions centered on why Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) didn’t already have a Web strategy, weren’t we a propaganda organization still fighting the Cold War and why a radio broadcaster needed to get online.  Ok, I’m making the last one up, but the first two are true. 

I assume others may have the same thoughts.  My best answer is that I do think RFE/RL has had a Web strategy, but that every organization needs to constantly update its thinking and refine its goals as the marketplace develops and shifts.  An example for us is Ukraine. In the past 12 months press freedom has increased and Internet usage has doubled.  And while mobile phones are one of our experimental platforms, the Internet has taken a backseat.   Today, I had to tell our bureau chief and their Webmaster that updating their site was a priority, but I had no idea when one of our six technical folks (for a pretty large organization) could get to it.  It’s a song I keep singing. Thus the search for a new strategy.

I believe that news organizations have to change as political, economic and technological conditions shift.  So, in answer to the Cold War question – that’s why we were founded 50 plus years ago, but today we are delivering free, fair and balanced news to countries whose media is either not free or not nearly developed enough. 

We aren’t the only ones who feel a need to change. Perhaps today’s news that the BBC is closing 10 language channels (radio and Internet) and launching an Arabic TV channel reinforces that point.  Guess we all have to keep up with the shifting climates.

Anyway,  hope to talk about this more in person with many of you at the Online News Association Conference and Awards this weekend. It’s a bit nostalgic for me, since I chaired the first conference for the organization, which was also held in NYC in 2000. 

Still want to hear your thoughts about the one thing you would do if you were starting over online.

Posted by mjbear on October 25, 2005 at 05:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Blogging on the Clock

The "work vs. blogging" thread is becoming the "meme that would not die." I've covered it several times in the past, though not for a while. This time, however, the story seems to have changed a bit. It's not the usual tale of someone being fired for blogging, or not getting a job because of their blog. Employers are starting to action about the amount of time employees spend reading blogs (as well as blogging) in the workplace.

Continue reading "Blogging on the Clock"

Posted by Terrance on October 25, 2005 at 04:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Monday, October 24, 2005

Too Many Action Alerts Runnin’ ‘Round My Inbox

First, let me introduce myself. I am Alan Rosenblatt, executive director of the Internet Advocacy Center. I have a long lived at the nexus of politics and the Internet -- from developing user interfaces to the Internet for American University in 1988; to teaching the Politics of Cyberspace at George Mason University from 1995 to 2000; to developing and hosting live, webcasted talk shows from the 2000 Democratic and Republican conventions; to my work as an Internet advocacy strategist since 2000. I have been called a "gray beard" by Barkely Kern, CEO of Capital Advantage, though I only have two gray hairs in my (very small) beard. Nevertheless, I have been around this game for a long, long time.

My approach to using the Internet for politics is based upon escalating modes of citizen engagement: 1) inform them, 2) activate them and 3) turn them into an advocacy community -- Information, Action, and Community -- IAC.  That is why I call my firm the Internet Advocacy Center -- IAC.

I have my own blog, DrDigiPol.com. On it, I discuss issues of the day and my thoughts on Internet politics. As this is my first post on morph, I thought I would reprint a conversation from my blog that I had with a friend. The question addressed in this exchange is, "How can citizen activists and the advocacy organizations sending email alerts avoid information- and email-overload before activists disengage?" You see, so many organizations are using email to mobilize activists and so many activists subscribe to many of these organizations' email alerts that minds are shutting down from flooded inboxes. The exchange below is between me and my friend, who is an expert on social movements:

Continue reading "Too Many Action Alerts Runnin’ ‘Round My Inbox"

Posted by Alan Rosenblatt on October 24, 2005 at 02:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)