DISQUS

Being a video person myself , I wholeheartedly agree that online video is set to come of age in 2009. As both a producer of video and a consumer, I for one can't wait!

What will be important is for companies to ensure that the videos they produce work to effectively convey their messages. It's a visual medium...I hope companies are able to use it to its fullest potential.

Well said, Jason! I love these "predictions" kind of posts, because it give hope for the future and gives us takeaways we can start using now.

One area that I think is relatively untapped as yet is the ability for online communities to rally together in one way or another for the better good of humanity. It may seem like an idealistic attitude, but I do believe that we have laid out in front of us the tools we need to make connections that will be helpful to the whole world, from saving the environment to banishing poverty and ending wars.

No longer do we live in isolation from one another. At the click of a button I can start a revolution. That is proven on a smaller scale every time someone does an event like this http://tweetsgiving.org/ and raises tens of thousands of dollars in 48 hours. Imagine the possibilities if we scale this up over time.

As with any revolution, there will be detractors of all kinds. This is part of the natural progression of this type of fundamental shift in how we communicate. The world will never be the same now that the Internet is here. And it will only continue to evolve before our eyes.

And you made my day by continuing the conversation here, Stephen! It's interesting...I'm actually re-reading the book for the 2nd (I read it the first time back in 2000 when I bought it). The first time, I found it to be an interesting story, and one that had some interesting concepts about what the future of the Web would hold. Reading it now that the future is here, I see it with entirely new eyes.

The book (I think it's a newer edition) is available on Amazon in paperback now. I would lend you mine but it's all dog-eared and highlighted and scribbled on. :-)

Hallelujah, Jason!
I too had this realization a short time ago and have been blogging and talking to people about it a lot in the past little while. We are too mired in the buzzwords and lingo. I'd love to stop using the words "social media" altogether.

I think that the way people are using the Web is evolving before our eyes, and what we are trying to communicate to our clients is that there are strategies and techniques they can employ that will enable them to be successful within this new medium.

As you say, we need to figure out what it's like to "live in someone's world". That means getting to know how our clients communicate and build relationships currently, and helping them to find the right solutions for them.

And now, for something completely different.

Podcamp Ottawa 2 was held this weekend and here's what I liked about the format.

Small: Registration was limited to 80 people, in part I think, due to time, space and manageability constraints. In the end, we had about 30 people, which is about a third more than last year.

Short: PC Ott is a 1 day, six hour event. There were 5 sessions in all. Originally there were two tracks but we ended up all participating in one conversation. They were focused, not too long, and Mark kept his eye on the time so we could keep the day moving.

Informal: We sat on the floor in a circle (as you see in Julien's photo http://tinyurl.com/6zr2sa) and it was very casual and lent itself well to conversation and participation.

Don't get me wrong, I love the bigger PC events. I'm all for organization and for participant-paid models. My point is, there is something to be said for keeping it super small and simple. We all got a lot out of the day and nobody was stressed by months of planning. This is a great way to run a PC event for anyone living in a smaller community or who just wants to get up and running without massive expense or time.

Glad you are back, Clay!

Maybe you could set up a daily conference call with that guy. :-)
Great article, Ryan, and excellent quote! Congrats.

Chris - thank you for writing this. It seems that so many people are mired in negativity about the economic situation, and we all know that negativity gets us nowhere. Your positive attitude is a welcome contribution - I wish more people would take your lead.

Yes, the financial crisis is worrisome. Yes, the reality is some people may not make it. There are times in life when things are simply out of our control - this is one of them. However, there are certain things one CAN control about this economic situation. No matter what, I can control my REACTION to this crisis. I can choose to hide my head in the sand, or I can choose to hold my head up high, keep my eyes open, and look for the opportunities to continue on, build my support network and move through it.

I'd rather run the risk of not looking so cool than go to grab my iPhone out of my purse and have it go flying out of my hand, landing 10 feet away with a crash. Phone condoms are definitely the way to go - play it safe!

It's that sense that so many people have that they are invincible, the "it can't happen to me", that boggles my mind. I

Yesterday, my husband and I were discussing the "rationale" behind staying. He made an excellent point - people are so attached to their belongings that they are afraid to leave and come back to nothing. I agree, the prospect of leaving my home and coming back to a pile of rubble is heart-wrenching - but not so heart wrenching that I'd be willing to put my family's lives at risk to try and "protect" my stuff. It's just stuff, things, belongings. Stuff can be replaced. Lives cannot.

If people were less attached to their material lives, perhaps they would think twice before throwing their 6 month old baby in the path of a hurricane.

I think I get what they are going for. By putting Gates in a typically human situation (shopping for discount shoes, eating a tasty snack) he's being reintroduced to the public, not as a corporate mogul but as a regular dude. Brings him and his brand back down to earth a bit.

How does Jerry Seinfeld play into this? Well, Gates isn't really too interesting on his own, as we've seen in some of his previous works. So throw in a superstar comedian and make Billy the straight man. Classic comedy formula, works every time.

I'm sure there will be follow up ads - this is only the beginning of the campaign. I am interested to see what else they come up with. It's hard to beat "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC", but looks like that's what they might be attempting to do.

Mac is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

Which is defined, according to Wikipedia anyway, as: "Atoning for educatability through delicate beauty" or simply "Fantastic" as Merriam Webster says. Fitting, methinks. :-)

I agree, Chris, but there is an important distinction to make, in my opinion.

I see "new media" as the whole, encompassing all forms of content delivery via the Web. I actually see social media as more a subset of new media, a form of content delivery not unlike audio or video. It's true that social media is inherently two-way, but then again video and audio have that capacity as well. So does that make video and audio social media, or new media (In the case of your blog, perhaps, yes, because I can leave a video comment!)?

In the end, it's a real grey area, I think. We are all in this space, inventing it as we go along. I guess it's up to us to some how define it too.

Posts like yours are great because they get people thinking. I'm going off to ponder now. Thanks!

Congratulations Dave! The best part are the looks of confusion on their faces when they say "Tweets". :-)

Here's to 8000 more!

Hi Kris,

It's not weird or strange or crazy to have any of these thoughts about the loss of a pet. I lost my cat Lewis nearly three years ago and I still think about him nearly every day. We have other pets (2 dogs and 2 cats) and I love them very much but Lewis and I had a very special bond. He came into my life when I was going through a dramatic transition. I had just ended a long term relationship, was moving and going back to school full time to make a significant career transition. I felt very alone until one day this little orange kitten showed up in my life. Lewis and I were best pals - he was the only stable thing in my life at that time. No matter how hard my day was, I'd come home and he'd be waiting. I never had to feel alone.

I had 7 great years with Lewis. In that time I became successful in my new career, found a great guy, bought a house, and got married. Things were finally getting on the right track for me.

Lewis died very suddenly of kidney failure, one week after my wedding. I was completely devastated. He was only 7 years old. But now as I reflect on what his life meant to me, I realize that he was here for a reason. He helped me get through one of the most difficult times in my life. Once he saw that I was going to be okay, he moved on.

I believe that our pets come into our lives for a reason. They leave when their work is done. As painful as that is, know that your Crystal accomplished what she set out to do being your pet. Now it's time for her to move on and be there for someone else.

Thanks to your day off, Leo, we'll all be able to get a lot more accomplished. Enjoy it - but we will miss you!

Hey Jeff

Follow you on Twitter. @suzemuse
Significant other of @G_reg.
http://suzemuse.wordpress.com

Congratulations Leo on your new space and looking forward to seeing TWIT Live.

I worked with Tom Green back in the mid-90s at our local cable station (Rogers, in fact), where he first broke new ground and he's a terrific model to follow.

He understands new media and content delivery, as do you, and I envision only wild success for both of you!

Best of luck. I'll be watching!

I thought the show was thought provoking and I actually liked the dynamic that having Dave Winer in the group created. He's an incredibly knowledgeable person and continues to be a trailblazer in this industry. He's totally "outside the box" and that makes him interesting. I hope you have him back.

You really got me thinking about the Twitter/Pownce thing...when I first came across Pownce, my first impression was - "Well, I'm already on Twitter, why should I switch?" Maybe it's the whole VHS/Betamax debate all over again - the best technology is not always the most popular. I think the reason that people are drawn to Twitter is because it's a little voyeuristic - like peeking in people's windows except they don't mind if you look.

Loved the show - keep 'em coming!