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Showing posts with label media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label media. Show all posts
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
Saturday, 21 January 2012
Adapt Or Die.
Some suggestions for media companies & the entertainment industry and other related thoughts.
Friday, 25 November 2011
Wednesday, 29 December 2010
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
Now look what you've gone and done.
Two stories in the news recently have caught my attention and, for me at least, they both show the possible and potential dangers when certain stories get into the mainstream media.
The first, which you may well have guessed already. Is the story of Pastor Terry Jones, of Gainsville, Florida.
I'm sure that we all are pretty familiar with this story now. If you have no idea what i'm talking about, you have either been living under a rock, or out of range of the worlds media. Lucky you, i say.
If this is the case, i suggest you search Google for the answer.
I think the aspect of this particular story that surprised many people, was how a Pastor of a very small congregation (approx 30) can suddenly have the worlds media beating a path to his door?
I suspect the answer lies in the way that other people got involved, or involved themselves, in this story. The very fact that the President of the United States of America and one of his most senior officials felt the need to speak about, or even speak with Pastor Terry Jones, is bound to attract attention. I don't intend to speculate here as to why President Obama decided got involved. Although, i have my own theory.
The last i heard, Pastor Terry Jones, had thankfully decided not to go ahead with his original protest.
The second story, which i heard about on the radio this morning, concerns a young 7 year old girl.
Apparently, the girls parents had been allowing the young girl to cross the road outside of the family home, on her own and then to catch a bus to her school. Nothing too much wrong with that i guess? Especially, when it was explained, by the girls mother, that the road was a very quiet one and that the young girl was very happy with the arrangement.
I know that some people might argue with the girl's parent's decision. But, for the purposes of this blog post anyway, that's an argument for another day.
Well, the local Council got to hear about young girl's arrangements. I have no idea how.
The Council then decided to send a letter to the girl's parent's, effectively telling them that they were not looking after their daughter properly and that they should stop the arrangement forthwith.
My understanding is that the local Council have now backtracked on their decision. Probably because of all of the media coverage and bad publicity for the Council, that this story has generated.
Now, at first glance, it may appear that both of these stories have had happy and probably sensible conclusions. But, in both cases, the damage had been already done before the story concluded.
For example, the parents of the young girl will now have to change their arrangements anyway. This is because every potential child molester and pervert in the UK, now knows that a 7 year old girl might have been standing, on her own, at a quiet bus stop on a country lane. The parents cannot now take the chance of letting their young daughter catching the bus on her own.
The story of Pastor Terry Jones has far more serious consequences. Apart from the fact that many people have already died in demonstrations, around the world, about Pastor Jones and his threatened Koran burning. There are also far longer lasting potential consequences as well.
Because of the world wide media coverage that this story has generated, millions more people now know of it than ever would have done. If certain people had just ignored the mad ramblings of a small town preacher, a world wide problem may well have been averted. Because that is what this has now become, a world wide problem.
Try as the world's media might, to try and brush this whole sorry episode under the carpet. The damage has now been well and truly done.
We all know what happens when allegations are made in the media about certain people, or events. Whether these allegations are correct, or not doesn't matter to many people. They see the original story and that's what sticks in their mind.
I can think of many examples where people have been exposed for an alleged "crime" and it's turned out that the person has been totally innocent of that reported "crime". But, that person has been tainted because of those allegations and often for many years to come as well.
Yes, the newspaper, or whatever, will publish an apology, at a later date. But, nobody sees that, or takes no notice of it.
Once again, the damage has already been done.
And, that's where we are now with both of these stories.
In one, a little girl has had her journey to school changed forever, to protect her safety.
In the other, the USA and potentially the whole western world has had it's reputation damaged and future security threatened.
And all to try and fill up the 24 hour news programmes. Or, because some people just can't keep their mouths shut.
The first, which you may well have guessed already. Is the story of Pastor Terry Jones, of Gainsville, Florida.
I'm sure that we all are pretty familiar with this story now. If you have no idea what i'm talking about, you have either been living under a rock, or out of range of the worlds media. Lucky you, i say.
If this is the case, i suggest you search Google for the answer.
I think the aspect of this particular story that surprised many people, was how a Pastor of a very small congregation (approx 30) can suddenly have the worlds media beating a path to his door?
I suspect the answer lies in the way that other people got involved, or involved themselves, in this story. The very fact that the President of the United States of America and one of his most senior officials felt the need to speak about, or even speak with Pastor Terry Jones, is bound to attract attention. I don't intend to speculate here as to why President Obama decided got involved. Although, i have my own theory.
The last i heard, Pastor Terry Jones, had thankfully decided not to go ahead with his original protest.
The second story, which i heard about on the radio this morning, concerns a young 7 year old girl.
Apparently, the girls parents had been allowing the young girl to cross the road outside of the family home, on her own and then to catch a bus to her school. Nothing too much wrong with that i guess? Especially, when it was explained, by the girls mother, that the road was a very quiet one and that the young girl was very happy with the arrangement.
I know that some people might argue with the girl's parent's decision. But, for the purposes of this blog post anyway, that's an argument for another day.
Well, the local Council got to hear about young girl's arrangements. I have no idea how.
The Council then decided to send a letter to the girl's parent's, effectively telling them that they were not looking after their daughter properly and that they should stop the arrangement forthwith.
My understanding is that the local Council have now backtracked on their decision. Probably because of all of the media coverage and bad publicity for the Council, that this story has generated.
Now, at first glance, it may appear that both of these stories have had happy and probably sensible conclusions. But, in both cases, the damage had been already done before the story concluded.
For example, the parents of the young girl will now have to change their arrangements anyway. This is because every potential child molester and pervert in the UK, now knows that a 7 year old girl might have been standing, on her own, at a quiet bus stop on a country lane. The parents cannot now take the chance of letting their young daughter catching the bus on her own.
The story of Pastor Terry Jones has far more serious consequences. Apart from the fact that many people have already died in demonstrations, around the world, about Pastor Jones and his threatened Koran burning. There are also far longer lasting potential consequences as well.
Because of the world wide media coverage that this story has generated, millions more people now know of it than ever would have done. If certain people had just ignored the mad ramblings of a small town preacher, a world wide problem may well have been averted. Because that is what this has now become, a world wide problem.
Try as the world's media might, to try and brush this whole sorry episode under the carpet. The damage has now been well and truly done.
We all know what happens when allegations are made in the media about certain people, or events. Whether these allegations are correct, or not doesn't matter to many people. They see the original story and that's what sticks in their mind.
I can think of many examples where people have been exposed for an alleged "crime" and it's turned out that the person has been totally innocent of that reported "crime". But, that person has been tainted because of those allegations and often for many years to come as well.
Yes, the newspaper, or whatever, will publish an apology, at a later date. But, nobody sees that, or takes no notice of it.
Once again, the damage has already been done.
And, that's where we are now with both of these stories.
In one, a little girl has had her journey to school changed forever, to protect her safety.
In the other, the USA and potentially the whole western world has had it's reputation damaged and future security threatened.
And all to try and fill up the 24 hour news programmes. Or, because some people just can't keep their mouths shut.
AudioBoo - Startings The Process.
And i didn't even get around to mentioning my job interview on Thursday.
Saturday, 4 September 2010
The Cabinet Minister, His Aide And The Media.
I came home from holiday on Tuesday and stumbled into the back end of a "news" story about the British Foreign Secretary and one of his aides.
I can't pretend to know the full details of this story, which apparently started on the Internet and then found it's way into the national newspapers. But, it seems to centre around the fact that the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, had shared a twin bedded room with his male aide, during the general election campaign earlier this year.
The aide, who is considerably younger than William Hague, has since resigned from his position.
Now, for anyone not familiar with this news item, you might be forgiven for thinking "where's the story here and why has the aide resigned?"
Well, the "story", such as it is, is that William Hague has been married for a number of years now and still doesn't have any children. And we all know what that must mean don't we, boys and girls?
The insinuation is that if you've been married for many, childless, years and you share a bedroom with a young male colleague, well then you must be.... gay. Shock, horror!
These insinuations and rumours circulated so much that William Hague felt that he needed to issue a statement denying that he was gay, or had ever had a relationship with a man.
Worse than that, in my eyes anyway, he felt compelled to tell the world exactly why he and his wife had not yet had any children.
His wife has apparently suffered a number of miscarraiges during their marraige. The latest one being earlier this year, i believe.
I'm sure that i'm not alone in feeling a great deal of sympathy for Mr Hague and his wife, for feeling that he had to divulge this, very personal, information. I'm also a little dumbstruck as to why he felt that he needed to say as much as he did.
After all, do we really need to know such personal details?
I guess this raises a number of issues?
The first, for me, is the way that the press will often put two and two together and make several hundred. And all in the "interests" of column inches and increased sales.
A supposed sex scandal, involving a cabinet minister, will always attract attention and lead to a rise in the sales of your newspaper. The poor victim of the story then has to defend themselves, even if there is no real evidence of any wrong doing in the first place.
If they do not say anything, they are then presumed as "gulity" and if they do say something, that can just help the story to rumble on and on.
It seems a little ironic to me that since Mr Hague's very personal statement, the story seems to have died a death and has been quietly forgotten by the very media that created it in the first place.
It's a pity that Mr Hague doesn't feel that he can persue these false accusations in the courts. But, being a current cabinet minister probably stops him from feeling that he can do that.
Secondly. I find it rather unsettling that there is still a real preoccupation with whether certain people are gay, or not. I thought we'd moved on from those bad old days where people felt that they needed to, or had to, hide their sexuality?
The media's, especially the press', willingness to endlessly persue any supposed story with a gay angle, is something that i find hard to take. Being gay is not a crime anymore and the press and media need to wake up and fully realise that fact.
I'm sure that if these accusations had concerned a female employee, the handling of the story would have been completely different. The general tone would have been along the lines of "well done mate, get in there".
I happened to mention in a Tweet this morning, that maybe William Hague was actually trying to save the country and us taxpayers some money, by sharing a room with a colleague? And when you consider the amount of column inches devoted to the MP's expenses scandal, earlier this year, you can see why he may have felt that way. MP's have probably become rather paranoid about spending any public money on themselves.
Even if this is not the explanation for his actions that night, maybe it should become government policy, wherever possible? After all, i'm sure not everyone really needs a single room?
During the ensuing Twitter conversation that i had about this subject. I happened to mention that i had shared a room with many men over the years and have even shared a room with a gay man before. Now, to the best of my knowledge, nobody has ever accused me of being gay. So, why should this happen to an MP?
If the press and the media generally are going to make these insinuations about a persons sexuality anytime something like this happens. Is it any wonder that ordinary citizens may not wish to become MP's in the first place?
Just think of the many talented, potential MP's we could be losing because of this antiquated attitude of the media. We need the right people to run this country for us and we need to make sure that those people are able to do their job without, improper, interference.
Many spy scandals in the past have been caused, at least partially, because of a persons sexuality and the problems that may be caused if that persons sexuality was revealed.
As i said before, being gay is not now against the law. But, you wouldn't know that sometimes.
Surely the safety, security, economy and future of this country is more important than a persons sexuality?
If it isn't, then maybe i should just close the door on my way out?
I can't pretend to know the full details of this story, which apparently started on the Internet and then found it's way into the national newspapers. But, it seems to centre around the fact that the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, had shared a twin bedded room with his male aide, during the general election campaign earlier this year.
The aide, who is considerably younger than William Hague, has since resigned from his position.
Now, for anyone not familiar with this news item, you might be forgiven for thinking "where's the story here and why has the aide resigned?"
Well, the "story", such as it is, is that William Hague has been married for a number of years now and still doesn't have any children. And we all know what that must mean don't we, boys and girls?
The insinuation is that if you've been married for many, childless, years and you share a bedroom with a young male colleague, well then you must be.... gay. Shock, horror!
These insinuations and rumours circulated so much that William Hague felt that he needed to issue a statement denying that he was gay, or had ever had a relationship with a man.
Worse than that, in my eyes anyway, he felt compelled to tell the world exactly why he and his wife had not yet had any children.
His wife has apparently suffered a number of miscarraiges during their marraige. The latest one being earlier this year, i believe.
I'm sure that i'm not alone in feeling a great deal of sympathy for Mr Hague and his wife, for feeling that he had to divulge this, very personal, information. I'm also a little dumbstruck as to why he felt that he needed to say as much as he did.
After all, do we really need to know such personal details?
I guess this raises a number of issues?
The first, for me, is the way that the press will often put two and two together and make several hundred. And all in the "interests" of column inches and increased sales.
A supposed sex scandal, involving a cabinet minister, will always attract attention and lead to a rise in the sales of your newspaper. The poor victim of the story then has to defend themselves, even if there is no real evidence of any wrong doing in the first place.
If they do not say anything, they are then presumed as "gulity" and if they do say something, that can just help the story to rumble on and on.
It seems a little ironic to me that since Mr Hague's very personal statement, the story seems to have died a death and has been quietly forgotten by the very media that created it in the first place.
It's a pity that Mr Hague doesn't feel that he can persue these false accusations in the courts. But, being a current cabinet minister probably stops him from feeling that he can do that.
Secondly. I find it rather unsettling that there is still a real preoccupation with whether certain people are gay, or not. I thought we'd moved on from those bad old days where people felt that they needed to, or had to, hide their sexuality?
The media's, especially the press', willingness to endlessly persue any supposed story with a gay angle, is something that i find hard to take. Being gay is not a crime anymore and the press and media need to wake up and fully realise that fact.
I'm sure that if these accusations had concerned a female employee, the handling of the story would have been completely different. The general tone would have been along the lines of "well done mate, get in there".
I happened to mention in a Tweet this morning, that maybe William Hague was actually trying to save the country and us taxpayers some money, by sharing a room with a colleague? And when you consider the amount of column inches devoted to the MP's expenses scandal, earlier this year, you can see why he may have felt that way. MP's have probably become rather paranoid about spending any public money on themselves.
Even if this is not the explanation for his actions that night, maybe it should become government policy, wherever possible? After all, i'm sure not everyone really needs a single room?
During the ensuing Twitter conversation that i had about this subject. I happened to mention that i had shared a room with many men over the years and have even shared a room with a gay man before. Now, to the best of my knowledge, nobody has ever accused me of being gay. So, why should this happen to an MP?
If the press and the media generally are going to make these insinuations about a persons sexuality anytime something like this happens. Is it any wonder that ordinary citizens may not wish to become MP's in the first place?
Just think of the many talented, potential MP's we could be losing because of this antiquated attitude of the media. We need the right people to run this country for us and we need to make sure that those people are able to do their job without, improper, interference.
Many spy scandals in the past have been caused, at least partially, because of a persons sexuality and the problems that may be caused if that persons sexuality was revealed.
As i said before, being gay is not now against the law. But, you wouldn't know that sometimes.
Surely the safety, security, economy and future of this country is more important than a persons sexuality?
If it isn't, then maybe i should just close the door on my way out?
Thursday, 2 September 2010
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Vlogging - For personal use.
(This is the first in what will, hopefully, be a series of blog posts written whilst on holiday in Spain)
When i was last in Spain, two years ago, i recorded a series of video diaries and posted them onto YouTube. Mainly, it must be said, for myself and as a way of reminding myself about the holiday. I have been thinking about doing the same thing this time around. We'll see.
I suspect that, due to limited Internet speed, i'll be doing more blogs than vlogs this time though.
I have looked back on those Spanish videos many times over the past two years and have been very pleased that i bothered to record them. However good your memory, you will always forget some aspect, or detail of a holiday, no matter how good that holiday was. Or, even maybe because of that! So, it is great to be able to remind yourself whenever you want to. I have also been pleased that people have bothered to watch and comment on those videos. I have even had people say to me personally, how much they enjoyed them. That is always very nice to hear and is very encouraging.
Years ago, i used to write and keep a travel diary, whenever i went to somewhere a little out of the ordinary. As did many other people.
How times change!
Over the past few years i have recorded many videos which were originally only meant for purely personal use. Videos that were never really intended to be uploaded to YouTube, or elsewhere. This has been a way for me to record an event, or happening in my life. Such as that Spanish holiday. These videos are often very spontaneous and recorded quickly. But, then some of the best vlogs are recorded that way. Well, in my opinion anyway.
I think that because i've become so used to recording vlogs, during my four years on YouTube, these videos have always come out exactly the same as an "ordinary" "andymooseman" vlog would do. I always record and introduce them in the same way, just in case they do eventually see the public light of day. Apart from that, it just becomes a habit to start a video that way, wherever it is going to end up.
Possibly, because of this, there are very few videos of this type that have not been uploaded to YouTube. That must mean something, although i'm not quite sure what.
For example. I recorded a series of videos about my fathers ill health and subsequent death, earlier this year. These are a perfect example of the type of video i am talking about here, as i never intended them to be seen. Especially, the first couple that i made. They were just a way for me to record something very personal and historical. Albeit the type of history we don't wish to think about.
But, after uploading that first video, i was very pleased and actually uplifted by the comments and general feedback that it got by the viewers. Several people thanked me for posting those videos and said that it reminded them of similar situations that they had faced in the past. Situations in which they had often felt unable to communicate what they themsleves were feeling at the time
This encouraged me to keep recording that series of videos and to continue uploading them.
One reason that i had been, initially, a little hesitant about uploading that first video, was that i didn't want people to think that i was somehow fishing for sympathy. I suspect that this has been a motive for some in the past. But, i'm sure that my viewers and subscribers are smart enough to see right through somebody doing that.
I can honestly say that i am very pleased that i decided to, firstly record those videos and secondly, to actually feel brave enough to upload them to YouTube.
It was a way for me to put my thoughts and feelings of the time onto video. Not everybody would feel comfortable with recording their most stressful and emotional moments and then uploading them for all the world to see. That is not always an easy choice to make and, obviously, has to be a very personal decision.
But, maybe, this goes right to the heart of what vlogging is all about in the first place? Having said that, i would respect anyones decision not to do what i did.
I have often said that i regard vlogging to be a very cathartic experience at times and i've even called YouTube, the psychiatrists couch of the Internet, for that very reason. It gives you a place to say what you want and often something that needs to be said. But, something that you don't always feel able to say to those around you. But, it gets it off of your chest and out into the open.
Vlogging really is a great way of expressing your thoughts, especially at a time of emotional stress and, of course, you are still under no obligation to actually upload, or share those thoughts
But, the reaction you do get, if you do post those videos, might just be more beneficial than recording them in the first place. And greater than you could have imagined.
A problem shared, is a problem halved.
When i was last in Spain, two years ago, i recorded a series of video diaries and posted them onto YouTube. Mainly, it must be said, for myself and as a way of reminding myself about the holiday. I have been thinking about doing the same thing this time around. We'll see.
I suspect that, due to limited Internet speed, i'll be doing more blogs than vlogs this time though.
I have looked back on those Spanish videos many times over the past two years and have been very pleased that i bothered to record them. However good your memory, you will always forget some aspect, or detail of a holiday, no matter how good that holiday was. Or, even maybe because of that! So, it is great to be able to remind yourself whenever you want to. I have also been pleased that people have bothered to watch and comment on those videos. I have even had people say to me personally, how much they enjoyed them. That is always very nice to hear and is very encouraging.
Years ago, i used to write and keep a travel diary, whenever i went to somewhere a little out of the ordinary. As did many other people.
How times change!
Over the past few years i have recorded many videos which were originally only meant for purely personal use. Videos that were never really intended to be uploaded to YouTube, or elsewhere. This has been a way for me to record an event, or happening in my life. Such as that Spanish holiday. These videos are often very spontaneous and recorded quickly. But, then some of the best vlogs are recorded that way. Well, in my opinion anyway.
I think that because i've become so used to recording vlogs, during my four years on YouTube, these videos have always come out exactly the same as an "ordinary" "andymooseman" vlog would do. I always record and introduce them in the same way, just in case they do eventually see the public light of day. Apart from that, it just becomes a habit to start a video that way, wherever it is going to end up.
Possibly, because of this, there are very few videos of this type that have not been uploaded to YouTube. That must mean something, although i'm not quite sure what.
For example. I recorded a series of videos about my fathers ill health and subsequent death, earlier this year. These are a perfect example of the type of video i am talking about here, as i never intended them to be seen. Especially, the first couple that i made. They were just a way for me to record something very personal and historical. Albeit the type of history we don't wish to think about.
But, after uploading that first video, i was very pleased and actually uplifted by the comments and general feedback that it got by the viewers. Several people thanked me for posting those videos and said that it reminded them of similar situations that they had faced in the past. Situations in which they had often felt unable to communicate what they themsleves were feeling at the time
This encouraged me to keep recording that series of videos and to continue uploading them.
One reason that i had been, initially, a little hesitant about uploading that first video, was that i didn't want people to think that i was somehow fishing for sympathy. I suspect that this has been a motive for some in the past. But, i'm sure that my viewers and subscribers are smart enough to see right through somebody doing that.
I can honestly say that i am very pleased that i decided to, firstly record those videos and secondly, to actually feel brave enough to upload them to YouTube.
It was a way for me to put my thoughts and feelings of the time onto video. Not everybody would feel comfortable with recording their most stressful and emotional moments and then uploading them for all the world to see. That is not always an easy choice to make and, obviously, has to be a very personal decision.
But, maybe, this goes right to the heart of what vlogging is all about in the first place? Having said that, i would respect anyones decision not to do what i did.
I have often said that i regard vlogging to be a very cathartic experience at times and i've even called YouTube, the psychiatrists couch of the Internet, for that very reason. It gives you a place to say what you want and often something that needs to be said. But, something that you don't always feel able to say to those around you. But, it gets it off of your chest and out into the open.
Vlogging really is a great way of expressing your thoughts, especially at a time of emotional stress and, of course, you are still under no obligation to actually upload, or share those thoughts
But, the reaction you do get, if you do post those videos, might just be more beneficial than recording them in the first place. And greater than you could have imagined.
A problem shared, is a problem halved.
Wednesday, 4 August 2010
Putting The "Social" Back Into Social Media.
My personal history with Social Media is a fairly short one. By some peoples standards anyway.
My first experiences probably started off on MySpace and maybe the odd message board. All that was around the 2005/2006 period. It wasn't until the summer of 2006, when i discovered YouTube and started making videos, that i really started to get involved with other people online.
As i said in a recent blog post. I realise that not many people actually regard YouTube as a Social network at all. But, for me, it most certainly is and it is the site that i have used more than any other over the past four years. I have also made more friends there than on any other Internet site.
Please see that previous blog post for more information about my experiences on YouTube.
But, i don't expect i am alone in saying, that i didn't consider what i was doing ,back in those early days, to be Social Networking.
I can't honestly remember when i first heard that term. But, i suspect it was sometime after my first hesitant steps into that world.
For me back then, it was all about having fun and it still is. It was only after a while (early 2007?) that i realised that i was meeting like minded people and was enjoying their company online. That was when the more social side of my online life started to take off. But, i still didn't really think of it as networking.
I think it was around that time, although i could well be wrong, that i first started to hear about Social Networking and Social Media. But, without many exceptions, those terms were always used in a busniess context and that is where i have a problem with all of this.
Yes, we hear on the tv news. or read in our newspapers about "The Social Networking site Facebook", or similar. But, just about anything else you read about Social Media and Social Networking is all about the business aspect of it, or the money making opportunities that can be had.
I follow several Social Media blogs and websites. Mashable and TechCrunch being two of the most well known and i do find them very interesting. But, i can also find them very frustrating. Because the vast majority of their posts are all about the business and money making angle and not the social side.
As you might have guessed, this is a topic that i am very interested in and i have read several books about the whole world of Social Media.
I fully realise that there is money to be made out there and that Social Media is the new kid on the block. Therefore, many people are looking for that gap in the market to make their own dotcom fortune.
But, for me at least. The use of the word "Social" is there for a reason. This isn't just all about business and money making. It is also all about people and i do believe that that is often forgotten.
Maybe, i am being unrealistic, expecting things to be any other way?
Maybe, the vast majority of Internet and Social Media users don't care about this in the same way that i do?
Maybe, i am actually being a little hypocritical? After all, i am a YouTube partner and do allow advertising on my videos and blog posts.
Maybe, i'm just plain wrong?
Maybe, that's for somebody else to say?
I just can't help feeling though, that the "Social" side of all of this has been hijacked a little.
Whatever the truth is, i do know know that during my time using Social Networking sites and using Social Media generally, i have met, whether online, or even in real life, some of the best people i have ever had the pleasure of knowing.
Now that's the sort of Social aspect we should be concentrating on.
My first experiences probably started off on MySpace and maybe the odd message board. All that was around the 2005/2006 period. It wasn't until the summer of 2006, when i discovered YouTube and started making videos, that i really started to get involved with other people online.
As i said in a recent blog post. I realise that not many people actually regard YouTube as a Social network at all. But, for me, it most certainly is and it is the site that i have used more than any other over the past four years. I have also made more friends there than on any other Internet site.
Please see that previous blog post for more information about my experiences on YouTube.
But, i don't expect i am alone in saying, that i didn't consider what i was doing ,back in those early days, to be Social Networking.
I can't honestly remember when i first heard that term. But, i suspect it was sometime after my first hesitant steps into that world.
For me back then, it was all about having fun and it still is. It was only after a while (early 2007?) that i realised that i was meeting like minded people and was enjoying their company online. That was when the more social side of my online life started to take off. But, i still didn't really think of it as networking.
I think it was around that time, although i could well be wrong, that i first started to hear about Social Networking and Social Media. But, without many exceptions, those terms were always used in a busniess context and that is where i have a problem with all of this.
Yes, we hear on the tv news. or read in our newspapers about "The Social Networking site Facebook", or similar. But, just about anything else you read about Social Media and Social Networking is all about the business aspect of it, or the money making opportunities that can be had.
I follow several Social Media blogs and websites. Mashable and TechCrunch being two of the most well known and i do find them very interesting. But, i can also find them very frustrating. Because the vast majority of their posts are all about the business and money making angle and not the social side.
As you might have guessed, this is a topic that i am very interested in and i have read several books about the whole world of Social Media.
I fully realise that there is money to be made out there and that Social Media is the new kid on the block. Therefore, many people are looking for that gap in the market to make their own dotcom fortune.
But, for me at least. The use of the word "Social" is there for a reason. This isn't just all about business and money making. It is also all about people and i do believe that that is often forgotten.
Maybe, i am being unrealistic, expecting things to be any other way?
Maybe, the vast majority of Internet and Social Media users don't care about this in the same way that i do?
Maybe, i am actually being a little hypocritical? After all, i am a YouTube partner and do allow advertising on my videos and blog posts.
Maybe, i'm just plain wrong?
Maybe, that's for somebody else to say?
I just can't help feeling though, that the "Social" side of all of this has been hijacked a little.
Whatever the truth is, i do know know that during my time using Social Networking sites and using Social Media generally, i have met, whether online, or even in real life, some of the best people i have ever had the pleasure of knowing.
Now that's the sort of Social aspect we should be concentrating on.
Sunday, 25 July 2010
YouTube Is a Social Network.
Social networking has been in the news once again this week, with the news that Facebook has passed the 500 million users mark. As i mentioned in a blog post the other day, the reporting of this story is not unusual these days.
One thought i did have about this story was, that i wondered what some people will make of the fact that a jeans and t.shirt wearing 26 year old, runs a website, that if it were a country, would be the worlds third largest? I'm sure that's pretty scary stuff in some quarters.
In the light of the Facebook story, the BBC reported on a recent survey, which compared all of the main social networking sites. It was called "The ups and downs of social networks". All of the usual suspects and major players were there. Facebook, MySpace, Linkedin, Twitter, Bebo, etc etc. Some faring well and others not so.
But, in my opinion at least, there was one major website missing from that survey. YouTube.
For most people, YouTube is perceived as a video sharing website and this it undoubtably is. It has become the number one site for online video viewing. The place where the vast majority of Internet users will go to first if they want to find a silly viral video, a clip from their favourite tv show, or the latest music video by their favourite artist.
But, for many other people, YouTube is also a social networking site. So, why isn't it ever viewed as such?
Maybe, it is because of YouTube's perceived association with the sillier and less serious side of the Internet?
Whatever the reason, for me at least, YouTube was my first foray into what i would now call social networking.
It was on YouTube that i first started to interact with fellow Internet users, from across the world, in a meaningful way.
It was on YouTube that i first "met" other like minded Internet users, of all ages & backgrounds.
It was because of YouTube that i first met, in real life, fellow Internet users and felt confident in doing so.
It was because of YouTube that i have travelled to the USA on two occasions, exclusively to meet and travel with fellow video makers and have a great holiday into the bargain.
It was on YouTube that i first discovered a shared sense of there being an online Community.
Now, that's what i call social networking.
Maybe, i feel this way because YouTube was the first site of this kind that i stumbled onto?
Although i knew of and visited sites like MySpace when i first started to explore the social side of the Internet. It was YouTube that drew me in and made me dig beneath the surface and explore that little bit more than before.
For me, it was the way that i could see, through their videos, the people that i was interacting with. I could see their faces and look into their eyes. Something that you just don't get on many other, so called, social networking sites. Surely, it is far safer if you can actually see who you are intereacting with? Yes, i'm sure that this can be falsified. But, not nearly as easily as on a mainly text based site.
Since i created my YouTube channel in August 2006 and started making videos there, i have made some great friends. Some i have met in real life and this have often led to real and genuine friendships. Some i have yet to meet. Some, i may well never meet. But, i would still consider them to be friends.
I do wonder that if i was now a newcomer to the world of social networking, whether i might feel differently? After all, sites such as Facebook and Twitter, both of which i now use, were not really on the Internet radar back in 2006.
That question, of course, can never be answered.
All i do know, is that i am more than happy that my first experiences in the world of social networking were through YouTube.
I consider YouTube to be as real a social networking site as any of the others mentioned in this blog post.
I just wish that the rest of the world would view it in the same way. Maybe some day they will?
One thought i did have about this story was, that i wondered what some people will make of the fact that a jeans and t.shirt wearing 26 year old, runs a website, that if it were a country, would be the worlds third largest? I'm sure that's pretty scary stuff in some quarters.
In the light of the Facebook story, the BBC reported on a recent survey, which compared all of the main social networking sites. It was called "The ups and downs of social networks". All of the usual suspects and major players were there. Facebook, MySpace, Linkedin, Twitter, Bebo, etc etc. Some faring well and others not so.
But, in my opinion at least, there was one major website missing from that survey. YouTube.
For most people, YouTube is perceived as a video sharing website and this it undoubtably is. It has become the number one site for online video viewing. The place where the vast majority of Internet users will go to first if they want to find a silly viral video, a clip from their favourite tv show, or the latest music video by their favourite artist.
But, for many other people, YouTube is also a social networking site. So, why isn't it ever viewed as such?
Maybe, it is because of YouTube's perceived association with the sillier and less serious side of the Internet?
Whatever the reason, for me at least, YouTube was my first foray into what i would now call social networking.
It was on YouTube that i first started to interact with fellow Internet users, from across the world, in a meaningful way.
It was on YouTube that i first "met" other like minded Internet users, of all ages & backgrounds.
It was because of YouTube that i first met, in real life, fellow Internet users and felt confident in doing so.
It was because of YouTube that i have travelled to the USA on two occasions, exclusively to meet and travel with fellow video makers and have a great holiday into the bargain.
It was on YouTube that i first discovered a shared sense of there being an online Community.
Now, that's what i call social networking.
Maybe, i feel this way because YouTube was the first site of this kind that i stumbled onto?
Although i knew of and visited sites like MySpace when i first started to explore the social side of the Internet. It was YouTube that drew me in and made me dig beneath the surface and explore that little bit more than before.
For me, it was the way that i could see, through their videos, the people that i was interacting with. I could see their faces and look into their eyes. Something that you just don't get on many other, so called, social networking sites. Surely, it is far safer if you can actually see who you are intereacting with? Yes, i'm sure that this can be falsified. But, not nearly as easily as on a mainly text based site.
Since i created my YouTube channel in August 2006 and started making videos there, i have made some great friends. Some i have met in real life and this have often led to real and genuine friendships. Some i have yet to meet. Some, i may well never meet. But, i would still consider them to be friends.
I do wonder that if i was now a newcomer to the world of social networking, whether i might feel differently? After all, sites such as Facebook and Twitter, both of which i now use, were not really on the Internet radar back in 2006.
That question, of course, can never be answered.
All i do know, is that i am more than happy that my first experiences in the world of social networking were through YouTube.
I consider YouTube to be as real a social networking site as any of the others mentioned in this blog post.
I just wish that the rest of the world would view it in the same way. Maybe some day they will?
Sunday, 18 July 2010
Social Media & Me.
One of the new things that has happened to many of us, over the past few years, is the rise of social media. Whether we know what that really means, or not. Most of us have been affected by it in some way or other.
If you are reading this blog post, you are involved. If you are on Facebook, post videos on YouTube, photos on Flickr, or tweets on Twitter, you are involved. And that's just naming some of those sites that have become household names. There are plenty more where they came from & more are appearing all the time, as people try & get in on the act & attempt to plug any unfilled gaps in the social media market.
If i had written this blog post even two years ago, there is a very good chance that far fewer people would either, read it, or know what i was talking about. The past couple of years, especially, has seen a huge rise in the take up amongst social media sites. I think that Facebook can take most of the "credit" for that. Although Twitter isn't that far behind.
I read a statistic recently saying that, if Facebook were a country, it would now be the worlds third largest! So, you can't argue that social media isn't getting people involved.
Hardly a week goes by without the old fashioned media of TV & newspapers covering a "news" story about Facebook, or YouTube. Social media has become big news. But, i suspect that many people don't really understand the term "social media", or have no idea what it really means.
I can't pretend to understand it all myself. But, i have had an active YouTube channel for very nearly four years now & have had accounts on many other social networking sites for almost as long.
It is a topic that interests me a great deal & something i have become quite passionate about, over those years. I have recorded many YouTube videos & written several blog posts about it too. Just search my blog tags for words such as, "youtube", "Facebook" & "Twitter" and you will see what i mean!
Somebody actually commented on a recent YouTube video of mine saying, "Seriously, your children must be well impressed to have a Father who's well known on YouTube and maybe knows more about social networking and the Internet than they do, or most parents"
So, i thought that i might try and start to write a bit more about this subject. Especially as my life circumstances have changed recently and in such a way that may enable me to write a bit more freely about my social media adventures and history.
I must admit, that i have been partly inspired to do this by a felow social media adventurer, Rich.
Rich is a releatively new convert to the world of social nedia & i have mentioned him in YouTube vlogs before. He has started vlogging & blogging about his experiences & this has, in some ways, re-awakened my own enthusiasm. Thanks Rich.
You can find Rich here:
His YouTube channel - World According to Rich
His blog - worldaccordingtorich
I did think about starting up a separate blog for these posts. But, then i thought that as i've written & vlogged so much about this in the past & posted them here. That i might just as well contiue to do so. Apart from that, it does make it easier for me. I have plenty of other sites that i post to, without adding yet another one!
So, there you go. When you see, hopefully, an increased amount of blog posts about the world of social media & social networking, at least you'll now know why.
All i need now are some topics to discuss.
If you are reading this blog post, you are involved. If you are on Facebook, post videos on YouTube, photos on Flickr, or tweets on Twitter, you are involved. And that's just naming some of those sites that have become household names. There are plenty more where they came from & more are appearing all the time, as people try & get in on the act & attempt to plug any unfilled gaps in the social media market.
If i had written this blog post even two years ago, there is a very good chance that far fewer people would either, read it, or know what i was talking about. The past couple of years, especially, has seen a huge rise in the take up amongst social media sites. I think that Facebook can take most of the "credit" for that. Although Twitter isn't that far behind.
I read a statistic recently saying that, if Facebook were a country, it would now be the worlds third largest! So, you can't argue that social media isn't getting people involved.
Hardly a week goes by without the old fashioned media of TV & newspapers covering a "news" story about Facebook, or YouTube. Social media has become big news. But, i suspect that many people don't really understand the term "social media", or have no idea what it really means.
I can't pretend to understand it all myself. But, i have had an active YouTube channel for very nearly four years now & have had accounts on many other social networking sites for almost as long.
It is a topic that interests me a great deal & something i have become quite passionate about, over those years. I have recorded many YouTube videos & written several blog posts about it too. Just search my blog tags for words such as, "youtube", "Facebook" & "Twitter" and you will see what i mean!
Somebody actually commented on a recent YouTube video of mine saying, "Seriously, your children must be well impressed to have a Father who's well known on YouTube and maybe knows more about social networking and the Internet than they do, or most parents"
So, i thought that i might try and start to write a bit more about this subject. Especially as my life circumstances have changed recently and in such a way that may enable me to write a bit more freely about my social media adventures and history.
I must admit, that i have been partly inspired to do this by a felow social media adventurer, Rich.
Rich is a releatively new convert to the world of social nedia & i have mentioned him in YouTube vlogs before. He has started vlogging & blogging about his experiences & this has, in some ways, re-awakened my own enthusiasm. Thanks Rich.
You can find Rich here:
His YouTube channel - World According to Rich
His blog - worldaccordingtorich
I did think about starting up a separate blog for these posts. But, then i thought that as i've written & vlogged so much about this in the past & posted them here. That i might just as well contiue to do so. Apart from that, it does make it easier for me. I have plenty of other sites that i post to, without adding yet another one!
So, there you go. When you see, hopefully, an increased amount of blog posts about the world of social media & social networking, at least you'll now know why.
All i need now are some topics to discuss.
Saturday, 26 June 2010
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Monday, 15 February 2010
Ask The Audience.
One of the highlights of my week, is listening to the latest podcast from The Word Magazine A magazine which i can heartedly recommend to any serious music lover & a publication that i have probably mentioned before & will, quite possibly mention again at some time.
Podcasts, generally, are one of those things that the Internet was just made for. Especially when they are done well. Which is precisely the case here
But, this week the Word Podcast was even more special than usual, for me anyway. Because, in it they actually gave me a name check & answered a question which had i sent into them.
The podcast was mainly about recording studios & my question was along the lines of, "Does the use of Autotune mean the end of "real" vocalists". (By the way, my question is about 10 minutes before the end)
I actually intend to write another blog post around aspects of the podcast discussion about recording studios & the question that i asked.
But, the other aspect i wanted to mention, was the way that everybody these days seems to be after our opinion. Whether it be a radio show, a tv programme, or in this case, a monthly magazine. They all want input from their readers, viewers & listeners.
In the case of The Word, they use their Twitter feed to ask for questions, as do many others. Usually just before they are about to record the podcast.
But, i've lost count of the amount of times i've been asked, as a viewer or listener, to contact somebody to give my opinion about something they are discussing, or to vote on a hot topic.
I suppose this is just a natural progression from the old fashioned way of contacting a studio, by telephone?
Maybe it's just a case of the media, in its many forms, getting to grips with social media & the Internet generally? After all, it must be a great deal easier getting an email, or a text message, than having to actually answer a phone call. And the ways that people can contact, or get involved these days are growing in number all the time.
I know that many tv programmes, radio shows, magazines, newspapers & even the presenters themselves, have their own Facebook pages, Twitter feeds etc.
So, i guess the question is, does this really matter?
Some might see this as lazy journalism, or cheap programming. After all, these people are getting the general public to provide some of their content for them & at no real cost.
But, there again, it can also be seen as true public service broadcasting. Getting the public involved is exactly what some people like to see.
Also, getting your audience involved in the show, or programme, will probably make that audience more loyal. It almost becomes "their programme. They are far more likely to watch, listen, or read & be enthusiastic about your product, if they feel involved in some way.
Personally, i see no real problem with this & i can actually envisage this public involvement becoming more widespread. In fact i've already seen examples & ideas for this.
Maybe that's the topic for another day?
There is nothing quite like having your name & question being used on your favourite podcast.
As long as that potential thrill remains, people will always want to get involved.
Podcasts, generally, are one of those things that the Internet was just made for. Especially when they are done well. Which is precisely the case here
But, this week the Word Podcast was even more special than usual, for me anyway. Because, in it they actually gave me a name check & answered a question which had i sent into them.
The podcast was mainly about recording studios & my question was along the lines of, "Does the use of Autotune mean the end of "real" vocalists". (By the way, my question is about 10 minutes before the end)
I actually intend to write another blog post around aspects of the podcast discussion about recording studios & the question that i asked.
But, the other aspect i wanted to mention, was the way that everybody these days seems to be after our opinion. Whether it be a radio show, a tv programme, or in this case, a monthly magazine. They all want input from their readers, viewers & listeners.
In the case of The Word, they use their Twitter feed to ask for questions, as do many others. Usually just before they are about to record the podcast.
But, i've lost count of the amount of times i've been asked, as a viewer or listener, to contact somebody to give my opinion about something they are discussing, or to vote on a hot topic.
I suppose this is just a natural progression from the old fashioned way of contacting a studio, by telephone?
Maybe it's just a case of the media, in its many forms, getting to grips with social media & the Internet generally? After all, it must be a great deal easier getting an email, or a text message, than having to actually answer a phone call. And the ways that people can contact, or get involved these days are growing in number all the time.
I know that many tv programmes, radio shows, magazines, newspapers & even the presenters themselves, have their own Facebook pages, Twitter feeds etc.
So, i guess the question is, does this really matter?
Some might see this as lazy journalism, or cheap programming. After all, these people are getting the general public to provide some of their content for them & at no real cost.
But, there again, it can also be seen as true public service broadcasting. Getting the public involved is exactly what some people like to see.
Also, getting your audience involved in the show, or programme, will probably make that audience more loyal. It almost becomes "their programme. They are far more likely to watch, listen, or read & be enthusiastic about your product, if they feel involved in some way.
Personally, i see no real problem with this & i can actually envisage this public involvement becoming more widespread. In fact i've already seen examples & ideas for this.
Maybe that's the topic for another day?
There is nothing quite like having your name & question being used on your favourite podcast.
As long as that potential thrill remains, people will always want to get involved.
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