Year: 2007

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Big Bad Dad

Lurking in the clutter
In the basement of the house
Big Bad Dad

Rockin their world
With a shout from his mouth
Big Bad Dad

Evil enforcer
Laying down Mom’s law
Big Bad Dad

Makin ’em do homework
Assigning more chores
Big Bad Dad

Cranky old man
Always seems mad
Big Bad Dad

At bedtime, Mom kisses cheeks
Dad turns off the tee vee
Big Bad Dad

Toddler’s screaming mad
Locked in the crib by
Big Bad Dad!

I hate making them cry.

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What is a podcast?

For the longest time I have wanted to get into podcasting. I have good excuses like my computer equipment is pathetically out of date, my hard drives are too small (size does matter!) and filling up, and time is a commodity (video and audio take time!). But really, the geek in me has held me back the most. I understand the definition of podcasting:

A podcast is a collection of digital media files which is distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds for playback on portable media players and personal computers. [Wikipedia]

That was not satisfying enough for me. I did not want to "podcast" until I could be certain that I was using the word correctly! Did quality of video matter? Length? What if my RSS stream occasionally had text only posts? Does Seesmic count? What about Youtube? Or Utterz?

Tonight I posed the question on Seesmic and had the pleasure of having the CTO and creator of http://podcast.com/ give the definitively best answer to the question. I really appreciated Kosso‘s answer! It nailed it for me.

(Someone should put that video in Wikipedia under podcast)

Update: David Jacobs of The Connected World gave a great answer from a coffee shop! Watch David Jacobs reply on Seesmic!

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Are you in The Conversation?

"Social media" is the latest buzz word. What social media is really trying to describe is The Conversation(patent pending). I explain to prospective clients that people came to the Internet for these reasons and in this order:

  1. Information
  2. Utility
  3. Entertainment

When building a website it is important to consider this order of precedence. Most people mistakenly want to build their website or web application in the reverse order providing entertainment then utility then information.

The Internet is a reflection of the real world.
–Doug McCaughan

Yes, I just quoted myself because I cannot emphasize it enough. As I have come to play around with Seesmic, I’ve tried to answer the question of "what is it?" Answers have included "Twitter with video" or "Beyond description" and simply "addictive." But none of those really describe it. This comes closer:

[Seesmic] makes all the other Internet addictions look like over the counter crap.
–Doug McCaughan

To use some analogies, Twitter is like being in a classroom or a meeting and passing notes around without speaking with the ability for others in the classroom to request to see your notes (unless you’ve deemed them private). Utterz is like a party with the lights out. You can hear conversations and participate in conversations but you cannot see anyone. [update: Since first making this post I have begun to compare Utterz to CB radio][Update 8/20/2008: Since first making this post, Utterz has added many features including video. Its UI (UX to the MS heads) has improved dramatically. Utterz added or retained features of linking picture and text posts to separately recorded audio posts. Utterz has grown into a powerful and robust system.] Seesmic is that same party with the lights on. You can see and hear everyone. You can following multiple conversations, or participate in the conversations, or just wander around and hear the ambient noise.

Businesses and people alike need to know that Social Media has combined the 3 important elements of the Internet (information, utility, and entertainment) into a single application. With social media I can post a question and get a response quickly (information). I can interact, for instance, with Twitter I can add myself to the RedCross safeandwell database (utility). And naturally I can be entertained through any of the mediums, Seesmic being the example that says "we don’t need Hollywood!" (entertainment).

Are you in The Conversation?

Read also Some Conversations have shifted to Twitter and Web Strategy: What the Web Strategist should know about Twitter.

Update: Watch Eric Rice in a video response to Susan Mernit’s blog post Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn: It’s the conversationsphere, baby. Eric and I had the same initial thoughts about Twitter which you can read in his post Soylent Twitter: Playing the @spin Expansion Pack (pt 1). He follows that up with a post about styles Soylent Twitter (part 2): Playing the @spin Expansion Pack and then explains Why [he’s] unfollowing you on Twitter. Watch this video to see how Eric Rice uses social networks:

Update: If you are addicted to social networks, you might consider checking into INVITATIONS Social Networking Rehab.