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Podcast: Good or Evil?

Longtime readers of this blog will know that I have never been very enthusiastic about the idea of podcasting. I find that it is too similar to radio, books on tape, or talk television to be of real value to me. While I enjoy listening to people speak about certain issues, when I'm looking for hard information I would much rather read a page of text and rapidly pull out what I need. Since I'm generally trying to work quickly when I'm online, I don't have time to listen to podcasts. However, Donna Papacosta (just say her last name....say it out loud over and over and know why I love it) does a great deal of work with podcasts and her recent post (and related podcast) started to win me over. In it, she discusses how a number of large companies have used podcasts for internal purposes. I must admit that I had not thought of this angle before, and think that it is probably a good idea.

While much of her podcast is more of an introduction for beginners, it is still worth a listen. If you are a podcast veteran, think of it as a refresher course.

I'm still not totally convinced that podcasts are the new wave or anything, but I'm at least more likely to listen to them now.

My Second Third Tuesday

Me! Last night I attended the Third Tuesday: Social Media and PR Meet Up. While everyone would probably agree that the venue was too hot, crowded, and expensive, I still enjoyed meeting some fellow Toronto bloggers.

The speaker and author of Wikinomics , Anthony Williams, would certainly have been much better received if the sound on his microphone was turned up a bit. Not one to dwell on the negative, I still enjoyed hearing his discussion of how the after-market car modification community was like an early wiki. While I'm not much of a gearhead, the notion that I am working alongside countless others towards creating some kind of streamlined, supercharged version of the web that was not really envisioned by the original creators certainly appeals to me.

Commercialization of collaborative spaces like wikipedia and youtube was also discussed. It seems that the consensus was that wikipedia is foolish for not allowing advertising on its site. A move like this would certainly get rid of the need for the fund-raising drives they constantly have, and even if they want to remain non-profit, the money could be directed towards other sorts of projects.

However, I agree with wikipedia's stance on not allowing advertising. Their wish to remain neutral is certainly understandable, and they may see advertising as detracting from credibility of the user-built place they have created. Imagine, for a second, how you would feel if your favourite paper-based encyclopedia had banners across the tops of the pages, perhaps advertising Starbucks on the page about coffee.

On another note, last night I was fortunate to meet (for the second time, I suppose) a number of Toronto bloggers. Instead of having me sum up what they are all about, I urge you to take a look at their stuff. Ed Lee is notable, because he opened up his house to Paull Young (whose site seems to be down at the moment...), the man who first introduced me to these Third Tuesday meetings. I hope that sometime when I'm traveling around the world, an online friend will do the same fo r me. I'd also like to thank Julia Stein for introducing me to David Jones. Finally, it was nice to shake hands with Donna Papacosta, whose blog I've been reading lately.

For a better idea of who was there, take a look at Joseph Thornley's Flickr photos of the bloggers. He mentioned that he'll have the photos linked to each person's blog/wiki/podcast, and I look forward to seeing that.

On a final note, I'm pretty happy with wordpress. As I was about to finish this, my computer crashed but wordpress was able to recover this draft without me having had to save it. Hurrah for technology.

Blogs, Podcasts, Vlogs, Videocasting...which one is for me?

Spending a week skiing alone in Calgary gave me plenty of time for reflection about blogs and this site. While it has been apparent to me for sometime that there is no point in focusing solely on blogs, I frequently question how important other forms of new media are. I'm an avid fan of new technologies, but I don't think that things like podcasts and vlogs will ever replace blogs. I have enjoyed listening to the InsidePRpodcast, but find that when I want information about something quickly, I would much rather read it. Just as we continue to read newspapers (as either print copies or online), watch the news on television, and listen to the radio (although these days, many of us only do this while driving), we won't just use one type of new media exclusively.

My suggestion is that any site thinking of launching either a blog, a podcast, or a vlog should realize that each has its advantages. A blog (via newsfeeds and the fact that it is easy to simply visually scan the headlines) can get a story out quickly, and should probably adapt punchier, shorter writing. Podcasts seem to be better for discussion and interviews (particularly the latter, as it fails miserably when transcribed either online or in print). Vlogs are obviously better when there is visual content involved, and these will probably grow in popularity as internet speeds increase.

Ideally, an organisation wanting to use a combination of the above would recognize the differences. Content in one should not be identical to that in the others, but rather should be related. I'm talking synergy here.

Useful Links

Washington Post: Young Voters Find Voice on Facebook – Site's Candidate Groups Are Grass-Roots Politics for the Web Generation

About the “Facebook Effect” (via The Bivings Report).

Daily Free Press:  Editorial: Campaign blogging reform

Citizens must realize that political blogs and emails have obvious agendas. Campaign managers have spun Internet content for the presidential-hopefuls' favor.

The Politicos:  Liberal Bloggers Demonstrate Their Political Immaturity, Democrats Says

If the liberal blogs want to understand why so few people outside their narrow echo chamber take them seriously, and what it will take to gain the broader credibility they crave, they should look no further than their handling of the recent flap over John Edwards’ foul-mouthed blogger hires.

Update:

TimesDispatch.com: PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN 2008: Candidates weave the Web

They're pouring resources into the Internet, changing the way politics and the public meet

Computerworld: Slip of John Edwards blog shows risk of offending voters

“The race to the White House in 2008 will be all about how candidates talk to people online,” says Julie Barko Germany, deputy director of the Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet, and the Edwards campaign has shown how campaigns acknowledge how entering the world of blogs and social networking sites are not without substantial risks. “Most campaigns will post carefully crafted campaign messages themselves”, Germany reports.

Yes, most will do so, but is it any point in having a blog if the campaign loses its personal touch?

Blog the Campaign - 08

 

I just found a new and interesting site via TechPresident focusing on how social media is changing the political landscape in the 08 campaign. The Blog, Blog the Campaign in 08, is a group blog consisting of people (professionals) passionate about social media and who believe that blogs, podcasts, vlogs and sites like YouTube, MySpace and Second Life are the grassroots or “netroots” political strategies of the decade.

 

Check it out!

“Blog to the Chief: The Impact of Political Blogs on the 2008 Election”

Bloggers are playing a larger part in the political process than traditional ways of informing the public. These are the words of blog experts Jerome Armstrong; Erick Erickson; Patrick Hynes; Scott Johnson; and Joan Carter according to The University Daily Kansan. The political bloggers participated in a discussion about the role of bloggers in the 2008 campaign as apart of the '2007 Presidential Lectures' at the Dole Institute. The lecture can be viewed in its full here. Enjoy!

Personal Democracy launches new website

The guys over at Personal Democracy Forum have finally launched their new site, TechPresident, focusing on technology and the 2008 Presidential race exclusively. PDF reports that TechPresident is a new group blog that covers how the 2008 presidential candidates are using the web, and vice versa, how content generated by voters is affecting the campaign.

Furter:

The 2008 election will be the first where the Internet will play a central role, not only in terms of how the campaigns use technology, but also in how voter-generated content affects its course. TechPresident.com plans to track all these changes in real-time, covering everything from campaign websites, online advertising and email lists to the postings on YouTube and who's got the fastest growing group of friends on Facebook.

This will be an excellent source for all of us to use.

Post Haste? (The Washington Post and its online version)

One of the greatest things about a blog is the casual manner (however manufactured it maybe) in which they are both written and read. It allows for a level of candidness (on the parts of both the reader and written) that do not come across the same way in a press release, campaign speech, or corporate statement. As we have seen lately, however, that does not mean that blogs can go unchecked. Those fabulous lads over at The Bivings Report tell us that Deborah Howell makes a number of good comments about this in relation to the recent blog by William H. Arkin. The short story of it is that in his capacity as a blogger for washingpost.com, Free Willy published a piece referring to American soldiers as "mercanaries." While it is not for me to decide whether this is warranted or not, what matters is that that this kind of commentary is frowned upon by the editors at The Post. As another Post blogger points out, blogging is like dealing with "live ammo." Because of the immediacy with which things can be published and the fact that blogs are often not as tightly edited as traditional media,

What we can learn from this is that although blogs can have a slightly casual manner, they should never be mistaken for an off-the-record fireside chat. An organisation's blog must be monitored as well as any other publication. Amanda Marcotte (Pandagongate, anyone?) reminded us that even if you try and delete something, it will still haunt you.

Bored?

-then check out this article by Eve Fairbanks that I found via PDF today: Online pop culture politics: Dean’s lasting impression?  Would political candidates ever join MySpace or Facebook on their own? And does assimilating Internet tactics mean you have to assimilate Internet culture, too: the unhinged language, the fake intimacy, the studied hipness - Ask Fairbanks and she would answer: NO! 

Blog-ad Campaigning

IPDI has a good post about how the ‘08 Candidates do their advertising on the blogs. The basic strategy used by the candidates seems, according to IPDI, to be to create ads that invite blog readers — who are typically considered part of the group of Influentials that are wooed duringe very election cycle — to click, learn, and act all while getting the candidate’s name out there and earning some money. 

Read more about the basic strategies used to target bloggers over at the IPDI-blog. 

Useful Links

I haven’t got much time for blogging these days - going back to Australia on Tuesday, but here are some useful links:

New York Times - Edwards’s Blogger Blooper

MediaChannel.org - John Edwards’ New Blogger Hires Face Fellow Bloggers’ Wrath

Knox News - Candidates turn to Facebook

TBR – This Campaign is About You (Obama launches his campaign website)

Blogcritics Magazine - Are We Bloggers Giving Ourselves an Unmerited Air of Importance?

Enjoy the links!

A big victory for the netroots

Chris Bowers of Mydd claims that Democrats and the netroots won a big victory today when John Edwards refused to cave into the pressure of what he calls a right wing smear job. So why was it a victory?

Bowers:

The vast majority of established, beltway consultants would have told Edwards to fire Melissa and Amanda. By not doing so, it shows that he is capable of moving beyond tired, worn out advice. He is open to new ideas, including those coming from the netroots. We need more leaders like that.

It sets a precedent for all other Democratic campaigns this cycle when it comes to right-wing smear jobs and swiftboating. Unlike in the past, it shows that Democrats don't have to cave, and are not ready to cave. Any other campaign in a similar situation will now be judged by yardstick Edwards has laid down. At this point, caving will make you look very bad.

Relative to the Republican Noise Machine dominated established news media, it increases the power of the netroots as a voice in the Democratic party. They listened to us, not to the establishment, and not to the right-wing. This will help build the movement, and free the Democratic Party from conservative Republican influence in our primaries. We are one step closer to choosing our leaders on our own.

Also, Bowers calls for bloggers to take action against the news organizations and reporters who acted as stenographers for the right-wing smear machine on this story.

Edwards campaign fires bloggers – true or false? - Update

Here's the latest news on the so called Edwards/Marcotte Scandal: TPM Cafe:

The Edwards campaign just released statements from Edwards and the two bloggers in the thick of the controversy, and it looks as if the two won't be fired.

The statement says Edwards was "personally offended" by their writings, but that he also believes in "giving everyone a fair shake" and that he's "talked" to the bloggers, that they've assured him "that it was never their intention to malign anyone's faith," and that he takes them "at their word." The statement doesn't directly address the firing question, but it appears that they're going to be okay.

BlogCampaigning think this is a positive outcome and a sign of how much the netroots mean for the Edwards campaign (see statements made on Mydd yesterday)!

Here's a link to the statement posted by Edwards on his blog today.

Edwards campaign fires bloggers – true or false?

... and so it begins!

Reading the Salon today I learned that the right-wing blogosphere has claimed its first scalps.

According to the Salon, John Edwards has fired the two controversial bloggers he recently hired to do liberal blogger outreach.

“The bloggers, Amanda Marcotte, formerly of Pandagon, and Melissa McEwan, of Shakespeare's Sister, had come under fire from right-wing bloggers for statements they had previously made on their respective blogs. A statement by the Catholic League's Bill Donohue, which called Marcotte and McEwan "anti-Catholic vulgar trash-talking bigots," and an accompanying article on the controversy in the New York Times this morning, put extra pressure on the campaign,” the Salon reports.

Digging a little deeper I learned from Tapped (via Personal Democracy Forum) that this might not be the fact.

“Salon is reporting that the John Edwards campaign has fired its two controversial new hires. I hear otherwise from grapevine sources, but don't know anything for sure,” Tapped’s Franke-Ruta reports.

So now I don’t know what to believe anymore. In fact it might not be that important for now anyways, what is more interesting to look at before the facts are confirmed is the debates that the matter has started. One example can be found in Chris Bowers’ post; Why The Edwards Situation Means So Much To Me.

Bowers notes that:

“If Amanda and Melissa are terminated from the Edwards campaign, there is no way I could respect either myself or the movement and support Edwards in the primary. His campaign will have contributed to the longstanding goals of the conservative movement and DLC-nexus alike to defund, marginalize, ostricize, and otherwise diminish the influence and credibility of the people-powered netroots and grassroots. Such a move would reinforce every elitist, ignorant, double-standard, disinformation campaign ever run against the netroots and the blogosphere.”

Another interesting point is made by Glenn Greenwald.

Greenwald's point is according to PDF's Sifry: Do we want a political process where anyone who has ever expressed themselves the way political people do--with strong, provocative opinions and language--is going to be drummed out of campaigns and we all act as if we don't have strong opinions?

Greenwald:

"if this is going to be the standard that is applied, I don't think there are many bloggers, if there are any, who will be able to be affiliated with political campaigns in the future. Whatever is the case, the standards should be applied equally, not driven by the hysterical lynch-mob behavior that is the fuel of the right-wing blogosphere." (as quoted by PDF’s Micha L. Sifry).

BlogCampaigning agrees!

Other useful links that might point you in the direction of an interesting debate:

Glenn Greenwald: A look at John McCain's blogger-consultant

Chris Bowers of Mydd: Does Anyone Fact Check Stories on Bloggers?

In the News: Washington Post (The Fix) on Edwards’s Blogger Problem

Enjoy the Hype

Via The Bivings Report, I learned about how an American college put up an entire years worth of tuition, etc. for bid on e-bay. While it will certainly gain a great deal of attention for the college, it is nothing more than a marketing stunt. I applaud them for coming up with something clever, but it is a formula that can't be repeated. This makes me wonder how many of the new media techniques being used by businesses are actually having a lasting impact, and how many of them are just fads and stunts that we have yet to grow bored of.