However, if you type in “Obama” into a Youtube.com search, you’ll get a video that has been viewed almost 4 million times…but it’s for Obama Girl and I have already posted that video.
Do we as Americans, get our political news from spoofs or the Daily Show?
When my little cousins were 4 and 5, they would run around the backyard stark naked and their explanation? “Naki is good, Naki is frwee!!!!”
While it was really startling/adorable…they were really onto something.
When something is stripped of constraints, the truth emerges. This is one of the many arguments that R. Scoble & S. Israel, authors of Naked Conversation make about blogging. Furthermore, they believe blogs are the most powerful tool in building trust between companies and consumers, because blogs dismantle all of the “crap” that stands in the way of a trusting relationship. Not only are blogs a smart business move for large corporations, they are imperative in staying in touch with consumers (Scoble & S. Israe, 2006). Consumers are very weary of looming media conglomerates, blogging somehow brings the media moguls on the same page with consumers as they can either discuss a new merger or their son’s haircut on their blog. Dave Winer, a founding father of blogging, enjoys catching the occasional typo, because it “reveals authenticity,” that a real human is behind the post. Who knew corporate America would one day thrive on principles that undermine the essentials of what it means to be corporate. “The age of the blog moguls is here” (C. Thompson, 2006).
There was resistance, R. Scoble & S. Israel, quote author-philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer who once said, “All truth passes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed; second it is violently opposed; third, it is accepted as being self evident,” and then conclude that “blogging has passed the denial and most of the anger phase.” Eventually, the truth will set you free.
The Gospel of the Blogosphere
As I was reading, I jotted down the question, are blogs really successful? Well, Microsoft managed to turn around it’s image of the “evil empire,” through the blogs of a few employees who were tired of their companies reputation. At first the blog movement within Microsoft was under a fine Microsoft and was resisted. Other employees wanted Microsoft’s first blogger, Joshua Allen, to be fired. Allen felt through his blog, Better Living through Software, would show people that Microsoft employees were real people, not the “Borg,” but more importantly blogs where a place where people listened and there was an exchange of conversation(R. Scoble & S. Israel). Blogs have even more credibility, than say a well thought out press release, because it shows people that these companies have nothing to hide(R. Scoble & S. Israel). Microsoft saw it’s public image do a 180. Even Bill Gates was singing the evangelist gospel of the blogosphere(R. Scoble & S. Israel).
I’m still not sold though, would you trust the information you read in a blog by a executive at a large company? Or would you feel it was a marketing ploy?
Now that the strategy of blogging has caught on, will blogs by executives lose their authenticity?
To the Rescue…
What I found to be really interesting (I’ll get to Mark Cuban in a second), is that the readers of blogs have come to the aid of large companies. According to Bob Lutz, a Fortune 500, “Blogging is a self-regulating media,” so a company receives unwarranted slander, third-party bloggers have cleared the air (R. Scoble & S. Israel). Further proving that the truth will be uncovered. I think of blogs in this situation as “Letter to the Editor on Steroids.”
Now for a little Samba
Mark Cuban is a perfect segway to the Blogs to Riches piece by Clive Thompson. Cuban sold garbage bags door to door at the age of 12, and after Yahoo.com bought broadcast.com, an Internet and TV service that showed promise…Cuban had fulfilled the American dream, he was now a billionaire (R. Scoble & S. Israel). Now the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Cuban feels his blog is a way for him to communicate with the press. In this age of Internet overexposure that celebrities face, Cuban uses the paper trail to keep the media in check. Any false or disparaging article about the entrepreneur will be revealed in his blog (R. Scoble & S. Israel). It is much like the checks and balances system mentioned above.
Flowers for Sale!
Growing up my sister and I were always conjuring up ways to earn money. We even sold those little purple violets that grow like weeds everywhere…who were we fooling?
We weren’t money hungry little golddiggers, we just wanted to be little entrepreneurs. We were much like the mindset of Peter Rojas, of Engadget.com, who made 25 million, when AOLbought Weblogs Inc., which includes his blog. Rojas could have easily retired at the ripe age of 30, but he continues to blog relentlessly, because technology and the respect of his peers (C. Thompson). I dig that.
So now that I am getting a degree in Interactive Communication’s, how am I going to make my mark?
It seems as though I can never break into the A-List of the more popular blogs. I could blog relentlessly or beg the A-listers for a shout out (C. Thompson, 2006). Actually I would have to do both.
I also think when people post of popular myspace.com walls or of the comments page of popular youtube.com, it can encourage people to click on your hyperlink. Can you think of any other ways to make your blog popular that the article didn’t mention?
So what does it take for a blog to be successful? I knew the answer the entire time I was reading this article. While word of mouth is key, you won’t get word of mouth if your content sucks. The blogs that are wildly popular have the best content (C. Thompson, 2006).
Blogging Barbie
So I leave you now with a blog that somehow sucked me in, because it is written well and tells a great story. Somehow, I stumbled onto the Blogging Barbie’s blog…and I am hooked. Blogging Barbie’s world revolves around her serious bf, which I find nauseating. I’m telling you that is all that her blog is about, but I find myself reading more and more. If you read the comments, you will see that readers are genuinely concerned with her life. She has successfully developed the interpersonal relationship through her writing and that is why her blog is a hit (no pun intended).
So I decided to rip off the formula of one of WordPress.com’s most popular blogs, I can cheez haz cheesburger…who knew that cute kitties accompanied by a witty photo comments would be such a hit? It’s one sexy niche! (C. Thompson, Blogs to Riches)
As a J-Lister I was trying to get some google juice from an A-Lister, that helps me to procastinate every time I log onto WordPress.com.
So here is a picture of our kitty, Jack:
I iz lyon.
Jack has always been tiny and Persians are usually big bad mothas. My sister was talking to a co-worker who is a cat breeder and she discovered that Jack is a “munchkin or miniature persian,” and somehow, I thought is was impossible…but he seems even cuter now!
So our game plan with the annotated bib is to divide the articles we have gatherered thus far up and split them up, so everyone has different areas to address. We are also looking for articles that have graph worthy content : D
Hopefully, we’ll have some time to work on our outline!
(Second Life allows this girl to try out purple hair…something she might like…but can’t adorn in “real life”)
So I entered the closet thing to a Virtual World when I logged onto Second Life. Actually it is the Virtual World created entirely by “Residents” or people logged onto the site. It felt like the Sims on Red Bull. I went to a trusted source of information (Wikipedia) to find out what exactly second life was. Some people feel that it is a game, but this definition has been disputed. Since Second Life tries (and succeeds) at building a virtual utopia…there is even a market place where transactions take place…I found myself wondering if people are “themselves” in Second Life or does Second Life enable one to create a persona that is an extension of oneself? Do residents ever bring second life into their “real life”?
What kind of implications could second life for teens have?
A Divine State
All mammals engage in some form of play. Humans, however unlike any other mammal, enjoy pushing themselves to the limit of mental and physical exhaustion through sport. To an athlete the adrenaline rush of scoring a goal or crossing a finish line is unparalleled. Most marathon runners run the 26 something miles for sheer bragging rights. Pro-athletes are considered heroes in society; as they are the modern equivalent of deities or gods.
(Nike, the largest supplier of athletic apparel is named after the Greek goddess of Victory and is significant in the modern culture of sport, which has become interchangeable with the culture of play.)
The Significance of having a Ball
J. Huizinga looks at “play” from a very philosophical standpoint in the article, “Nature and Significance of Play as a Cultural Phenomenon.” Play is very abstract, the verb itself can encompass various other action words such as run, kick, jump….this list goes on. In the article Huizinga seeks to find the problem of play as a function of culture. Considering the piece was written in 1950 what would Huizinga about the modern state of play?
It’s a Business
The concept of play is now interconnected with sport. Play as a simple function of kids getting together to play stickball, like in The Sandlot, no longer exists….it’s now soccer moms, expensive premier leagues, and yes kids do get cut from little league. Youth sports are organized, with the ultimate goal of of professional success. It would not be an understatement to say that Pro-Athletes…not doctors, fire fighters, or scientists working on a cure for cancer are the most admired in popular culture for their feats. It has also has become a billion dollar industry where the stakes are high and athletes bring home a fairly decent paycheck. Sports has become an ultra competitive culture across the globe. While Huizinga admits that chess and football are played with seriousness, play should be the opposite of seriousness, but this is no longer the case. Unfortunately, the competitive nature of organized sports (“Play to order is no longer play,”) undermines the loose culture of play (Huizinga, 1950).
Cheaters Never Prosper…well all they say is they thought it is was Flax Seed
I am going to disagree with Huizinga’s argument that “spoil-sports” are less accepted than cheaters. Take Barry Bonds for example. Throw in multi-million dollar contracts, ESPN for around the clock sports news coverage, and sold out stadiums…ahhh the times have changed. Speaking of which, Huizinga definitely dated him/herself with the phrase, “spoil-sport,” which I am positive I have only heard my grandmother use and check out page 11, for “Pussy patting a bobbin”… [insert innuendo here].
Men are From Mars, Women are from Venus
I am going to go on a random tangent here, I think it would have been interesting if Huizinga discussed the mental play between male and females. It is a constant game of cat and mouse, where one or the other is keeping the other on their toes. Just ask Carrie Bradshaw…
Cyber Play Ummm not that kind…Probably a bad title immediately about a Sex and the City clip! Online play in the form on interactive video games has exploded. Halo has become a phenomenon and can you imagine if it was free? A. Hinton describes a game called DOOM by ID Software in the article, “We Live Here: Games, Third Places, and the Information Architecture of the Future.” The creators of Doom realized that the software would spread and flourish if they allowed users to modify the software code. Programmers realized the power of a collective effort in enhancing the product, so the games were designed to encourage modification (A. Hinton, 2006). It’s like Wikinomics for online games.
So I am in currently 2 free fantasy sports leagues, but I wonder how much more ESPN or Yahoo Sports would benefit from users modifying the templates. The complaint about ESPN’s fantasy is that the format is not user friendly and it deletes rosters. I personally love ESPN fantasy…but I found this article from 2003, when people had to pay 100 dollars to be in an online league! I can see what people were angry and is sounds like ESPN Fantasy has gone through some major tweaking to get to where it is today…check it out!
Do you think these companies would even allow modification? Do you think it would be beneficial?
MyPlace.com Hinton also toys with concept of an online living environment with online games. For me this online “I live here” concept made sense when the author spoke of MySpace and Facebook, because these sites are so personalized. Hinton explains why these sites are such a phenomena by saying “They’re frameworks-not predefined experiences-that prove relevant opportunities for discourse and play.” Myspace.com is also easily modified so the user can customize where they live and play. Do you feel there is a place you live online?
Branding the Play ExperienceJohn Paul Mitchell Systems holds extravagant hair shows all of the country, where the top stylists in the field perform demos for individuals in the hair industry. I attended one a year ago, and one of the “cutters,” was heralded as one of the best hair cutters in the world. And he asked the audience do you know why I can charge $1000 for a haircut? He told the audience the reason why clients pay an astonishing amount (for something you could do with a flow bee…just kidding), is because of the experience of sitting in his chair.
We have all been to a restaurant or store where we pay a little..ok a lot extra because of the brand name or the experience. Starbucks Coffee is often jokingly referred to “Fourbucks,” because you usually spend at least fours bucks every time you’re there, but you pay for the brand name.
According to B. J. Pine and J. H. Gilmore, authors of The Experience Economy, with the plethora of entertainment in retail out there, companies must engage consumers in a memorable way in order to stand out in a crowd. Can you think of an online experience that you would gladly pay for? (I am really opening myself up to some interesting comments here!)
Proposal
How can ESPN can attract a larger audience to its ESPN360 division? This is important for a media company to accomplish in the competitive world of sports. Especially as the popularity of using the Internet as a main device in people’s lives continues increase.
Click here to view ESPN360’s Mission statement! Audience The target audience of this proposal will be the ESPN New Media personnel and customers.
Expertise
Some experts we will be questioning or reading their material are; Austin Hamilton, ESPN Web Developers, Paul Gavalais, Manager ESPN360, and possibly an expert on net neutrality.
Applicable WebsitesESPN360 Dies an Unnecessary Death
Two of the articles discuss net neutrality in detail and we will be discussing that in great length. They are great reference points. The last article discusses the relaunch of ESPN 360. This article is essential because we will be proposes solutions to enhance the ESPN 360 product.
This article discusses how other companies that have been using other media platforms to get their brand out including streaming video on demand, etc, which serves as a good comparison model.
Key Components to Address
The potential growth of ESPN360 relies heavily on understanding a few key concepts. ESPN360 has been accused of enforcing “Reverse Net Neutrality.” Our group will explore net neutrality and whether or not it is necessarily a poor business model for ESPN360. If the current model is not reaching as many sports fans as possible, should ESPN360 become cheaper for cable providers, shadow a subscription model where a free trial period is offered, or become completely available to the public? It is even fair to charge for “cable” on the internet? The issues surrounding streaming video and even the downloading music off of the internet run parallel to the concerns of ESPN360, so those issues will also be taken into consideration as reference models. Trends in the industry have called for products such as ESPN360, as video is now being streamed, sometimes even live on the Internet. It is a now a necessity for any leading media website to offer video options to compliment headlines. ESPN360 is cutting edge as it streams live games that wouldn’t necessary make the cut for primetime television. While short media clips have flourished on Youtube.com, our group will also explore if and why entire games will be successful given the context and the audience. Given the length of and breadth of the programming offered on ESPN360, it will also be worthwhile to look at the cost and capabilities on broadband width. Most importantly it is the consumers, avid sports fans, that will ultimately determine the success of this digital product. We must ask ourselves, which fans are looking for niche programming and which do not have access to television. We have pinpointed college students, the troops, consumers who enjoy sports popular abroad such as cricket or rugby, those who work (ex. march madness), and customers in different time zones, as audiences that this service needs to hone in on. It is the new media executives at ESPN, and possibly cable providers that could bring the niche programming of ESPN360 to the niche audiences previously listed.
Annotated Bibliography
●ESPN360 Articles (3-4) – General articles for and against this product while add depth as they are written with the target audience in mind.
●Net Neutrality (3) – Articles on this topic will be necessary in understanding and presenting this concept, and whether or not it is necessarily a bad business model.
●Legislation of streaming video
●Case Study – Our group hopes to find an article on an Internet service that flourish
● The Long Tail. C. Anderson. Wired Magazine. –Discusses the growth of niche programming and makes a case for why music should be free to download.
-Article of the success of Radiohead decision to have consumers “name their own price” of their last album.
●Marketing Campaign of ESPN360 – How as it affected the c
●NBA – How will ESPN’s lucrative deal with the NBA affect ESPN360?
●ESPN Insider – A subscription model that ESPN360 could possible follow
●Article of the demand for Niche Sports in the United States – Is there even a worthwhile demand?
●Producing a Football Game – How much is it costing ESPN on average to cover these events?
●Bandwidth – How much are these services costing ESPN?
Technology can fourish when it is available to every consumer, usually meaning the product has become inexpensive. Consumers can then give feedback on design and usability.
