VH-1 Gets Participatory Media

Fast Company has an interesting article on how VH-1 used comments posted on their blog to develop ideas for their new show.

In the months leading up to the debut of "Best Week Ever," a new show in VH-1's lineup that makes a nostalgic nod at our warp-speed culture, executive producer Fred Graver set up an internal blog. He hoped it would be a way for the show's writers to brainstorm commentary about the latest celebrity gaffes and quirky of-the-minute news.

But when the show launched in mid-January, he made the decision to open up the blog to the Internet. Just one week in, more than half the comments posted on the blog were coming from random stoppers-by, giving the writers ideas for show material.

Google Support Confirms Gmail Threading Bug

UPDATE: This post was blogged on Upian's Hot Links and on Jeremy Zawodny's Linkblog.

I am going to test out my theory that "personal journalists" are having an impact by doing some reporting of my own and watching if this spreads online.

As some of you know, I have a Google Gmail account. Now don't get me wrong. I love Google. I live on it. And I am thrilled they are launching an email service. It's speedy, it has massive storage, I like the contextual ads and I like the conversation threading features ... if they get them fixed.

I am using my blog to report that Gmail, in beta, has a conversation threading bug that Google has confirmed to me via email. They say they are working on it. I am sure they are. I am posting this not to bash them, but to monitor if or how this spreads.

Basically, when I send out multiple emails to multiple recipients that share the exact same subject header, they all get grouped together. I got confused today by the bug...I couldn't follow who I was sending email to.

Here's the thread from their support team, confirming the bug. Let's see who picks this up. If you blog me, please trackback this so the group can see the results. Thanks.

Gmail Team (gmail-support@google.com) Tue, Apr 27, 2004 at 3:18PM

To: steverubel (at) gmail . com

Hello Steve,

Thank you for your report. Unfortunately, there isn't a way to fix this at this time. We are, however, aware of the problem and the engineering team is working on a fix.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Please keep in mind this is a preview release of Gmail, and we appreciate your patience during our limited test period.

Sincerely,

The Gmail Team

Original Message Follows:

------------------------

From: steverubel (at) gmail . com

Subject: I send multiple emails with the same subject to multiple recipients. Even though each is a separate thread they all get threaded together. Please advise how to remedy.

Date: Sat, 24 Apr 2004 19:06:00 -0000

Hi. When I send out separate emails to recipients using the same subject line and I get replies, they get threaded together when really they are separate conversations. How can I fix this? Thanks.

GmailAddress: steverubel (at) gmail . com

QuestionTopic: conv_threading

Name: Steve Rubel

OS: winxp

Browser: Internet Explorer 6.x

OregonLive.com Reporter to Blog Public Inquest

JD Lasica reports that Ethan Daniel Lindsey, a freelance reporter and blogger living in Portland, Ore., has been hired by OregonLive.com to blog a public inquest.

Update - this post has been corrected to read OregonLive.com.

IBM Gets Participatory Media

Poynter's E-Media Tidbits notes that IBM has published a white paper (PDF) on their Web site called Media and Entertainment 2010.

IBM's Saul J. Berman contends that between now and 2010, as technology becomes more powerful and affordable, an increasing segment of consumers will be able to compile, program, edit, create and share content, resulting in greater consumer immersion in media experiences.

I’m not sure why Big Blue is saying “by 2010.” This is actually happening now. It cost me $80/year to set up this blog on TypePad. Had I opted to use Blogger, it would have cost me nothing. Still, there’s a lot of interesting points in the IBM white paper, which is written for media and entertainment executives, but has implications for PR.

In the executive summary, Berman writes:

We foresee growing participation in media experiences well beyond traditional media, in three additional sectors we have labeled multi-media, “big” media and pervasive media. Successful companies, in transforming their business models to serve these four distinct channels and behaviors, will continue to reposition and restructure. They will focus on the core components that create value for their customers and consumers, divest unneeded properties, improve the monetization of assets – and importantly, join with other players to achieve scale, lower costs and offer value-added products and services.

We call this business model the “open media company of the future” – a dynamic media business that:

* Opens the media experience: Leverages advances in technology to provide customers and consumers a more involved experience with the media firm

* Opens content reserves: Develops accessible, flexible digital content systems that can enable distribution to virtually any media context

* Opens content creation and distribution: Establishes digitized processes that monitor and incorporate input from customers and consumers to garner their attention

* Opens content packaging, bundling and sales strategies: Utilizes variable pricing models that enable partners to advertise and share profits, and enables consumers to access content through more compelling release schedules.

If I find more interesting nuggets as I delve into the 44-page document a bit further, I will post them here.

Money Makes the Blogosphere Go Round

Tom Hespos thinks that bloggers are closing in on ways to make money from their passion.

Hespos writes:

Given the time they spend reporting news, scouring the 'net for interesting things to comment on, and cranking out the content their visitors want to see, wouldn't it be nice if a paycheck was involved?

Maybe if Tom is right this will alleviate B.L. Ochman's concerns that PR folks are resistant to tracking bloggers. Why? Bloggers will become even more fervent if they find a way to make money. And fervency is every PR person's dream/nightmare.