MediaSavvy

Bloggers already have access to some excellent tools for content management, but are falling behind in community-building. That’s why I’m excited by Chris Pirillo’s announcement that he wants to build an installation of Drupal that is optimized for social media. Even if you’re a big media company, or never use Drupal, this project could affect the way you run your site.

I donít want a social network, I want a socially *RELEVANT* network (both on-site and beyond). I donít want a community platform, I want a participation platform where members are rewarded and ranked appropriately. I donít want a place where people can just blog, because Iím going well beyond the blog. Itís not just about hosting videos, audio files, or any piece of random media – itís the discovery mechanisms between them that make them more relevant.
Itís discovery – no matter the community, no matter the type of content. Imagine coming to a site and not just reading about what other people are interested in, but what interests they SHARE with you! Imagine coming to a site and seeing how someone ranks in answers pertaining to your own questions! Oh, Iím confident you may have seen these features elsewhere – but what about for your own site, what about for your own community, what about for your own ideas?

Media are becoming social and many bloggers know they will be left behind by the revolution they started if their tools don’t get better. But competition is making everybody’s tools sharper. The last time I was in the market for a content management system, I was intrigued by Drupal, but I knew that I didn’t have the time or resources to build on its deep capabilities. There’s a reason most Drupal sites look alike. It’s difficult for the average site builder to transcend Drupal’s profound dorkiness.
Chris’s intense, well-thought-out description of the content management system he’d like to build is loaded with good ideas that every media company should consider for their sites and possibly demand from their vendors.
Originally published on my blog at JupiterResearch.

Our research shows that the people who post in online appreciate good moderation. I also know from personal experience that writing and enforcing a moderation policy is a thankless job. But it’s one that your users will appreciate, even if they don’t know why.
Boing Boing’s new Q&A-style moderation policy is a fascinating document. It ranges from straightforward to cranky and idiosyncratic.

Q. All the vowels have disappeared from a paragraph I wrote! What’s going on?
A. We did it. Someone (a moderator, one of the Boingers) was expressing displeasure at your remarks. The technique is called disemvowelling. It deprecates but does not delete the remark. With work, the disemvowelled text should still be readable.

But it’s also plainspoken and utterly appropriate to the tone of the site. At some point, we’ll come to appreciate moderation as any other editorial function, and one that is essential to the site’s editorial voice.
Originally published on my blog at JupiterResearch.

I’m not going to tell you how “The Wire” — arguably the best TV show ever — ends. Not till next year: I’m watching it on DVD via Netflix. I think it’s the best way to follow such a densely-layered, character-driven show.
I’m using Netflix to follow a number of HBO series on a Mac Mini with a 17″ monitor in our bedroom. And we’re using El Gato’s Eye TV hooked up to the cable for regular TV. That’s how I recorded and watched enough of “Mad Men” to decide to buy it from iTunes.
My wife got addicted to “The Office” buying it on iTunes. She has watched these episodes enough to have a disturbing command of the dialog. We were not happy with NBC’s iTunes boycott, but it did give us an opportunity to try it on Hulu.
Meanwhile, our 15-year-old daughter buys “Gray’s Anatomy” and “Lost” on iTunes and watches them in a window when she’s on the computer or on her iPod when she’s killing time.
The only person in our household who’s watching much regular old TV (ROT?) these days is our five year old.
These new distribution media aren’t going to eliminate ROT, but they can’t help but have a profound effect on its business model. And it’s already showing in the direction of network TV.
In the meantime, we’re living in both a new (and improved) Golden Age of television, and its Dark Ages.
Originally published on my blog at JupiterResearch.

Television is in some kind of weird middle-aged adolescence. Everywhere you look, it’s awkwardly proportioned.
I’ve become used to widescreen TV’s electronics stores and public places showing regular old TV broadcasts stretched horizontally to fill the space. We wouldn’t want to waste all those pixels we paid for — or look like we’re just showing plain old TV — after all.
On a recent cross-country flight I enjoyed Virgin America’s new in-flight entertainment system. It’s very nice, except it insists on showing, say, The Office, in widescreen format — making the entire cast look a little chubby.
And no one seems to notice. One can only imagine in how many homes expensive, high-resolution home theaters are showing TV as it was never meant to be shown. And America is left wondering whether Obama has put on weight.
Originally published on my blog at JupiterResearch.