Drew B's take on tech PR

More on bloggers vs Prescott

Iain Dale has written an article for The Guardian's 'Comment is Free' blog, where he suggests: "I may be a blogger but I'm not an attack dog." Worth a read, as an update on bloggers' role in the Prescott affair.

BBC Two does Second Life

The online community of Second Life, built by its users and increasingly colonised by brands, was covered on BBC Two last night on a programme called 'The Happiness Formula'. I didn't manage to see the show, but I've been reading up on it just now here. The programme also showed how web innovations have made the world smaller.

The huge growth in e-mail, blogs, message boards and messenger services has created a host of new social networks which defy geography. Using the internet to make new connections that you then meet in real life  - that's very positive.

Reminds me of eight months ago ;)

More on unboomed

Chief geek at LEWIS London Michael Hay is discussing the break-up of vlogging's biggest outlet Rocketboom and has posted up Amanda Congdon's 'unboomed' vlog where she gives her side of the story - and he's telling readers to look out for her successor...

Bloggers take on Prescott

Has the tech PR community been following the impact bloggers have been having on John Prescott? One man has caught my attention offline, and I'm now following online. That man is Iain Dale, who was on Radio 4 last week and Newsnight last night (watch the ferocious discussion with Paxman - the recording is online here). "Not since 7/7 has the UK blogosphere looked like functioning in the same way as its US counterpart - until now," says BBC Online. Well, Dale says he's being rolled out to "twist the knife" some more - and a few twists at that. Sky News at 5pm today then on ITV at 6:30 and More4 at 8pm. Will look forward to the analysis of how his blogging is having on all this.

Update - today's the day Prescott overtook Blair in the blogosphere:

Congdon leaves RocketBoom, Calacanis makes an offer

You probably saw yesterday that Amanda Congdon, star of megabucks earning vlog RocketBoom, has suddenly left (over a spat with her co-host apparently). Well the filthy rich ex-Engadgeteer Jason Calacanis has asked her to join him instead. Jason posts:

Amanda, you're a great talent, everyone knows that, and you're gonna get a ton of offers over the next couple of days. I'd like to give you some unsolicited advice and make you an offer as well....

 

BBC to launch new radio format with user generated podcast content

The BBC has announced it is planning on giving audiences the ability to create its own audio content. It's going to be called MyBBCRadio and will be a podcast/online-radio mashup. Nice!

 

PR Week's Danny Rogers: research shows penny yet to drop for blogs in PR

Tomorrow's PR Week will carry some research carried out by the magazine, which is the focus of Danny Rogers' editor's column. the research shows most PR bosses don't get the value of blogging in PR. Course they don't Danny! But nice analysis of why - which I think gets the point across very neatly:

What is written out in cyberspace is still a low priority for many firms, which tend to think ‘we’ll wait until issues are picked up by the important media’. This is failing to see the blogosphere as an early weathervane of consumer opinion. It is also failing to recognise that organisations can use blogs as cheap and highly effective focus groups for new products, initiatives and ideas.

Thanks for the spot Simon

 

The long tail of podcasting

Robert Scoble is contemplating what it would be like to have an infinite number of podcast guides on niche areas, available to buy/take easily on the web. It's something I've heard UK consumer PR types talk about before, and it's definitely going to happen. Scoble's example is the potential benefit of being able to listen to a city tour guide as a podcast on your way to your holiday destination. He said this would be massive if it happened in a UGC way - ie the general public all submit their podcast reviews through a Wiki, which we can get our reviews from. Sounds good! But this is something the travel firms are already doing - check out Rough Guides Podcasts. A straw poll of the office says Rough Guides would be the preference over a collaborative Wiki if you wanted a city guide - but if you had the option of both (and with a 60GB iPod you can take plenty) then why not both! I think both models would work in a very compelling way.

I would like an Availabot

For Christmas, I would like an Availabot please. Thanks BoingBoing.

Borat the movie

Some nice online promotion of a movie on Borat that's coming soon. You can see the video trailer here. Also, here's the movie's website, in faux-1999 design. Still the most hilarious thing ever.

Thanks Jonathan Rosemont for the link