Saturday, March 18
Weblog Post #11 - World Wide Web in Weird Times
The Internet is in the middle of strange times.
Blogs and podcasts seem to be the rising stars in the Internet's ever-evolving arsenal, but no one is for sure and it seems only a few outlets are willing to put their stock on the line for these features.
Saul Hansell, in his article "Yahoo Says It Is Backing Away From TV-Style Web Shows," says that Yahoo had previously considered producing original content for online users to enjoy. For unclear reasons, it changed its mind.
He lists a few possible political reasons, like the head office men and creative minds weren't getting along. But Yahoo officials said that just wasn't true.
They also say that the whole idea of original content and TV-Style Web shows is not completely out of the equation. They know that the public isn't ready to watch shows on their computers just yet. It's one thing to enjoy Desperate Housewives on your couch in your living room and it's another to sit at your desk watching it on a grainy 15-inch screen.
Most importantly, the article mentions how Yahoo want to get a piece of what's hot.
What's hot these days? You guessed it...The myspace.com phenomenon. It is a Web site where millions of people, in this case mostly college-aged students, flock to put their own information on the net and to read others. How perfect is this for media outlets? They sit back and let their users do the work and they reap the ad revenues.
Yahoo naturally wants in on this and they know that TV-Style Web shows can wait until the myspace fad is over. Hopefully by that time people will be surfing the net on comfortable couches in their living rooms, with decent speakers and nicer screens.
When we all get that way, count me in!
Blogs and podcasts seem to be the rising stars in the Internet's ever-evolving arsenal, but no one is for sure and it seems only a few outlets are willing to put their stock on the line for these features.
Saul Hansell, in his article "Yahoo Says It Is Backing Away From TV-Style Web Shows," says that Yahoo had previously considered producing original content for online users to enjoy. For unclear reasons, it changed its mind.
He lists a few possible political reasons, like the head office men and creative minds weren't getting along. But Yahoo officials said that just wasn't true.
They also say that the whole idea of original content and TV-Style Web shows is not completely out of the equation. They know that the public isn't ready to watch shows on their computers just yet. It's one thing to enjoy Desperate Housewives on your couch in your living room and it's another to sit at your desk watching it on a grainy 15-inch screen.
Most importantly, the article mentions how Yahoo want to get a piece of what's hot.
What's hot these days? You guessed it...The myspace.com phenomenon. It is a Web site where millions of people, in this case mostly college-aged students, flock to put their own information on the net and to read others. How perfect is this for media outlets? They sit back and let their users do the work and they reap the ad revenues.
Yahoo naturally wants in on this and they know that TV-Style Web shows can wait until the myspace fad is over. Hopefully by that time people will be surfing the net on comfortable couches in their living rooms, with decent speakers and nicer screens.
When we all get that way, count me in!
# posted by Jonathan : 3:35 PM
