During a recent meeting, I was asked by a co-worker to write an entry for the staff blog. “Sure,” I enthusiastically responded. As an evangelist of the so-called Social Media medium, long-time blogger and podcaster, and self-appointed Geek, creating a blog post should be simple, right? Umm, right. Two months later, I had filed her request in the Defer to Later file. Last week she kindly reminded me to draft a blog post about my life and working digitally. I was recently informed that they would like me to write something more ‘traditional,’ so I’m posting this here instead.

I hail from the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota, but have lived in northern California, Iowa, and briefly Rome. After much consternation and consideration, I have thoughtfully concluded my lifestyle is atypical. When attempting to describe what I do to my parents and friends, I generally begin by saying , “I consult companies on matters related to web 2.0, and am also a reported and producer,” then sit with my mouth ajar for 30 to 45 seconds before giving up. I cannot possibly summarize the scope of a ‘typical’ day, and my job is dissimilar to my peers within my company. I do, however, love my co-workers as well as the work I do. I devour information and luxuriously enjoy technologies that, 10 years ago, were nascent or unimaginable.

As opposed to writing a boring summary of responsibilities, I thought it more informative and entertaining to break down a normal day at work. So, let’s switch to a first person present narrative and take a glance at typical analogue/digital Day in Dan’s Life:

6:55 am - Cell phone alarm goes off. Roll over, groan/swear mildly, check the time, hit snooze and go back to ’sleep.’
7:05 am - Cell alarm again protests my inertness, this time accompanied by music from my iPod. Generally, the music is upbeat enough to motivate me into a vertical position, but from time to time the iPod randomly pumps out a matchboxtwenty or Michael Bolton song. This will typically jettison me from my bed quite quickly.
7:07 am - Yawn while flicking on my laptop to check the news. Part of my job entails me being a pundit for various radio stations across the country. I generally need a healthy dose news pre-shower as have enough info to create convincing opinions on topics I’m only moderately familiar with. Said news is aggregated using my RSS reader, and a combination of various People like Dave Winer have referred to RSS as presenting information as a ‘river of news;’ thusly my consumption and dissemination of news has been fondly referred to a ‘river of BS.’
7:15 am - Hop into the show and consider, in no particular order: the recent Calacanis and Winer feud, whether Arrington is trying to imitate Vally Wag, the wacky confirmation hearings for Mukasey, will the coffee shop mess up my Americano again, how much Memeorandum kicks ass, what’s up with Kevin Rose and Pownce, will Veronica make a cameo on today’s Buzz Out Loud, and for that matter, when is her effin’ show on Mahalo going to debut?
7:26 am - Towel off and check the news again. Act shocked - shocked! - to find 243 votes for a story about Britney Spears on Digg’s front page. What happened to all the Ubuntu stories? Jeez…
7:28 am - Walk to the A train. While, like the rest of the staff, I work at home from time to time, most of my work is conducted from a tall office building in downtown Brooklyn. On my commute I think about Facebook’s utterly silly reported $15 billion valuation.
7:55 am - Briskly walk to the coffee shop, order my coffee, drink my coffee, consider the awesomeness of my coffee. Now that I have my coffee, the day can properly begin. I like coffee.
8:00 am - Return phone calls and emails while sitting in my office.
9:20 - Call a radio station, discuss the news.
9:30 - Call another radio station, again discuss the news.
9: 55 - Take the 4 train to 42nd street, then walk the three blocks to the United Nations, all the while checking my Blackberry for email and world news. Upon arriving, I curse the tourists holding up the security line as I dig into my bag for my recorder. I also reach for my iPod Touch. I justified purchasing the device because it’s a media player with wifi. Meaning, I can hop on the UN’s fantastic wifi network and read the news (again) while checking email on the Blackberry and composing a text message on my cell phone. After clearing security, I walk to the second floor and look around for correspondents I know. At some point I’m stopped by long-time UN correspondent George who asks me if the SG is in New York or DC today. I have no idea. George is a creaky journalist of the Old School, a vault of knowledge, and knows a TON about covering the UN. George generally likes to share information with me while I’m intently investigating the Reuters girl’s - a-herm - camera. I begrudgingly but respectfully give George my attention.
12:05 pm - We then take seats in the briefing room for a press conference. I successfully take diligent notes, record audio, and stay awake. I actually do pay close attention to the briefings, but mostly because I’m pretty sure the woman who briefs the press is a Cylon. I can’t prove it, but have my suspicions…
1:15 pm - Gather my paperwork and various recording devices and head back to the Brooklyn studio. On the train I probably listen to the This Week in Tech or This American Life podcasts. At some point I will become irrationally upset at the RIAA and DRM. I get over it.
2:00 pm - Arrive in Brooklyn, get second cup of coffee before heading up to the office.
2:20 pm - Call co-worker X or co-worker Y and complain about Microsoft. We also sometimes talk about company business. I envy them working at home in their pajamas while I am sweating in some blazer required by the UN. My childish irritation must be put on hold, however, as emails require sending, and the phone requires my voice.
3:30 pm - The internet in the office dies. I utter bad words, then grab my bag and head down to the IT department.
3:45 pm - The internet works again, and so I reply to the 157 emails I accrued during my down-time.
4:15 pm - Begin work on a about social media and the semantic web. Mostly I just read Read/Write Web, parrot it back to HQ, and call it work. Shhh, don’t tell anyone. My sources must remain anonymous.
5:00 pm - Step outside for another cup of coffee. While I’m drinking it, I check my Gmail on my iPod Touch. Because I can. And it’s awesome. I also suck down a few feeds, Twitter my Flickr, and check my voicemail. I really like coffee.
5:15 pm - Try not to break the fax machine when it refuses to call out. This means that tomorrow I will spend a disgusting amount of time on the phone with Huge Telecommunications Company trying to figure out why our line does not work.
5:25 pm - Give up on the fax, and return to sending a few end-of-day emails.
6:00 pm - Head home. Check the Blackberry while waiting for the subway. I can get service underground in Brooklyn for some reason.
6:35 pm - Arrive at home, make dinner while glancing at the laptop and listening to NPR.
6:37 pm - Phone vibrates indicating that I have a voicemail from my boss. She informs me the George called and wants to have dinner tomorrow night. George wants to fill us in on the intricacies of the SG’s Undersecretary of Diplomatic blah blah blah. The voice mail also states that “those imbeciles at the White House are going to drive me to drink,” that she is now officially “going psychotic,” and if the White House doesn’t shape up, she will “fucking kill” herself. This is per the usual. I send her an email saying that I would be delighted to meet with her and George and also drink lots of wine! In fact, I have put the engagement on my List.
6:45 pm - Check my news feeds.
7:00 pm - Eat my dinner while responding to an email thread from a colleague pertaining to tonight’s Republican Debate.
8:00 pm - Check the news and the Media Alert for tomorrow’s UN agenda.
9:00 pm - Check the news, eat a snack.
10:00 pm - Check the news, send out emails, wonder if they still make those book thingies. I remember book thingies fondly. Book thingies were simple and quaint. I wonder if there’s a social network for book thingies. I will probably join it.
11:00 pm - Check my email, check the news, check the Blackberry, update podcasts
11:38 pm - Go to bed wondering if that Reuters girl is going to be back at the UN tomorrow.
11::56 pm - Get up to check the news one more time…

And, so, you now have a somewhat accurate snapshot of my lifestyle of converged digital engagement. If you have any lingering questions, re-read the above post, follow the links, email me, and know that tomorrow it will be completely different.

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Come On Subscribe Young: Thoughts on Digital Media is an occasional series of essays. Here’s part one, and part two.

15 Do’s and 15 Don’ts of Podcasting

Do:

1.) Create compelling content.
- As obvious as this seems, a big reason podcasts many main-stream sources struggle is due to the fact that the ‘podcast’ is simply repositioned content from another medium. Regardless as to how it was produced, your content must be engaging, useful, and entertaining.

2.) Develop a community.
- While the phrase ‘content is king’ is a valid cliche, the phrase should read ‘content and community are king.’ No community means irrelevant content, regardless as to how good the content is.

3.) Engage in the podcasting community.
- Sites like Podshow, PodcastAlly, PodTech, Podcast Pickle, and LibSynare huge communities of people who are passionate and knowledgeable about podcasting. These are the ‘early adopters,’ and can easily become your biggest advocates …or detractors. Being respectful, humble, and sincere will help your credibility.

4.) Engage in social networks.
- Allow your users to get your content where they choose: MySpace (ugh), Facebook, Bebo, Last.fm, Flickr, YouTube, and Revver are good places to start.

5.) Listen to other podcasts.
- DailySource Code, This Weekin Tech (TWiT), Cranky Geeks, Podcast411, Buzz Out Loud, On the Media, Radio Open Source with Christopher Lyden, Financial Aid Podcast with Christopher Penn, Accident Hash set the standard.

6.) Pay attention to production values.
- While the show should sound clean and professional, it should also avoid sounding too slick (read: insincere). Generally users are forgiving of rough sound quality if the content is compelling. Also, pay attention to branding and ‘imaging.’

7.) Be transparent.
- The best way to earn the trust of your users is to inform them about. Providing information will help users develop a sense of personal identification with you and your brand. See the April 2007 edition of Wired Magazine.

8.) Rethink Monetizing Methods.
- Is your podcast designed to be a loss-leader for other content, or is your podcast itself designed to create revenue? Although this may change as your podcast evolves, you should an idea as to what you want to accomplish before you start.

9.) Supplement the podcast with a blog.
- While this seems like a no-brainer, many podcasts - particularly mainstream shows - neglect to provide ’show notes’ that contain a succinct description of the show, as well as links (digital footnotes) to references in the show.

10.) Remember that the ‘medium is the message.’
- Just like broadcast and print media, podcasting and on-demand content contain characteristics unique to the medium. Understand these attributes to your advantage, and understand their weaknesses. Also, keep in mind that even if the general public can’t articulate it, each form of media carries certain symbolic meaning to the users.

11.) ‘Rock Your Niche.’
- A phrase slung by Julien Smith from the In OverYour Head podcast, emphasizing the need to understand as precisely as possible who you are trying to reach. In terms of data-mining and demographic research, podcasting has the potential to gather more useful information about users than FM radio.

12.) Use metadata.
- Pay close attention to the ideas of the read/write web, the future of search, semantic web, microformats and changing face of web technology. Evaluation and adoption of new approaches to organizing metadata ensures a level of compatibility with the future. Follow what’s going on with the early adopters in the tech community, and attach to those movements. But don’t et that distract you from creating the best content possible. In particular, follow the John Battelle’s Search Blog, TechCrunchand Read/WriteWeb blogs.

13.) When developing show content and determining how to market it, look for similar problems in parallel industries.
- As young as the podcasting medium is, conventions have already developed. Your content will stick out due to it’s uniqueness. To be unique, look to industries outside the media and tech worlds for ideas.

14.) Forget the term ‘Web 2.0′ but embrace the core concepts.
- Many tech pundits dismiss ‘Web 2.0′ as a marketing gimmic, and they have a point. However, the key concepts of Web 2.0 - clean, attractive interface; useability; metadata and tagging; community; user-generated-content - remain essential for success. Tim Berners-Lee and Vint Cerf both believed that it should be as easy to publish content as it is to consume from the very beginning of Web. Blogging and podcasting represent the beginning of this process.

15.) Go to events, conferences, and meet-ups.
- Get to know other podcasters personally and develop personal relationships. A word-of-mouth endorsement from another podcaster is invaluable.

Don’t:

1.) Forget that ‘User Generated Content’ sucks…
- …but that’s the point. What one person thinks is terrible, is a gold-mine to another. User Generated Content means a greater diversity of choice, as well as more competition.

2.) Treat podcasting as a fad.
- Some have said that podcasting represents the ‘democratization of the dissemination of information. ‘ As the consumption and production of media becomes simplified, it also becomes more flexible. For better or for worse, devices like DVR and MP3 players have helped train consumers to do what they want, when they want with ‘their’ content. For listeners, podcasting has less to do with iPods and portable devices as it has to do with freedom of information.

3.) Get too attached to the term ‘podcast.’
- Don’t think of you or your company as a podcaster, you are a content creator. And a brand. Web and media technology is evolving ridiculously fast; focusing too narrowly on one medium means you will miss out on opportunities.

4.) Don’t Spam. Ever.
- No better way to alienate people who might otherwise care about you.

5.) Forget licensing.
- To some people this is obvious - don’t play RIAA (or non-’podsafe’) music. Others intentionally or unintentionally neglect to heed lawsregulating intellectual property.

6.) Lose the trust of your audience.
- A significant difference between FM radio and podcasting is the level and type of interaction between the listener, host, and product. An endorsement from a beloved host is significantly more powerful than an obnoxious advertisement sandwhiched between several other obnoxious advertisements.

7.) Put all your eggs in one basket.
- Although there are a lot of reasons to be enamored with podcasting and New Media,
many external factors (economic downturn, legislation) will contribute to the success or failure of the medium.

8.) Fail to attribute.
- The web provides a great platform to consume, create, and share information. As in academics or journalism, failure to attribute sources can be devastating to your credibility. Always look for the copyright or Creative Commons information before you use or republish intellectual property.

9.) Be afraid to fail.
- The medium is fairly young, and you are fairly new to the medium. If the type of content you’re creating isn’t working, or the marketing hasn’t worked like you had anticipated, try something new. An advantage to podcasting is that taking risks is easier to do.

10.) Force content.
- Make sure that the content you create is organic and fits with your organization.

11.) Spend more money than you have to.
- Podcasting can be and effective means to reach a large audience with a minimal investment. Even if you have budget, being too ‘big’ can lead to small results.

12.) Cut corners.
- Although you may have a finite amount of time or resources, don’t let that prevent you from creating quality content.

13.) Assume that content you make today will be the same content you make in six months or a year.
- Allow room for your podcast to evolve.

14.) Expect to make a million dollars.
- While some podcasts are financially successful (Dawn and Drew, Geek Brief, Keith and the Girl), these podcasts are few and far between. Podcasting can generate revenue, but should be primarily used as a content platform and/or brand extension.

15.) Forget the Big Picture.
- Podcasting a small, personal effort or it can be part of a major media campaign. Know where your podcast fits.

Supplemental Sidebar - Suggestions and Thoughts:

- Allow users to mash-up the content and RSS feeds with sites like Yahoo Pipes, SplashCast, xFruits, and Feedblender.
- Support the Open Source and Creative Commons movements.
- Use analytics and determine what information is useful.
- Ask questions, seek out new ideas, break new ground.
- Learn from the mistakes of others. Again, this seems obvious but is frequently forgotten or ignored due to ignorance and/or hubris. Example:The Digg Revolt.

- DHP

With thanks to Dan Andrlik at the Ministry of Intrigue and Julien at In Over Your Head.

Technorati Tags: digital, media, podcast

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Come On Subscribe Young: Thoughts on Digital Media is an occasional series of essays about traditional media, and so-called New media. Part one is here. Part two of this series was initially intended to be a review of PodShow, Last.fm, and eMusic. That review has been postponed due to rapid and continuous changes on all three of the above sites, as well as within the general realm of digital media. I’ll certainly revisit the topic when the time is appropriate.

Part two instead consists of a succinct summary of how broadcast media can and should adapt to the challenge of digital media. While this is a short proscription for change, it is not a detailed or specific policy for action. Additionally, the following is not posted for the benefit of the typical web user; to most of you the following list will seem rather elementary. Rather, this piece is directed specifically towards those who work in and around broadcast media and perhaps have little understanding of digital media. And even more specifically, this brief piece is directed towards the few remaining independent broadcast companies in the U.S. You, the independent station (group) owner, are dangerously vulnerable and must take action within the next five years, lest you become irrelevant or are purchased by one of the five major broadcast companies. As the airwaves are owned by the American taxpayer, it is the responsibility of the local and small station owner to affect change.

Your thoughts and critiques are welcome in the comments.

Be a media company, not a broadcast company. Just like web content producers, broadcast companies must focus on finding niche demographics, and utilize a multitude of ways to deliver their content, regardless as to how their audience wants to consume it. The advantage traditional media companies have is the ability to have trained professionals produce content with high production values. However, simply broadcasting a transmission is laughably inadequate in the wireless age.

Content is king. Being a cliche doesn’t make the declaration any less true. Currently, radio’s content consists of RIAA, chart-topping ‘hits.’ It’s laughable to think radio has any claim to exclusivity; RIAA music is the content most easily found on torrent and P2P networks, and is typically available weeks if not months before radio gets on a song… if radio gets on a song. Therefor, radio’s focus must shift to local and regional focus and provide unique content with unique personality and high production value.

Broadcast television faces similar challenges. In the world of advertising, professionals are trained to ’speak to the meat in the heart of the dog’ when producing advertisements. If you work in broadcast television, ask yourself why your audience would spend their valuable time being insulted by inane sitcoms or watching human interest puff pieces, when compelling content is freely available online?

Embrace the web, don’t compete with it. The ‘web’ is quickly becoming ubiquitous. Broadcast media must stop thinking of the ‘web’ as something one accesses via a computer screen at a desk. Take a hint from the Wii and iPhone. When compelling content is at my fingertips, why should I - the consumer - bother with obnoxious ads in content I no longer care about? Again, speak to the meat in the heart of the proverbial dog.

Additionally, in my experience, many traditional media producers feel insecure about the specter of the web. They react in one of three ways: 1.) Dismiss the web, 2.) Fight the threat and/or attempt to defend their turf, 3.) Attempt to embrace the web by imposing a traditional media business model. Traditional media must learn the rules before playing the game.

Monetize everything. Rather than focus on a singular form of income (not to mention form of communication with your audience), diversify your content and along with that, your revenue stream. Your radio or tv station is currently well suited to reach people in today’s market, so use that influence to sell advertising on original content, produced in-house and distributed on your station’s website. Suppliment your station’s brand with additional services like local on-line classifieds, local SMS features, and rich media (audio, video, pictures) generated from station events and remotes.

Give the people what they want. Seriously, this one’s easy. Stop fucking around with indie promo companies, stop taking payola in the form of trips and gifts, and stop ignoring local music. Also: allow users to interact with you however they so choose, be it through your site, MySpace, comments, etc. If you think users will play by YOUR rules, you’re wrong. Listen to your listeners.

Better and more innovative advertising. Do you really think loud commercials screaming about the ‘HUGE PRESIDENT’S DAY SALE! BUY MY DOUCHEBAG PRODUCT BECAUSE I CHOSE A RANDOM EVENT AND USED IT TO WHORE SOMETHING TO YOU!’ is effective? Really? You think that ad works? Maybe that’s why people are leaving traditional media in droves. Consumers don’t mind advertising - they mind shitty advertising that annoys and insults them. Again, as Roy Williams says, ’speak to the meat in the heart of the dog.’ Tell me why I should give a fuck about your shitty company and your shitty product. If you can’t do that, you’re a failure and have no business being in business.

Broadcast radio and television may not immediately - or ever - die. Rather, the technology will continue to age, and eventually be reduced to the second-tier status AM radio enjoys. If you work in or around broadcast media, you have a choice to either embrace the paradigm shift, or face relegation to antiquity.

Technorati Tags: media, broadcast, television, radio, web, internet, web2.0, blog, podcast, new media, local

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This site contains blog entries, mobile updates, podcasts, pictures, video, and links - the best way to get all of this is to add the feed. Thanks!