Nerdlinger alert

Monty Python’s YouTube channel has launched.

The intro video explains it all.. and tells a tale of how TV execs are changing their ways of thinking about free videos online – watch it, and then if you like it, buy it.

Social media names and memory

Tech blog StartUpMeme wrote about a new service called UserNameCheck, a service that shows you if your preferred username is already taken by another in this growing social media world.

I use it, however,  to remind myself of all the social media sites I have signed up with and have subsequently forgot about using. I tend to jump into any social media network and sign in with my preferred user name to maintain my online identity in case that service takes off. Quite often, though, I end up never visiting that site again. 

This site is also good to keep abreast of some of the social networking sites you  may not have known about existing.

a must see – Did you Know? v.3

This might be a lazy post, but important nonetheless!

Watch this amazing video to give you a sense of the world we’re working in today and tomorrow. Five minutes well spent. And you can bop along to Fatboy Slim while you ponder. It’s a win-win.

See the web in 2001

Only seven years ago, the internet was a very different place. And I have proof! As part of Google’s 10 year anniversary, they’ve opened up an easter egg so you can search the internet as it was in 2001.

I’ve looked up Facebook (first link to its Harvard incarnation), You Tube (didn’t exist), my name (I didn’t exist) and some of my other favourite sites. Thanks to web.archive.org, you can even see how some sites looked back then (and how just a few small tweaks can make a huge difference).

US research on social media and broadband viewership

Broadband viewership has doubled! Well, at least in the States.

And a large number of people want to see companies on social networking sites… or so it may seem. Social networking is a very broad term. Personally, I’d be happy to stop receiving ads for celebrity dieting techniques while I’m on Facebook. 

I have tried to cancel these ads (you can click a thumbs down on each thumbnail advertisement and let Facebook know why you don’t want to see it) but so far, their technique isn’t working too well. I regularly see a Rachael Ray diet beside my profile, despite regularly telling Facebook it’s irrelevant. I don’t want a Rachael Ray diet! I don’t want to start calling everything yummo.

Sarah Palin pageant video – deleted, sadly

Just because: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qQKdHxeMkk

Turns out YouTube is shutting down all copies of this pageant. Seems suspicious. Anyone know why?

Sony, Electronic Arts, DRM backlash and DECE?

DRM backlash has been happening for years. It prompted some music distributors to shed the DRM restrictions off their music on iTunes. But it continues to cause issues and frustration for consumers. Many feel they are buying the movies, music and TV episodes, but their devices actually own it.

The latest snafu is with Sony.  In short, a fella deleted some movies off of his hard drive to make some room, but he then he couldn’t reload the content he purchased.

DRM backlash hit the new Electronic Arts game Spore, where users gave the high profile game only one star on Amazon. EA loosened its rules.

Could a solution be on the way? Major producers (except for Disney and Apple) seem to be interested to create a system that allows downloadable content on any device called DECE (Digitial Electronic Control Ecosystem). Details will be available in January but will likely employ cloud computing ideas.

As long as I can download my stuff to my iPod, Shuffle and (upcoming) iTouch without trouble, I’ll be happy.

educational versus “real” games

I currently work in the educational gaming world for kids. I like to argue that all games are educational, but there’s this little ‘curriculum’ issue. We’re sometimes told to create “math” games or “literacy” games… but how can you make learning fun?

This argument  makes a lot of sense. It says there’s this great divide between educational games and ‘fun’ games and this can be solved easily through more thoughtful development. It totally makes sense to me. People want to learn things they’re interested in – not things that are rammed down their throat. Video games can act as a conduit to that information. 

I’d like to think I’m trying this angle with the games I help write with my coworkers. For example, whenever I use a phrase such as Firewall or Verbosity, it’s sometimes suggested to me that “kids don’t know that term.” I’ve always believed that those kids who want to learn what that means will ask an adult or look it up themselves. Those who aren’t interested won’t absorb the content anyway.

Are there any educational games out there that are more about the fun? Let me know!

Research and more research

It’s not big news that viewers are heading online more lately. Recent research shows online viewership has doubled in two years. What’s more remarkable about this study is 65% of people head to a broadcaster’s website over 41%, who log into YouTube. 

43% of those surveyed go online to watch news, and 15% for user-generated content. That’s where this gets confusing: does this survey mean they are going online to only view UGC, or to participate? Because from what I’ve read in the recently established comments sections in The Star and other online newspapers, everyone sure likes to give their 2 cents when reading the news… giving UGC a way higher rating than just 15%.

Canadian New Media fund RIP?

Telefilm’s $14million fund to help support Canadian digital content creation might not exist after March 2009. Canada’s current government is rumoured to be pulling out of the initiative, clearly in an effort to reduce this country’s ability to compete internationally on a burgeoning business. Sadly, this current government sees digital media as frivolous art rather than a viable industry with worldwide implications.

As this country is set to have an (illegal) election to choose a new PM, I hope all Canadians consider this government’s investment strategy before placing their vote.

If you want your voice heard, September 25 is National Digital Media Day in Canada. Join the social media network on Facebook or on Ning.