Digital Mayhem | Halifax | Nova Scotia

My DVR Conspiracy Theory

A few weeks ago I wrote an entry on my DVR conspiracy thoery. No doubt my passion for John Grisham novels is starting to cloud reality. When I first saw the Kennedy assisaination I sat for hours watching the fence by the knoll trying to see the face of the real shooter. I mean come on, there’s no way Lee Harvey Oswald hit that moving target from the sixth floor of a building hundreds of meters away using a hunting rifle. It’s obvious that there were other factors in play. Much like today’s world of television advertising, there are a number of stakeholders that have vested interests in the continued success of the traditional “TV commercial”. So much interest they probably would work a little harder to make sure the revenue stream stays intact.

But will it? How long before our traditional, channel flipping boob tube turns into an interactive, user-driven interface? The chiefs at TiVo in the US are warning the industry that change isn’t far off. According to a recent acticle in Brandweek, Tom Rogers, CEO of TiVo predicts there is an advertising crisis in the making as more people adopt the TiVo model of commercial free viewing. He admits that TiVo is a big factor in this crisis that is driven by changing consumption patterns. Viewers want their television to act like their Internet experience. TiVo’s research indicates their customers like to control their own experience. Rogers says, “The consumer remains in control, which is an absolute must in the world of consumption”.

So if TiVo is right, why are there only 30 million DVRs in homes today? Is it digital penetration? I’m sure that plays a huge role. If you don’t have digital you can’t run a DVR. In February the US market is poised to go completely digital. DVR distribution should accelerate over the next 12-18 months assuming the economic situation improves. If it doesn’t it’s got to be a conspiracy by TV networks and entertainment companies. They have to be the guys over the fence in the grassy knoll controlling DVR growth while they figure out how to recover the lost revenue. This could be a new book for Grisham! You know I’ll be online for the audiobook.

Mac eliminates the keyboard!

As a converted Mac user, I’m always on the hunt for new toys. I found the following video on a news site out of the US that talks about how Apple has developed a new “keyless” Macbook Air. Jobs has out done himself again. Marketing genius!

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

Click Here to see the product review on Apple.ca

A Pod Camp virgin

I felt a bit like Steve Carell in the 40 year old virgin today. If you haven’t noticed from my profile or some of my blog posts, I’m an older spirit and with age most would expect that there would be a certain level of wisdom and knowledge. After travelling the world for 20 years participating in conferences and witnessing lectures on everything from igneous rocks through to sexual harassment guidelines, you’d think I’d have lost my conference virginity by now. The adrenaline rush of the first time should be long gone or it least that’s what I had thought. But today I found the new conference Viagra, Pod Camp Halifax brought back that loving feeling that I hadn’t felt since my first conference in 1983.

It was a serene moment as I walked down the long hallway leading from the Dartmouth ferry terminal to the annex of the Alderney Gate library entrance. My eyes wandering from pole to pole looking for the arrows pointing to the registration desk. The anticipation built as I walked towards the library doors, I could feel my heart racing. Would anyone be there? Was it going to good or waste of my time? When I originally reviewed the list of speakers there certainly wasn’t anyone on it that made me want to jump out of bed on a Sunday morning and race to the event. Curiosity of the unknown was more of a driving force behind my attendance. The whole concept of an Unconference was intriguing and sexy. So like a typical member of the male species I was lured into the spider’s web.

Unconferencing or unstructured conferencing seemed bizarre to me much like Uma Thurman’s character in Pulp Fiction – odd but captivating. It had a schedule, it had a registration list, speakers –I couldn’t figure out the difference between it and a regular conference. Following registration I picked up my list of presenters, scanned it and quickly shuffled off to a small board room to see a fellow social marketer, Joel Kelly speak on “unfriending” people you don’t really know on Facebook. Joel’s presentation was short and sweet focusing on why we invited people who are not really our friends into our social networks. He showed 10 slides and had more questions than answers. At first I was thinking okay, 15 minute presentations, this is pretty weak. But right when I thought Joel had finished and we were all going to get up and leave something really cool happen. The audience started a conversation.

I’m not sure if Joel had intended it or not, but the room shifted from a one-way presentation to a full on conversation about the benefits and drawbacks of social networking. For the next 45 minutes the crowd did the presenting. We covered ethics, legality, employer stalking, Facebook interviewing and the social impact of journaling your life online. It was at that point that I realized the true meaning of  the Unconference. Much like the online social media applications we use everyday, Pod Camp presentations are decentralized. They’re not about one-way conversations where the presenter delivers their point of view. They’re about conversations and sharing information using an open platform.

For the Pod Camp veterans in the room my realization was probably old news, but for me it was a moment of true, unadulterated insight. Pod Camps are social events where the people who converse online get together and do it face to face. Presenters post their opinions and look for conversations and much like online social networks, the audience drives the bus. The host is a passenger who only pipes in to stimulate the conversation.  Pod Camp Halifax was by far one of the most unique conferencing experiences I have ever had in my extended conference history. I think Pod Camp TO is next on my list.

Tags: Facebook, Pod Camp, Social Networking, unconferencing, Unpresenter