Web 2.0 - More for Us to Learn?
The Internet is changing again.
You may have heard the term "Web 2.0". You also are likely to have heard these thrown around:
Myspace
Podcasting
Blogging
Mash-ups
Web services
Wikis
There are a lot more of these terms, and a number of related companies and services that increases hourly.
If you Google "Web 2.0" you'll get about 829 million returns. I suggest you take a look at the first few.
What is going on is in a sense a huge increase in interactivity. The Web is becoming more than a catalog or presentation medium. It is taking advantage of several new technologies and the effects of networking to link people and things in whole new ways.
Your listeners are creating new interactions and communications through Myspace (and many other social interaction sites).
Your listeners are sharing through blogging and wikis.
Some of the new technology can be immediately important. That might include podcasting, blogging and Myspace.
Others may be things to learn about today, but important tomorrow.
I admit. It is a little overwhelming. But I'm thinking about it and I encourage you to do the same.
Why?
We are not radio programmers only. In fact, we are entertainment programmers. The listeners decide what they value in terms of how the obtain and interact with their entertainment choices. If we need to be able to offer instant title identification and lookup of previous titles (Web services), if we need to be able to provide up to date information about our contests, new songs, concerts and other areas where our knowledge and the listeners' concerns overlap through an RSS subscription (Blogging), if our key personalities need to come alive through Myspace (social interaction site) or carry on an ongoing dialog with listeners through Wikis (group Web sites), our very careers require us to learn about these new tools.
One new technology, "mash-ups" combines Web services like searching and mapping. Personally, I don't see, today, where that will help us programming radio stations. But with more and more services to combine, somebody will come up with an answer.
You don't need to be an expert. But, unless your audience is all 50+, I feel that it is to your advantage to:
1. Sample the new Web 2.0 developments. Learn a little. Build a Myspace page. Publish a blog. Have your most creative jock create a series of podcasts. Build something the audience can interact with. Post pictures from the concert and audio from the artist interview. Use the new shared sites, not just your own.
2. Learn exactly how these technologies are filtering down to our audience. It may be hard work to stay one step ahead. On the other hand, the resources are nearly unlimited. As as a radio station, people expect you to play and talk and ask and try things. There is no downside.
If nothing else, it will keep you young.
You may have heard the term "Web 2.0". You also are likely to have heard these thrown around:
Myspace
Podcasting
Blogging
Mash-ups
Web services
Wikis
There are a lot more of these terms, and a number of related companies and services that increases hourly.
If you Google "Web 2.0" you'll get about 829 million returns. I suggest you take a look at the first few.
What is going on is in a sense a huge increase in interactivity. The Web is becoming more than a catalog or presentation medium. It is taking advantage of several new technologies and the effects of networking to link people and things in whole new ways.
Your listeners are creating new interactions and communications through Myspace (and many other social interaction sites).
Your listeners are sharing through blogging and wikis.
Some of the new technology can be immediately important. That might include podcasting, blogging and Myspace.
Others may be things to learn about today, but important tomorrow.
I admit. It is a little overwhelming. But I'm thinking about it and I encourage you to do the same.
Why?
We are not radio programmers only. In fact, we are entertainment programmers. The listeners decide what they value in terms of how the obtain and interact with their entertainment choices. If we need to be able to offer instant title identification and lookup of previous titles (Web services), if we need to be able to provide up to date information about our contests, new songs, concerts and other areas where our knowledge and the listeners' concerns overlap through an RSS subscription (Blogging), if our key personalities need to come alive through Myspace (social interaction site) or carry on an ongoing dialog with listeners through Wikis (group Web sites), our very careers require us to learn about these new tools.
One new technology, "mash-ups" combines Web services like searching and mapping. Personally, I don't see, today, where that will help us programming radio stations. But with more and more services to combine, somebody will come up with an answer.
You don't need to be an expert. But, unless your audience is all 50+, I feel that it is to your advantage to:
1. Sample the new Web 2.0 developments. Learn a little. Build a Myspace page. Publish a blog. Have your most creative jock create a series of podcasts. Build something the audience can interact with. Post pictures from the concert and audio from the artist interview. Use the new shared sites, not just your own.
2. Learn exactly how these technologies are filtering down to our audience. It may be hard work to stay one step ahead. On the other hand, the resources are nearly unlimited. As as a radio station, people expect you to play and talk and ask and try things. There is no downside.
If nothing else, it will keep you young.
posted by Steve Casey Research at 3:24 PM
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