Generating Content

How new? Ten years ago, 90 percent of all the content on the Web that consumers might find, from encyclopedias to sales material, was created by corporations. Today, more than half is created by individuals.

James Burnes, of Carmel, Ind., a digital business strategist and social media adviser to executives, has been watching the trends for 14 years. Burnes, who owns MediaSauce, has given several presentations on the topic in South Bend.

While the new tools offer a host of marketing opportunities, Burnes says, it’s crucial that executives and others who understand their business brand thoroughly oversee the execution of such efforts.

Full Story: Face time in CYBERSPACE - South Bend Tribune

H: It’s overwhelming, you know. I’m definitely thrilled at this point.  I’m hoping that people like the movie. These kinds of films are so dependent on opening weekend box office, so I’m hoping people go. I’m thrilled to be in the situation but I still have anxiety.

H: I’ve watched this movie on a TV screen and I’ve seen it in a theater full of people and there’s a communal experience to watching a movie, an energy. I don’t think you can deny that even if you quantify it.  We’re social animals and hopefully we find a way to preserve that communal aspect as we explore new channels. Having said that, if theatrical isn’t available it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t see it.  I just want people to see it. I think if you can get people in the theater it’s great. If you don’t want that and prefer the smaller screen great. There’s a lot of other options available to you, and if small screen’s the only thing available well then you do that too.

H: I think the real change will come when people who’ve grown up in social media use it; when people who use it start making decisions. Because what you have right now is people who did not grow up in this environment adding it onto their old metaphors. So I think social media isn’t a channel to reach customers, I think social media reflects a new leap. The generation that grows up with social media expects to be heard. They have something to say.  They may have a small audience but it’s their audience and I think you can expect people to expressively contribute. Everybody gets to play a little bit. For me social media has been effective because people use the content of this movie to communicate to their peers that they like the movie, they like the trailer. It doesn’t have to even do with me. It doesn’t necessarily have to do with my movie. It’s the content they are using to reach their audience. And I respect that.  If they’re using our content to  reach their audience and that helps us to promote the film, great. If people post the trailer, write their opinions about the trailer or the movie on their website, I comment. I thank them. If they have a negative opinion I try to address it because the important thing is they’ve created a little community around that content, that I can go and visit.  I can’t make that community look at me, I can’t make that community pay attention to me by going ‘ooh look at me, follow me.’ That’s not what they care about.  They care about themselves. But I can go join that community for a little bit, chop it up, talk, and get them interested.  I think the way social media works is that the people doing all the twittering and the blogging are the ones who are generating content. I don’t know if that makes sense but that’s sort of how I feel about it.

Full Story: [Interview] Writer/Director Hue Rhodes - The Film Stage (blog)

If there's one thing I can't stand it's getting the story completely wrong about another person. Like "Lady Gaga is dead" or "Johnny Depp is dead" for example. The blog Sfist has taken things too far with respect to this blogger and I'm calling them on it. The Sfist making fun of my Oscar predicament was the last straw. They got it wrong.

and would not know any one of them if they walked past me, and they probably have.

). Meanwhile, I feel that at times, and as I've added up, SFist is trying to selectively take some of the 800 blog posts I've written on SFGate.com alone and make me look like a black buffoon.

Full Story: Sfist Oscar Press blog post gets Zennie story wrong - San Francisco Chronicle (blog)

I received a link to a news item from the US about an easy to use pictorial Creole/English translation card originally prepared for law enforcement personnel in the United States that is being used by those on the ground in Haiti to communicate with Haitians who only speak Creole. The card is available at the Army Knowledge Online portal, accessed by military personnel, and has already been downloaded over 600 times according to Richard Holden, a retired military officer who works with the Army online portal.

In another story, Carnegie Mellon researchers participated in CrisisCamp Haiti in California last weekend. The technology they have developed in their product, Jibbigo, will be used to create a speech-to-speech translation system for English to Haitian Creole after successful tests in 2009 with the US military to translate Thai to English and English to Thai.

  Also a group has just been set up on Facebook to be available for any language needs in the Haiti crisis. The link is http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=245649094887 and they are inviting interpreters, students and organisations looking for translators to join to work together to provide much needed language support to those on the ground.

Full Story: Creole translation support for English-speaking aid workers in Haiti - Utalkmarketing (blog)

Vijay Harshvardhan Malik is Indiaâ??s most respected media personality. And his Channel INDIA 24/7, the countryâ??s most respected news channel.

Full Story: Preview: Rann - Times of India