Regulating the Internet in Canada

This month the Canadian CRTC will be hearing arguments on the possibility of regulating Canadian access to the Internet in order to ensure Canadian voices are heard.

This would mean charging users through service providers (there's always a charge isn't there) and developing a fund for Canadian "New Media" producers to access for the development of content.

Leading the call is ACTRA. ACTRA are concerned that the Internet will diminish the amount of Canadian content before the eyes of Canadians as traditional television programing moves to the online space.

If we look at the majority of content on the Web it isn't produced by large corporate entities like television but by individuals and small start-ups attempting to carve a place for themselves.

Personally I don't think Canadian Internet users should be forced to pay for Canadian programming on the Web. In todays world content needs to pay its own way and because of the democratic nature of the Web everyone gets an opportunity to rise to the top (unlike television)

What are your thoughts?

Technology and procastination

I've noticed that ever since I've started using Twitter not only does my back ache from sitting at a computer too much (I'm standing right now) but it eats away into the amount of productive time I spend at work AND at home.

I'm wondering if all this social networking might be making me more anti social...

New way of creating video playlists

OK, this has been an issue of mine for quite some time. How do you take all the videos spread over the web (whether you produced them or not) that relate to you website and play them in a single player with a playlist. Youtube does offer a playlist player but it is made just for Youtube videos. So if you have a video over 10 minutes you are out of luck.

I also managed to find a playlist player from a company called zoom in Calgary but the cost is fairly steep for most applications. Now however I think I may have found a decent solution.

embedr.com allows you to feed videos from any video service and play them in a nice embeddable video playlist player. There are no ways of customizing it at this point but it really looks quite good as is. If you have multible videos clogging up your web pages you really need to check this out.

New IAB Internet usage study

An interesting email just came to my inbox with some interesting stats on Internet usage vs other media. According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau of Canada. Here are some bits:

• The Internet now stands third -- just behind TV and Radio -- in terms of total weekly time spent by all adults with all media.
• The Internet is the number one medium in terms of percent share of weekly time spent for both 18-24 (40%) and 25-34 (33%) year-olds in English Canada.
• The Internet now reaches more adults each week than either Magazines or Newspapers.
• Among 18-24 and 25-34 year-olds, the Internet has a higher reach than Radio.
• The Internet is neck-and-neck with TV for weekly reach among18-24 year-olds.

What does this all mean for advertisers and business in general. It means start using the Internet to its full potential. Understand how it all works and start throwing up some content that leads people back to you product or business.

Find the full story here: http://www.iabcanada.com/newsletters/020309.shtml

That includes video - which we can produce for you :-)

The fatal path of technology

I was just looking through engadget a moment go and had started to wonder where all this technology will take us.

There really seems to be a lack of innovation. Which is odd considering how many new technology products come out everyday. they seem to be re-hashes of the same thing. Granted there are companies that try to re-invent sectors now and then, like Apple with the iPhone. But even since the release of the iPhone, other companies are still pumping out the same old crap. Crap that eventually ends up in a landfill somewhere.

Currently, the new buzzword is "sustainability" yet there are very few innovations in this field. I really wonder if anything of true value will be done to make the world a better place or if the pursuit of profit will always win out.

Great use of video

Found a great use of video today from Oxfam in the UK. Rather than explain it just follow the link - http://tinyurl.com/dfc8h3

A new website

As you may have noticed. We have a new site. Although we really liked the old site it was by searchable or changable. This site is all that and more.

I can even male blog entries from my phone.

Love to hear comments etc