The Need for Nichér Yellow Pages

Inspired by a pre-MinneBar conversation, I’ve been thinking more about websites and advertising.

Back when I was a kid on family trips – whether to the grandparents or elsewhere – one of the first things I would do at our destination is pull out the Yellow Pages.

After comparing its size against the thin leaflet back home, I’d page through and find the nearest bike, record, or skate shops. In hopes of having one cross our path in our forthcoming travels. Some of the places I found would just have a listing, others purchased a larger presence.

Google is the new Yellow Pages. Has been for a while. That doesn’t mean that it’s the best Yellow Pages – just that it’s good enough for most everything.

This is where a domain-specific directory (aka “vertical search”) comes in. Something so small, so niche, that it completely misses Goo’s radar.

Say, a directory of places that serve Juicy Lucy’s.

Now three questions:

  1. Can use of this directory be tied to more hamburger sales?
  2. How does the directory publisher get compensated to maintain the directory?
  3. What isn’t an ad in this directory?

Bringing Me-dia to Rural America

For a few weeks in the early 80’s the town 30 miles down the road had a broadcast TV station. The only TV broadcaster in the county.

In the 20 years that follow, it’s only been Eau Claire, LaCrosse, or Minneapolis TV. Communities at least another hour away (if not 2) with no incentive to regularly report on far more rural areas aside from the occasional tornado, hunting, or farm accident.

Nothing banal. Nothing important.

So, what happens to the analog TV spectrum when all over-the-air television goes digital in two years?

Microsoft, Google, HP, Intel, and Philips have plans to re-purpose it for delivering high-speed internet.

This means, if you’re out in rural American and can pick up a network affiliate, that’s now an internet connection.

While it does raise the question of how the broadcast towers would be supported with broadcast TV’s ad dollars, it sounds like a much needed Rural Internet-ification program.

The thought of rural America getting reliable high-speed internet excites me. The thought of kids living out on our dirt roads blogging, podcasting, and videoblogging, publishing brings me to tears.

Friday, April 13, 2007 1:33:51 PM

I re-listened to the proceedings from February’s Public Media conference yesterday. The first time around I missed the ‘origins of objectivity’ bit (not taking a positioning makes it easier to attract the widest range of advertisers). Seems consistent both in light of this week’s Imus drama and in why the difficulty in advertising on blogs.

“Imus’ customers (also called advertisers) are no longer willing to pay to hear him say what he did and the customers for Rap music are willing to pay to hear it.” – Phil Windley

Makes me think Imus’ employers looking for a reason to can him.

How We Should Get Podcasts On Our Phones

There are a handful of services that bring podcasts to mobile phones over the phones data connection.

Unfortunately, navigating the phone that way is really hard.

I think there’s an easier way.

Update 31 Aug 2007:
I love the internet. If you wait long enough, the things you’re looking for will find you:
“Podlinez is a free service that lets you listen to podcasts on your phone.”
via Dave Winer via Nathan Rein

Wanted: Bud Nippers

I took a long walk yesterday, and on Dave’s recommendation, listened to the great Skepticality interview with Pro. Philip Zimbardo (Stanford Prison Experiment, The Lucifer Effect, etc) on how “normal” people turn “evil”.

Answer: Baby-step by baby-step in an environment encouraging exclusion.

While my initial reaction to the blogosphere drama of the last couple weeks is to ignore it in hopes it’ll go away, right when I think it does….it morphs into something even more fucked up.

Zimbardo’s recommendation to prevent bad things from progressing: the bystanders (there always are some) are responsible to stop it. Immediately and continuously.

“To defend the people who no one wants to defend. That, imho, would be a very positive first step.” – Dave Winer

Yes, this means you. And me.

Elsewhere:
J’s 5-word code of conduct