About time. And product. And being more deliberate.
Michael Koppelman recently finished uploading Raintribe‘s chantmoansingwhisperscream album. I’ve really enjoyed the tracks and thought I’d share my favorites with you:
Give ’em a listen, and if you like them, drop him a couple bucks a song.
I wasn’t surprised to hear RocketBoom is pursuing a sponsor (via eBay even), nor was I surprised they want to keep full creative control (they should).
I was surprised that the high bid (as of this writing) of $15,099.99 hadn’t passed their hidden reserve.
Now, I know you need 10x that for a decent music video, but it makes me think RocketBoom doesn’t really want advertisers. Maybe they just wanted to see what their market valuation was.
At this moment in time, the market says 15 seconds in front of the RocketBoom audience is worth a hair over $3k (winner gets 5 ads).
I predict they’d get more from product placement or some other more persistent branding ad form more compatible with the medium. Yes, something closer to NASCAR drivers or superheros sponsorship.
Update 20 March 2006: Mark Pesce agrees – bugs, badges, and other screen tattoos are the future of advertising in a bittorrent world
Auction ended, $40,000 final bid and yes, the reserve was met.
Update 14 March 2006. I caught the first RocketBoom ad for TRM this morning. It was exactly what I expected it to be. A short video a la BMW’s the Hire.
Almost 50 years ago, Redbook magazine and On Film made In the Suburbs, a promotional video for suburban life.
A few weeks back, Jonathan Coulton released “Shop Vac” a catchy little theme song for suburban life.
I wondered what they’d look like together.
Behold the power of Creative Commons and archive.org:
Shop Vac in the Suburbs [quicktime]
If you follow this blog, you’ll know how much Jen and I enjoyed the BBC’s Coupling. We never caught the US version, but heard it was awful. Unlike the US Office – it didn’t last long enough to grow into it’s own.
Lately we’ve been really enjoying How I Met Your Mother. Yes, Neil Patrick Harris and Alyson Hannigan make the show. Turn Coupling down a notch, drop the English accent and you’ve got it.
Oh sure, the Bob Saget intros don’t hurt.
I’m the first to admit I frequently listen podcasts for the guest not the host – TechNation, PodTech, Larry’s World, and more recently – Gillmor Gang.
For the latter, it wasn’t the ads that bugged me, or the hub-bub around them. I’ll fast-forward past them until a new podcast-appropriate ad format is introduced.
I completely agree with Kurtiss Hare on the ad issue:
“[Steve Gillmore] continues to rehash the same point and refuses to raise the level of discourse.”
Yes, it’s great that someone with Earthlink’s reputation is sponsoring podcasts. I’ve had mixed experiences with them (yeah for mobile phone, boo for dsl). Shoehorning radio ads into podcasts won’t change that. Especially one’s I don’t hear. Remember the fast-forward button.
While I really enjoy the high-level strategic discussion of internet and business, I’m finding Steve’s fixation on specific vendors, continual hijacking of the conversation, and insistence that 30 second off-topic ads are cool – all tiresome.
Unsubscribing from the Gillmor Gang leaves a void in my listening and I’m looking for a replacement. Something with the same format – 5 people on a conference call, same topics – companies and how they’re adapting to the changing relationship between customer and vendors, and really heated discussion.
Any suggestions?
Om & Niall’s Podsession and This Week in Tech are both close, but a little too tactial
Ironically, since the USPS raised the postage for a first-class letter to 39 cents, I’ve found myself with more outgoing mail.
Both Netflix and my bank provide postage paid envelopes for my correspondence with them. So, it surprises and annoys me when I have to hunt down a stamp for things far more important than my latest DVD rental.
39 cents.
A trivial amount to bring a little joy to your customers and better guarantee timely replies.
I’ve been thinking about this quite a bit lately.
I consider all my web searches, this post – and generally anything that’s not email or an instant messsage – public.
Now, I’m cool with 1 million random results from the index being handed over to the government under one single condition – anyone, anyone at all, a PhD candidate, a 6th grader, a homeless political candidate – request and receive the same information.
Yes. In the same way I feel all the security cameras on Nicollet Avenue should be accessible via a web browser by the general public – any of you should be able to request the same information. Outside of quantity – I’m not sure how this is different than Google’s Zeitgeist.
Actually, the fact we don’t have easy access to this information seems like a public disservice.
We’re starting the listing at $189,900 and if you’re interested drop Sam a line.
This place just isn’t big enough for the 3 of us. So, we’re moving on. If you’ve followed this blog, you’ll know the backyard is great for watching movies off the laptop and recording podcasts. Bamboo flooring on the first floor, new carpeting upstairs, brand new stainless steel fridge, gas range, and dishwasher. Furnace and water heater less than 5 years old. There’s a little more than 700 sq ft on the main level. Yes, the single Linksys wi-fi router easily covers the house and backyard.
The house is on the high school marching band’s parade route and 2 blocks from the 4th of July parade route. Plus, we had an amazing vegetable garden along the east side of the house.
Other neat details: Huge lot (60*130), 5 miles NE of downtown Minneapolis. Between The Quarry and Silver Lake shopping centers. Lots of parks, a coffee shop, and a liquor store within walking distance. 1-car detached garage with second parking spot behind house. Easy freeway access.
It’ll officially go on the market on Monday any day now, so consider this a sneak preview. If you’re interested, drop me a line and I’ll forward you to our agent.
More Photos:
Listen to Cleaning House and Moving Forward