Weezer puts everything good from the internet in their new music video!

Weezer's new Pork and Beans video has everything.... it's Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

Techdirt: Advertising Isn't A Mobile Strategy

And another from the "content comes first department"...

"One of the reasons Google's search advertising is so lucrative is that Google figured out how to make its ads highly relevant to users' search terms. This had two benefits. It increased click-through rates, obviously, but more importantly, it made the ads more useful -- and therefore less annoying -- to users. The same principle applies to the mobile space. Mobile advertising will only work if companies figure out how to make the overall user experience positive so that the ads don't scare users away."

Advertising is Content

From the "They've been reading our business plan" department, Techdirt has a couple of posts worth perusing. Both point out the fact that marketing content isn't necessarily somehow less than other content. This is a very About Face way of looking at things:

Advertising Execs Slowly Reaching Obvious Conclusion: Ads Are Content Too

And Advertising Is Content

"Part of the economic we make here is that the nature of content as a digital good means that it's going to move towards free in an open marketplace. However, that isn't a bad thing, because "free" content can be used in good ways - as promotional material for something else. The argument goes both ways - promotional materials should be looked at as content, too. Unfortunately, too many people seem to think they're different - that somehow content that is produced for promotional purposes is somehow "less" than other content. That sort of thinking leads to (a) people trying to lock up their "good" content and (b) people producing really bad promotional content that tends to annoy people more than make them interested in whatever is being promoted."

ABC: An Introduction to Blogs and Wikis in the Business World - CIO.com - Business Technology Leadership

This site is a veritable treasure trove of information on how web 2.0 is changing the landscape of business. Must reading. Dig deep.

"Web 2.0 tools have gained critical mass in the mainstream and even across age ranges, according to a study by Booz Allen released in January 2007. According to the report, 42 percent of MySpace users and 41 percent of YouTube users are over the age of 35. Web 2.0 seems to cut across age and gender and—more importantly to businesses—it influences purchase decisions. The study's conclusion: "The need to evolve existing business models by integrating the Web 2.0 environment is urgent."

Companies need to engage in Web 2.0 discussions and understand evolving customer behavior, says the study. It points to such things as customer interactivity, improved development, and shorter innovation cycles as opportunities (and realities) in an increasingly Web 2.0 world. In fact, those opportunities get to the very definition of Web 2.0."

NASA Phoenix Mission to Mars: An Out-Of-This-World Content Management Challenge

NASA is embracing Web 2.0. This is a pretty interesting view on the new Mars mission and how NASA will bring it to fans via the web... including a Second Life site:

"Today, (NASA) wrestles with new Web 2.0 technologies, encouraging more dynamic collaboration between the teams using blogs and wikis, and encouraging new public participation via the Second Life project.

"It's a huge change," Holm says. "If people want to be engaged with NASA, we want them to be part of the family. It's brought a huge sense of excitement to us, too."

On May 25, people who want to watch the landing in NASA's new locale in Second Life can come dressed in virtual space suits, sit in virtual bleachers, and hang out in an atmosphere that's a long way from the beaches of Florida during the famous space race days of the 1960s and 70s. "We'll have the entry, descent and landing synchronized with NASA television," JPL's White says. Be sure to check out the spacecraft models and virtual Mars landscape, if you do visit, he adds."

Here is a view of the Mars mission in Second Life:

Backpack Journal video demo

Link: Backpack Journal video demo.

Here is a new feature added to our backpack account

HSR Business to Business

Link: HSR Business to Business.

Just talked to head of media at US Gypsum, gave a quick intro and was told they
use HSR, so here's a link to their site for anyone interested.

Fulton Market Films

Link: Fulton Market Films.
Local new media company headed by ex agency creative

Obama Fundraising and Web 2.0

According to the Obama campaign, here is how they are raising their money. Note how the Internet and web 2.0 strategies for fundraising have completely changed the game here, with so much money coming from small contributors.

New donors in April: 200,000 94% of contributions were under $200 93% of contributions were $100 or less 77% of contributions were $50 or less 52% of contributions were $25 or less

Number of donors to the Obama campaign overall at the end of April: 1.475 million
Number of contributions given: 2,929,000 million
Average donation: $91

Senator Lieberman Tries Hunting Down Terrorist Videos On YouTube

From Techdirt: Senator Lieberman Tries Hunting Down Terrorist Videos On YouTube.

"...why be scared of these videos when you can actually respond? Trying to force them offline suggests that we don't think we can win the argument (and even helps to legitimize those who put up the videos). If these videos are promoting ignorant propaganda, the best response is to rebut, refute or even ridicule them -- not bury them."