In April 2007, I wrote a series entitled “You.tv” that documented the transformation in user-generated online video from episodic content to live broadcasting. Over time the You.tv movement would come to be known as lifecasting, live streaming, or live casting, as it shared with viewers everything the Webcam captured, as it happened.
Since then, live streaming has evolved from nichecasting to mainstream broadcasting, with more and more individuals, and now celebrities and businesses, live casting video streams to viewers across the social Web. Most notably, two players to date dominate this space, Justin.tv (documented in my original You.tv segment) and Ustream.tv.
Social Networks are among the most powerful examples of socialized media. They create a dynamic ecosystem that incubates and nurtures relationships between people and the content they create and share.
As these communities permeate and reshape our lifestyle and how we communicate with one another, we’re involuntarily forcing advertisers and marketers to rapidly evolve how they vie for our attention.
After publishing, “The Future of Communications – A Manifesto for Integrating Social Media into Marketing,” I decided to take a short break. I wanted it to reside online for people to discover before it was pushed down the page with every post to follow. Afterall, we do have a very short attention span these days and the important posts that exist across the blogosphere are unfortunately quickly forgotten.
In the past, I’ve spoken at PR, tech, and communications events about Social Media and how companies can engage in the conversations taking place with or without them. As much as I wanted to look into the future, I was rooted in the present as a means to connect it to the past. There are just too many new things to introduce to people and even more reasons why they should care.
In the first post, we explored the meteoric evolution in online video, dating back to Web 1.0 with JenniCam, We Live in Public, and DotComGuy and now in Web 2.0 with the launch of the incredibly popular Justin.tv.
In the next chapter we dove into ustream.tv, which is the first online network to combine Youtube with 24/7 livecasting capabilities aka lifecasting aka livestreaming, a la Justin.tv.
Sometimes the best marketing at events of this caliber is “lobby marketing.”
Robert Scoble, Jeremiah Owyang, Chris Pirillo, among others drew the crowds online and in person while they streamed live video from the show – courtesy of ustream.tv (and a little know how from the Podtech crew.)
I spent the greater part of Sunday – Wednesday catching up with many visionaries and industry influencers – all of whom I would have missed had I attended conferences or roamed the expo floor.
Please read Part I prior to reading this article. Also, please scroll down and press pause to stop the inbound video feeds until you’re ready.
The new world of lifecasting through video, a la Justin.tv, and through other flow apps such as Twitter, Jaiku and Tumblr, are lessons in Internet culture, communication and proof that narcissism can be a powerful driver for technology adoption.
Brian Solis is principal at Altimeter Group, a research-based advisory firm. Solis is globally recognized as one of the most prominent thought leaders and published authors in new media. A digital analyst, sociologist, and futurist, Solis has studied and influenced the effects of emerging media on business, marketing, publishing, and culture. His current book, Engage, is regarded as the industry reference guide for businesses to build and measure success in the social web.
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