How will magazines survive the Internet, Part II? Better question, why do publishers of  online “publications” (translation: websites), feel the need to publish a “print” publication? I have an answer but you can make up you own.

(Note: For those who haven’t heard me say this before, the launch of a print property by an online publisher is nothing new.)

Who put the deja in dejazine? Hunker down. You only have to wait until May 24 before the vaporzine that started the whole vaporzine thing (and the certain first inductee into the Vaporzine Hall of Fame) will have another of its serial launches.

How will magazines survive the Internet? I guess I should point to this
transcript of a panel discussion on the topic. However, I’m in the
midst of an interview on the same topic and so I’ve had the weekend to
think about why I think it’s a ridiculous question: How will magazines
survive the Internet?

Fortunately, my interviewer is allowing me to start with the obvious
premise that the print format we now call “a magazine” is going to be
around for, well, until Wal-mart decides it doesn’t want them to be
published anymore. (Note: that was a joke.)

Ironic point by a Google employee: I don’t know which is more ironic. A Google employee using a Microsoft’s employee’s weblog to make the point about Autolink…or the Google employee’s point:

“…if you don’t like what the toolbar does…do not use it. You have a choice.”

The irony is that if publishers of websites (including bloggers) don’t like what the toolbar does to their content, they still have to use it…they have no choice (or, at least not one that Google provides.) If Google wants to do the right thing, they can start with some opt-out assistance for publishers along the lines of what they provide people who don’t want their residential phone numbers to show up on Google.

How magazines get started by big publishing companies: When I read this item in the NY Times about Cookie, a vaporzine that Fairchild will launch in November, I thought to myself, gee, that sounds familiar. And then I remembered, it sounds like the original “how magazines get started (continued)” magazine. (Note: I now usually just post those “how magazines get started links” on my link blog, deli.cio.us/rexblog.)

Just do it: I
think the affirmative posts I’ve given it over the past several months
display that I’m very supportive of an advertising campaign that
promotes magazines. But please, people, stop announcing it.
This reminds me of my pet peeve with editor’s letters that accompany
the first issue of a magazine redesign. My belief is that having to
explain a redesign is like having to explain a joke. Also, it typically
raises the obvioius question: What the heck were you doing in the past?
(And please, I’m not suggesting that this long, explanatory, press
release about why the association is kicking off this advertising campaign would necessarily cause
anyone to ask, “So what were you doing in the past?”)

By the way, there is a website
(turn off your speakers or remove your headphones) accompanying the
campaign. I would tell you what’s on it, but I have a subwoofer on the
speaker connected to my computer and the flash intro launched with some
earthquake sound that made my floor start shaking.

Back later today: I’m not around the
rexblog until much later in the day, however, if I were I’d probably be
pointing to this post by Steve Rubel and agreeing and to this post by Robert
Cox and recalling some similar things I’ve said regarding the word
“blog” over the years. But I’m not around, so I won’t.

Odeo, the tools, and Odeo, the premise:
I’d like to clarify that my earlier comments on Odeo were in response to a
specific aspect of Ev’s post and  John Markoff’s article: That the
“premise” of Odeo is based on the need for podcasting to have a
“centralized marketplace.”

My remarks had nothing to do with the production tools or cool features
the company may offer. I have no doubt the “product” will be a great
application. (Neither do I have any doubt that Apple could spend a few
weeks blending some iTunes mojo, Garage Bandish features, and the new RSS goodies in the Tiger-Safari (via Steve Rubel) to create the greatest podcasting application of six months from now.)

So, for clarification purposes (and I hope my last comments on this topic), let me restate the following:

I think any tools that make podcasting easier are wonderful. I think
any help is welcomed in simplifying podcasting so that a larger
audience can find the audio they seek.

I welcome everything — including the creation of another marketplace — that Odeo is doing.

My negative reaction, and I think I was clear in stating this, was to the notion that we need an eBay of podcasting.

And, again. I love eBay and use it all the time. But I know that
consumers (buyers and sellers) would benefit if there was a viable
alternative to eBay.

Again, podcasting tools are great. Again, guides for helping listeners
and podcasters connect are great. Again, marketplaces are great.

I merely was focusing on one aspect of Odeo that was clearly stated in
both the NY Times article and Ev’s post; not on what I’m guessing the
product may be: That a business based on the premise that podcasting
needs an eBay is based on the wrong premise.

Lots of views on the future of podcasting: Thanks to Todd Storch for alerting me to his recent feature on the future of podcasting. He also mentions this panel on the future of podcasting at sxsw. Haven’t mentioned it on the rexblog, but I’ll be attending the interactive part of sxsw (as part of a crazy seven day trip) and will make it a point to sit in on this session.

Markoff as history arbiter, not reporter: Dave Winer captures in this post
what I guess I was trying to say yesterday before I descended into a
confusing rant. Come to think of it, I’ve been trying to say it since
the October post I called “Marconi personally taught me how to podcast.” If I weren’t heading out the door to enjoy some incredible Tennessee weather, I’d be tempted to continue with how the 21-week history of the “podcast” metaphor is a microcosm of the 10-year history of the “browser” metaphor, but, fortunately for all, mostly me, I’m outta here.

Why I love that new AP RSS service: Because I get to be one of the first people to read stories with headlines like, “Kraft Halts Production of Roadkill Candy”

Frist blogs, but who would know? Patrick Ruffini has posted a great guide to congressional blogging and following up on his (and my)
comments about how Bill Frist should blog, Patrick observes that the
Senate majority leader (and my senator) actually is blogging, but no
one probably knows it because his “dispatches” are going into his website’s “Press” area.

As I volunteered (in that earlier post)
to help the blogging efforts of any of the Republicans or Democrats who
represent me, here’s a suggestion to Sen. Frist’s staff:

1.
Set up a blog (even on a hosted blog service if you can’t get those
senate.gov IT folks to download wordpress or something — geez, you
would think a word from him would have them hopping)
2. Copy and paste into it all that stuff your boss is writing
3. Make sure it’s available via RSS
4. Experiment with allowing comments, or at least trackbacks
5. There’s not a 5

Wait. Here’s an even better idea than listening to my ideas. Ask Patrick Ruffini to come over for a visit.

I was on Capital Hill recently, and he was nice enough to get
together with me for breakfast. Heck, we even went to a party together.
I know if he’d spend time visiting with me, he’d be glad to do the same
with ya’ll.

And since he was the webmaster and blogging guru for the Bush campaign, I’d think it would be sort of interesting to hear his
suggestions.

Just an idea.

Some more Odeo ranting:
I’ve updated my earlier post about my instant “negative cognition” to
Odeo. I was trying to mellow out, but I just got more wound-up. Then I
reflected on why it was bugging me so.

Some blogger’s dream job: Get $100,000 for watching a year of Dukes of Hazard and maintaining the official weblog. This is definitely a job for a Nashville blogger. I’d like to encourage Morgan  to apply
(although I somehow doubt he’s a fan of the show) as he’s one of the
funniest “undiscovered” bloggers I know…and he seems to be in need of a new gig.

(Thanks to Jamie for the heads-up.)

If you want to see the future of podcasting, look here: Okay, I’m tired of ranting so I’ll point to something that makes sense to me about podcasting. Here’s a simple hack by some very creative guys
who have come up with a way for one of their clients to hand an iPod
shuffle to their boss and say, “Hey, listen to this…” Now that’s what
I’m talking about.

Update: And there’s  a UK company, Loudish, that has launched a commercial product along these lines.