New Media Consumption Habits
Love and I missed our Oscars yesterday. Darn. Heard Edna Mode was there too. Darn! I really need a Tivo-thing soon.
What's with prime-time? (Yes I know, Oscars was repeated 10pm.. I wasn't home then, kay?) I mean.. my prime time is roughly 11:30pm to 12:20pm.. and during my bus rides. What does broadcasting and programming ppl do for ppl like me? Or maybe big media companies like that are just interested in things like most people.. popular shows.. best seller books.. chart toppers..
What about The Long Tail? (Do you know that the popular titles only account for less than half of Amazon's sales? And the rest made up of from below the top 130,000 titles? Or to say in another way, if you're only trying to sell the most popular things now - you can more than double your sales by selling the less popular too) I mean, I would watch more 吴宗宪 only if you've had those shows for me at the time of my convenience.. its free-to-air TV anyways right? What's wrong with providing me downloads? (Cue legal advise)
I've called it a day with radio recently. Haven't been listening. Maybe half because I don't listen to music that much anyways. I do chase after morning shows, previously Glenn & Rod on Perfect 10.. then Morning Express.. now, no more. Rod is out, so its officially become a snoozer - only good for traffic updates. Flying Dutchman is just too parent-y nowadays and can really get on my nerves. Love says he's acting like that to balance off the younger 2 jokers. Then I think too bad for him... Oh I've side tracked. No, I don't listen to radio anymore. I don't suit their programming, timeslots and stuff and there's nothing I can do about that. My time is apparently not their time. And there's ain't nothing nice to listen to for my ride home.
Instead of waiting for big media companies to come suit my ever-changing (I admit) radio / tv tuning schedules and tastes (think I have better luck keeping on with my Win-Toto-Love-becomes-Taitai dream).. I listen to something that's superbly accustom to my habits. When I work late, I hear my favourite shows late. When I work early, I hear my favourite shows early. Sometimes I prefer to read on the bus - but really I don't want to have the feeling I'm missing out on something, not listening to those shows. Then when I do choose to listen, I can catch up all those 3, 4 shows and not miss a thing!
Now that's the way I want my media. My newspapers. My radio. My tv.
My newspapers have been effectively replaced by RSS feeds from various places (these news are newer, these news are only what I want: No lousy soccer soap opera, no classifieds to throw away). I look at a site, if its interesting and has RSS feeds [example icons to lookout for, example sites], I subscribe to their feed (this is totally different from letting them send me newsletters: I don't devulge my emails to them).. I read a few entries, and if I like I continue keeping them; If I don't like, I take their feed off my RSS aggregator. Simple. Pick and choose.. until you reach your own sweet spot. I read from about 50 feeds. mrbrown reads 100 - 300 - no shit!
My radio has been replaced by podcasts (dawnanddrew is really funny, think "Glenn and Rod" on steroids, and they're the reason I've been silly smiling on the bus again. Mac fans can listen to Inside Mac Radio). I switch on my PC when I wake up, go brush my teeth and stuff, come back sync the ipodder downloads into mp3 player (i got a lousy one that can't ffwd!) as I change.. shutdown and I'm on the road, loaded with fun stuff I can listen to on the road. And on my way home. Sweet.
Now.. when I do get my TV done right, that'll be the day.