muzak | books | pics
| flics | about
muzak | books | pics
| flics | about
thequality.update thequality.update
1/2001 The framework for online communication, and therefore content, remains text-based. This is true even for sophisticated video applications (e.g. SMIL). The next few years will see a dramatic increase in the amount of film and video content re-packaged for online use. The best productions will continue to use text as a framework and tap into over a decade's worth of narrowband experience. The more things change, the more they stay the same... 2. Content must be meaningful Unlike TV, the audience for online content is not just human beings. The most widely accessed content will enable software to participate and reference it. Video content simply dumped online without context will have little relevance. Software 'agents' on the Net, and personal agents on the desktop rely wholly on the existence of well-structured information and meta-information (info about info) to do their job. Make content palatable for software. It makes sense. It extends your shelf-life, makes your work more meaningful (in a global context), and it opens up interactive possibilities that are only just beginning to be explored. Baywatch was never intended to be viewed this way... 3. Content is easily mis-managed The bigger the pipe, the more content you publish, the more you have to manage. Obvious? A truly scalable content management solution is rarely so. Most, if not all, online systems are still partially 'hand-written' (sceptical? ask your sysadmin...). Forget the hyperbole put out by content management system vendors. The term "black box CMS solution" is a misnomer. One process or product cannot manage exponential content growth. Simplicity and flexibility have their place. 4. Broadband is not television Audio, video, and cartoon (e.g. Flash) streaming, has begun in earnest. Over-emphasise broadcast (one-way) content at the expense of usability, interactivity and substance and you are disregarding the medium at your peril. The barriers to entry in this game have been lowered - with unlimited channels to choose from, you don't have a captive audience. 5. The audience will participate Prediction: telcos will be forced to dramatically increase the amount of up-stream (user to network) bandwidth in response to a new generation of applications that encourage streaming and uploading from end users. For reasons of cost, communication, and conscience, innovative broadband content will be defined and produced by the audience. 6. Broadband is relative
Ultimately the reason why disregarding narrowband is dangerous is that
broadband, as a term, can only be relative. Think of the bandwidth available
five years ago... imagine what's coming... and how quickly it will all
be used up. The artistry and experience that goes into crafting a narrowband
experience remains as invaluable as ever.
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