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YouTube Prediction

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With the news of YouTube’s $1.65 sellout to Google, I thought I’d take a look at an early email exchange I had with Steve Chen, one of YouTube’s founders. Back in July of last year I tried out YouTube for the first time, as I was hungry for checking out the emerging world of video sites. With in a couple of days, Steve messages me thanking me for trying out the service. This was a couple months before Webzine happened and I pitched Steve on YouTube being a sponsor. Here’s what he to say at the time:

Date: July 24, 2005

hi eddie:

good to hear back from you so quickly!

we should chat some more. i believe the next 6-12 months, we’re going to be experiencing a dramatic shift in personal publishing. i think similar to bloggers vs traditional journalists, similar to podcasters vs traditional broadcasters, we’ll be seeing a similar trend with videoblogging vs traditional media.

furthermore, i think YouTube is special in that it caters to a much wider audience than videobloggers. i see a lot of family videos of babies, friends videos of college, so on.

along these lines, i also think within the next 2 years, the web will become much richer of an experience. video codec incompatibiities will be a thing of the past. so on, so on.

in any case, i’d love to hear your feedback, on-going.

regarding the webzine 2005 — i know about the conference. however, as we’re very much still in a start-up mode that it’ll be difficult for us to drum up the funds to become a sponsor. but who knows, maybe things will change in September. 🙂

-s

Maybe Steve meant October. 🙂 I’ll be hitting you up next year, Steve. He’s right, the web is a much richer experience. Video codec incompatibilities aren’t quite a thing of the past yet, though Flash has done much to get us closer to that day.

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One Year Ago

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This weekend one year ago, there was this rad event called Webzine 2005 that a lot of us worked our asses off to make happen. As a result of that awesome weekend, I have many new friends, I followed a passion that’s now become a job and the independent web is still alive and kicking. Since so much crazy shit is happening right now, Ryan and I decided to skip doing Webzine this year. We’ll be back next year. Promise. Oh yeah, revisit the spot we did last year.

Camping with Mooses



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Originally uploaded by Laughing Squid.

Vancouver is a rad, beautiful town. The mountains beckon, but only from a distance this time. Moose Camp is day 1 of the great white north blogger geek-o-thon. Did some GETV interviews with the talented Sarah Pullman guest corresponding. This shot is Sarah interviewing Chris Pirillo and Ponzi of Gnomedex fame. Scott Beale always quick on the 5D.

A few self-promotional bits today: Le Monde 2 has an interview with Ryan and I about Webzine and the future of the Internet or whatever, like we know anything. No online version. If you’re in France, please pick up a copy for us. Also, Webzine 2005 named dropped in Annalee’s Techsploitation this week. Lastly, Xeni’s BoingBoing piece on Marc’s Dorkbot food hacking presentation features my grinning mug. It was that tasty!

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No One’s Listening except you



No One’s Listening podcast show
Originally uploaded by ekai.

The podcast show that Ryan and I are on is up now, in three parts. Renegade and Josh also call in live. Schlomo‘s in their somehere too. This was the Webzine 2005 special of No One’s Listening and it was mad fun, even if YOU are the only one listening.

Almost forgot. I was interviewed a couple weeks ago for this Publish.com piece and this one on Journalism.co.uk. Yep, someone in the UK has some sort of interest in this whole Webzine thing. Now if only both of these sites would allow for comments, things may get a bit more interesting. Oh, and also a Turkish glossy print magazine called Bant, interviewed Ryan and I awhile ago on the history and future of Webzine. We’re big in Instanbul too. Coincendentally, it arrived in my mailbox the morning of this year’s event.

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Let the media whoring begin

With Webzine fast approaching, I find myself doing a bit of media and public pimping to get the word out. Last week, I pimped Webzine at Dorkbot. I’m not much into public speaking but after a couple of beers and seeing friendly faces in the audience, it went pretty smoothly. Last Thursday, I was on Chris Pirillo’s streaming radio and podcast show, reliving the past and projecting the future of Webzine. This Tuesday, I’ll be on a panel called “Vlogging, and Blogging and Podcasts, Oh My!” that’s happening from 5-8pm at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (701 Mission Street @ 3rd in SF). It’s FREE if you want to come check it out, you just have to RSVP by sending an email to news@davidperry.com. With all that behind me, I’ve still got an event to produce.

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It’s grows and grows

Webzine 2005Man, what a week. Lots o’ late nights burning the Webzine oil. Ryan and I tag teamed on getting the new site up. The design is beaut, that’s Matt’s doing. Love the Xmas web theme. The shedule is mostly locked down. We’ve got panels out the ass both days and a titload of workshops to boot. I’m producing the Podcasting and Kicking’s the Man’s Ass panels. BoingBoing, Metblogs and MAKE have all hooked us up some serious ad eyeball exposure, much do to Scott’s invaluable help. Just less than a month to go and things are looking pretty damn good right now. With a planning list of 30+ people, the inspiration and motivation just grows. Things to do: work out venue space layout, lock in fat outgoing bandwidth, get a wiki going to organize the Master’s Lounge, work out food, get insurance, push #webzine on irc.freenode.net, inventory our hardware/tech needs, outreach to non-techies to attend & learn, get more sponsors, and somehow find time to pack for the playa.

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Webzine 2005 is on!

Webzine 2005

It’s offficial. Webzine 2005 is back! After four years, I’ve become reinspired. It was clinched at SXSW this year after running into about a dozen Webzine alumni telling me about how their lives found new purpose after Webzine. New love, new fortunes, new reasons to live all thanks to Webzine. Michael Moore ranted to a room of 50 zinesters in 2001 and now look at him!? OK, so maybe that’s going a bit far, though there’s generally no doubt that previous years’ events left people really happy that the web wasn’t simply a shopping mall.

This year, Webzine will happen over a weekend, September 24 and 25 at the Swedish American Hall in San Francisco. 2 days of inspiring panelists, creative workshops and shmoozy opportunities will guarantee that everyone will walk away armed to answer their personal call to action. Webzine is a collaborative effort between interested independent publishers, activisits, artists and slackers with too much time. If this describes YOU, help us out dammit!