Month: June 2011

QR CODE WEEK IN REVIEW: THE DEBATE CONTINUE WITH CNN, JON STEWART AND THE WEBBY AWARDS

Alot of action with QR codes this week. I still see a big disconnect between proper use and a short term tech buzz. For beginners, I think this is the definitive post from my experience, on how to use them effectively.

5 tipes for using qr codes effectively

But we seem to be far from the tipping point, or the jump the shark moment, so this was another huge week in the qr code debate.

It started with CNN using qr codes in the first Republican debate. It was curious that they gave so much screen time, and I really cant see the practical use of someone scanning a qr code from the tv during the debate as really adding value. How about just telling viewers to go to cnn.com???

CNN

Google “cnn qr code” for more info on this, and strangely enough, you might see first find that CNN’s own site has an article from March that seems to question weather or QR codes are the real deal!

Marketers embracing QR codes, for better or worse

CNN debate With QR CODES

Jon Stewart certainly got the irony of having someone pull out a phone, launch an app, and then scan a code from a tv screen – he spoofed the CNN QR code stunt the next day on his show.

Daily Show Counters CNN on screen qr code

And then there was the webby awards and Webby winner Jessica Stuart wearing a dress with qr codes that took you to her award wining video. This one I like! Your at the webby’s you have your phone, maybe you missed her video…..

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“It’s my nerd version of the Lady Gaga meat dress”

A banner week in national qr code action, yet for many the feeling of all this being nothing more than a short term novelty trend continues. Nice article from the people over at lucid agency

QR Codes May Fade Into Retirement

I echo their sentiment….. But to share both sides, along the way this week I found a few new sites that take the postive side of qr codes, and offer some nice coverage if you want to stay up to date and decide for yourself!

http://qranywhere.blogspot.com
http://qrcodegenius.com/

OPEN SOURCE CONTENT: YOUTUBE ADDS CREATIVE COMMONS VIDEOS

Youtube is always thinking about the health of their community ecosystem. Over the last five years of explosive growth they’ve maintained their focus on community, while also helping the “hits” and established stars thrive. My former company Warner was the first music company do a deal with Youtube, and I learned early on how important maintaing and growing the community dynamic was to Youtube’s evolution.

THE EDITOR
Professional creators and amateurs creating their own content and working together on the same platform is what makes YouTube so exciting! The video editor launched almost a year ago and it was a great community tool that opened up YouTube as a creation platform. The in browser editor allows drag and drop assembly of clips from your youtube library, and basic editing and trimming of each clip.

CREATIVE COMMONS ADDED TO VIDEO EDITOR
This week YouTube took the video editor to the next level by adding thousands of clips under Creative Commons license. The Creative Commons Video Clips are royalty free clips that you can use to make and mix with your own creations legally. You can even commercialize the your new work, as long as you credit the source.

Doesn’t Youtube’s move elevate the CC license to a new status? Wont more youtubers be familiar with how CC works than traditional copyright? Will youtube shine a spotlight and increase the amount of users on youtube who upload there stuff with CC for us all to use?

How long until we see the first youtube superstar that only uses existing CC source material?

“It’s as if all the Creative Commons videos were part of your personal library,” explained Product Manager Jason Toff

why youtube adopting creative commons is a big deal

If your not familiar with cc liscenses, there are several “flavors” but most use the broadest one:

Attribution CC
This license lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation. This is the most accommodating of licenses offered. Recommended for maximum dissemination and use of licensed materials.

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/

PLAY IT FORWARD AND MAKE YOUR OWN CLIPS CREATIVE COMMONS
You can also publish your own content as Creative commons and have it available via the editor to other youtubers. Cool! I made this clip only with CC videos and music available to use for free in the editor.

At least we’re seeing a bold vision! A two way street of open source video content allowing anyone to use it? The remix culture many on the net have been asking for but with video? I cant wait to see how this evolves.

YouTube Blog post: YouTube and Creative Commons: raising the bar on user creativity

Get the most from you tube editor