Gens Johnson's Thursday notes

Notes for the Thursday, 2/23, sessions from Gens Johnson, who works for me as director of media integration:

What I learned today.

Biggest idea:
In this new world: Browse/discover is being replaced by search/find.  This means that we are likely to loose the serendipity of useful, but unplanned, encounters with news or content of value.  (such as what happens as you thumb through a newspaper or magazine, dictionary or encyclopedia, browse the shelves of a library or bookstore, or channel surf).  Therefore I conclude:  1. search options and a database and metadata that enables such are even more important.  And 2. there might be a special role for public broadcasting in preserving a browse/discover space.

Other big ideas:
"Motion media" includes both video and games.

What is legitimate news? see newsmind

Ubiquitous media e.g. video in an elevator, one piece timed for a trip to the 4th floor, another timed for a trip to the 8th, or video displayed above the urinal, or video transmitted within the grocery store on the same wi-fi used for inventory systems, or Starbucks as an IP video "broadcaster" at every Starbucks coffee shop.

Reassuring idea:
New technology (particularly IP TV) is more empowerment than a threat to public broadcasting.  It is definitely a threat to commercial broadcasting, turning the advertiser supported model out.  But public broadcasting is in a great position, already relying on subscription (aka pledge) for support, and already being trusted as a curator of quality content. 

Biggest unresolved headache: copyright

--Dennis Haarsager