May | 2009 | @TimCohn | Author Tim Cohn's Blog

Archive for May, 2009

The Internet: Media’s Black Hole

May 29, 2009

With the ongoing destruction of traditional media’s business model, it occurred to me the internet is to the media what a black hole is to a galaxy.

Princeton Wordnet’s definition of black hole:

(n) black hole (a region of space resulting from the collapse of a star; extremely high gravitational field)

In media’s case; eventually few if any advertising dollars will have been able to escape the pull of the internet’s “extremely high gravitational field.”

What two forces gave birth to the extremely high gravitational field now sucking the life out of traditional media’s business model?

Attention and Economics.

Before a seller can ever make a sale, they first have to get the buyers attention.

Traditional media has long since lost its monopoly of consumer’s attention and along with it the dollars advertisers spent to get buyers attention.

Tags:Attention, Black Hole, Buyers, Consumers, Economics, Internet, Sellers
Posted in Buyers, Consumers | Leave a Comment »

All Businesses and People Are Now Media Companies

May 28, 2009

I read a quote today from Shane Smith co-founder of VICE Magazine about brands.

Smith said, “All brands should think of themselves as media companies.”

Smith’s thought is a provocative one.

However, I think he just touched the surface.

Tom Foremski at Silicon Valley Watcher has been beating a similar sounding media company drum for several years.

After giving both of their perspectives a great deal of thought, I believe both were right.

Yet I believe both left pieces unsaid.

As a result and because of the ever increasing role the internet has in our daily lives, I now think all businesses and people are media companies. Some are just better programmers than others.

Tags:Brands, Business, Media Companies, People, Vice
Posted in Internet, Media Companies | 1 Comment »

Why Can’t I Search Twitter Followers and Following?

May 20, 2009

Two question for Biz Stone:

Is there any particular reason why I can’t search who I follow on Twitter?

Twitter Following

Why can’t I search who is following me on Twitter.com?

Twitter Followers

Surely letting Twitter users search their followers and who they are following would be of value to the entire Twitter community.

Tags:Biz Stone, Twitter Followers, Twitter Following, Twitter Search, Twitter.com
Posted in Twitter, Twitter Followers, Twitter Search | 1 Comment »

2nd WordPress Blog Post via Email and ATT Wifi :(

May 14, 2009

I have been stuck in a travelers hell since shortly after 7:00 AM this morning.

The second American flight I boarded for a 7:45 AM departure sat in the gate
until 9:00 AM before the pilot informed us the airplane wasn’t fit for flight.

We were then were told to get off the plane and were given no further instructions.

Had I not asked a ticket agent what I was supposed to do to get myself to my final
destination in Hartford, CT., I would still be standing in the airport lobby.

Instead of a direct flight to Hartford from Dallas arriving at 12:30 PM., I instead
have been routed to Raleigh Durham, NC where I now sit.

The connecting flight I arranged and booked for myself departs for Hartford @7:30 PM.
I am hoping to get to Hartford by 9:45 PM this evening.

With all the direct flights sold out and only a handful of other options for reaching

Hartford today on American Airlines, I guess I should count myself lucky.

Now to the point of my post:

Since I am not yet at my hotel in Wallingford, CT, I am having to check emails
via the AT&T Wifi service in the Raleigh Durham, NC airport.

I paid $7.99 for 24 hours and so far I have been able to stay online 15 minutes
total after 30 minutes or more attempting to connect.

So what better way to use the new WordPress Blog Post by email feature than
to comment on the state of another internet service provider’s quality of service?

AT&T Wifi =(