Next-generation TV metrics

After social networks, social content on the web, and social mobile apps, we entering the age of social TV. According to this article in Mashable.com, television show producers, sponsors, and even the actors themselves are aware of the new shift in content and connection offered by the social networking apps. There are also proposals for new ways of measuring tv viewing, largely through the posts, shares, links and chats that accompany a program's airing. This article, also in Mashable.com, discusses Bluefin Signals's groundbreaking metric and software, all conceptualized and developed in the MIT Media Lab (*sigh*).

This comes at a most opportune time. I would love for them to try out their software here and see how people, former audiences, can begin to make deep impacts on television's program content. Though only 30% of Pinoys are wired, I am confident that this number will double in a year's time and we will nearly have reached critical mass.

For the most part, television stations need to take social tv seriously, and not, as described in the article, feature social connectivity as a "bolted on" component. There is a purpose for connecting to one's audiences, and it is not simply to brag about numbers. I think most producers think that, if they connect to Facebook and their show is popular, they should get an approximate number of "likes" and posts as well. Clearly, it's a different situation. They cannot expect all their viewers to be posting opinions on FB. For one, not everyone is connected. Second, even if they are connected, they may not have the technological literacy to navigate a social app. Third, they may not have the literacy to comment, period. Fourth, they really don't give shit.

They will not get the numbers, but they will get opinions, reactions, suggestions, and these, in my opinion, are far more richer nuggets of data than hard numbers will ever provide. Based on their reactions, it will be possible to see what it is they connect to in terms of content. Viewers, especially the last three generations of media consumers who were born into a mediated society, know when they are being played with. Well, that's what I want to believe. It's not enough anymore that tv producers sit around and try to make money by churning out template stories and spectacles, thinking it's "what viewers want."

Newsflash: viewers want to be taken seriously. That's why they go online and talk, rant, praise, recommend. So tv networks better listen, and take the emerging social tv phenomenon seriously. That, or risk losing more audiences to torrent sites and cable.

Facebook's new addictive apps

If being sucked into an FB vortex of incessant status updates, status checking, FB stalking and profile picture-plucking weren't enough, some quirky users came up with an FB profile VIDEO! You can now make your avatar into a video! Check out the how-to's on this Mashable page.

Now, while waiting for your video to render, why not think about joining the campaign to create a an FB wall in Mashable's New York office? Aside from being able to say you've been to NY virtually and you have the photo to prove it, you are part of a world wide experiment on social networking. Mashable details the objectives and instructions on this page.

Too bad concrete walls don't have video specs yet. It won't be long before they do though. Just keep checking back to find out!