AOL Journals: Magic Smoke

Okay, so I wanted to blog about this a few days ago, but I didn't get around to it. So now I'm, like, the last blogger in the world to mention it, and it's been done to death, six different ways from Sunday -- Time Magazine's 2006 Person of the Year is ... You.

Specifically, it's about user-generated content -- stuff that regular people create and share. This covers everything from blogs, message boards, photos, video -- even comments.

The magazine cover was a cute/clever/gag me reflective mylar mirror thing, though I would imagine that you all (bloggers and blog readers) are more "you" than the standard Time reader. So give yourselves a pat on the back, as well as a self-congratualtory blog entry (if you haven't already).

"UGC" is a very hot buzzword right now. Actually, I think the term itself is kind of ugly (How would you pronounce it -- "Ugh-Cee"? I'm going to start propagating that idea and see if it goes viral...), but it's better than "CGC", which is "Consumer-Generated Content" and sounds awfully cold and bloodless.

(Incidentally, I personally feel that doing a group or thing as Person of the Year -- The American Soldier, The Computer, etc -- is kind of a cop-out. Plus, it used to be the most-influential person, though people look at it as an award or distinction, which seems to have influenced previous picks.)

In a related-note, Darrin Bell, who pens one of my daily-read comics, Candorville and is himself a blogger, explicitly references some UGC in his storyline this week -- it seems that a couple of film students acted out one of his strips in live action and put it on YouTube:

Naturally, it got back to Mr. Bell, so he blogged about it in his personal blog and is addressing it in the strip. It's got a very "infinity of mirrors" thing going for it.

Thanks -- Joe

Tags: person of the year, time magazine, ugc, candorville, darrin bell, ugh-cee

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• #4 Comment from rebuketheworld 
  12/21/06 1:51 PM | Permalink

  In my opinion, I thought what Time did was classy....I dont remember the people who won in the past,  but bloggers are changing the world. People who don't make it a point to stay up on the news, or choose to stay passionately connected have found a vehicle(blogging) to express how they feel which in order for them to do that, they have to keep up on whats going around them. When people want to be heard this can inspire them to become more aware. I know the bloggers looking for fame die out quickly but the ones who just want a safee place to share, learn and speak, last.~Raven
• #3 Comment from journalseditorEntry Author 
  12/21/06 1:07 PM | Permalink

  Promise -- check in the sidebar of the main page of Magic Smoke:
  http://journals.aol.com/editorjeff76/pixelpusher/entries/2006/07/31/update-embedding-youtube-now-even-easier/1228
  and
  http://journals.aol.com/editorjeff76/pixelpusher/entries/2006/08/14/embedding-uncut-video-in-your-journal/1255
  
  For spellcheck in comments, check over at Product Manager Stephanie's blog ( http://journals.aol.com/stephaniebambam/bambam ).  Thanks -- Joe (posted & mailed)
• #2 Comment from dpoem 
  12/20/06 10:04 PM | Permalink

  Wouldn't blogs on AOL be "consumer generated content" for those still paying for the service?  
  
  You, gee, see?
  
  -DP
  http://journals.aol.com/dpoem/TheWisdomofaDistractedMind/
  
• #1 Comment from promiseluv372 
  12/20/06 9:36 PM | Permalink

  Now I'm sure there is some entry about how to put the Youtube and/or videos in aol blogs but I've been gone for awhile.. in fact I wasn't even aware that Jeff had replaced you (Silly me at first thought) why'd Joe change his name.. okay I'm blonde.
  Anyway if you have explained how to do it could you send me that link (I have search yet haven't found) and if you haven't explained it would you? Could you please.
  
  Lastly I'm here to bug you about spell check in the comment part of our journals.
  I'm SO spelling challanged I really hope it's something that can and will happen.  I have bugged you about this before.. is it possible?
  
  Thanks and welcome back Joe...
  
  Promise
  http://journals.aol.com/promiseluv372/PromiseMe/
  http://journals.aol.com/promiseluv372/TheJournalJar/