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While most of the discussion of video used by the Presidential campaigns this cycle has focused on Obama and Clinton’s effective use of video to share speeches and ads with users (see this post on how Obama uses YouTube to bypass the culture of sound bytes while this post discusses how both he and Clinton make good use of their raw footage), there’s also been an undercurrent of parody videos that’s designerd to be forwarded, even if it’s less influential.

Prompting this post was a video combining two of the more well-known (at least online) figures in the battle for the Democratic nomination: Mike Gravel and Obama Girl. While one is an pre-packaged phenomenon nearly universally loathed by Democrats and Republicans alike (see this study - 51% of Democrats were irritated by the videos while 41% were embarrassed) and the other is a former senator who shared the stage for several early debates, they actually have a lot in common.

Both trade not on serious policy issues or even trivial gaffes, but on being different enough to break out from pack. Both also make use of pop culture as a segue to promote their own videos - while Gravel’s is often several decades removed (see this video), Obama Girl draws source material from other YouTube celebs.

Their latest video was a collaboration between the two - check it out:

Now, I don’t see videos like this really moving votes. Unlike relatively clever parodies done by the major campaigns (one of Hillary’s best videos pokes fun at herself, Bill and Tom Vilsack), Gravel’s videos are mostly just a way to get attention for a campaign that otherwise would have been forgotten, while Obama Girl is mostly there to sell stuff on her website.

But despite their similarities, I’m far more amicable to Gravel than to Obama Girl. It’s probably not because he’s a candidate - I don’t watch a ton of candidate videos, particularly from the minor candidates. Instead, it’s probably that they’re just plain fun to watch. As I commented to a colleague today, I really like Senator Gravel because he’ll do his own parodies. Whether it’s dumping a rock in the pond, remaking schoolhouse rock, or telling Obama that the election is now down to the two of them, he gets his message out while being entertaining.

Obama Girl, on the other hand, is a joke that may have been funny when she first came out, but now is just sorta creepy. She’s too slick, and her videos just try too hard, plus it’s the same basic premise every time - we get it: you have a crush on Obama. Her videos seem so commercial, while Gravel’s feel so grassrootsy. Plus she pushes the sex angle way too far for my taste - it’s just not something I’d really pass around the office.

So as the nomination contest wraps up, we’ll hopefully see a lot more user-generated parody video this election. While it may not be as vital as Obama’s full-length speeches or the DSCC’s web ads, it’s an important element to get the rank and file engaged and talking about the election. Plus it’s just fun to send around on a Friday afternoon.

Some of my favorite Gravel Ads below the fold, and to see more of Beaconfire staff favorite videos, check out this post.

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Most of us think of Twitter as a kind of silly application that lets people say things like “John Brian is preparing for the robot uprising” or “Brad thinks the refs blew it in the Caps/Flyers game 7.” It’s chief purpose, so far, is entertainment, with a dash of TMI thrown in.

But lately, I’ve been wondering.

A couple months ago, at South by Southwest, an interview with Mark Zuckerberg famously went awry when the Twitter-feuled audience first started heckling the interviewer, then eventually took over the microphones. (If you are interested, check out this particularly thoughtful account of the event, which includes an amazing video of the interview with a twitter overlay).

A couple of weeks ago, I was at a different conference (the IA Summit) where Twitter was again used by the crowd, but this time in a far more sanguine way, to share information amongst the audience and make insightful comments about the presentations. It probably helped that the audience and the speakers actually knew each other, even if only passingly in some cases.

I got enough value from following the Summit’s twitter feed that I left thinking, could this actually be of value in a corporate setting?

After all, I’ve been to plenty of all-staff meetings, or large team meetings, where people are already bringing their laptops. The larger and longer the meeting, the more likely people are trying to at least keep an eye on their email. So, the technology is already in place in many offices to try adopting a twitter feed. And what is the value of twitter here?

A second, quiet, channel of information.

The bigger the room, the less anyone wants to interrupt the presenter’s flow to ask a question. The more likely the group is to simply go with the flow. If information they need isn’t provided, they might (if they are lucky) get a chance to ask a question afterwards, or they have to spend extra time cornering the presenter. Having a quiet alternate channel of communication is incredibly helpful. In particular, here are a few of the things that you might use twitter for:

1. Request a resource: “Can someone tell me where to find the .pdf that Michael is talking about?
2. Expand on the content: “In addition to the companies listed, Arlene and I have started talking to Widget Co about this”
3. Gauge interest: “I was hoping to hear more about the bonus program. Anyone else?”
4. Brief side conversations: “Alan, should we be using this tool for Project Z? Looks like it might be helpful.”

In this way, having a second, quiet channel of information might increase the usefulness of a large meeting, or even help positively shape the direction of conversation without grinding things to a halt.

What do you think?

When MoveOn launched their “Bush in thirty seconds” user generated video contest, they received more than a little flak. Most of this was a function of a media that didn’t quite yet understand that an organization shouldn’t be held accountable for everything their supporters say. Since then, more organizations have opened up to user-generated content, though there are still a few goofy stories of using online supporters against an organization, by and large, the press has come to accept that there’s a difference between an organization hosting content and endorsing it.

That might be one of the reasons that MoveOn’s new user-generated video contest, “Obama in thirty seconds” has been more popular than its predecessor. As of last Tuesday, MoveOn brought in more than 1100 submissions for the contest (that’s almost 8 hours of total video!), and had more than 2 million votes in less than 24 hours (compared to 2.9 million total in 2004). Since then, votes continued to cascade in - when voting closed, more than 4.7 million votes were cast for the first round.

Why was this contest so much more popular than its predecessor? And what can non-profits learn from MoveOn’s success in this arena? The answers to these, and other questions, plus my favorite videos, below the fold…

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Since I was a kid, I’ve always loved maps. Maybe I’m a little travel deprived, or maybe it’s from reading too much National Geographic, but I could spend hours pouring over them. Google Maps now lets us all take our map fascination to the next level: over the past few years they’ve given us multiple views, fantastic (and sometimes astonishing) detail, driving directions, and even the ability to create custom content. This last feature let us build a cool mashup for the National Parks Conservation Association, resulting in a visualization of places where development threatens our national parks.

There are two ways to create custom Google maps. The first and most common is using the API, a code library released by Google that allows anyone who knows a little code to build their own map, with a high degree of customization. The catch is the code; if you don’t know Javascript, the API is pretty much off limits. But don’t despair! Google also offers a user-friendly My Maps interface. All you need is a free Google account, and you can create maps with placemarks, paths, and text bubbles. You add content through the click-and-drag interface. You can even insert pictures, if you upload them to a web photo service. My Maps is the interface we chose for creating maps for NPCA, due to the speed and ease of adding elements.

My Maps has some nice features: (more…)

Since the advent of YouTube, we’ve been advising people that the average user attention span is about 4 minutes, and that making anything longer just means that people will click away.

But this political season has been challenging that assumption, when some of the most viewed videos have been extended speechs of thirty minutes or more.

Are we reaching the turning point for web video where users are willing to watch longer content? Are people willing to reach the Illiad in addition to a haiku? And how do you test the proposition of a long form piece of content versus a shorter one.

I explore these questions below the fold…

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I reneged on my promise to deliver my NTC presentation while juggling chainsaws and swallowing flaming swords. But I did have a PowerPoint! And here it is: The User Generators: What Makes Them Tick.

Thanks for the great questions.

I was perusing the Presidential candidates’ blogs a couple weeks back, looking to see where they were headed in my old stomping grounds in Wisconsin, when I came across this item, at the bottom of a post about a supporter-created video:

You can create your own video ‘mashups’ too — feel free to download high resolution footage from our resource library today

Though I was annoyed that they put mashups in quotes (putting web 2.0 terms in quote marks, as if you’re not quite sure it’s a term yet, is almost up there with saying "online blogs"), I was fascinated by how open they were to releasing raw video footage to their supporters.

Looking around the internets, it looks like Obama’s campaign isn’t alone in releasing semi-raw video footage to supporters, but it’s a practice that hasn’t trickled down to non-profits yet. Below the jump, I explore the how this has paid off for some candidates, and why NPOs should join them.

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Editor’s note: Each week, we do a survey of Beaconfire staff to get impressions on a variety of non-profit technology issues. All opinions expressed here are solely those of their authors. Since video is becoming a more and more important medium for non-profits to use, we asked: What’s a youtube video that you would pass along? Note that these aren’t specifically videos we think non-profits should emulate, just examples of the diversity of opinion as to what makes a viral video.

Jeff, Principal Consultant: I usually pass along the videos I’m just seeing after everyone else has seen them. Here are two:

• Thai prisoners doing thriller dance
• Obama “Yes We Can” video

Eric, Senior Consultant: Cat playing the piano!

Taylor, Software Engineer: My top 5 youTube videos that make me laugh (I’m pretty sure they are appropriate)

• How to stop a kitten fight (depends on your sense of humor)
• Kick his Ask!
• Charlie bit my finger - again!
• Serious Baby… sometimes
• Grape Crusher

Marissa, Functional Consultant: Yo Gaba Gaba – the Party in my Tummy.

John Brian, Marketing Consultant: I’m generally a fan of anything that makes me laugh with or at political figures. Consequently, some of my favorites are:

• Barack Obama - The drawing board
• Any Mike Gravel music video
• Michigan for MItt
• The better John McCain “No we can’t” videos - John.He.Is and the Billionaires for Bush remix

I was also impressed by the responses to some of the user-generated content contests - particularly the Colbert Greenscreen Challange and The Office - make your own promo contest.

Michael, Principal Consultant: There’s no question in my mind what the greatest YouTube is of all time: Ask A Ninja from digitalfilmaker

This comedy series with witty repartee about all things pop culture has a dedicated (albeit highly disturbed) following – including me.

Tim, Functional Consultant: There are just too many to choose from, but I always enjoy Barats and Baretta. They’re great at short bits that deliver just exactly what they intend to delver. No fluff, just funny.

• Mother’s Day
• Mantage
• Maxwel Dorian, Valedictorian
• Completely Uncalled For
• To Do List

David, Software Engineer: http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/

Mark, Functional Consultant: Anything with monkeys in it… especially…

Trunk Monkeys

Lancelot Link

I could go on and on… River Dance Monkeys

Kate, Administrative Assistant: Here are the only YouTube Videos I’ve ever passed around:

• Hillary Clinton’s “Caucusing is Easy” video, because it was genuinely humorous and informative (now I know how easy caucusing is!)
• Mike Gravel’s throwing the rock into the pond video, because it was weird and therefore funny.
• The cartoon parody of Mike Gravel’s throwing the rock into the pond video, because they apparently agreed with my assessment of the first video.
• “Series of Tubes” music video
• (I was also a big fan of Jib-Jab, but it hit the streets before I knew what a U-Tube was.)

The common link for me is being able to have a laugh either with or at politicians. The Clinton brand of self-effacing humor really tickled me, which was great for them, because it lead me to help get out their message. The rest were videos where the politicians involved probably would have been better off if their videos hadn’t made it into my mental space.

Erika, Operations Manager: Vista Wonders

Several Beaconfire Clients also have videos you should check out - like this introduction to Bread for the World’s Hunger Justice Leaders event or NPCA’s Teddy for President campaign ads. If you’re interested in learning more about how Beaconfire can work with your non-profit to create a viral video, please give us a call or send us an email!

One of the most interesting things about the Internet is its impact on the evolution of language, turning verbs into nouns and nouns into verbs (ala “Facebook” me). A more recent emerging trend of web 2.0 technologies doing just that is Twitter, a simple service that allows you to communicate quick and concise messages to your “followers” – friends, family and co-workers - about what you are doing. You can now Twis or Twoogle with Tweeple all day and night (not my words. You can get your own at Twitter glossary)

More interesting than “what” is “why” Twitter? As the site says, “Because even basic updates are meaningful to family members, friends, or colleagues—especially when they’re timely. Eating soup? Research shows that moms want to know…”

Though I don’t think it will take me 10 years to latch on to this trend (i.e. how long it took me to take up blogging), “microblogging” is going to have to evolve past its hyper-connected, information overload, time sucking, egocentricity before I add another tool to my box. To be fair though, here are some “tweets” about Twitter in true Twitter form, which limits all messages to 140 characters. What do you think? Over hyped or exactly what you’re looking for?

1. Launched in Oct ‘06, many point to last year’s SXSW conference for its take off. More info & useful links from Mark Glaser & DoshDosh
2. In Jan ‘08 Twitter reported just over 750,000 registered users with 3,399 new users daily (for sake of comparison, Facebook has 250,000).
3. “…its status & image has been upgraded from toy to tool…can [it]…leap from…a small, enthusiastic group of tech-savvy people to the mainstream.” – Mark Evans
4. “A hybrid of chat, social networking and blogging,” it’s built on the attraction to community, need to be social and desire to matter.
5. Pres. candidates are twittering “the new reality of Campaign 2.0, where web-savvy campaigns are trying to attach themselves to as many social networking sites as possible.” (ABC)
6. Even if you don’t use it to chat, there are a number of practical uses of short, concise messages like RemembertheMilk.com
7. “…as with most Internet phenomena, users hacked [it] into something completely different…place I turn to if I need a quick question answered…” – Patrick Ruffini at TechPresident
8. “Twitter hate is the new black…[though haters] do have a good point. Do you really need to know that I’m eating a tuna sandwich for lunch? Probably not…” – Robert Scoble, a top Twitterer with almost 7,000 followers
9. “…intriguing, useful & addictive for those who live on the move. One observer called it “the Seinfeld of the internet…a website about nothing.” – The Guardian
10. “More than a status app, it is being used as a 1st alert mechanism for the dissemination of news & for immediate discussion surrounding [it].” – Josh Catone, ReadWriteWeb
11. Is it worth it? “…the average Twitter user lists six to 12 “friends” on the site and choose to receive cell phone updates from three friends.” (ABC
12. “[it’s] different from other e-tools. ‘When u get an email, you have to respond to it, but with Twitter, there’s no expectation of a response.” – Twitter founder Biz Stone
13. “…has turned distraction into an art form. It’s like hanging out at a bar with a bunch of interesting people…& forgetting that you have to go home.” – Scott Karp
14. “…inability to immediately embrace Twitter means you’re old…Admitting you don’t “get” [it] is like admitting you can’t hear those specialized ring tones only audible to the young.” - Helen A.S. Popkin, MSNBC

When I was in college, one of my most difficult classes was scenic painting. Not only did it mean trudging into class at 8:00 am (the only class with that distinction in my five years of school), the professor would amble around behind us as we were painting and, if were looked like we were stopping to ponder our work thus far, shout "Paint faster!"

While it had the effect of giving the class a sort of sweatshop feel, the practical reason for his argument was that the faster you painted, the more work you could do, and the more money you could make in a year.

Today, who among us doesn’t wish we had more time? My available time at the office for blogging is limited, so any tool I can find that lets me blog more efficiently is one that I’ll latch on to. Here are five ways I’m able to get posts done faster, so I can blog with less time or churn out more posts in a week:

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