TroySchneider.com

"Media Future Now" is an informal group that I've been helping to get started. The focus is on bringing together DC media types for monthly discussions to compare notes and share insights on the rapidly changing world of publishing -- especially when it comes to online and the insider politics & policy market.

The next meeting is Tuesday, Jan. 15, at the New America offices. Details are below, and at http://mediafuturenow.blogspot.com/ . All are welcome -- just please RSVP!

Tuesday, Jan. 15 -- 12:15pm to 1:45pm

In reading Wired News' exclusive on a hacker's work against The Pirate Bay for the MPAA, I'm stumped. Which is more ridiculous?

1. That the Motion Picture Association of America, in its mission to fight the theft of Hollywood blockbusters by the Bittorrent crowd, bought stolen information about TorrentSpy.com; or

If memory serves, that quote is from former White House Spokesman Mike McCurry -- it's probably my favorite example of the off-the-record attitude that pervades Washington DC.

That "maintain deniability" mantra doesn't apply to today's web, obviously. From the blogs to Facebook to now Twitter and Pownce, it seems like there's now nothing that won't be posted for posterity.

The explosion of interest in Twitter, Facebook, Pownce, et al is exciting for anyone hoping to get their message out, but it also poses some obvious problems:

1. Multiple channels mean multiple places to post (and check). Blogging is a dangerous time suck as it is.
2. Even if you automate the cross-posting -- and God help me if I ever go so far as to do this -- that means the same posts are showing up on your blog AND Twitter AND Facebook AND [insert your preferred Web2.0 services here]...

As noted a week or so ago, I've been playing with Twitter and trying to see if it's actually useful for someone who doesn't live via mobile-phone text messages OR feel the compulsive need to microblog. For me, at least, the answer was "not yet" -- since there was no way to prioritize different feeds, or effectively "mute" those that you don't want to hear from 24/7.

I've been playing with Twitter for the past couple weeks, to see for myself whether it is: a) the latest Web 2.0 fad; b) a truly cool new tool; or c) another harbinger of the collapse of modern civilization.