The Three Cs

I gave a lecture at the University of Abertay, Dundee, on Thursday night about how the web and audience behaviour are changing. It was to a mixed crowd – students from the University’s School of Computing and Creative Technologies,colleagues from the BBC and friends and family – and I rather enjoyed it. Even though there were some in the audience - mainly my older relatives - who were more there to watch me strut about in my academic gown, than listen to my views on the state of the wired world...

In looking at the differences between web 1.0 and web 2.0, I had a wander down memory lane, reminiscing about my first experiences of the internet and came up to date with a look at the BBC’s iPlayer (which comes out of beta on 1 December) and some rather funny mash-ups from You Tube.

One of the ways, I chose to describe what web 2.0 has become is by using the three Cs – control, create and connect.

Control what you watch or listen to – and when you want it. Sometimes legally - and by paying - sometimes not.

Create content – from photos on Flickr to mash-ups on You Tube. The ability to broadcast is no longer restricted to the big boys like the BBC.

Connect with people in social networking environments which become part of your daily routine online.

The fourth C - for us in mainstream media at any rate - is the challenge of building these audience behaviours into what we do, in a period of shrinking budgets and political challenge. We live in interesting times...