Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Would this work in India?

Just found this while trawling through Twitter - I use Twhirl as my desktop twitter application at work. Interesting concept, and slightly different than what Mutiny tried (though Mutiny's model did have some specific copyright issues I believe) and it takes citizen journalism to another level. Now, I agree with what Vir argued on Sunday, the newspaper or magazine ain't gonna die - because you would still like to have something to read while you're on the shitter or hanging onto a Mumbai local with one hand.
But that said, on a plane with the rise and rise of personal in-flight entertainment options (Emirates ICE system is amazing on their new planes) and now even Wi-Fi access on board, you don't have to read the trashy airport thriller you bought or even the newspaper. I'll take myself as an example, I surf the net from my mobile - usually just links from Twitter everytime I'm an airport lounge or security hold. I can't be bothered to read most papers, usually because I can't see the point in reading the same news over and over again.
Which brings me back to the point with which I started - the concept above is rather unique - apply a bit of 'editorial judgement' on a bunch of blog posts and then create a PDF which anybody can download and print.
A sort of best of the web in print - from the guys who wrote it rather than some lazy-ass twat rewriting it as happens over and over again. Some of us do track Wired and BoingBoing y'know, on Twitter. Put in local advertising - at a low rate, the ads can be generated by a IP address mechanism - so the adverts can be hyper-localised (IP tracking in India can get slightly better but you get my point).
The best thing about this is that it is all unique content - not the same Associated Press story and picture across ten newspapers or a stolen report from another paper with 'Bureau' slapped on the byline. Sure, many of the bloggers won't have access, but something like this might just work.
On another point, really, I'm amazed so few journalists are on Twitter in India. Surprising actually!

5 comments:

Yusuf said...

I think you idea is already been implemented in USA. Check out the link for details:

http://www.labnol.org/internet/blogging/blogs-converted-into-print-newspaper/7263/

Anonymous said...

Hi!

Brazilian soap operas(novelas), tv series, used to be seen by people several countries. Now, Tv Globo brazilian channel is doing one names "Caminho das Índias" about Indias. The problem is that they are showing to the world an India in the 1950 like it was nowadays.

I am from Portugal, i have a poor english. sorry!

But in that tv show, they are showing that in India big cities:
Schools for the children are not buildings, but outside in a field.
That dalit children can´t go to school, if they don´t have any non-dalit friend that help them.
That hindus rich men are totally prohibited (by their famillies) to marry foreign woman.
That is normal a dalit with a phD and rich be humiliated by every people of upper classes.
That is very common a little girl, 6-7 years, marry a little boy, too.

Brazilians and people who see their novelas, are thinking that all is true, common in India, even in the big cities.

India is being disrespected by Brazil.

From Portugal

Anonymous said...

Guess what Livemint and IbnLive are now giving their news updates on Twitter....but yeah that's as far as it goes..I guess we're still a couple of years from having Rajdeep and Sukumar tweeting.

Anonymous said...

Twitter is for twits, without a real job... or... a life

Anonymous said...

Bad coffee and early mornings are one thing.. But the irony here can't be missed: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jzsinr/3289683584/