Blogging Future – Down the Drain?
Back in the 1970s when I was a teenager growing up in the New York City suburbs I used to visit the “city.” Times Square in particular was an amazing place filled with huge billboards, a place where getting your name in lights was one of the ultimate symbols of success.
However, last weekend when I strolled through Times Square I realized just how much technology and blogging have changed the world. Looking up I saw one of the massive billboards
and saw a job opportunity for a blogger. That’s right a Charmin is offering high end public restrooms for the holiday season and they need 5 Charmin Brand Ambassadors who will “greet, entertain and blog about their experience.” That’s right, Times Square, once home to porn shops and peep shows will now have public restrooms where you will be encouraged to take photos and people will be blogging about what goes on in the Charmin Restrooms.
If you don’t believe me, check out this video to get a sneak pee peek. Unfortunately, the auditions have already been held – so you, like me, have missed your opportunity to become the ultimate “bathroom blogger” and perhaps one of the best paid bloggers.
Just that morning I had read that the American Eagle store in Times Square was about to announce plans to turn the 25-story electronic billboard above its flagship store (once the home to a Howard Johnson’s restaurant) into a social-media message board. Starting on November 19th, anyone who buys something in the American Eagle store, even just a pair of socks, will have the opportunity to have their photo and a message posted on the billboard. So, what was once one of the ultimate signs of success, can now be bought for just $6.50 – the price of the cheapest item in the American Eagle store.
As I walked through Times Square I wondered what these changes really mean. Can this be interpreted as a powerful sign that companies are realizing the value of social media? Or is this another sign that privacy in our world is dwindling to all time lows?
Is this a sign that no longer is the media elitist with just a few having a voice, having a billboard in Times Square? Or is this a sign that blogging and technology have gone too far – that things that were once unique and special are just becoming common run of the mill events?
If you make it to New York City this winter – then you know now where to stop when the “need” hits you. If you aren’t traveling to the Big Apple, just keep an eye out for the upcoming blog enjoythego.com. In the interim – join the conversation – are social media, technology and blogging taking us to new heights or new lows?
Just don’t forget to flush when you are done thinking!
Written by David Silversmith from Info MusingPosted on November 9th, 2009 and filed under Around The Blogosphere
Do not forget to subscribe to our RSS feed for updates
6 Responses to “Blogging Future – Down the Drain?”
Author comments are in a darker gray color for you to easily identify the posts author in the comments
Trackbacks
Comments are closed.
Comments are closed since this post is older than 30 days. However, you can continue this discussion in our popular Blogging Forums
Sponsors
Blogging Tips Newsletter
Sign up to the Blogging Tips Newsletter for Free today and get a free ebook!
Webmaster Corner
A collection of top Wordpress themes, Web hosting and resources available to web site owners.
|
good post. that’s true and i think – blogging have gone too far but it’s not bad. It’s just change and we should to accept it.
Ad Coffee
Aw shucks David, That would have been the perfect job
I think companies are realising the value of social media and do not want to be left behind. There is a change and in the long run people will enjoy much less privacy but I think it’s for the better. People are quickly adapting to the change, trying to milk it all for what it’s worth. I’ll be sure to visit the American Eagle Store next time I’m in New York..do you think they get more people coming into the store now or is everyone a star of their own video already?
nice work man!!
really blogging along with some other spheres of web world have changed a bit, and its yet very much fruitful if we adapt these changes …
Blogging is the best way to promote yourself and your brand. It also helps to drive traffic. Thanks for sharing tips
In general it seems everything is either speeding up, being repackaged / resized towards micro versions, or as you put it intruding on our once precious privacy, in one way or another.
And as you mention the fact that something once unattainable is now within reach for under $10….for everyone…..well, has parallels with the News media I suggest, for example.
Used to be by post ….maybe 7 days
Newspaper……a day
then by fax……minutes
then by email….sub minutes
now by text…..10-15 seconds
now by social media…..just seconds
tomorrow……..??????
Theres no denying change is constantly coming at us just like a freight train…….its really about the control we give it / let it have over our lifes thats the real issue.
One suspects that as that life/work balance seems to inexorably speed up, folk will be wanting to take even more time out at places where it isn’t as rushed as normal “day to day” living seems to be.
Meanwhile the more advertising we are bombarded with at every turn does make a certain segment of the population hanker for places to escape it, so in a strange sort of way, more makes folk want less?
Blogging fits my needs for these and other reasons. Once I begin earning “enough” income from my blog, I will be able to meet some of my life goals while doing something that I enjoy and feel passionately about.