12% of online households are reading blogs every week. If you think about content as a pyramid, you have a small group of bloggers at the top. In the middle, you have critics, who don’t create content, but they critique it. Consumers are at the bottom of the pyramid, who consume the content. They are the largest group. A company that wants to be a strong content provider needs to develop products and content experiences for all three groups.
What are all the technologies that are available and how they are being used by consumers today? Why does it matter, how will it impact content? What can content providers do to get active in this space? All these questions are answered in this panel discussion.
Charlene Li
Principal Analyst – Devices, Media & Marketing, Forrester Research, Inc.
As a principal analyst on the Devices, Media, & Marketing team, Charlene examines the ways new technology will affect how companies deliver information, content, and advertising, as well as how these changes will affect the businesses that provide these services. Charlene’s current research agenda focuses on marketing trends, search engine marketing, media site design, local media, social networking, blogs, RSS, politics, online recruitment, and consumer portals. Charlene also oversees the operation of Forrester’s San Francisco office. She also shares her insights on technology developments in media and marketing in her Weblog, Charlene Li’s Blog.
Kevin Rose
Founder, Digg.com
Kevin Rose is the founder and chief architect of digg, where he oversees all aspects of the management and development of the digg web site. He is also a co-host of Diggnation, a weekly video podcast based on digg.com news stories and content that consistently ranks as one of the top podcast downloads from the Apple iTunes Music Store. Kevin started digg in September 2004 as a personal project. His initial idea was to conduct a social experiment in how masses of users could control and promote news and other content on the Web, without external editorial control. After a very short time, he realized the power of his idea, as digg was becoming a resource for breaking news stories and developing a strong user following. Prior to founding digg, Kevin was a co-host of the popular technology television programs Attack of the Show on the G4 Network and The Screen Savers on TechTV. During Kevin’s tenure at The Screen Savers, a live TV program focusing on computers and technology, it was the highest rated show on TechTV, reaching 55 million households. Before working at TechTV, Kevin worked for several technology startups as well as for the U.S. Department of Energy.
Ben Elowitz
Chief Executive Officer, wetpaint.com
Ben is perhaps best known for his success as co-founder and vice-president of Blue Nile Inc, the leading online retailer of certified diamonds and fine jewelry. He oversaw the company’s front-end operations, which included product management, technology, and creative services from 1999 to 2001. Blue Nile is widely recognized as the first and most successful online luxury goods retail site. In May of 2004, the company completed its initial public offering. Ben is also well known for his role at the online professional, technical, and business bookstore Fatbrain.com, which was acquired by Barnes & Noble. As the Director of Business Development, Ben looked after product management, marketing programs, and business development from 1996 to 1999. He is credited with creating the company’s strategic partners and corporate bookstore programs, which together drove a substantial portion of the company’s revenue.
Marissa Levinson
Director of Business Development and Sales, Six Apart
Bret Taylor
Product Manager, Google Developers Programs
Joshua Schecter
Founder, Del.icio.us
SIIA Information Industry Summit
Register now for the Software and Information Industry Association’s annual Information Industry Summit, January 30-31, 2007 in New York at Cipriani.
