Eastwick has been a-buzz all week with chatter about the impending move to Mountain View. And from what I have heard, as well as viewed on UStream (I’m telling you, nothing so simple has ever been so entertaining), the Eastwick HR department has done a fabulous job setting up our new pad (all the while juggling my every pathetic need for phone and email support.) This move is basically like any other and with every move comes the inevitable realization of how much junk you really have.

Thankfully, I’ve only been here for about a month so I’ve yet to accumulate stacks of old copies of Government Computer News, sales playbooks, and clever little industry event give-a-ways. However, it did occur to me that Eastwick does a good job of reducing waste by utilizing technology. Drafts are edited on the computer and sent back and forth through email. We rarely print things out if they can be read on our computer screen instead, and mostly all materials are submitted electronically.

This is why I was a little shocked when I saw a posting on Mashable about ShareBook, a new widget, “for bloggers to compile their desired posts into a printed book format, and let them monetize this content with the sale of the blog books that have been created by their readers.” I’m a little confused.

Blogs don’t translate to print. Period. I’m not saying that there is not a market for this product; I’m sure plenty of people will want to forever capture their witty views about the latest wiener dog lamp for the family coffee table. Its just I think this kind of stuff is missing the point. In a very insightful post, Steve Rubel of Edelman said that bloggers are “collaborating on these sites for a reason - to share, be entertained, to become informed, to connect, etc. They place value on people who contribute regularly and selflessly.”

Blogging has evolved to where it is today from the efforts of those who wanted to pick up where traditional media left off. It has become a effective way to openly and transparently communicate ideas. So why try to revert back? And I might be wrong, but just because we can create extra junk, should we?

eastwick, Edelman, Mashable, New Media, Sharebook, Steve Rubel, UStream.tv

Well, it’s official, I went to college for nothing. Actually, let’s back up for minute. College was amazing. The time of my life. Recalling the countless hours partaking in endeavors much too enjoyable to be mentioned on the company website makes my eyes well up from the fond memories.

There were, however, countless hours spent doing other, more academic things. I spent hours in the newsroom, trying to track down the random stories that my editors would throw at me, knowing that I was the only one who would actually cover an ATV Festival in Grover Beach. Then there were the early mornings propped up against a mic in the broadcast booth, recording a story that I knew would fall on deaf ears, if any. I also went sleepless some nights in the production room trying to piece together a package so it would be ready to be aired on our weekly news show, motivated only by my own desire to get it right and knowing that no one outside of the studio was actually going to watch.

It was all worth it, I thought, when I tacked up my diploma. Now, I’m not so sure. Yahoo!News has given the power of the press to the camera-phone toting people, with sites like YouWitnessNews and NowPublic that post user generated news content. People can post pictures, video, and stories as they come upon them, giving purpose to the people wandering the streets all day and solidifying the idea of citizen journalism.

It’s smart, at least on the part of the news organizations. They now have reporters in every crack and corner of the world and they don’t have to pay them. There are also positives for the rest us. Totally user generated content means that Chomsky’s Propaganda Model is basically defunct. On the flip side most stories are of the sensational type, today’s front page of NowPublic had a story someone posted about the pro wrestler that murdered his family. And I’m guessing that most people didn’t take the ethics and law classes required by my department , at least it will make for interesting stories.

Regardless, it looks like the only things that I did in college that are worth putting on my resume now are drinking beer on roof-tops and lighting stuff on fire.

citizen journalism, New Media, NowPublic, YouWitnessNews

First of all, I need to state that I think the term “Social Media” teeters on the redundant. If media isn’t intended to connect, inform, and communicate with society then I’m not sure what it means. That being said, I would also like to make it known that for someone who was, for all intents and purposes, trained in traditional journalism, I am fascinated and engrossed by the ongoing movement and evolution of Social Media. Although having just recently received my B.S. in Journalism (insert your B.S. joke here) I am struggling to stay ahead of the recent trends in media, that do (yes, I give in) warrant its new title of Social Media.

Recently my search took me to USteam.tv. (Who is also one of Eastwick’s newest clients.) For those of you who aren’t familiar (I’m looking at you guy-who has been playing Nintendo Wii for the last six months) Ustream is basically a platform that allows users to stream live video while interacting with viewers via a chat function.

The power of this tool can be extraordinary. Think about it. Global lectures and classrooms, daily Q & A with soldiers stationed abroad, worldwide interactive presidential press conferences !? I may be getting ahead of myself. In a conversation with webtvwire.com’s Chris Tew, Ustream CEO Chris Yeh calls the site “the ultimate in reality TV,” and alludes to two new shows in the works that star “former contestants from some of the big reality TV shows here in the United States.” At least we will get real reality tv now.

Regardless of the content the tool is here for us to use. And, judging by the success of other social networking sites, use it we will.

Chris Tew, Chris Yeh, social media, UStream.tv