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SUMMARY:Blogs – the new wisdom of crowds? - Mr. Bob Shingleton\, who blo
 gs at www.theovergrownpath.blogspot.com
DTSTART:20071029T210000Z
DTEND:20071029T220000Z
UID:TALK8642@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Miss Clare Buckley
DESCRIPTION:A respected journalist recently described music blogs as havin
 g a “nutritional value lower than a bag of crisps.” Yet despite a host
 ile reception from established media\, music blogs now reach a large audie
 nce\, and are essential reading for musicians\, broadcasters and arts admi
 nistrators as well as CD buyers\, music downloaders\, and concert goers..\
 n\nThis presentation asks why music blogs are so successful\, what their i
 mpact is\, and looks at the conflict between traditional journalism and th
 e new bloggers. A case study of a leading arts and music blog is used to g
 ive quantitative data on readership and geographic coverage\, and show qua
 litative impacts including reactions from readers\, the media and contempo
 rary composers. \n\nThe results of the analysis show high levels of reader
 ship among an influential readership\, and confirm that music blogs now in
 fluence decisions including CD purchases\, file downloads\, radio listenin
 g patterns and concert going\, as well as being set as university course a
 ssignments. The reasons for this are explored\, including James Surowiecki
 ’s theory of the wisdom of crowds\, and new thinking in the areas of rob
 otics and group intelligence.  Tips are also given on how to create a succ
 essful blog.  \n\nIt is concluded that the trends identified will continue
 \, and that the influence of music\, and other\, blogs will increase in th
 e future. The presentation considers possible future negative impacts from
  political and legal intervention\, as well as positive impacts including 
 media convergence and webcasting\, which the presenter is actively involve
 d in. And in true new media fashion\, the presentation will be uploaded on
 to the author’s blog at the end of the evening to allow the debate in Ca
 mbridge to extend worldwide.    \n\n\nBob Shingleton writes one of the mos
 t widely read arts and music blogs. On An Overgrown Path (www.theovergrown
 path.blogspot.com) is read daily by decision makers in the arts\, media an
 d academic institutions around the world\, as well as by many consumers. H
 is blog is just one example of how the ‘cottage industry’ of blogging 
 is punching well above its weight in today’s new media scene.\n\nBob was
  at university in the turbulent years between 1968 and 1971. He joined the
  BBC after graduating\, and went on to work for EMI and other media compan
 ies. He was an early advocate of the internet\, and worked closely with Am
 azon and other online retailers on the development of their business model
 s. \n\nMost recently Bob has worked in the public sector advising on commu
 nications and new media with a particular emphasis on educational\, equali
 ty and justice related applications. He lives in Norfolk and is a presente
 r on Future Radio which broadcasts locally on FM and streams worldwide on 
 the internet.                 
LOCATION:Nihon Room\, Pembroke College
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