MediaShift http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/ Your guide to the digital media revolution, with host Mark Glaser. en Copyright 2012 Fri, 25 May 2012 11:30:29 -0800 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=4.37 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Poll: How Much Have You Given to Crowdfunding Projects? mark@mediashift.org We've all heard the heart-warming stories of inventors and creators who couldn't get their ideas funded, and then turned to crowdfunding sites such as Kickstarter or IndieGoGo to raise the money they needed. And then there are the other-worldly stories like the Pebble smart watch that raised millions on Kickstarter. While you might kick in some money for a promising project, you can't fund all of them. How much have you participated in funding these kinds of projects? Have you given a little or a whole lot? Vote in our poll and explain more in the comments below.


]]> http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/05/poll-how-much-have-you-given-to-crowdfunding-projects146.html http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/05/poll-how-much-have-you-given-to-crowdfunding-projects146.html BusinessTechnologyYour Take crowdfundingfundingfundraisingindiegogokickstarterpebble smart watch Fri, 25 May 2012 11:30:29 -0800 Poll: What Do You Think About the Facebook IPO? mark@mediashift.org Now we have a date (May 18) and a price range ($28 to $35 per share) for what could be the biggest initial public offering in the history of tech stocks: Facebook. The company has grown by leaps and bounds since it was born in Mark Zuckerberg's dorm at Harvard in 2004, and now could make Zuckerberg richer than Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. If the IPO prices at the high end of the range, $35 per share, Zuckerberg could be worth $17.6 billion. So what's your take? Would you invest your hard-earned dollars in Facebook stock? Would you short the stock? Do you even care? Vote in our weekly poll, and explain your vote in the comments below.


]]> http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/05/poll-what-do-you-think-about-the-facebook-ipo138.html http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/05/poll-what-do-you-think-about-the-facebook-ipo138.html BusinessCultureSocial MediaSocial NetworkingYour Take advertisingfacebookfacebook ipolawsuitmark zuckerbergpatentsyahoo Thu, 17 May 2012 12:00:03 -0800 Poll: What's Your Philosophy on Paying for Online Content? mark@mediashift.org Pay walls, metered walls, subscriptions, micro-payments. There are so many ways that online publishers are considering charging visitors for content. While most content online was free in the old days of the web, more publications are following the lead of WSJ.com and NYTimes.com and putting up some kind of pay wall -- leaky or not. So what's your philosophy on paying for quality journalism online? Will you pay for content, or a membership with perks, or have you paid enough? Vote in our poll below and share your thoughts in the comments. And if you really want to hear a good debate on pay models, check out the latest Mediatwits podcast.


]]> http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/05/poll-whats-your-philosophy-on-paying-for-online-content132.html http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/05/poll-whats-your-philosophy-on-paying-for-online-content132.html BusinessCultureYour Take membershipsmetered wallpaid accesspaid contentpay wallphilosophysubscriptions Fri, 11 May 2012 11:00:51 -0800 Poll: Where Are Your Favorite Places to Share Photos? mark@mediashift.org You recently went on vacation to an exotic and new locale and you want to show people your great photos from the trip. So where do you post them online? Are you a fan of Flickr or Facebook? What about Instagram? Or perhaps you're part of the thriving photography community on Google+. And let's not forget the old school folks who still prefer getting photo prints and putting them in an actual real physical photo album! Vote in our poll -- you can vote for multiple items -- and explain in the comments what makes a good photo-sharing service for you.


]]> http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/04/poll-where-are-your-favorite-places-to-share-photos118.html http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/04/poll-where-are-your-favorite-places-to-share-photos118.html CultureLegacy MediaPhotoShiftSocial MediaYour Take appsfacebookflickrgoogle+photo albumphoto-sharingphotos Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:54:27 -0800 Poll: What Would You Do to Help Pay for Quality Journalism? mark@mediashift.org Quality journalism, hard-nosed reporting and analysis, is something we count on to keep a check on politicians, to deliver important breaking news from faraway places and to help us stay informed as citizens. And yet, as the business models shift for traditional journalism outlets, the foundation to support quality journalism gets shakier. What can we do as a community of readers to support journalism? Pay a fee? Become a member, NPR-style? Look at more ads and click on them on our favorite news sites? Take a survey? Vote in our poll below (you can choose more than one answer) or explain what you would do to help pay for quality journalism in the comments below.


]]> http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/04/poll-what-would-you-do-to-help-pay-for-quality-journalism097.html http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/04/poll-what-would-you-do-to-help-pay-for-quality-journalism097.html BusinessCultureYour Take business modelsgoogle customer surveysmembershipspaid contentpay wallsurveys Fri, 06 Apr 2012 10:26:12 -0800 Poll: How Is Social Media Changing Activism? mark@mediashift.org How do people end up in the streets protesting something? What motivates them to take action, even when that action could lead to their arrest? Last year, Facebook and Twitter played major roles in helping organize street protests during the Arab Spring, to the point where dictators were focused on either blocking the services or using them to spy on protestors. And now, with the recent Trayvon Martin shooting, the backlash against "pink slime" in meat, and the protests against the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, action has spread through social media like never before. Are we at a tipping point for activism fueled by social media? Is it all good or is there a dark side? Vote in our poll, below, and share your thoughts in the comments below.


]]> http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/03/poll-how-is-social-media-changing-activism090.html http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/03/poll-how-is-social-media-changing-activism090.html CulturePoliticalShiftSocial MediaSocial NetworkingYour Take activistsarab springegyptfacebookprotestorstrayvon martintwitter Fri, 30 Mar 2012 11:45:37 -0800 Poll: How Do You Get Your News On-The-Go? mark@mediashift.org According to research from Pew, 23% of Americans get their news on at least two digital devices. In the past, most people got their news from TV, radio or newspapers, but that has now shifted to people getting news on tablets, smartphones and desktop computers, as well as the legacy media. So how do you get your news when you are out and about? Are you checking apps on a smartphone? Browsing for news on a tablet? Or are you sticking to print and reading newspapers? Be sure to vote in our poll below (you can vote multiple times) and tell us how your news-reading habits have changed in the comments.


]]> http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/03/poll-how-do-you-get-your-news-on-the-go083.html http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/03/poll-how-do-you-get-your-news-on-the-go083.html CultureMedia UsageMobileShiftYour Take mobile newsnews consumptionnewspaperspew research centerprintsmartphonestablets Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:58:44 -0800 Poll: What Did You Think of SXSW This Year? mark@mediashift.org SXSW logo small.jpg

Are you recovered yet? The SXSW Interactive festival in Austin, Texas, was bigger than ever this year, with more parties, more panels, more rain and more controversy than ever. If you braved the lines, the weather and the crowds to learn more about creative culture while networking with friends old and new, you deserve a breather now. So what's your take on this year's festival? Was it better than ever? Overhyped? Or did you just stay at home and watch the action on Twitter and Facebook? Vote in our poll about SXSW and tell us your stories in the comments below.


]]> http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/03/poll-what-did-you-think-of-sxsw-this-year076.html http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/03/poll-what-did-you-think-of-sxsw-this-year076.html CultureYour Take austinhootsuitehypenetworkingsouth by southwestsxswsxsw 2012 Fri, 16 Mar 2012 11:21:10 -0800 Poll: What Do You Think About the New iPad? mark@mediashift.org The new iPad has a better screen resolution than most HDTVs. It will have faster 4G connectivity speeds than most other tablets. Its processor will blow away the processor on the last generation iPad. Is that wowing you yet? Are you impressed? Ready to stand in line for the new iPad? Or is it all just a yawner? The new iPad comes without a number or letter or really any name, but it's still an impressive tablet, one that is sure to dominate sales of all tablets in the coming year. The question is whether this one is enough to get people to upgrade from earlier tablets or make the leap and spend $499 and up for another gadget. So vote in our poll (you can pick multiple answers) and tell us your thoughts on the new iPad in the comments.


For more on the new iPad, check out our latest Mediatwits podcast.

]]> http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/03/poll-what-do-you-think-about-the-new-ipad069.html http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/03/poll-what-do-you-think-about-the-new-ipad069.html CultureMobileShiftYour Take applehypeipadipad 2tabletsthe new ipadtim cook Fri, 09 Mar 2012 11:00:42 -0800 What Would You Pay for Access to Your Local Paper's Website? mark@mediashift.org Does information really want to be free? Or do we all just want to get all the news that's posted online for free? Local newspapers have been struggling to figure out a business model for making money online and in digital platforms -- the main places where their readers want to get news. While the Wall Street Journal has charged for access to much of its WSJ.com site for years, and the Financial Times has pioneered the use of a "metered pay wall" (get a certain number of stories free per month, then pay up), many local newspapers in the U.S. have been hesitant to try pay walls. That's slowly changing, as now 10 percent of newspapers now have a pay wall of some sort, according to analyst Ken Doctor. So what would you pay for access to your local paper online? $5 per month? More or less? Vote in our poll and explain why in the comments below.


]]> http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/03/what-would-you-pay-for-access-to-your-local-papers-website062.html http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/03/what-would-you-pay-for-access-to-your-local-papers-website062.html BusinessCultureNewspaperShiftYour Take business modelsgannettlos angeles timesnewspaperspaid accesspaywalls Fri, 02 Mar 2012 11:59:02 -0800 Poll: Have You Cut the Cord to Cable and Satellite TV? mark@mediashift.org There was a time in America when everyone had a dumb box. A boob tube. A TV that had a handful of broadcast channels, many of them not even programming for 24 hours. But now, we live in an age of TV diversity, when people get their shows through so many alternative channels: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, YouTube, gray market sites, pay-per-view. The list goes on. And many people have given up on cable and satellite TV altogether, because of rising prices and poor customer service. So where do you stand? Did you cut the cord? Do you wish you could but haven't yet? Please vote in our poll below and share your cord-cutting story in the comments.


]]> http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/02/poll-have-you-cut-the-cord-to-cable-and-satellite-tv055.html http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/02/poll-have-you-cut-the-cord-to-cable-and-satellite-tv055.html CultureLegacy MediaTVShiftYour Take amazoncable tvcord cutterscutting the cordhulunetflixstreaming tv Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:49:14 -0800 Poll: What Do You Think About Pinterest? mark@mediashift.org Lately, the social network that's been all the rage has been Pinterest, which is a visual look at the things you like. That means recipes, infographics, photos, design and more. MediaShift's Courtney Lowery Cowgill wrote that Pinterest was the first thing she'd been excited about online in a long, long time. So have you tried out Pinterest? Are you addicted yet or is it not for you? Vote in our poll below or share your long-form comments below.


]]> http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/02/poll-what-do-you-think-about-pinterest048.html http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/02/poll-what-do-you-think-about-pinterest048.html CultureSocial MediaSocial NetworkingYour Take addictiondesignfoodpinterestrecipessocial networkingvisual Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:03:39 -0800 Poll: What Will Facebook Be Worth in 5 Years? mark@mediashift.org They say that history repeats itself, but that's so easy to forget. It was only as recently as 2006 that analysts were saying that MySpace was likely worth $15 billion (and I was spoofing that conclusion). And you can go back to older social networks like Friendster or Tribe.net or America Online's chat rooms... you get the point. So now that Facebook has laid out its plans to go public, with a possible valuation of $100 billion, what do you think "The Social Network" will be worth in five years? $400 billion? $0? Something in between or unmentionable? Vote in our poll and have your say in the comments.


]]> http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/02/poll-what-will-facebook-be-worth-in-5-years034.html http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/02/poll-what-will-facebook-be-worth-in-5-years034.html CultureSocial MediaSocial NetworkingTechnologyYour Take analystsbillionsfacebookfacebook ipofriendstermark zuckerbergmyspacevalue Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:56:49 -0800 Poll: What Do You Think About Apple's Success? mark@mediashift.org The numbers are staggering. Apple Inc. is now the most valuable company in the U.S. The company made more than $13 billion in profit last quarter, more than Google made in revenues. According to TUAW, the iPhone by itself, in three months, brought in more revenue than McDonald's made in all of 2010. So how does all that make you feel? Are you excited for Apple's success? Envious? Or are you horrified at the working conditions in Chinese factories that make iPhones and iPads? Or do you simply hate Apple products? Share your thoughts pro and con Apple in the comments below, and vote in our poll.


]]> http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/01/poll-what-do-you-think-about-apples-success027.html http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/01/poll-what-do-you-think-about-apples-success027.html BusinessCultureYour Take applechinaearningsipadiphonemacworking conditions Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:10:33 -0800 Poll: What Do You Think About the Anti-SOPA Protests? mark@mediashift.org Can online protests make a difference? In the past, they've had mixed success but with enough people pushing against the twin anti-piracy bills, SOPA and PIPA, the U.S. Congress was forced to pay heed. They have now put off bringing the bills to a vote, while contemplating rewrites and changes to the bills. Google alone collected more than 7 million signatures online for a petition against the bills. So what was your experience on Wednesday during the day of protest? Were you moved or unmoved? Did you take action or did life go on as normal? Share your experience in the comments below, and vote in our poll.


For more on the protests, check out these recent stories on MediaShift:

> Mediatwits #34: SOPA Protests Make a Difference; Yang Out at Yahoo

> Your Guide to the Anti-SOPA Protests

]]> http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/01/poll-what-do-you-think-about-the-anti-sopa-protests020.html http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2012/01/poll-what-do-you-think-about-the-anti-sopa-protests020.html CulturePoliticalShiftYour Take activismapathycongressgooglepipaprotestssopawikipedia Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:12:51 -0800