by Peter Kafka, Managing Editor, Silicon Alley Insider
Viacom’s MTV kicks off 2008 by announcing that it streamed 1.2 billion videos from its music-oriented Web sites last year, and that those Web sites attracted an average of 30 million uniques per month. Viacom has worked mightily in the last year to explain how committed it is to the Web, and frequently trumpets stats like these to make its case (other favorites: 300 Web sites, 90 million uniques across all of its sites, $500 million earmarked for video-game investment, etc.).
by Peter Kafka, Managing Editor, Silicon Alley Insider
“What if nobody wins the high-definition DVD format wars?” the New York Times asks in a non-news summary of the battle between Sony and Toshiba over Blu-ray vs. HD DVD. But that’s the wrong question. The relevant one is “Who’s losing the format wars?” and the answer, still, is: Hollywood.
by Peter Kafka, Managing Editor, Silicon Alley Insider
Add Bernstein Research to the cacophony of voices calling on Big Music to just get it over with and drop digital rights management restrictions on their music download sales: “We think the music industry should call off the RIAA and make all music DRM-free,” the firm asserted in a note last week. “We think that [...]
This is a section of the All Things Digital Web site featuring posts from around the Web, from other Dow Jones properties and also original pieces we solicit. The section is now explicitly labeled that it comes "from other Web sites."
We are fully aware of the controversies around how linking and aggregating is done on the Web and we, in no way, are attempting to "scrape" original content created by others. Instead, regarding third-party posts, we are trying to point readers of this site to other posts from around the Web that we admire and are trying to do so in the quickest manner possible.
The Internet is full of terrific content that is not ours and we want to help our readers find it by making editorial suggestions--Look, Mom, no algorithm!--of posts we think are worth their time.
That is why we have made even more changes to Voices to ensure we do this in the most transparent and timely way. While we don't expect that everyone will agree with our policies, we have made changes that reflect our intent in pointing to content outside our site.
Because the site is wholly owned by Dow Jones, publisher of The Wall Street Journal, we aim to adhere to the journalistic standards of the best of the mainstream media. But, because it is run autonomously as a small online startup, we aim to exhibit the fresh thinking and nimbleness of the best of the new media. We want to be first, and sassy, but also well sourced and accurate. We will offer lots of opinion and analysis, but plenty of fact as well.
