The Gold Rush 2.0

Before I get to work on today's illuminating column, I'd like to take a moment to thank Melissa McNamara of CBS for her mention of Multi-Platform Media for the mention in Blogophile! Now you know we've hit the big time.

OK, now that the self-promotion is out of the way, it's over to Barry Diller. Today, he announced that IAC would be pouring millions into producing original content on their myriad of sites. He sees the value of user generated content, ala YouTube and MySpace, but feels that the future is really in professionally produced content. Good point, but you have to remember that he comes from the world of professionally produced content, and, oh yeah, he doesn't own either YouTube or MySpace. That said, overall, I agree with him.

Speaking of user generated content, Facebook and Comcast are teaming up to offer even more video. The content will appear first on Ziddio, a new Comcast site devoted to ugc. The best stuff will end up on Comcast's video on demand channel and on a new television show in the works.

Doc/Reality producer RJ Cutler is working to develop 10 episodes of a project called Facebook Diaries that will devoted to topics like "Heartbreak" and "Life During Wartime." The show will be shopped around, and Comcast, with some 23 million subscribers, does have some pull in the TV world.

Not to be too glib about it, but it strikes me that this one for the "more things change, the more things stay the same department." Remember "America's Funniest Home Videos," which is still on btw. Isn't that a network show that runs video submitted by users? The only difference there is that it doesn't appear on a website first.