Sun Microsystems Founder is Today’s CNBC Guest Editor-in-Chief
and he gets to call the shots at what’s to be covered today. Obviously, lots of technology and with a clear leaning towards Open Source…. and blogging.
As you guessed it right, there is going to be coverage on the Indian blogosphere, its perceived power, its growth and where its headed. CNBC came home yesterday evening to do a short coverage where I got to voice my opinion. I was particularly critical and did not toe the usual evangelical approach.
That’s Vivin Mathew, CNBC’s senior correspondent (sitting), Sathish (Cameraman) and me (behind the lights). I met Vivin earlier at a private birthday bash and he is one guy who makes you feel comfortable and asks the right questions, a trait that’s super important for an interviewer. Impressed, I immediately extended an invitation to him to take a workshop at the forthcoming PodWorks event. Should be super useful for video podcasters.
Vivin tells me that the story will be aired tonight at CNBC. Can’t see it. Heading out to give a talk at TCS and then for a CouchSurfing Meetup. Besides, no set-top box for me, so no CNBC on home TV. I’m told the video will be online, though. Will link it up when it goes online.
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The Power of News Agencies
Here’s a PR tip. The next time, someone from a news agency like Press Trust of India (PTI) or United News of India (UNI) calls you for an interview or newsbite, give them a lot of importance. Infact, give them the importance of a press conference. Because one news report by them can get covered by dozens of publications.
I’m talking from experience. Recently, Mr.Balakrishnan of PTI did an interview with me about Wiki search engines. I didn’t know the real impact of a news agency until I saw that one particular article appear in The Hindu, ChennaiOnline, Rediff, ExpressIndia, Economic Times, Business Standard, IndiaTimes, Hindustan Times, Financial Express and DNA. That’s the whos who of the Indian print. One helluva lot of coverage.
While that can be a good thing, it can be bad when you have given incorrect information. I inadvertently made a mistake in saying, “Wikimedia Foundation is planning an open search engine that thrives on the knowledge of users.”. I should have instead said, “Wikia is planning an open search engine….”. Wikimedia is a non-profit community initiative whereas Wikia is a for-profit venture. Big difference. It took me quite an effort to write to all these editors to make the change but in vain.
Like I said, next time pay a lot of importance to news agencies. I learnt it the hard way.
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Live TV Experiences
I was on a program called ‘Bloggers Block’ on Headlines Today channel tonight at 9:00 PM. It was a live telecast. Some fascinating experiences.
* I was informed that the OB van (outdoor broadcast unit) and the crew would come in to my house at 8:30 pm, half hour before the show to set up the unit.
* The time clicked to 8:45 and no sign of the van. I almost gave up when I got a call saying that the crew is having trouble with the cops for having parked the van on the road. This incident happened right outside my apartment. By the time I hurried downstairs, the problem had been sorted out. Relief. 12 minutes to go.
* We take the van to another side of the apartment but trees and electrical lines pose a problem. We finally open another gate to get the van inside. All this in a semi-panic mode. 8 minutes to go.
* Meanwhile the camera men rush inside my home to set up the camera and the lighting. 5 minutes before going live, the camera man gets a call from the studio that they are not getting the live video feeds. Panic mode heightens. The crew does a bit of tinkering with the wires and things get ok. 3 minutes to go.
* I then quickly realize I hadn’t changed my dress. Was still wearing a slightly crumpled tshirt. I must’ve created a record in shirt changing.
* I rush back and sit in the chair. One of the crew members plugs in a collar mic. He then plugs an ear piece into my ear from a walkie talkie kind of a device. This is where I get to hear the anchor. A guy in the studio did a voice test. It was too low. I say so. He turns up the volume real high. Nearly cracked my ear drum. I say so. He tones it down. Before I could say its ok, I can hear Zaka Jacob, the anchor start the program.
* My wife rushes out to my neighbours home with our digital camera to record the video from their TV. A paltry 128 MB memory card doesn’t take you far. Just 5 minutes of video recording possible. That’s hardly sufficient for a 30 minute program. She manages to take a few shots.
* There was a lot of hissing noise from the ear piece. Too late. I strain myself to hear the debate going on at the studio. Can’t make out everything.
* Then suddenly the anchor goes like this, “Let’s ask Kiruba who is from Chennai. Kiruba, what do you think about the issue?”. Your mind desperately seeks to assimilate whatever little information you were able to decipher from their conversation. I pick up bits and pieces and I then proceed to answer what I felt was appropriate.
* On one occasion, when Zaka (the anchor) asked me a question, I heard it but didn’t know it was directed at me. There was a few seconds of silence before I realised that the silence was there because I wasn’t speaking. I then quickly proceeded to answer.
* I thought I spoke pretty ok. Ideas flew in smoothly and I managed to keep my answers to the point. I liked the way how I put my views across. Don’t know what others felt. If you got to watch the program, I’d like to get your feedback.
* I don’t think the topic deserved a 30 minutes program. It was a simple set guidelines for bloggers that was set. No rules. No censorship. Just guidelines.
* Try staring at a camera continuously for 30 minutes. That’s what I did.
* Surprisingly, I didn’t feel nervous. Sitting in a studio and having a conversation with an anchor is one thing but sitting in front of a camera and speaking to a person you can’t see is another. Add buggy audio. And then add Live TV. But it was rather cool.
* Zaka Jacob did a good job in guiding the discussion.
* Overall a very fascinating experience. A big thanks to Sharavathy from the TV Today’s Chennai office for putting me on the show.
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Never Underestimate the Power of Neighbourhood Newspapers
(Click image to enlarge)
OK, where else would a simple act of hospitality hit the main headlines !! It’s easy to snicker at what appears to be an insignificant tabloid. But this incident has completely changed my perception of neighbourhood tabloids. The article carried my mobile number and I’ve had more people call me back than the coverage on both NDTV and CNN IBN combined.
No, I’m not talking about the reach. It’ll be a just a blip on the readership radar of the big TV channels. But its the quick recognition. Folks at my apartment building, folks at my daughter’s school, her friends’ parents, even the grocery vendor recognized me on the photo and enquired what its all about.
Vadapalani Talk is a freely distributed four page tabloid consisting of neighbourhood news. It’s estimated to reach 42,000 households in Vadapalani, Saligramam, Virugambakkam, Valasarawalkam, Chinmaya Nagar, Alwarthirunagar and Porur.
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ExtraBed on NDTV
NDTV is doing a story on ExtraBed.in and CouchSurfing.com and they had come home to do a shoot. Alaphia Zoyeb, the senior NDTV reporter had earlier traveled for over a month in Europe and she had witnessed first hand how travelers widely used the Internet to find out places to crash and the wonderful hospitality of folks.
The story will be telecast tomorrow today (30th Jan) at 7:00 PM IST. It’ll appear in a program called ‘Southern Edition’ at 7:00 PM. Unfortunately, this program will only be viewable by folks in South India. I’ll try to capture it on video and see if I can put it up on YouTube.
ExtraBed.in has already got more people enrolled in a month what CaniCrash.org couldn’t in over a year from India. It’s heartening to see so many people open their doors to help people.
In the true spirit of a community project, quite a few people have pitched in to help. Paras Shah has helped design the new logo for ExtraBed. There are a few more variations of the logos he has done. Satish has created an Orkut community for extrabedders. And there’s even a Google group.
The only downside is the domain name isn’t working thanks to pathetic service by Sify. All the domains that I have booked through them have been having problems. I only hope the the domain gets resolved by the time the news appears on TV. In case the domain www.ExtraBed.in doesn’t work, try this http://extrabed.pbwiki.com .
Update: Sify has resolved the domain. Let’s hope they keep it that way.
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Email:Kiruba @ Kiruba.com
Phone :+91-44-42733619
Mobile : 98415 97744
Snail Mail :(Home)
Virugambakkam,
Chennai, INDIA
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