The Return of Search Engine, and Yet Another Fail for Old Media

So CBC’s Search Engine Podcast is back with a vengeance; Episode 2 of the new series is all about the very foundation of the World Wide Web — linking.

You’d think by now, some 15 years after the first web browser was made available for desktop computers, that old media would have figured out how to increase the value of their content by linking to external sites — but sadly, bewilderingly, this is not the case.

As proof may I present to you the YouTube video embedded above, Québec superstar Michel Rivard’s scathing commentary on the sad state of the arts in Canada.

The video is mentioned on at least two old media news sites, The Toronto Star (click on the embedded Canadian Press video) and The Saskatoon Star Phoenix — yet neither of them provides a link to the actual YouTube page.

Granted, TheStar.com is how I found out about the video in the first place, but it is incomprehensible to me that in this day and age a reader should have to leave either of the two sites mentioned above to find the YouTube video on their own.

Jesse Brown talks about old media’s reluctance to cite sources in the latest Search Engine Podcast. Again, that link to it is here. See how easy that was?

Video Egypt: Abdul Aziz Mobile Phone Souk

I know what you’re thinking: “Come on, Currie… Another video from Egypt?!”

This one is actually a good lead-in for my next post… It was captured in Cairo’s famous mobile phone Souk — I was hipped to it by our tour guide in Luxor.

Note that like your typical stupid tourist I completely butchered the name of the store mentioned in the video, despite roaming on their very network with my Nokia. It is not “Eltistadt” or whatever the hell I said, but in fact Etisalat… My bad.

BTW, despite their claims of having the only 3.75G network in Egypt, I could only get 3G on my E61i.

Forget MacWorld — here’s some REAL news…

There’s something in the air at MacWorld Expo 2008… Who cares? I’m launching a new video site!

ComedyOnHand is an online attempt at what I tried to do offline with Second Cine back in the day — to prop up the fine work of local comedians and video artists to the world at large. I’ve seen a lot of great performances and shorts posted on MyFace and the like, but as these are closed systems there is no way for the general public to see them!

So starting today, you’ll be treated to the finest in Toronto comedy hand-picked by yours truly. The inaugural video features some familiar faces from the Neutrino Video Project… Check it out right here!