In what is being looked at as a huge gain for Qoof, one of the most sought after and top flash developers in Israel; Ephraim Tabackman has officially joined Qoof as Senior Software and Usability Architect. In 1999 he founded Intellity Interactive Media, building a reputation as one Israel's leading designers and developers of web based applications. From 1997 to 1999 he was founding CTO of Versaware in Jerusalem, and from 1990 to 1997 he was VP of R&D for SuperStudio in Jerusalem. Ephraim has worked with many well know Israeli and international companies such as Microsoft, Apple Computer, Creative Labs, National Geographic, Oracle, Simon & Schuster and many more. Not a week goes by that Ephraim does not get multiple job offers and consultant requests. On the day Ephraim signed with Qoof he received two full time job offers and another consultant job. Ephraim has put aside his very lucrative consulting company to focus fully on Qoof. Why did he give so much up t work with just one company? Mostly for two reasons. First because he loved the challenge that Qoof presented him along with the tremendous potential for huge success that Qoof brings to the table. The second came down to the people. He loved the atmosphere and the team that Qoof has put together. Overall it is a great win-win for both Ephraim & Qoof. Ephraim will be heading up all flash/flex development and the UI of Qoof video commerce widget, the most advanced selling tool on the net. The challenge is huge, but with Ephraim in charge we have no worries. Welcome aboard Ephraim!
An interesting event happened this past week and I don’t think enough people realize how important a step that event was.
As I’m sure you know, last Monday CNN and YouTube joined forces to entertain and educated America with the first ever online Presidential Debate. Citizens across the country were able to ask, record and upload a video question th at the Democratic nominees were then asked live during the debate and had to answer.
Current statistics show that the average US citizen is watching upwards of 7 hours of TV a day both online and through that outdated box that’s hooked up to the cable box. Remember those days when the politicians and political pundits were all aflame about people who didn’t read the newspaper and only got their daily news from the various TV shows they watched? Well, those people have since moved on from getting their news infusion via the TV to getting their news infusion from television on the internet. This might seem like an inconsequential and understandable step in upgrading technology, but the problem with this transition is becoming more apparent and the Republicans know it.
The debate last Monday was a Democrat affair. The Republicans get their chance to answer online videos in September, but already, some prominent politicians are rethinking their desire to participate and herein lies the problem.
These presidential debates are a head-on collision just waiting to happen. We can see two conflicting forces rocketing towards each other and their collision is inevitable. What isn’t inevitable though, is which force will reign supreme. The fight can be called by a lot of different names, but I am inclined to call it Content vs. Entertainment.
One, if not the sole, reason people love YouTube is because YouTube’s videos entertain. Each video provides a quick grin, a flash of a smile and maybe even a hint of a chuckle. The videos are meant to amuse, charm and make you laugh, they are not meant to educate or inform. In fact, the reason people watch internet videos is to take a break from their content driven lives. The availability of videos has provided an environment where whatever you want to watch, you can watch and for most people, when they are faced with watching either a news clip or an entertainment clip, they chose entertainment.
When we return to talking about the debates we see this problem straight ahead of us. Forget for a second all those people who go to YouTube with the intention of watching the debate and just get side tracked by a singing dog, let’s talk about the people who come to YouTube without a specific video direction. They are looking to kill some time and maybe entertain themselves or their co-workers.
When they stumble upon the debate, they see view it through YouTube goggles, which means they don’t look at it with the respect that a Presidential debate deserves. This is why last week’s debate featured ridiculous questions and somewhat serious questions in ridiculous packaging. We want the young people of today to find an interest in the political system, not an interest in using their video creativity to poke fun at the system.
Videos are the reason why the internet is surviving and it’s where the creative money will be focused on in the years to come. Videos, though, need to be counted carefully, after all, they don’t get a vote, but apparently they can sway the election.
If you want to get in on the election fever, create your own Usermercial for the candidate of your choice. Become a part of the political process and find a candidate who you can believe in. The hardest step is making the choice to get involved.
My friends from AllThings.tv just posted this interview with Quinn Daly from Demand Media.
This is excellent news for the .tv community and since between myself and Qoof we own more then 600 .tv names, it is very exciting four us all!
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