Basics
OK - we're gonna start with basics - and build from there. I'll break up the world into different constituencies and discuss how having a standard free media management object model - will benefit each constituency.
On-line media storage systems
Whether your media be photos stored at Ofoto, music at MP3.com, videos at Screenblast.com or even generic files stored at XDrive - it is stored in what's called an 'on-line storage system'. All of these on-line systems store media files for end-users - on distant servers (in the sky.) Allot of times you hear people talk about things being stored 'in a cloud'. But the files, photos, music and video we're talking here are not stored in clouds, just stored 'in the sky' (i.e. remotely stored - somewhere on the WWW.) In other words they're not shared or aggregated together in any way with any other end-users or customers. They're kept separate and balkanized, relegated to hard drives owned by the service providers and connected to a centralized system - encased in a proprietary business model.
As long as these photos, music, video and files are in their present state, they'll never be more than just a file stored somewhere. For the end-user to utilize the media in any way - they must first get the media out of the storage system and reload it into some other tool or system - whether it be a jukebox, photo album, blog tool, on-line community or output device.
The goal of a standard media management object model is to enable end-users to have their media in ONE PLACE, and to utilize that media in all the other systems they use - regardless of who is the vendor, toolsmith, system operator or service provider. Information about the media (otherwise known as meta-data) can be created once (correctly) and utilized everywhere, instead of each end-user having to create their own description of "the Rolling Stones:Honky Tonk Woman" or "Picasso:Guernica" or "Citizen Kane". Experts or fans can fill in the blanks to esoteric questions or issues, that normal everyday end-users would never be able to equal.
On-line Communities
On-line media is used in lots of different ways by lots of different on-line communities and systems. Some of these systems (like Ryze) have a copy of the end-user's face - to represent their persistent digital identity. Others provide photo libraries so that members can 'easily' use photos in postings, bulletins, web pages and/or message boards. This use of media is great, but just scratches the surface of what's possible today.
By having a consistent media management system to utilize, on-line communtiies can search for and repurpose photos, music, videos, etc., anywhere they might have been used before - in other areas of the community or in completely different communities, systems or devices. Media can be understood to be something that goes into sales catalogs, HR packages, messaging systems or web pages. Media can become smart and adapt itself to it's environment.
Photos that have been posted on one message board, could be repurposed in another posting or message - or even another community. Photos or drawings could originate on Phone/PDAs, get sent to a hard drive at home, and then appear in a report printed out at school. Music can be downloaded and categorized, and then added to a playlist and uploaded into an MP3 player. TV Shows can be recorded off of a TiVO or RePlay and stored in a library that can then be accessed anywhere on the WWW.
Special software can be written that will utilize the meta-data of the media, which could have been indexed when it was originally uploaded or created, but never utilized for four months - sitting there, waiting for it's time to come. Special interfaces can then be created that will rely upon this 'smart media' - that knows where it came from, where it's designed to be displayed or what situation or mood it's perfect to be listened to.
These sort of 'smart media' aspects of media - can be implemented on a case by case basis by any application, service, community or system, but usually that never happens - as no one has the time, energy or money to get it all to happen. By having a standard media management available at all times, new, risky usage of media - can be safely developed, as regardless of what happens in the on-line world of the future, media will also be utlized in some way.
Streaming and Downloaded media
One constituency that HAS mastered media management - are the folks who sell it. They also build in what's called DRM (digital rights management) or some other form of controlling the media (usually for the purpose of making sure it's not copied illegally.)
Surrounding these 'locked up' media management systems are the main media vendors Microsoft, Apple and Real (and a few wannabees) who have their own media formats and systems, which can be accessed by any sort of media management system. What the download services and the main media vendors have in common is that they want people to use THEIR media - not someone elses.
But guess what? Each of these media standards comes with some sort of rules, criteria, lock-up clause or scenario or SOME sort of way to almost PREVENT us from using media the way we want to use it. These folks think they control media and it's up to us to show them how by being a little more open and cooperative - we all can prosper and benefit.
Media Tools, devices and playback systems
There is an entire eco-system out there - surrounding the world of media. I helped create one of the leading tool vendors 'in this space' - Macromedia - but there are others as well (Adobe, Avid, Discreet, Sonic - to name a few) - as well as hardware vendors (Sony, Phillips, Samsung, Matsushita, etc.) all who profit from media in one sense of the other. All of these companies have some sort of 'grand media strategy' that usually includes the end-users and developers committing to their platform, standards and/or 'solutions'. But when it's all said and done, at the end of the day, they all don't want to work together.
They may begrudgingly committ or even create standards, but (surprise, surprise) there's always some 'hitch' why this doesn't work with that, or why we haven't 'supported' that standard yet or why - for only $49.95 - "you can get this little widget, which will convert these incompatible files - into whatever format we decide you can, so that you can use your own files" - which you paid for or created yourself.
It's a total scam - something we call 'lock in' in our industry. It's time that these companies realized that open stadnards are the future. It's time that we showed them how to be open and still let them prosper. There's a solution to alll this mess.
Common Media Object models
To really understand why we all want to share common media object models, let's go to the one constituency I have not covered yet - bloggers. Current day blogging tools do not really deal with media at all. Userland's Manila product had something called 'images' - but that just provides a simple text shortcut to a URL of where an image resided. By using the"name" of the image, instead of it's URL, that gave the Manila user an easier way of dealing with media, but did not take into account all of what can be done with images. Or media in general.
One good example of some of the benefits of a common media object models can be seen in Apple's iLife platform - where each 'Open' and 'Save' dialog box - has the common: iTunes, iMovie, iPhoto, iCal, iSync, etc. interfaces. This enables any end-user to quickly and eaisly access all of the appropriate media categories and accessible from an appropriate interface. But this is just the beginning. There's LOTS MORE cool things that can be done with common media objects models!
Now imagine that working inside of a blogging tool. Imagine if your blogging tool had a media library built into it - where photos for posts, were intermixed with audioblogs, animated puzzles, news footage and annotated artwork. All your media would be categorized, and organized, filed under a system that YOU'D understand with everything broken up into logical units - like Family Album, Work Images or Entertainment.
Remember that image you used last month? Wallah - it's there. Remember those logos of your favorites companies you love to write about? Bam - they're there too! Can't find an audio excerpt you used before, or wanna find some music that would be PERFECT for this post - ooop dee do - it's right there = where you need it, when you need it.
And what happens if you can't find an image, or Google image search doesn't come back with anything decent to use? Well how 'bout having access to the WORLD's media libraries? There are plenty of Creative Commons, public domain, publicly accessible images out there in the world, let alone what Brewster Kahle and the Internet Archive project have stored up. ALL of that media should be available to everyone - all of the time!
This is just an intro to the world of possibilities that will unveil itself - once we have a free standard for on-line media management.
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All of these different constituencies can benefit from having a common media management system - in different ways. Some will fight tooth and nail against this - as it is their instinct to hold back progress and free interchange, collaboration and cooperation between constituencies.
But truth and right are on our side. This is what should happen. Unless someone else can tell me differently - I'm gonna keep pushing for this goal (among others :-)
