Adrants Hits Top of the AdAge Power 150

Back on top. Now, excuse me while I dance around the room in my underpants. (Thanks Bill for telling us.)

The Father of the 'Information Age'

Here is an interesting video about Claude Shannon, the founder of information theory.

The work he did on how much information you could transmit, and how quickly you could do it without diluting the integrity of that information, paved the way for our digital renaissance.

Thanks Benj for pointing it out.

Recent Editorial Observations

The lines of scrimmage in technology, content and consumer engagement are in an ongoing state of flux. What constitutes as legitimate "word of mouth" advertising, for example, is enjoying a reworking.

When BzzAgent was formed, the industry (and by implicit consent, consumers) agreed it was okay for a company to provide brand "evangelists" with promotional material if those people were forthcoming about what they were doing.

But Facebook's Beacon (now with reduced wattage!) was a tentative step in a new direction: can we air the purchasing activities of passive consumers and still call it word of mouth? (Or do we have to give it a new name -- "social advertising"?)

We can ask similar questions about the ongoing writers strike. What happens to proprietary work when it is repurposed for the internet? More importantly, how should creative minds be compensated when concerns loom that the internet may one day replace television and DVD sales?

Some say we should wait until it happens. Writers clearly feel this is an issue that must be addressed now.

Faced with a similar conundrum, the marketing and advertising communities, however, did wait until it happened. When eyeballs wandered away from television and print, old-school ad agencies floundered to keep in step without missing a beat, or a dollar.

In the new school of technology, content is repeatedly repurposed for use across multiple forms of media. As a result, audiences have become more critical of what we give them.

The results of the struggle to renegotiate ad space are promising, like some viral or pre-roll ad efforts, but occasionally dubious, such as the PayPerPost business model or "Free iPod!" lead generation tactics.

2008 yawns before us. What's next in the content platform shuffle?

It remains at your discretion.

Are You There, God? It's Me, Angela

It's a sad day when your most gnawing concern about death is whether you can charge an iPod in hell.

Wise Words from Anton Ego

In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so.

But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new.

Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core.

In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize that only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.

-A. Ego, "Ratatouille"

We've Got Thumbs Now. Why Are They Still Using X's?

Facebook adds Digg-inspired feature to News Feed.

Benj (the boyfriend): "You like the feature because it gives you something to do when you log in, don't you?"

Yes. I do.