More hype than an Origami? Yeah, that’s On10.net

On10.net is on Digg already. Hot diggity.

I’d hype up this sucker, but it’s not gonna need my help. Can you name why? I have at least five reasons.

1) Talent. Onscreen you’ll see some TechTV types. On, no, Molly, that’s no objectification.
2) Formats. Check out the video formats!
3) Standards. View source!
4) Fun. Designed and debugged by a dev team that plays Xbox 360 together.
5) Design. Who approved this sucker at Microsoft? Have the branding police been contacted? ;-)

Congrats to the 10 team. I’m very honored to work with you all.

It’s a new site for technology enthusiasts.

What do you think?

Update: Looks like the site is still being replicated to the servers and they are still doing performance tuning on the site. So, it might be a bit wonky, particularly now that it’s getting hammered by Digg users.

Update 2: There’s a video I did of the Dev team of 10 on Channel 9 (did you see how they hooked Xbox gamertags into this?) where they talk about some of the AJAXy stuff they built (all on .NET 2.0, and all in less than a month — proves you can build a site very quickly with a small team on .NET 2.0). Jeff Sandquist has a post about it up on his blog. Joe Wilcox says “it’s just PR” but then says “Jeff and his team have done a commendable job.” Don’t worry, no one in the PR team was hurt in 10′s development! :-)

  • met

    What are channels 1 thru 8 ?

  • met

    What are channels 1 thru 8 ?

  • http://farlane.wordpress.com/ farlane

    The design and interface are solid. It was interesting to see that the site polled my blog for recent posts. I appreciated the fact that it didn’t try to feed my Mac an unplayable wmv.

    Regarding the branding police, I have no doubt that the instructions were: “Make it look like Microsoft didn’t make it.” Success.

  • http://farlane.wordpress.com/ farlane

    The design and interface are solid. It was interesting to see that the site polled my blog for recent posts. I appreciated the fact that it didn’t try to feed my Mac an unplayable wmv.

    Regarding the branding police, I have no doubt that the instructions were: “Make it look like Microsoft didn’t make it.” Success.

  • http://haarball.wordpress.com/ Haarball

    “I’d hype up this sucker”

    You are aware that by talking about a hyped-up project you’re in fact adding to the hype?

  • http://haarball.wordpress.com/ Haarball

    “I’d hype up this sucker”

    You are aware that by talking about a hyped-up project you’re in fact adding to the hype?

  • Jason

    I like it, Robert. Wish there was more on the Health Blog. It’s my field and I’m (how can I say this without sounding arrogant?) uniquely qualified to work in the field. Seems like the last update was on February 21st. Any ideas how long updates will take?

    Also, that Health Blog really needs some more evangelism. Most of the Healthcare IT guys I know have never heard of this site. We could greatly contribute to it, if we only knew about it!

  • Jason

    I like it, Robert. Wish there was more on the Health Blog. It’s my field and I’m (how can I say this without sounding arrogant?) uniquely qualified to work in the field. Seems like the last update was on February 21st. Any ideas how long updates will take?

    Also, that Health Blog really needs some more evangelism. Most of the Healthcare IT guys I know have never heard of this site. We could greatly contribute to it, if we only knew about it!

  • Concerned

    Hey Scoble…did you check out last week’s videos? Last Friday’s has them bouncing around what looks to be the Nine Guy’s head….is our favourite digit alright?

  • Concerned

    Hey Scoble…did you check out last week’s videos? Last Friday’s has them bouncing around what looks to be the Nine Guy’s head….is our favourite digit alright?

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  • Jeff’ Mom

    great site…know it will be a success

  • Jeff’ Mom

    great site…know it will be a success

  • http://www.greenjem.com/ Larry

    Irrational onscreen exuberance, “camera swirls”, zooms, B&W cuts, nose rings.

    That’s a show far outside of my demographic.

  • http://www.greenjem.com Larry

    Irrational onscreen exuberance, “camera swirls”, zooms, B&W cuts, nose rings.

    That’s a show far outside of my demographic.

  • Mike Johnson

    the way you can select the type of RSS feed is just cool. Channel 9 should be doing that. its very smart. apple will be jealous.

    And that I get video onto my ipod from this site instead of audio only is also cool. again. a big hint, hint, hint for what channel 9 should be doing.

    I cant wait to watch the eps on my ipod when I’m on the treadmill later on. sweet.

  • Mike Johnson

    the way you can select the type of RSS feed is just cool. Channel 9 should be doing that. its very smart. apple will be jealous.

    And that I get video onto my ipod from this site instead of audio only is also cool. again. a big hint, hint, hint for what channel 9 should be doing.

    I cant wait to watch the eps on my ipod when I’m on the treadmill later on. sweet.

  • Christopher Coulter

    Just my unsolicited History Channel styled advice….

    1. Talent? Well maybe to the hippy Tech TV insider Bay Area crowd, but I’d go for something Peoria. And should go more narrational documentary over talent reliance. You want it to be about the CONTENT not the talent. Think cameo, still too insider baseball Wired jazzed feeling.
    2. AVOID THAT SHAKY CAM FEEL. Steadicam, Dolly, Shoulder Mount (gasp) tripod. Saw the Segaway used as a Dolly (finally a good use). ;)
    3. No cheap cameras, get a 24P something. And kill the over white HD overgloss, go warm film tone, Romantic Lips Ultimate S 2 it. (PS – Avoid Magic Bullet, render times are in terms of DAYS). The VASST guys are GODS. Desert Spotted Eagle is where I worship.
    4. Can you spell Video Editor? I knew you could. Fire up a Vegas expert, use Ultimate S 2 and go quad cam edit. Broadcast switch style post-productional. FCP and Avid good, but Vegas lets focus on CRAFT and not the technology toolset. Adobe can jump off a cliff for all I care, in terms of Video. After Effects nice, but then I Boris and Particle Illusion it.
    5. Script it out. Hire someone that knows Final Draft. Feels too amateur hour, MTV fast-cut low productional style. Invest in a teleprompter.
    6. Get the book “Setting Up Your Shots: Great Camera Moves Every Filmmaker Should Know” and memorize it. Also check out Tony’s ‘The Salton Sea’, good moves, film noir gone modern.
    7. Channel 9 needs a serious redo on videos. Have you no Video / Filmmaker / Scripter expert in all of Microsoft? If money’s right, you know where to reach me. Just hire anyone that has talent and speaks in Hollywood (or Final Draft) format.
    8. Ok, multiple formats is the plus, about time you listened however.

    Good idea, now work on the implementation…

  • Christopher Coulter

    Just my unsolicited History Channel styled advice….

    1. Talent? Well maybe to the hippy Tech TV insider Bay Area crowd, but I’d go for something Peoria. And should go more narrational documentary over talent reliance. You want it to be about the CONTENT not the talent. Think cameo, still too insider baseball Wired jazzed feeling.
    2. AVOID THAT SHAKY CAM FEEL. Steadicam, Dolly, Shoulder Mount (gasp) tripod. Saw the Segaway used as a Dolly (finally a good use). ;)
    3. No cheap cameras, get a 24P something. And kill the over white HD overgloss, go warm film tone, Romantic Lips Ultimate S 2 it. (PS – Avoid Magic Bullet, render times are in terms of DAYS). The VASST guys are GODS. Desert Spotted Eagle is where I worship.
    4. Can you spell Video Editor? I knew you could. Fire up a Vegas expert, use Ultimate S 2 and go quad cam edit. Broadcast switch style post-productional. FCP and Avid good, but Vegas lets focus on CRAFT and not the technology toolset. Adobe can jump off a cliff for all I care, in terms of Video. After Effects nice, but then I Boris and Particle Illusion it.
    5. Script it out. Hire someone that knows Final Draft. Feels too amateur hour, MTV fast-cut low productional style. Invest in a teleprompter.
    6. Get the book “Setting Up Your Shots: Great Camera Moves Every Filmmaker Should Know” and memorize it. Also check out Tony’s ‘The Salton Sea’, good moves, film noir gone modern.
    7. Channel 9 needs a serious redo on videos. Have you no Video / Filmmaker / Scripter expert in all of Microsoft? If money’s right, you know where to reach me. Just hire anyone that has talent and speaks in Hollywood (or Final Draft) format.
    8. Ok, multiple formats is the plus, about time you listened however.

    Good idea, now work on the implementation…

  • Jason

    Chris,

    I think the ad-hoc style of the videos is actually interesting. I can only speak personally, but I am not a fan of the more straight-laced shooting style. The hand-held cameras, to me, give the video more of a feel of realism and “being right there”, than some other videos I’ve seen on the web.

    I agree with your comment on Content being Paramount (no pun intended). But, I think the content was fine: The first video showed an internet radio station. I got to see the technology behind it, and I learned what goes into the making of it (and how to access it online). I think that’s what the authors were trying to convey, and (unless I”m missing something), I got it.

  • Jason

    Chris,

    I think the ad-hoc style of the videos is actually interesting. I can only speak personally, but I am not a fan of the more straight-laced shooting style. The hand-held cameras, to me, give the video more of a feel of realism and “being right there”, than some other videos I’ve seen on the web.

    I agree with your comment on Content being Paramount (no pun intended). But, I think the content was fine: The first video showed an internet radio station. I got to see the technology behind it, and I learned what goes into the making of it (and how to access it online). I think that’s what the authors were trying to convey, and (unless I”m missing something), I got it.

  • http://adamkinney.com/ Adam Kinney

    Jason, There are more entries for the Health blog coming over from http://blogs.msdn.com/healthblog/. Once transferred all new entries will be showing up on the 10 site. Thanks for the interest :)

  • http://adamkinney.com Adam Kinney

    Jason, There are more entries for the Health blog coming over from http://blogs.msdn.com/healthblog/. Once transferred all new entries will be showing up on the 10 site. Thanks for the interest :)

  • Dmad

    Chris is right. There’s no long term money here. It is appealing to a crowd that makes no money. Content is king. And the shakey camera idea is so 90′s. Can we move on from that format? It does have potential

  • Dmad

    Chris is right. There’s no long term money here. It is appealing to a crowd that makes no money. Content is king. And the shakey camera idea is so 90′s. Can we move on from that format? It does have potential

  • http://www.richbrownell.com/ Richard Brownell

    Here’s my list.

    1) Don’t listen to Coulter. History Channel advice indeed. I think for what this video show is trying to be, you can ignore most of what he said. It’s mostly good advice for OTHER types of shows (sounds even more like movie advice)…like channel 9 ;)

    Also, I’d add, this is not TechTV talent. Tina and Laura are from the G4 network. Yes, G4 acquired (and eliminated) TechTV, but it was still just G4 shows and content, despite a temporary name change. Now G4 has gotten rid of almost all their remaining video game and tech coverage (hence why Tina and Laura were available at all). I predicted (http://www.gamesarefun.com/news.php?newsid=5935) they will fold in the next year.

    But that’s a different story. You can’t really judge a show like this in a single episode. I look forward to seeing more.

  • http://www.richbrownell.com Richard Brownell

    Here’s my list.

    1) Don’t listen to Coulter. History Channel advice indeed. I think for what this video show is trying to be, you can ignore most of what he said. It’s mostly good advice for OTHER types of shows (sounds even more like movie advice)…like channel 9 ;)

    Also, I’d add, this is not TechTV talent. Tina and Laura are from the G4 network. Yes, G4 acquired (and eliminated) TechTV, but it was still just G4 shows and content, despite a temporary name change. Now G4 has gotten rid of almost all their remaining video game and tech coverage (hence why Tina and Laura were available at all). I predicted (http://www.gamesarefun.com/news.php?newsid=5935) they will fold in the next year.

    But that’s a different story. You can’t really judge a show like this in a single episode. I look forward to seeing more.

  • Ian Ceicys

    10 looks interesting. Seeing how you’re busy with 9 are we going to be seeing you on 10?

  • Ian Ceicys

    10 looks interesting. Seeing how you’re busy with 9 are we going to be seeing you on 10?

  • http://prmachine.blogspot.com/ Robb Hecht

    Thanks, RS. How do we subscribe to 10′s RSS feed?

  • http://prmachine.blogspot.com Robb Hecht

    Thanks, RS. How do we subscribe to 10′s RSS feed?

  • http://adamkinney.com/ Adam Kinney

    Robb Hecht, there is a Subscribe button with the RSS icon in the top left, that provides multiple enclosure formats. For example the daily .wmv feed is – http://on10.net/TheShow/feed/daily/wmv/

  • http://adamkinney.com Adam Kinney

    Robb Hecht, there is a Subscribe button with the RSS icon in the top left, that provides multiple enclosure formats. For example the daily .wmv feed is – http://on10.net/TheShow/feed/daily/wmv/

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  • http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/ scobleizer

    Chris: those who complain about Channel 9′s video quality are totally missing the point (and, if let run that would totally f it up). There’s a place for professional video. But to get professional video you need professionals. And, well, if you have professionals you won’t get the conversation. There’s a reason that professional video crews have two or three (or five) people on them. There’s also a reason Channel 9 doesn’t do that. If we did, we’d never have access to people’s offices and we’d never have candid conversations in the style that Channel 9 does.

  • http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/ scobleizer

    Chris: those who complain about Channel 9′s video quality are totally missing the point (and, if let run that would totally f it up). There’s a place for professional video. But to get professional video you need professionals. And, well, if you have professionals you won’t get the conversation. There’s a reason that professional video crews have two or three (or five) people on them. There’s also a reason Channel 9 doesn’t do that. If we did, we’d never have access to people’s offices and we’d never have candid conversations in the style that Channel 9 does.

  • met

    Rob don’t change your style :) but if there are screenshots or something which are not clear in the video, it would be nice to have a link or a clearer one edited in later on …. :)

    Or think of a different solution. Isn’t that how innovations happen ?

  • met

    Rob don’t change your style :) but if there are screenshots or something which are not clear in the video, it would be nice to have a link or a clearer one edited in later on …. :)

    Or think of a different solution. Isn’t that how innovations happen ?

  • http://www.richbrownell.com/ Richard Brownell

    “And, well, if you have professionals you won’t get the conversation.”
    http://the1upshow.1up.com

    Give one or two of those episodes a listen if you have time. Each one is about half an hour. I think they once described it as a documentary style video game show and I think you’ll rethink that blanket statement if you give it a watch.

  • http://www.richbrownell.com Richard Brownell

    “And, well, if you have professionals you won’t get the conversation.”
    http://the1upshow.1up.com

    Give one or two of those episodes a listen if you have time. Each one is about half an hour. I think they once described it as a documentary style video game show and I think you’ll rethink that blanket statement if you give it a watch.

  • http://akhater.wordpress.com/ akhater

    well i don’t know about the others, but i’m surprised of the leap Microsoft done in just a few years. I hardely believed that http://akhater.wordpress.com/2006/03/10/first-microsoft-webpage-ever/ this was the first MS web page ever :) and look at it now

  • http://akhater.wordpress.com/ akhater

    well i don’t know about the others, but i’m surprised of the leap Microsoft done in just a few years. I hardely believed that http://akhater.wordpress.com/2006/03/10/first-microsoft-webpage-ever/ this was the first MS web page ever :) and look at it now

  • http://geekswithblogs.net/waterbaby/archive/2006/03/13/72224.aspx Sarah Blow

    Sorry but I have to say I am disappointed in the MS PR stuff… after such promises that the community would know about this stuff early… Their PR company just aren’t performing! We hear about this stuff from MS insiders before the PR company even hear about it! So why do MS employ them!

  • http://geekswithblogs.net/waterbaby/archive/2006/03/13/72224.aspx Sarah Blow

    Sorry but I have to say I am disappointed in the MS PR stuff… after such promises that the community would know about this stuff early… Their PR company just aren’t performing! We hear about this stuff from MS insiders before the PR company even hear about it! So why do MS employ them!

  • http://pigeonblog.wordpress.com/ pigeonblog

    Mr Scoble

    Not sure the pigeon angle has been fully covered.

    http://pigeonblog.wordpress.com/2006/03/13/bit-of-techny-stuff/

    Your pal

    Brian P

  • http://pigeonblog.wordpress.com/ pigeonblog

    Mr Scoble

    Not sure the pigeon angle has been fully covered.

    http://pigeonblog.wordpress.com/2006/03/13/bit-of-techny-stuff/

    Your pal

    Brian P

  • http://jaseone.wordpress.com/ jaseone

    No offence but as far as web development goes that site seems fairly basic, it is basically just a blog that has enclosures for video content so why are you touting it as a marvel in modern coding that only took a month to code? What about it is so complex that .NET helped with?

  • http://jaseone.wordpress.com/ jaseone

    No offence but as far as web development goes that site seems fairly basic, it is basically just a blog that has enclosures for video content so why are you touting it as a marvel in modern coding that only took a month to code? What about it is so complex that .NET helped with?

  • Brandon Clinger

    I rather channel9 become 10. This website brings a better user expirence to me than channel9 does, in Firefox!