DrunkenBlog

What to do about PR releases...

Some time ago, I started getting PR releases via email, although you wouldn't know noticed this because it's not the kind of thing I generally throw up on the site.

This started as a very infrequent thing, but it's picked up over time and it's something I'm going to have to figure out how to deal with. I can still remember one of the first ones, as it ties into this a bit...

It was something to do with some Mac video app from a group across the pond that was trying to make it easier to:

• Have a central repository of your movie files.

• Make it easy to encode and publish them up to the web, ala video-blogging, or something.

I don't recall the name of the product or the people, but I remember checking out the site and firing off a few questions, because I actually really kinda dug the idea of having a central place to store all your clips, as when you first lay into iMovie, it generally goes like this:

1. OMG I can't believe this is so easy!

2. OMG, I have got to get a bigger hard drive.

3. Wait, how do I get the clip from last month to this project? Erm, this is insane. I must be doing something wrong, this is supposed to be easy... (An hour of scrolling through the Finder playing clips to find the one you want later) Here it is! Clip 07 in folder 21! Now it's easy again!

4. OK, now that I've got some clips under my belt, time for my longer masterpiece... OMG, why won't the audio stay in synch with the video? I'm doing everything it says...

   OK this Apple Knowledge Base Article says to flatten the channels and export as... Wait that worked once, but not the second time I try to export it... Ok... next version it should work... I have to pay for this one, so I'm sure it'll have been fixed... OMG, the audio still won't stay in synch! How can they ship this? Why didn't any of the review sites warn me before I paid for this?

iMovie has a pretty slick interface for actually sitting down and editing within a 'project', but it isn't like iPhoto or iTunes in the sense that it doesn't (at least up to the last version I had access to) have any sort of 'global library' of clips you've imported and can then work with.

You can import them into what you're working, but it's cumbersome at best, so I was actually really interested in those aspects of their program. I fired off a few questions questions via email, I wasn't ready to just start throwing up their press release without actually looking into their program, but if it filled that big gaping hole in iMovie I'd go big pimpin' on it.

Well, I heard back, but the answers to my questions were basically what seemed to be glossed-over marketing speak. Basically not answering much of anything, and doing that weird thing you see politicians do when asked a direct question they don't really want to answer: They answer, but it's not really what you actually asked, and always comes back to whatever they want to be sure gets on the air.

I fired off another email, asking for clarification, and didn't hear back... Which was understandable in a way. My address was worth harvesting and firing off a release to because it costs little but might bring in hits, but actually getting into a situation where I'm taking up their time (or possibly posting that it doesn't do xyz) isn't exactly what they want... they want the hits.

Nothing wrong with that actually, I know the deal, but I just didn't give a damn about their product at that point, so had no reason to want to write about it, and they'd given me no reason to care about it. Yes, some readers might like to know it's available, but most who care would find out about it some other way... And it didn't help them that I was pretty much rejecting all marketing speak at that point.

However, there are ones like what I got yesterday, which are a whole different ball of wax:

MacMonkies is pleased to announce their 4th annual Birthday Celebration: The 4 For Four Birthday Giveaway!

As MacMonkies just turned 4 years of age on July 4, 2005, they are giving away some great gifts in recognition of their readers. Prizes include: 1 iPod, 1 iPod shuffle, 1 Bundle of Fun (which includes ShapeShifter, iClip, Iconize Me! Premium Package, FruitMenu, WindowShade X, and iTunes $10 Gift Certificate), and 1 iTunes $20 Gift Certificate. For complete details, make your way to MacMonkies.com and have some fun!

Ok, so actually you want to make your way to this MacMonkies page, as it's what takes you to the rules and then the signup form. I looked it over, and they say they throw the info away after the contest, so I signed up (When asked to put first and last name, I'm still unsure of whether to put "The drunkenbatman" or "drunken batman") and think its cool for readers to go do so too.

MacMonkies has an absolutely maddening navigation layout, but they're pretty cool. They're a decent place to find desktops and icons, and I've got them bookmarked next to ResExcellence (Similar content to MacMonkies, but also host the slowly-growing section of Growl styles)... Anyways, I digress.

While I have no idea what iClip or Iconize Me! are, the iPods and Unsanity products are sweet kit (I think Unsanity does some of the highest-quality stuff on OS X right now) and there's no reason not to send some hits their way for them, as some of them might stick and, while I really wish they'd do something with their layout, like I said they're pretty cool.

So I'm all for it... and go register for win your iPod at MacMonkies.

The problem in my mind is that when you start picking and choosing -- which I'm entitled to do, as, well, I'm The Man -- you're basically snubbing those you leave out.

No real way to get around it, you just kinda are, as by posting some and not others you're saying the others aren't worthy of posting, which is something I'm having to figure out because at that point you're actually rejecting what's being sent to you.

See, the way it is now, I'm not actually rejecting anything, as just because it's not here it's not going to a black hole.

If someone sends me something, while it can take me awhile, it all ends up in my head and I often end up passing it along in conversations, or have it in mind while I'm doing other things. It's in my head, just not here, but since no one else's stuff is here nothing is getting shunted to the side...

It's one of the reasons why I stopped linking to everyone on the side, because I realized if I was linking to everyone I was following it'd take up entire pages, but I wasn't down for picking and choosing.

Now, you may think I'm over-thinking this a bit, and you're probably right, and I need to not do that so much, so go register to win your damn iPod while I worry at it.

 Posted by drunkenbatman
    July 12, 2005, at 08:00 AM