Having been assigned to promote the podcast, episode one of Entropy is live today, I went to the itunes web site to register it with them. What I noticed were all of the free podcasts and video podcasts already available for free through itunes. I only had time to briefly look at a video broadcast of a tiki bar with a doctor, another guy, and a woman talking about things that was not interesting enough to keep my attention for more than twenty seconds. But I do believe there is something to be said for the medium. I saw a glimmer of the tournament starting to come alive. With few barriers to publishing video content the long tail of publishing is rushing to fill the many gaps left open by the mainstream media. We'll soon be able to find large chunks of niche items and creative productions straight from every city. Our local improv troupes will be recording their sessions and putting their funniest bits up for viewing, the street musicians will broadcast semi-live from Porter Square, odd ducks will overdub old porn movies in Mystery Science Theatre 3000 (MST3K) style. Any wacky concept or new sub-culture has a chance to go pop in the big tournament of Internet media.

I haven't figured out who will make money at it yet but my best guess is to back the standard winner of any tournament - the promoters and the ones running the tournament themselves. If it's itunes - power to them. If it's those Allaire brothers then so be it. I for one plan to be one of those poor shmoes contributing as best I can at the bottom of the heap in the widest stretch of the pyramid and will be loving every minute of making media that only the the bold and brave with iron visual cortexes and ears of steel will attempt to imbibe.