Co-render.com

Having posted what we consider the definitive difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0, we wanted to provide a way for readers to test their comprehension of Web 2.0.  Fortunately, Sony obliged.

 Grouper.com, the video hosting site we use to bring you Pop!Casts every so often, was bought out by Sony last August.  As of Sunday July 15, Grouper will henceforth affectionately be known as Crackle, by those looking to get their 15 minutes of fame over and done with already.

Crackle, among other things, is being touted as the platform to fame;

“The new site aims to discover the top online video talent for their parent company, Sony, by offering producers the chance at fame and fortune. All the old Grouper accounts will be transferred to Crackle.” (via TechCrunch)

We checked it out, and indeed our Grouper account is still there, and we will be posting a new Pop!Cast through Crackle sometime this week. Hopefully we will become famous in the process, but that’s not the point. 

The re-launch and re-purposing of Grouper.com is a fine example of the way many media companies misconstrue co-rendered content.  Sony is clearly trying to fit its commercial Web 1.0 capabilities into the Web 2.0 format.  In this case, turning a video hosting site into a contest that supports the studio format. 

Crackle features 12 branded channels, with over 1000 professionally produced videos. The top user generated content (as selected by the community, and Crackle’s team of editors) will be available for viewing on the channel most suitable for the video’s genre.  Oh, and according to TechCrunch, “they also have a channel devoted to America’s Firehouses, whose content will be paired with Sony’s “Rescue Me” series.” 

A little less American Idol and a little more co-rendering, please.