Note: This column represents the opinions
of the writer and as such, is not purported as fact
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On Monday evening there was a programme on TV (60 Minutes) which showed
how a Kiwi "inventor" had been able to change the chemical structure of
regular water so that it could be used to fuel a conventional internal
combustion engine (stop laughing!).
We saw lots of footage of the "inventor's" aged motorcycle putting about
with nothing more than a cup of water in its tiny fuel tank and despite the
comments from boffin-type skeptics, the overall impression was that the
producers felt this could be something big.
The "inventor" himself was not backwards in praising himself either, claiming
that Bill Gates was just a "lightweight" when compared to him.
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Of course, with a name like Simpson, we obey the laws of thermodynamics in
this house so I also fall well and truly into the skeptic camp -- but thought
maybe I'd check out some more on the Web.
Naturally my first instinct was to visit what should have been the show's
website at www.60minutes.co.nz.
Unfortunately, as you'll have already found out if you clicked on that link,
this URL simply brings up a good dose of reality TV from the CBS USA website.
So, off to www.tv3.co.nz I
went, eager to see what background info they'd made available for Net-connected
viewers.
Sorry, not a sausage. In fact, the *only* reference I could find to the 60 minutes
program (let alone this particular item) was
this page.
TV3 still don't get it do they?
Even their attempt to integrate the Net into Campbell Live seems to have fizzled
out recently. References to Smile City and the polls that were being held amongst
its members seem to have dried up and the
Campbell Live website
also seems to lack a sense of currency.
TV3's reluctance to actually embrace the Net as a method of supporting some of
its best shows means that if you missed Monday night's programme, well you're
out of luck -- until they offer us an "encore screening" during the summer
months that is.
Why not put the damned thing up as streaming video -- complete with an ad or
two if they can't afford to pay the bandwidth bills on their own?
While TV3 seem to have gotten the concept of soliciting interaction with
viewers through the Net (at least on the Campbell Live site), they've forgotten
that interaction is a *two-way* street. You can't just take (by way of polls
and story suggestions) -- you've also got to offer up some of your broadcast
content to those who, for whatever reason, have missed or wish to review some
of your locally produced content.
Did you see the 60 Minutes segment about the water-powered motorbike?
Are you a believer?
Will this hapless chap end up being killed off by the oil companies (chortle)
or will he prove that compared to him, Bill Gates really is "lightweight"?
Go have your say in The Aardvark Forums
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