Joost will push personalisation
Following on from my post about the personalisation trend, here's a quote from the pre-launch FAQ for Joost, a revolutionary social-TV application from the guys behind Skype and Kazaa:
"Why am I being asked for personal information? What will you do with it?
The only information we absolutely require from you is a username and password to log you into the system. But if you'd like to give us more information about yourself, it will help us to provide you with a better and more personal TV experience - we'll be able to recommend particular features that we think you'll like, for example, and show you adverts that are more relevant to you.
You can give us as much or as little information about yourself as you like. However much you choose to share with us, we will never reveal it to any third parties without your express permission."
Putting consumers in control of personalisation is a smart move. It's the covert nature of targeting that many find unsettling, so Joost's transparent and customisable approach should help smooth the transition to personalised ads.
"Why am I being asked for personal information? What will you do with it?
The only information we absolutely require from you is a username and password to log you into the system. But if you'd like to give us more information about yourself, it will help us to provide you with a better and more personal TV experience - we'll be able to recommend particular features that we think you'll like, for example, and show you adverts that are more relevant to you.
You can give us as much or as little information about yourself as you like. However much you choose to share with us, we will never reveal it to any third parties without your express permission."
Putting consumers in control of personalisation is a smart move. It's the covert nature of targeting that many find unsettling, so Joost's transparent and customisable approach should help smooth the transition to personalised ads.
For Diginative teens and students who can't spend enough time glued to their PC screens, Joost is bound to be a massive hit. The combination of full-screen quality, total controllability and real-time community features (chat, messaging) really is a step-change for web-based TV, and proof that convergence ain't all about that big screen in the lounge.
So when will Joost land? Well, it's currently only available as a private Beta test (join the queue), but in the mean time, the screenshots look rather lush:
So when will Joost land? Well, it's currently only available as a private Beta test (join the queue), but in the mean time, the screenshots look rather lush:
