Thanks to Tim for the hint.

Usually I’m not so much into movies but this looks really interesting. First of all I think that Jack Black is a very funny guy and second (and this is the reason why I post it here) the movie reflects what’s going on in the net. As Tim already mentioned in the Werbeblogger Late Night Podcast, the guys in the movie are doing the same like hundreds of thousand YouTube user’s out there. They are producing their own content. And like in the real world the audience enjoy to watch it. People are feed up with the stuff from traditional broadcasters and media. I don’t think that people want a revolution in this case, but I believe that they want to have at least a choice between the traditional and the authentic.

See you in the cinema or on YouTube.

What changed in the field of social globalization? Here is the set of variables and their weight:
1. Data on Personal Contact (30%)
Outgoing Telephone Traffic (13%)
Transfers (percent of GDP) (6%)
International Tourism (28%)
Foreign Population (percent of total population) (26%)
International letters (per capita) (28%)
2. Data on Information Flows (35%)
Internet Users (per 1000 people) (25%)
Cable Television (per 1000 people) (25%)
Trade in Newspapers (percent of GDP) (21%)
Radios (per 1000 people) (29%)
3. Data on Cultural Proximity (35%)
Number of McDonald’s Restaurants (per capita) (40%)
Number of Ikea (per capita) (41%)
Trade in books (percent of GDP) (19%)

Could it be that Web 2.0 is the reason for the stagnation? Skype and other VOIP and messaging services are influencing the outgoing phone calls and the international letters, which represents more then the half of the first set. RSS, Podcasts, YouTube and video on demand services are affecting every variable in the second set. In the third set the trade in books could be influenced by creative commons and ebooks.

I don’t have time to check all the data in detail, but I think it would be interesting to look at the facts.
Detailed 2008 Globalization Ranking
Globalization ranking variables and weights

If you are looking for more information about globalization, go and buy Thomas Friedman’s – The world is flat or The lexus and the olive tree. Two of my most favorite books about globalization even I don’t agree with Thomas Friedman in all the points, I like his way of storytelling and the financial perspective of his explanations.

I think ElfYourself by Office Max is the viral winner of the christmas greetings.
Here are some of the links that I got:
Geza
Maja
Mike, Paul, Andrew & Andrew
Charly, Me, Kostas & Lucius
Alex, Dani, Me & Heimo

Amazing how much traffic you can generate with such a simple idea.