The Webification of TV This was the first year when finding free, high-quality episodes of your favourite show online made the jump from an illegal hassle to an attractive option. We saw the opening of Hulu.com, NBC Universal and News Corp.’s gleaming online candy store of free TV, a site that blogger sceptics branded a lame-o corporate YouTube, but one some people think might out-earn its bigger, scruffier competitor in 2009. Hu knew?Connected politicsWhether you agree with the bloviocracy that the Internet “got Obama elected” or not, there’s no doubt that the Web made its mark on this year’s politics. New stories broke every 20 minutes; new polls came out every 10, every word a politician spoke was disputed, dissected, spun, celebrated, mocked and posted on YouTube before she or he had even finished uttering it.Old friendsThis year Gen Xers got hip to Facebook. More than a few teenagers were bummed to find their “hip” mom signing up and asking to “friend” them. And younger parents flooded the platform with endless terabytes of baby pictures. Even Obama is believed to be ‘poking’ friends! Next, maybe Grandpa will jack in.Rickrolling to the top The Web is unrivalled in its ability to generate slang and to endow quirky characters with 25 seconds of fame. Ask Rick Astley, whose career as an 1980s pop star was briefly resurrected when Never Gonna Give You Up became an anti-anthem among snickering YouTubers. Astley’s second coming reached its pinnacle when he performed on a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.Twitter roars The microblogging service was a raw but compelling new channel for instant info. During earthquakes, fires, the election, the Mumbai attacks, Twitter users were quick to share unfiltered shreds of thought, experience and opinion. -David Sarno (LATWP)
