Ipsos Insight has released its most recent comprehensive study of online usage trends. The Face Of The Web, an annual report, shows that more users are focusing on video content - watching streaming video or television shows, and downloading full-length movies and television programs. The percentage of users engaged in this activity is increasing, while users' tastes for listening to and downloading music has decreased slightly from last year's levels.

In addition to increasing their consumption of video content, users are also growing more interested in social networking sites. According to the report, 20 percent of American adults have visited a social networking sites in the past 30 days and 24 percent of American adults have ever visited a social networking site. This week, Facebook posted usage statistics on its site which showed a 143 percent increase in pages viewed and an increase of 89 percent in the number of unique visitors to the site, after the company opened its registration process in May 2007.

Changes in user patterns, like the growing preference for streaming and real-time video, and the increase in popularity of social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, which are geared toward personal social networking, and LinkedIn, which is aimed toward business professionals, are remarkable because they cannot help but impact the organizational network. As their analog video plants age and obsolesce, olleges and universities are looking at delivering video over IP to dormitories and classrooms. More organizations are turning to video conferencing to replace business trips and long-distance meetings. Some organizations even conduct preliminary job interviews and student auditions via high-quality video.

The Ipsos Insight report is a clear indicator that the Internet is rapidly becoming the video platform of choice. While the report preview concentrated mainly on the entertainment value Internet video provides, video is constantly making inroads into the organizational network, and administrators will do well to prepare for it by upgrading network hardware, software and bandwidth capabilities.

TX, FL Plaintiffs Turn The Tables On The RIAA

A Texas woman has countersued the Recording Industry Association of America, claiming that the RIAA used illegal investigative tactics [Warning: PDF link] to press a claim against her. Rhonda Crain is charging that the RIAA used unlicensed private investigators and knew of their plan to conduct unlawful investigations, which amounts to civll conspiracy under Texas law. The suit also accuses the RIAA of extortion, racketeering, frivolous prosecution, and seeks damages for infliction of emotional distress, and recovery of the cost of her defense against the suit. She also seeks to have the original claim against her thrown out for lack of evidence, and is requesting that the Texas court bar the RIAA from using unlicensed private investigators in all Texas investigations. The RIAA is facing a similiar claim in Florida, and was denied the right to engage in discovery with the University of New Mexico last month.