マークブログ（仮）／ Mark's Blog (beta...)

アメリカでの知名度をあげる為にインターネットを色々使っています。日本ではmixiをちょっと使っていた（この何ヶ月かはまったく使ってなくて、mixiの皆さんにすみません）けど、アメリカではMyspaceとFacebookがないと困るみたいな感じです。やはりこちらでは数多くの役者とスタッフがフリーで仕事しているので、自分のネットワーク（つまり仕事仲間）を広げないと仕事が増えないという事になります。そしてオーディションをもらう為になるべく多くの情報がネット上にあった方がいいそうです。そうすればキャスティング側が色々調べられ、安心して呼べるそうです。その内markmusashi.comも名刺代わりとして作らなければならないですね。

それはそうとどちらかといえば、自分の活躍より、他の人達の活躍に感動しています。皆さんはこのブログを読む時に他の皆さんのコメントも読むでしょう。その中にはたまに他のサイトの広告ありますよね？毎週500件以上の迷惑コメントを削除します。オンラインで薬（バイアグラが多いよね）が買えるサイトがほとんどです。普通はこんな所で見付けた広告は信用しないでしょうと思いながら、とりあえず見て見ようと思う人もいるでしょう。（自分もたまに削除する前にどんなサイトか確認します。）結局は立派な広告効果がありますよね。自分は勿論そんな迷惑を他のサイト主にかけたくないけど、このメディアを最大に活躍させている人達に感動したくなくても、感動してしまいます。

ところで迷惑コメント削除の作業で自分のコメントが削除されたと気付いたら、もう一度コメントを書いてください。さすがに500件のコメントを削除している内に一つの本物が混じっていると気付かない可能性が十分あります。なるべく気をつけて作業しますが、誤ったら気付かせてください。ご協力お願いします！

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Since coming back to America, I have been using the internet in efforts to promote myself. While I was in Japan, I used to use mixi a bit (sorry to all of my mixi friends, I haven't done anything with it in months), but here it seems like a Myspace and Facebook are absolutely essential. Of course, with so many members of the industry essentially working freelance, without broadening your network, you can't really expect the amount of offers to increase. Plus, for auditions, I hear it is always good to have as much information about yourself available online as possible. That way a casting director can call in an unknown, but still be somewhat confident as to the level of performance they will see. One of these days I will have to put together markmusashi.com to act as my online business card.

Recently, however, it hasn't been my use of the internet, so much as other people's that has been on my mind. I am sure that when you read this blog, you read other people's comments that are attached to each post. Occasionally you may find a posting which is an advertisement for some other site. Every week I have to erase at least 500 of those comments from this blog. The majority of them are sites selling cheap pharmaceuticals (almost all for viagra...). Now while I am guessing that most people are not going to be looking to a friend's blog to find the best information on medical supplies, I am sure there are plenty of people who may "just check the site out." (I occationally find myself checking out the sites as I am deleting them.) So in the end, all those random postings are in fact doing a spectacular job of getting the word out about those sites. Now I personally would have no intention of randomly and shamelessly trying to promote myself on other people's site's, but as much as you hate to, you do have to admire people who can use a tool to it's fullest.

On a final note, if in the process of deleting those comments leading to other sites, I happen to delete your comment by accident, please post it again. Believe me, it is sometimes hard to notice one real comment in the middle of 500 worthless ones. I do try to be as careful as possible, but if I do make a mistake please be sure to let me know. Thanks for your help and support!