Los peligros del cliquet

World Cup a Bermuda triangle for productivity*

Asher MosesMarch 13, 2007 - 9:42AM

Employers across the nation are gearing up for eight weeks of dwindling productivity, as their workers become embroiled in Cricket World Cup fever and the accompanying online distractions.
Internet entrepeneurs in cricket-mad India have moved to cash in on the frenzy, launching two sites that promise to be the MySpace and YouTube for cricket fans.
Over the next 39 days, 27 of which are working days, 51 games of international test cricket will be played out to an audience consisting largely of eager workers who have jumped online from their desks.
Computer security firm Marshal - which produces tools that allow employers to block certain sites on their network - has estimated this will cost Australian businesses $371 million in lost productivity.
That figure was derived based on a number of assumptions: "If one in 10 of Australia's 10 million employed people with an average hourly wage of $27.30 an hour spend 30 minutes a day catching up on the World Cup for the 27 working days that tournament is played, the results will be more than 13.5 million hours of lost productivity."
Among the legions of news outlets promising live score updates and commentary, two sites, CricTV.com and Sixer.tv, differentiate themselves by being predominantly social networking services.
CricTV, in addition to offering live score updates, promises to be the YouTube for cricket. Members can upload their cricket-related videos, and get connected with others who have a similar passion for the sport.
The founders are inviting users to share match footage, quirky clips and their own cricket-related video diaries. Over 150 clips have been uploaded to date.
Sixer is similar but offers a number of features above and beyond video sharing.
Like MySpace, Sixer members can create their own profiles, to which they add "friends" or upload photos and video. There are also fan clubs built around individual players and teams, which users are free to create or join.
Cricket World Cup matches will be broadcast live by the Nine Network and Fox Sports, but online footage from cricket.com.au is expected to be limited to match highlights.
Those on the 3 mobile network can access live Fox Sports match coverage directly from their handsets at a cost of $1 for a day pass or $5 for one month of unlimited usage.

*Gracias a Laura por su colaboración, para hacer más grande este blog.