I think this debate is really one of media versus message: I think it might be tempting to merely say that Twitter is just another way of communicating — surely, there’s nothing wrong with reporting at a funeral because it happens in other ways.

The problem is that there is already an association of what Twittering means, or is all about.  I think its probably true of every single medium, in fact, from what we all perceive the role of news papers (even though its changing), television (also changing), blogging and pretty much everything.

For better or worse, the association with Twitter is that its something that isn’t meant to communicate things that are of any seriousness or gravitas; although we all really mean to Twitter meaningfully, we still see Twitters twitting about the crushingly banal.  Cat food.  What I had for breakfast.  The fact that you might love bran.  Things like that.

While *using* Twitter over time might mean different things, there are certain associations that it just can’t shake in 2008.  So, what does this mean?  It means that when you’re twittering at a child’s funeral, yes, its BOTH pushing the new media envelope to be Twittering at a child’s funeral AND tasteless at the same time.

Quarterlife, on the other hand, is a web-based show from the minds behind “My So Called Life”, and in a demonstration of exactly how desperate Network television is to fill its lineup with *some* kind of content,  has actually picked up Quarterlife for broadcast earlier this year.

To put this in context, there is no question that the production values are *higher* and there is an unmistakable pedigree, but this is almost like NBC picking up the team behind Lonelygirl15 to produce a series on Lonelygirl15 — to be broadcast across the United States in as little as two months.

Now imagine how ridiculous this would have sounded six months ago — when Lonelygirl15 was outed, and she ended up everywhere as a result of the expose.  Sure, it might have ended up as a mid-season replacement on Friday nights (that’s when Geeks are watching television, right?  Hey, I remember the X-files and Star Trek both being on Friday nights — and that’s personal experience), but this?

This is craziness.

An incredible interesting.  You can be sure that if Quarterlife does even marginally “well”, that other networks will also be racing to scoop up entertainment that has cut its teeth on new / alternative media, as they will no doubt be cheap and, for the most part, not part of the union.

Even when the strike ends, its not hard to see that this is another watershed moment in television history; just like the prior strike heralded reality TV, as it needed television programming without writers that bred shows like COPs and America’s Home Videos — and indeed, the Fox television network — so will this strike likely herald a time when places like YouTube and MySpace are not just places to waste time.

They are, in a very real sense, a legitimate place where mainstream [Cable networks have brought on MySpace stars, such as Tila Nguyen -- I mean Tequila -- on MTV] network executives are going to be scouting for talent.  And not just actors and actresses — it goes all the way to complete shows.