That document above is what appears to be a scanned copy of the print [magazine] version of a Business 2.0 magazine uploaded by a user of a new online library called Scribd. The text from the article can be found online here, but this online version lacks the cool illustrations (created by the innovative folks at XPLANE) found on the print version. Using Scribd’s embeddable code, I can post the full print document — with links for downloading — directly into my blog.

Oh, it gets better. Neither print or online version offer what you see on the bottom bar of the document: a link for downloading an mp3 recording of the article’s text. How cool is that?

Let me get this straight: Now I can create a new document or take an existing document, embed it — and links for downloading it in any one of multiple document formats — on my blog, and add my $0.02 on it in the blog posting. You, the consumer, can download my document to your PC for viewing and an mp3 recording of the document’s text for your iPod.

My my, the possibilities here.

Last year, I made multiple posts of the online-videos-are-going-to-be-big variety…

The rise of YouTube
Video Worth a Thousand Pictures
The Virtual Business Tour
InformationWeek: Firms “must” embrace video

Public speaking guru Bert Decker certainly gets it, as suggested by his recent posts Desktop Video Revolution…

This year 2007 will be the Year of the Video.

…and The Power of Instant Video:

Video compression and the capability of an unknown to make a one minute “film” and have such impact is revolutionary. The revolution has started…Use this tool - influence in new ways.

His latter post cites the so-called “Hillary 1984” video (below) as an example of how a brief video – in this case, just 74 seconds long – can pack a powerful message which spreads virally big-time (more than 2.7 million views at post time).

This is the Year of the Pig on the Chinese calendar. When a YouTube search on “Year of the Pig” produces more than 670 results (as it does at post time), you start thinking that Decker’s “Year of the Video” proclamation might not be so far-fetched.