I have been talking about .Dave Matthews

Poynter Online - Convergence Chaser Research presented at AEJMC confirms that writing skills are number one in what news managers look for in hiring, followed by "multimedia production." One the other side of the desk, reporters put "technology, CAR (computer-assisted writing) and visual production" on their skill wish lists. I see a way for Columbia's J Dept. to help its faculty, help reporters and bring in some much needed revenue-- Workshops on CAR and Visual production and Journalist Multimedia Skillset. Look for formal proposals for workshops based on "what I learned at Newsplex" plus what I have been teaching. We can link up with other departments to add some high end tech tips. Got to go cogitate and propose....

IHT: Flash mobs: summer silliness spread worldwide The MOBS which I first was thinking had to do with "mobs" as in disoderly crowds, is probably more a tongue in cheek punning of mob and mobile because they are one of Rheingolds' Smart Mobs. I liked this comment from the article

Howard Rheingold, who has published a book entitled "Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution," thinks flash mobs are part of a larger trend. "Right now, it's just people wanting to do something silly and it's not hurting anybody, so what's the harm?" he says on smartmobs.com, a Web site that is dedicated to his book. "But it shouldn't come as a surprise when this becomes a major outlet of political activism soon as well," he says, perhaps hopefully.

Poynter Online - E-Media Tidbits A camera phone saves a kid and helps nab a bad actor. This is the good side of ubiquitous surveillance or whatever we would call our new world where we will all be connected with "eyes' and "ears" and "mouths" and "text" at least. This is one of a series of stories I have been following lately. See July 16th entry, for example. That is the one where the teacher was "phonecamed" tearing up a student's paper.

Wired News: One ISP Refuses to Yield I did not envision the day that I would be supporting my telephone company, especially as I am old enough to remember "Ma Bell", best depicted for all of you Gen Xers in The President's Analyst as the terrible power that is working to take over America. But now we find SBC as the first ISP to say "hold on" to the RIAA and the recording industry with its onslaught against all of our civil rights in the form of thousands of possibly illegal subpeonas to get copies of individual's Internet activity. Music downloading or file-sharing is supposed to be the problem. Actually, there may be more of a problem with the corporate structure of the music business, and the incredible economic structure which provides small reward to most artists, and over-charges the consumer. The RIAA for the recording industry has been riding roughshod over everyone's civil rights and getting the courts to just smile and say, "ok." So thank goodness for my TPC, the SBC, who say

The action taken by SBC Internet Services is intended to protect the privacy of our customers," said an SBC spokesman. "Misapplication of DMCA subpoena power raises serious constitutional questions that need to be decided by the courts, not by private companies which operate without duty of due diligence or judicial oversight."