Thursday, November 30, 2006
(iverson's) currentbuzz
I finally have time to talk about what has been happening with currentbuzz.org and why I've not been posting. It's obvious if you read it, that I haven't been posting for a couple of weeks.
First, the server that hosts currentbuzz went down. Then it was fixed, but the some directories were changed. I understand why my guy did that, but as anyone who has maintained websites over time knows, it means a world of pain as far as updating all the references to the old directory paths. So that took me a couple of days.
At the same time, blogger.com began to move stuff to its beta (ha, but currentbuzz apparently can't be converted for the time being.) They somehow changed their feeds and connection information.
I post throughout the day, and I use lots of different computers to post, some of them are public lab computers, so I don't want my password all over. I like to use tags, so I had developed a collection of "helpers" like Writetomyblog, nowpublic, performanicing, and even the formerly trusty "blogthis" to avoid using the regular but kind of time consuming posting through blogger.
Oh, and I forgot to mention that Firefox came out with an update as well. As you can now anticipate, all of my autoposting helpers were FUBAR with the various directory path, new software and new feed api configurations. And, as anyone would, I have been obsessing about getting everything working again, and not just posting.
The latest, is that I got one of posting helpers to work but now my template is askew. I know exactly enough css to complicate my search for a good look to my blog. So, thus, currentbuzz hasn't been up to snuff with information on technology and journalism or media or anything else.
I have gone to the best source of help a teacher can contact -- students, and my other Chicagobloggers and I am looking at going to WordPress or another software for my blog. I hope you will bear with me and that I will back up and blogging in a day or so.
This happens to all bloggers I expect, but as is typical, I just didn't think it would happen to me...
Monday, November 27, 2006
Did you cybershop today?
Today is supposed to be cybermonday but CNet for one is downplaying its retail importance. Did you shop today via your computer while you were at work?
From AP's Joyce M. Rosenberg via the Chicago Tribune comes an interesting story that suggests that giving employees control over their time results in higher productivity. So, if we did shop on Monday, on Tuesday we will probably make up for on our time....
"The more an employee feels contented in the workplace and believes in management, the more productive they'll be and care about the goals of management," said Frank Kenna, president of The Marlin Co., a workplace communications consulting firm based in North Haven, Conn.
When did a Peace Sign become Satanic or why I hesitate to move to a condo
http://www.popandpolitics.com/2006/11/26/merry-xmas-you-satanic-hippie/
A woman puts up her peace sign wreath and gets totally hassled. The interesting thing from the Chicago Trib's version (really an AP story) is that the condo board refused to bother the woman but the Condo President fired them and continues to rant.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
HBO is maybe thinking that lots of young people just watch and don't care whether it's on TV or Internet.HBO to launch a broadband channel? | CNET News.com
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Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Al Jazeera English reviewed. - By Troy Patterson - Slate Magazine
Well, you can watch it for yourself for free for 15min. per day, or you can subscribe via Internet. Interesting.Al Jazeera English reviewed. - By Troy Patterson - Slate Magazine
High School journalists doing real world work
There was mischief in the No Child Left Behind Act and a couple of high school students are getting to experts on FERPA and trying to change a bad provision of NCLBA.‘Privacy’ policy under attack | LJWorld.com: "Buried in the 670 pages of the federal No Child Left Behind law was a requirement that high schools provide lists of students’ names, telephone numbers and addresses to military recruiters."
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Knight Brothers 21st Century News Challenge | NewsChallenge
Journalists, writers, citizens and entrepreneurs-- check out this cool RFPKnight Brothers 21st Century News Challenge | NewsChallenge
CUNY Graduate School Of Journalism Awarded Knight Foundation Grant To Teach Law To Bloggers
From Media Bloggers Association's Robert Cox via Internet: What’s New ? Blog Archive ? CUNY Graduate School Of Journalism Awarded Knight Foundation Grant To Teach Law To Bloggers
Bob Garfield on Video-sharing and the future of TV
Bog G. is good. Her nails the trends and links up disparate stories to point out what is really happening.
Here I think he is on target as he links up the "meaning" of YouTube, "I post, therefore I am.' or Constituo, ergo sum" and why Google was willing to pay so much for it.
Advertising is fleeing television as the eyeballs blink open on niches and avoid commercials like the plague. For the "digital natives" video is video. There is no television video and Internet video. If you don't believe me or Bob Garfield, watch some 12 year olds watch TV/computer.
Jeff Jarvis calls thei "exploding TV" and Garfield goes further, with "Monkeyvision...the demand side of the equation -- monkey see, monkey use -- foreshadowing the future of media, already in progress."
But where is the revenue stream?
And what does a distributed network that promotes "massness" mean?
Advertising Age - YouTube Grows Up -- But What Does It Mean?
A new NYTimes media blog
The lede looks like a media review blog. I like the way it aggregates external blogs that talk about the subject at hand.
About The Lede In the news business, the opening sentences of a story are referred to as its "lede" -- spelled that way, journalism lore has it, to avoid confusion with the lead typesetting that once dominated newspaper printing presses. Although a tightly focused narrative typically follows the lede, every sentence in a news story has the potential to spiral off in new directions, and each paragraph leaves behind unexplored angles. That's where The Lede's mission begins.I am in the process of writing a bit about "portfolio management" and blogs thanks to a discussion I had with Robert Cox of the Media Bloggers Association.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Saying "No" to boxed software
Web 2.0 is the darling of the moment. CNet has a new site that is meant to track all the new apps coming out. If you haven't gotten used to Widgets, check them out and more at this handy blog.
I go for the Treatment.
The Scoop » Blog Archive » The Scoop gets The Treatment Derek Willis is a journalist who keeps track of good investigative work and CAR stories. Recently his site, The Scoop, got a makeover into a more utilitarian style as he turned to Django to let the user search the stories on the kinds of selectors he or she might want to use.
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Comic Book Renaissance reflects audience mindset
What are audiences looking to find in comic books? Super-heroes and super-powers. So, advertisers are trying to figure out what that means for them, and for their business models.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Ad biz gets disruted by technology like news biz
The same pressures face ad execs and firms as attention becomes the currency, time is money and we slip into the world of the long-tail.[tagname]
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Zune -- what's the fuss?
If you want "cool" stick with iPod. Like video? Go with Creative Zen's Vision:M.
Want really connectivity and performance (connect to Internet, not just other Zunes) go with Archos 04 series.
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Sunday, November 12, 2006
Gannett's Information Centers and how that changes the workplace
Poynter Online - E-Media TidbitsAmy gives particular attention to how more and more working journalists have come to accept that training is part of their job. This comes up in a discussion of how the new Gannett workplace makes more work, changes work, but is still a move in the right direction for now.
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Friday, November 10, 2006
Monday, November 06, 2006
Technology is not neutral. Politicians implement policies that make tech political. Read about this one.
Wired News: Techie Faces Orrin Hatch Nov. 7
Pete Ashdown: I find it interesting that Republicans like Senator Hatch repeatedly want to deregulate businesses but regulate the individual and it proves time and again that this is not the government conservatives espouse as being small and limited. It's "We want to be in control of your daily lives to the extent that we're watching what you're doing on your computers, we're watching whether you're violating any corporate copyrights. We're going to be the unpaid copyright police for the corporations." WN: So it comes down to individual rights versus corporate rights? Ashdown: Yeah, and I think it comes down to civil rights as well. The erosion we've seen of the Bill of Rights over the last couple of years regarding American monitoring -- the Patriot Act, the Detainee Act that came out in the last couple of weeks. (It) brings government into our own homes and allows them to monitor what are doing and (what) we see. There are other abuses as well, like the call-records monitoring by the NSA and the tapping of international calls without warrants.
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Sunday, November 05, 2006
Photoblogging the Mid-Term election
Don't forget to bring your phonecam to the polls . The AIGA, a photographers group is sponsoring a photoevent in polling places on Tuesday.
Odeo doesn't record for us anymore.
Look, the "digital native" issue comes up as an offshoot of the Odeo buy back story . Here it is couched as the under 40s vs. the over 40s. Interesting.
The biz view of the Odeo story and Om Malik's take on it.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Omnibus post
I'm going to string together several notes and links in this post to save time. Things are popping in terms of "social networking" and it seems that MSM organizations are finally catching on to how being linked to people who are in touch with scads of their friends via Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, etc. is a good way to build up an audience for content. Facebook is offering publishers a button they can put on their site to link content to eyeballs via the Facebook grapevine.
The details of Jay Rosen's new project are getting spelled out . The new words for describing the hybrid journalism that Rosen (and Suzanne McBride and I here at Columbia in Chicago) are exploring are useful in helping those who aren't familiar with all that the web affords in terms of being connected and in setting up contextual networks of people and information understand the potential and mechanisms of "pro-am journalism"
Business models and economic questions arise as the promise of new media technology comes face-to-face with corporate capitalism in the short-term. Ohmynews, which has been profitable may not make money in 2006 . Thus business writers are proclaiming that its model doesn't work, etc. My take on it is that global economics is in turmoil as corporate capitalistic systems like the one in the US (especially as our economic policies are formed with help from policy decisions by agencies like FCC, rather than in a rational or technologically determined manner) bumps up against new forces like reputation-ranking and gift economies. I'd be hesitant to condemn a project as soon as it encounters a bit of difficulty. I say give it a few years. How Ohmynews will make money is still in flux I think as is the path by which the NYTImes or BBC will make money, but it seems to those companies that UGC or user-generated content is a key element and Ohmynews has been developing UGC for some time.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Teaching Online Journalism: The insidious effects of advertising
Mindy McAdams writes about the impact of ads on the independence of blogs. This is a good point to keep in mind. Advertising exerts a similar impact on any media it enters, not just big media or MSM.Teaching Online Journalism: The insidious effects of advertising
When We are Old and Infirm
For all the focus on the 18-24 year-olds, let us not forget that there are lots of Boomers and we have lots of money. As Boomers age, will they sit home when walking around gets difficult? Will they use canes and crutches? I suspect not, and here is why. Watch the CNet video about a personal "car" that is like a seg-way or three wheel vehicle made for urban street use.
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