And then…

What if?

I was having a conversation with a friend recently about the possibilities that come with new technology.  I have past experience in the museum world and thought I might return to it post-graduate school in order to use the internet to build interactive exhibitions.  I understand that a museum’s chief aim is to get visitors in the door to explore the collections, but, I strongly believe that by creating online cultural attractions, museums (and other cultural institutions) may offer their educational wares, as it were, to the public both in the institution and for those who cannot come through the doors.  I think, eventually, this will catch on, but for the time being, the uptake seems to be slower than I would have thought.  The conversation progressed to businesses and brands beyond the museum world and their ability to move as quickly as the technology allows.  Most have moved quickly into the interactive, using it to gain a new digital audience through viral marketing, re-branding techniques and the creation of communities.  Some are hesitant, relying on tried and true ways to maintain.  In the past, major brands have failed to see the future and have paid for it.  Could Sports Illustrated have been ESPN?  Rolling Stone have been MTV? These were highly circulated and well-respected magazine publications that missed the boat on television.  All of these now have extensive and impressive websites, but what about those that have yet to make a solid transition to web?  We are in the midst of another time of major technological shift and it is time companies examine the possibilities before they may be left behind, comfortable.

String Around my Finger

Why can’t I remember stuff?

This has to be one of my favorite things going on online these days: Evernote.  I have never been much of a list maker, but this goes beyond the normal to-dos of the past.  The application allows you to capture basically anything you see and keep it on your desktop or on the web.  Supposedly, the application works even better on an iPhone (no I cannot verify this for myself…but maybe one day…or maybe an Android!).  Even without the picture snapping ability in the palm of my hand, Evernote helps me remember book and movie reviews I read, restaurants I want to check out, wine bottles I like or just notes to myself to pick up my dry cleaning.  In the past, I have been a big fan of the online Stickies (for practical purposes and their nostalgia factor).  Evernote knocks out Stickies in the first round.  Cold.

Brilliant

What can you do when the cursor is blinking on the blank page and you have nothing to say?

Writer’s block, creative blanks, brain freezes.  They happens sometimes and the creative vibe just halts.  It is annoying and can last seconds or days, delaying productivity, flow and passion production.  I bet this will help.  Getty Images has just launched Moodstream, and the most articulate thing I can come up with right now is very very cool. Even if you don’t have need inspiration, this little buddy will surely make the day brighter, mellower, warmer, more aggressive than it was before.  The idea seems to be passed loosely on Pandora, but combines the idea of the music genome and musical grouping with an individual’s preferences and mood.  But wait, there’s more!  Along with the music comes a streaming line of imagery from Getty’s immense video and still image catalogue.  You tell Moodstream how you are feeling (or even how you would want to be feeling I suppose) and it chooses a soundtrack and image reel to stimulate your senses.  The stream can be as interactive and constantly shifting as you wish…or it can just roll.  I have been an avid supporter of Pandora for a few years, but this seems better for the everyday - times when I don’t necessarily need to know what is playing, I just want a specific type of sound.  For a creative type like me, this tool seems so obvious.  I look forward to enjoying many future streams.

Mused

Aren’t people tired of the antics of Hunter S. Thompson?

I am going to try not to gush like a teenage girl, but I must admit my anticipation and enthusiasm concerning the new Hunter S. Thompson documentary, Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.  The New York Times review describes the film better than I can, however this coverage (both the review and the documentary itself) of Thompson and his work seem to be more accurate and less…hokey…as the feature film and biopic stoners and hipsters (myself included) have come to enjoy.  Why am I blogging about this documentary?  Simple.  I am not your average Thompson devotee, I suppose, but as an undergraduate creative writing major at  a highly respected, yet stuffy institution of higher learning, I found solace in the voice of the Gonzo journalist while my classmates lauded John Updike and Vladamir Nobokov.  Don’t get me wrong,  I can appreciate some  perfected realism.  I have always been attracted to a more pungent narrative style in my own writings that has been nothing short of inspired (there I said it) by the freedom of writing from one’s own silent, but constant noise from within.  David Carr, the Times writer, is quick to point out that Thompson’s drug and alcohol fueled words could never have been so…toxic without the assistance of said substances, a caveat used in all commentary concerning Thompson’s expansive career.  No doubt such antics were recipe for the often winding prose, but it is not the lifestyle I was (or am) attracted to.  It is the use of language to weave a tale so visceral and visual that the words become moving images in my head.  I read Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail first, then proceeded to digest the entire repertoire throughout early college.  At the suggestion of my two siblings, I tuned in to Thompson’s weekly musings on ESPN.com’s Page 2.  His Hey, Rube column loosely  covered sports happenings and his complaints on such, but  more broadly spoke to America and societal problems.  The columns were entirely succinct, yet ruthless, and this was the voice I craved.  Now that I have gone onto the world of graduate school and interactive media, I often forget my writing roots (oh dear, sappy tendencies once again).  I suppose I started this post to hush the underlying  sounds of those skeptics that have heard enough nonsense from Thompson and those still in his camp.  The documentary aims to shift perspective surrounding the Gonzo legacy from the outrageous day-to-day outbursts of the man himself to the true professional and unique writing career he created and sustained, which, in short, brings me back to his work time and again.

Can you dig it?

Why didn’t I learn about this in graduate school?

Ok, fine. Perhaps that question could be expanded into an entire blog on its own, but let’s get to the gist of my current train of thought.  Do you know what BricaBox is?  I didn’t either, until I spent some time browsing Nate Westheimer’s blog.  To my best basic understanding, BricaBox allows anyone with an ounce of online savvy to create their own social content application and customize it to his own creative specifications.  I can create my own wiki, my own version of Yelp that includes only places that serve cheese plates, hell even my own guide to the best stores in DC to buy very tight jeans.  In short, I can take the brilliant interactive concept that someone else has already come up with, started and distributed to the masses, and make it my own in my own virtual universe!  Brilliant!

But wait.  In my own moment of Web-angst (which happens alot when I find out about things too late), I have just discovered that ye olde web-ster extraordinaire Westheimer plans to shut down BricaBox!  In a blog post dated June 19th, 2008, Westheimer gives a laundry list of well-explained, yet all-the-while disheartening reasons why BricaBox has not worked out as he had hoped.  As of this post, the site is still in working order, but for how long??  Nate! Do I have time to craft my wiki of all things early to late 90’s alternative rock?  What about my vision for a labored, yet beloved list of the best waffle cones on the Eastern Seaboard?  So many ideas, Nate, so little time, as the BricaBox time bomb ticks away.  If only I had known sooner…

Sometimes the Web Makes me Proud

How can I use social media beyond connecting with my friends?

I think alot of new Web 2.0sters think that ’social media’ can only be used for piecing together last night’s drunken escapades through Facebook pictures.  Not true!  Just take a look at this nifty idea brought to you by the smart, smart folks at PBS Engage and NewsTrust.  The idea is called NewsHunt and connects web users to journalists to generate high quality news coverage of the 2008 Presidential election.  The site seems clunky and text heavy, but simple enough.  All you have to do is review news articles on the site, rating them on quality.  It seems, then, that the users decide which articles report what the general population (at least the web-using ones that frequent this site) deem to be excellence in journalism.  Another feature allows you to submit your own stories (unclear, as of now, if that means stories I can write myself, as a citizen journalist, or other stories I find on the web from reputable sources).  I like this idea not only because I think the mainstream media needs to take responsibility in producing high quality, informative news concerning the election, but I am a huge advocate of citizen journalism.

Either Or

Why do we pick a particular candidate?

I don’t claim to know alot about politics, but I have an opinion here and there.  This morning, 23/6 reported a bit on Jim Webb’s Vice prospects.  Here come my caveats (followed shortly by my point, I promise).  The original  article concerning Webb’s interest in running alongside Obama appeared in the Washington Times, a paper known for its conservative point of view.  Secondly, 23/6 is known for its often light-hearted take on…well… lots of things.  The  website proceeds to make a pros and cons list of Webb’s, including his “a-hole factor” (5) and his “vibe” (manly).

In my opinion, most Americans will make their voting decision based on how much they like a particular candidate.  Others will decide strictly on party lines.  More times than not, though, both of these decision-making factors have very very little to do with what each candidate actually stands for politically.  Again, perhaps I am not giving the American public enough credit, but I bet most Americans cannot tell me more than one thing either candidate stands for.  But they will say “McCain is too old” or “Obama is inexperienced.”  What about McCain’s stance on social security?   Or what Obama wants to do with bankruptcy laws and mortgage fraud to jump start the economy?  Don’t know?  These issues affect the American individual much more significantly than Obama’s connection to his former minister or McCain’s wife’s annual income.  Is the media to blame for fueling the hype?  Sure, partly.

Shouldn’t we educate ourselves about what we are voting for - what a candidate will do once actually elected - rather than making snap judgments based on unimportant factors of personal character?  I can respect a vote for any candidate if the decision is well-informed, not just based on hype alone.

Do these match?

What does this image tell you about the attached article?

CNN.com today ran a front page article about the Army’s latest report concerning the war in Iraq and the admission of mistakes, again and again, from top military leaders. The story itself is a grand ‘no kidding’ smack on the forehead, but the bit that struck me was the photo located just above the headline.

Why do I care about the relationship between the image and the article it accompanies? Let me tell you. I just finished a little research project on the subject as a completion of my Master’s degree at Georgetown. In my heavily researched opinion, I have come to the conclusion that online mainstream media sites (like CNN, MSNBC, etc.) need to do a better job of using imagery to portray what actually happens in the war zone. Historically, CNN chooses beautiful images that are pleasing to the eye, but have little-to-no connection to the specific story to which they are attached. This particular image of the Iraq skyline ignited doesn’t tell us much, but generally seems to be better than the average selected imagery. Semiotically, the photograph tells us that the burning of the city is the most important piece of meaning within the frame. The smoke clouds are orange (the brightest and most prominent color in the picture) and are situated in the key top spot. Our eye naturally goes to it and recognizes it first. The rest of the image sits in shadow, save for the lighted buildings. We now know that we are looking at a city image in the desert, as the silhouette of palm trees represent desert climate. But what does this image tell us about the article? Not much, other than it is a picture of Iraq (we assume, as we see desert and burning?). CNN.com uses alot of stock images of desert, palm trees and sandy landscape shots to illustrate any article about the war. Why? These images tell us nothing about the war or the specific article, other than to set the scene. I know we have photojournalists on the ground taking haunting, beautiful and informative images of the war. Why don’t we see them? What are these bland stock images telling us about the day-to-day events of the action?

P0pulist

Will P0pulist stick?

I have been on the new site P0pulist for a few weeks now, but I just can’t seem to get into it. The concept is simple: make a list of things you like, right now. Change them when you change your mind and keep a running list of your interests. Share with others and build a community based on agreed likes. I have no problem listing things I like (peanut butter, live music, grapefruit juice, rock climbing). My list changes frequently, too. P0pulist should be perfect for me. I just don’t really see the point. So I predict it won’t ’stick’ (you read it hear first!). I have tried, I really have. I have given it a few weeks - tried to update regularly and build a community of shared interests- but I force myself to work on it each day. What is the problem? I am not sure (definitive, I know). It just ain’t working for me. How about you?