My Multimedia Learning Experience

I can't believe we're actually sliding into the last few days of this class.  It's been quite an experience!  I started the class with hundreds of pictures in my digital camera and no idea what to do with them.  And although I'd heard of blogs, wikis, and twitter, I'd never even heard of most of the other apps we used.  That means that most weeks were eye openers for me. 

Being totally immersed in technology for most of my free time since January has certainly removed my hesitancy in trying things.  My computer didn't blow up afterall!  Luckily, I tend to stick with something until I figure it out, and that was definitely needed for this class (especially with my slow internet!).

The next class I was thinking of taking is the one that teaches you how to upgrade an old computer.  I hate that they become obsolete so quickly, and that's another area that is intimidating to me.

Now that I know how, I know I'll be doing lots more with pictures, videos, and presentations (Jing too!).  And of course, I will do my best to keep up with the website.  I think the only thing I never want to do again is to spend this many hours a day behind a computer.  It's time to come up for air and dig in the dirt!

Many thanks to Lisa for exposing me to so many neat things, and thanks also to the classmates that shared their thoughts with the class.  Good luck to all.

Remix

In an article written by Jay Forder, he quotes an article written by Steward Alsop titled "Copyright Protection is for Dinosaurs" where it says that copyright protects a monopoly to exploit certain rights so that people will have to engage in creative effort.  So think about this.  Monopolies are being allowed by law to exploit people and the thinking behind it is that people will HAVE to get creative to get around the road block.  But what they found was the reverse.  In actuality, because the web has made it so easy to copy and "remix" things, even more creative benefits were realized.  He even goes on to say that companies that spent time protecting their rights were less successful all around.  The more successful companies were focusing on great customer service and updating their software to keep up.  Apparently, Alsop found that even without copyright laws, established companies have the edge over newcomers because of all the obstacles a new creator has to overcome, such as making sure new software is compatible with present systems, and gaining the trust of buyers. 

I thought these reflections were on point and provided good reason for companies to pay attention to the changes the web has brought to us and the need for copyright laws to keep up with these changes.

Here's a link to another article I found interesting (written by Steward Rutledge).  He quotes someone named Bodo Balasz wrote an article where he says that we have all been brainwashed into thinking everything is a copyright infringement.  He intimates that the line drawn between infringement and artistic freedom is drawn by legislators that are paid by the rich copyright owners.  I think that's real food for thought....

Generation F in Business

Gary Hamel very nicely put together the life expectations that will come with those that grew up online.  I really like his comment about all ideas having equal footing.  How many times have we experienced having someone come up with an idea that is not accepted because management is not ready to hear it - even if the idea is great and many are ready to embrace it?  As Gary said, in the online world, ideas are aggregated by the sheer force of public opinions that are all peer reviewed and grow on their own.  No one can stop it or slow it down.  A business would do well to pay attention to its potential customers if they want to survive in this virtual world, and those with forward-thinking mangement will pay attention.  But will I see this type of response where I work in a government office???  I don't see them recognizing this way of thinking in the near future.  It's too large so nothing changes quickly.

I liked the idea that people online are followed due to merit and not because they were appointed as a leader due to position, birth, or title.  In a way, this takes us back to a time when people climbed the corporate ladder because of merit, and not because they could list degrees on their resume.  Not to say that a degree doesn't increase skills and open minds - there's no doubt about that - but there's nothing like a person that just "gets it."  I have found that working in an office environment, certain people stand out and it's got nothing to do with their education, job title, or any other credentials.  These are the people that recognize that to be a successful leader, you really do have to serve, hear, and then give people what they need.  The internet is certainly a place that allows the cream to float to the top in any field whether they are well-known or not.  You can read articles written by people that have great ideas worth reading, and it's got nothing to do with anything else!  Generation F will definitly have a hard time following someone for no other reason than their title after being "moved" by natural-born inspiration builders they've been following online.

I think the biggest changes that will come from online living will be the speed at which changes and developments will happen.  Now that no one is able to control or limit ideas, and since there is so much free sharing online, technology and many other things will explode!  This is why I believe the copyright laws need to be reconsidered.  Holding out on society strictly for money is not only the wrong thing to do, it's becoming outdated  and uncontrollable just by the creation of the web.  I think many are recognizing this and hopefully a solution that works for everyone will come soon.

Finally, I do believe that Gary's points are right on with how we've all been affected by the web.  Recognizing how it has and will continue to impact our lives has certainly got me thinking about what class I should take next so that I won't be oblivious in our changing world!

Comments on The Long Tail

It is really interesting to see just how much the online world has changed everything.  The story of Touching the Void's rise out of obscurity to popularity really shows the power of each individual person's ability to make things happen just by giving an opinion.  Before online comment sections on items up for sale, there really was no way to know the satisfaction level of the general public unless you happened to know someone that had experience with a particular item.  Since our own circle of family and friends can be limited, there was not always a way to get this information.  So we were much more influenced by commercials and whatever the media had to tell us.  Later, we did have access to Consumer Reports, but that requires a subscription (even though the online subscription is not expensive) and many didn't subscribe unless they were avid consumers.  And there's always Oprah for book reviews!  But the comments section provides us with immediate access to the opinions of people who don't stand to gain from what they have to say.  It's again merely a sharing of knowledge so our fellow-man doesn't make the same mistake we did, or gets to enjoy the benefits of something that actually turned out great.  Reading the comments certainly has affected my decisions to purchase, and I've even made purchases based on "readers who bought your item also loved...this!" 

Because this type of advertising is not paid for by the manufacturers or companies that stand to gain from the sale, I have much more confidence in what is said.  I think this method of getting the word out will force companies to ensure that their products are actually as good as they say they are, or they better be ready to deal with the negative comments that most surely will come. 

Conversely, those who are small-time creators will have the opportunity to be recognized based on merit, and not on the size of their marketing budget.  That's a change for the better for everyone all around in my opinion.

Podcasting!

Well I have to say that with the struggles with Itunes and downloads to try to get what I need to create a podcast, my initial thoughts were that this was no fun.  But putting all of that aside, I do like the general idea of podcasts.  I think that once I get my new ipod charged and running, I will find some podcasts to subscribe to and load them on the ipod.  It'll be handy to listen to them doing....whatever I want!.  It's great to be able to select just those items that you find interesting and listen when you are ready.  Plus you don't have to deal with a radio station that won't come in well.  However, I don't see myself becoming a podcast creator any time soon (except for this class!).  There's just no time for it in my life right now. But who knows about the future?  It's great to know that I will know how...that is, if I can figure it out over the week-end!  And since I tend to be a person that says "ummm" a lot, it's nice to know there's a way to get rid of that part in a recording!

I found a how-to for podcasting that helped make the process clearer for me.  Its called How to Podcast, and I found it easy to understand.  Check it out:  How to Podcast.

Day in the Life Vlog

I don't have time for much other than work and homework these days, but in between I always squeeze in some exercise after sitting all day, so my vlog this week is a snowshoe around the backyard.  Since my camera's mic just doesn't pick up voice well enough to be worth the effort, I had to go with captions.  Doing this was fun, although I realize it's not the most exciting thing to watch (just not that action-packed!), but it's given me lots of ideas of what I should do with video snippets I've got from different events over the last year.  This particular "movie" took almost 4 hours to load to YouTube!!!  I guess it's rather long, either that or I didn't select the right size for loading.  Both times I've loaded to YouTube, I used the size recommended by the editor I was using, which was Windows Live Movie Maker.  What are the repercussions of not going with the recommendation I wonder?  I imagine going smaller would be a quicker load.  When you have to wait so long for the upload though, you hate to experiment too much.

My First Vlog!

Finally!  My vlog for your viewing pleasure (with all its imperfections).  What a hoot to publish on YouTube.  :->

Hans Rosling's Presentation

Wow - I'm so impressed with Hans Rosling's presentation.  First I thought it was great because it was on a huge screen with the print being dark and the background being light so it was easy on the eyes.  Then it was unique because he used dots of different sizes and colors to represent countries instead of the usual bar graphs.  But didn't he ever get his point across when the dots started moving according to world changes while at the same time, the years in the background changed!  It was an eye opener as a presentation as was the substance of his talk.  It made the viewer totally get the message he was trying to bring across.  Then he changed to his discussion of world wealth and begin to drop layers to represent which countries held the wealth.  It was so incredibly easy to follow and at no time did he lose your interest.  This method of presenting data - through moving representations of each statistic - is the way to go!  It makes otherwise possibly dull information actually come alive for the viewer.  Very cool!  It did cross my mind though that the work behind it would be pretty intense.  Imagine having to add in each bit of data for each country and for each year and attach it to a visual.  Probably lots more time consuming than a bar graph. 

Kindle's Text to Speech Capability

The issue of whether the Kindle's text to speech capability is violating copyright laws is a little tricky (but just a little).  I tend to agree that the Author's Guild has something to worry about.  Even though the Dvice review of the Kindle said that the voice for the reader sounded like an obnoxious robot, we know that technology continues to improve and get better all the time.  It won't be long before digital voices will be indistinguishable from the real thing.  There is no doubt that the Kindle is the way of the future for anyone that doesn't want to lug a book around, and the fact that you can listen to a book while driving or doing anything else is a super idea.  The text to speech feature is what I think will make the Kindle idea take off (at least I'm more interested!).  So I can understand their argument.  However, it's also true that it's not a real voice, and therefore, isn't quite the same thing as an audio book.

But no matter what the courts decide about whether it's the same thing or not, if Amazon purchased the copy for sale and use by the Kindle, then haven't they already paid what's due?  How many times does Amazon have to pay for something before it really becomes theirs to use as they wish?  It's like giving a gift then expecting to tell the receiver what they can and can't do with it.  The rule there is that once the gift is given, the recipient can do with it as they please.  Why is this rule of thumb not true for something you purchase, knowing it's purpose is resale from the get-go?  Why should authors get paid for Amazon's good idea that is separate and distinct from the creation of the book?  In any case, it doesn't appear that Amazon is worried about losing sales for their Audible division by the creation of the text to speech feature.  It seems to me that if there really was a concern about audio books being replaced by Kindle, then Amazon might not have incorporated this feature in the Kindle2.  They don't seem to be worried about it.

Maybe the answer is for authors to charge more for their books knowing that once purchased by places like Amazon, the book might be read on a Kindle.  Isn't this what the Author's Guild is looking for?  But the higher prices get, the less affordable the books become, then everyone loses (especially us, the buyers).  In the end, the most reasonable answer is for the Author's Guild to let it go.

Copyright Law and Shepard Fairey

Wow - I can't believe how ridiculous the whole copyright argument is between AP and Shepard Fairey.  If I were a judge in the courts I would throw out AP's argument as being completely frivolous.  Honestly, one of their people took a picture.  Do they own the face in the picture just because they photographed it?  I would think President Obama should be paid lots of money by literally everyone that has ever taken a picture of him over the years and used it in any way.  My feeling is that anyone putting anything on the internet should make it exceedingly clear if their item is not to be used without pay.  If they fail to do so, then it's fair game / fair use without question.  The courts should not be wasting taxpayer money on cases like this.  Creative Commons would have no doubt made a difference in this case, but AP is using a large safety net that "everything" they touch is protected.  Very self-serving.  I like the part in the article Lisa provided (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29023218/) that said the Obama campaign thanked Mr. Fairey for using his talent in support of his campaign.  That statement alone should close the matter.  Mr. Obama was ok with the use of his face in that poster.  Nothing more needs to be said. 

I tried the "thermal" effect in Blibs on a picture of me and Ben Franklin (will I get contacted by Ben's attorneys for using his image????).  Love that site!  Fun!

Digital Art

Wow - there are so many artistic people out there (I'm not one of them).  I was amazed at the creativity in using the different apps for cell phones, etc.  The one I found very fascinating was the BrushesApp for iphones, the ipod touch, and the ipad.  A person literally uses their finger to draw on the screen.  Imagine carrying around something that fits in your pocket and being able to start drawing wherever you are.  A lot less messy I would think, than the real thing!  And way more spontaneous.  I am also amazed by the great pictures that can be taken with a phone.  How many times in the past (before cell phones if you can imagine it!) have I wished I had a camera to capture something that I would not see again?  For most of us, it's not about the picture quality as it is about catching that perfect moment.  Cell phones are great for that.  In an article titled Is The Cell Phone The New Polaroid written by Alan Murbayashi, he tells us that cell phones outnumber cameras by a huge margin.  It has made it great for "citizen journalists."  No doubt that's why we can view pictures of so many current events that were not available to us years ago.  And we no longer have to carry a large camera around our necks!  I can't help but wonder what's next with technology.

Creative Commons

I like the idea of Creative Commons.  It allows a creator to say what protections they want for their creation using a tool that appears to be fairly easy to work with.  I think that anyone posting a creation on the internet should have to sign up for a copyright license in a central place so that anyone wanting to use the creation can easily look up what the restrictions are.  However, if a creator fails to sign up within a preset time frame, it should mean the sky's the limit.  As I've said before, I think whole copyrighting/patenting thing is out of control.  A good example of this is the Monsanto Company.  I found an article about them in one of Kevin Kelly's news sites (a Bernie Sanders newsroom article no less:  http://sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=c255ae23-f41a-470d-8460-a65d65df6f58)  Monsanto actually sued a neighboring farmer when they tested some of the plants in his fields and found one of them was grown from a Monsanto seed.  Monsanto's seeds are genetically-engineered, while the farmer was organic.  He had no intention of using a Monsanto seed and had no idea one had blown in and was growing in his field.  The system needs an overhaul to prevent frivolous court cases like this.

Next 5000 Days for WWW - Kevin Kelly's Talk

Kevin Kelly's ideas certainly made me think.  It really is amazing what the web has done to change our lives, and he's right, we aren't as amazed as we ought to be.  A few things he said jumped out at me.  One was that the number of clicks and links out there are so large as to be meaningless.  The "stuff" out there becomes one large mass, sort of like a brain that is full of information.  That was a fascinating way to think about the web.  I was concerned to hear that our use of technology accounts for over 5% of global electricity.  As none of this technology is going to go away, but rather it will grow, we really need to think about how to let it all grow "green."  I liked his thought where he stated that WE are the web - we really are when you think about it, aren't we?  He said that the next "Web 3.0" will probably be something much smarter than what we have now....more anticipatory and personalized.  This rang true; I think we can all feel it coming.  He called the price we would pay for this next level "transparency."  To me, that's a nice way of saying we'd have to give up our privacy.  It makes me wonder if we'll all get chips in our heads and be connected to the web that way.  Scary - they are already doing this with our pets!  Are we next?

Cloud Presence 2-3-11

My cloud presence is actually very heavy at work, but not so much in my personal life.  At work, nearly everything I do is saved to a server "out there" somewhere, but also in a very protected area set by my employer.  I recently created a "sharepoint" site for the program that I am responsible for.  A sharepoint site is basically a place on the web to which I give people permissions to enter.  It holds information such as research items, work tools, shared documents, etc. that everyone can use and share.  I am responsible for its maintenance and its content. 

Five years ago, my employer wasn't nearly as cloud-oriented as it is now.  We were still filling out paper forms to apply for jobs, do our time sheets, make benefits changes, and for many internal communications.  It's been amazing how the technological changes have increased our productivity and improved our record-keeping ability!  But there is still much to do to get all divisions within my agency to be able to share data.

One of the improvements that is coming will take care of trying to juggle all of the passwords I have for each of the systems I use.  They've already provided us with a badge that will hold a password assigned to each particular employee in preparation of having just one password for all the systems.  I can't wait for that new feature to be in place! 

Goals for Multi-media Class

My goals for taking this class in multi-media are to become more familiar and comfortable with all the different types of media that are available to me via my computer.  I'd like to learn about what I can do with my digital camera and videos.  I really know nothing about blogging or wikis or anything like that.  Like I said in my blackboard personal page, I'm green!  I know I've read blogs if they had anything to do with topics I was researching for other classes I've taken, but I can't say I have one that I follow.

My anxiety over taking this course has to do with time (this week I'm on vacation so it's hard to break away and do homework!), and also over hoping I will understand even the most general instructions and guidance!  But I will take it one day at a time....

My technology background is really all about using Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and email.  I've taken two other computer classes - Microcomputer Apps I & II.  I hope to keep moving forward in technology classes.  The only way to get comfortable with something is to dive in, right?

Vacation!

Hi everyone -

I'm at JFK Airport right now waiting for my next flight to Aruba!  I'll be great fun doing homework while on vacation.   :-o

I'll use my blog to share my adventures this coming week!

Gail