I’m a big ol’ critic of the current frenzy for social media. That is, I’m critical of the “social media can do EVERYTHING, replace ALL mainstream media, CURE CANCER, etc. school of thought. But I am not critical of the tools that make it possible to exchange information, or add deeper meaning to the content of media. Platforms like Twitter, podcasting, uStream, and Facebook, to name just a few, can unleash not only creativity of…
Category: New Media and Tech
AccessCamp: From A Distance
Posted in Access and Disability, and New Media and Tech
A couple days ago, I saw a Twitter message advertising AccessCamp, an unconference focusing on digital accessibility. At first,my response was a bit sarcastic: camps seem to proliferate like weeds, I observed. But the more I thought about it, the more an AccessCamp seemed like a brilliant idea, and one I wish I had been aware of earlier. Having fought and defeated inaccessibility in various ways all my life, I have a few thoughts. The…
Austin Social Media 100
Posted in Announcements, New Media and Tech, Podcasting, and Random Personal Nonsense
I just learned that I’m listed in the Austin Social Media 100, in the tech category. I can’t say that I know much about this set of rankings, but I’m flattered to be included. I’m also mining the rest of the list for fun and interesting people to follow on Twitter or elsewhere.
Tagged, Not Tethered
Posted in New Media and Tech
Over the weekend, I do something I rarely do: I got involved with a Facebook meme. It didn’t require an app install, nor did I receive “points” of any kind for inviting my friends. I simply played along when a friend tagged me in her LifePod post. Create a note, copy and paste, do some tagging, and you’re done. It was fun! The fact that it seems very natural for those who enjoy social networks…
As promised, here’s part 2 of my prescription for the newly podcast-infused BlogWorld Expo. Check out part 1 here: Thriving in spite of Vegas. Opinions about Las Vegas vary. For many, the bright lights and myriad attractions confer bigness and importance on a trade show. More people will come, the theory goes, to combine work with pleasure, and more people from all over the country will be able to find discounted travel options. But Vegas…
In a move that was first rumored back in 2007, Tim Bourquin has sold the trade show he created, New Media Expo, to BlogWorld, producers of BlogWorld Expo (link currently not working). The 2008 New Media Expo, the fourth annual event that was aimed primarily at podcasters, did not quite live up to expectations, and Bourquin had not announced a 2009 event, leading to speculation that the show would either disappear or be moved from…
Another new nano?
Posted in New Media and Tech
Am I really the only person who finds Apple’s frequent tinkering with the iPod nano design tedious? The first nano had physical problems (read, it got scratched a lot), the second was a thing of beauty, the third was chunky and awkward, and the fourth, well, I haven’t seen one, so I’m withholding judgment. Other than an altered menu system and the ability to play video (do y’all play video on your nanos?) it’s essentially…
veepPhone
Posted in New Media and Tech, and Politics and Public Affairs
The collective press, and even my Twitter stream has been infected by veepstakes fever, mostly on the Obama side. It’s become a little annoying at this point, I’ll admit. And by the way, I haven’t given my cell number to the Obama campaign for this purpose, though I’ve been on his text message list in the past. What I realized this morning, as I read the Mashable story about fake iPhone lines in Poland, is…
New Media Expo’s Middle Year
Posted in New Media and Tech, and Podcasting
Last week’s New Media Expo was, to a large degree, what I expected it to be. Frankly, I had hoped that my original expectations would be proven wrong, because I like attending this event, and I think its focus on the podcasting aspect of new media (despite the more inclusive name) is a valuable concentration for those who are more interested in making and producing audio and video than they are in finding new ways…