Falling in Love 5 Minutes at a Time April 25, 2008
Posted by Ryan in : Blogging, Podcasts, Quotes, Puppets, Trends, BarCamp, BlogOrlando, Friends, Twitter , add a commentA few years ago at the second Orlando Puppet Festival, I was trying to sell Heather Henson on the idea of my podcasting about the festival becoming official. Needless to say, she’s super-busy running the festival, and we don’t have time to get into all the ins and outs of podcasting, so she asks me to give her a sample. The next time I see Heather I hand her a CD, and she’s grateful for the ability to time-shift her decision-making process.
The following day I see her, she’s a bit frustrated with me, because she says “I put this in my car and nothing happened, you gave me a bad CD!” Oops! Not the case, in fact it was a collection of every podcast I’d released to date - totaling around 80 hours of audio, or about enough to fill 60 regular CDs. “They’re MP3’s” I said, “Normally you’d have to spend hours downloading them all, and I’ve saved you the trouble!” Heather retorts, “But how do I know where to start?” She didn’t like having the entire library of congress and no card catalog (OK, not the ENTIRE library, but still…).
This brings me to an interesting point I haven’t dwelled much on in the past year and a half. How do we begin to introduce people to something like, let’s say Lady Raptastic, which has more than 80 hour-long episodes by itself, not to mention all the other shows Mark Baratelli produces. I suppose the old adage “You’re only as good as your last [whatever]” may come into play here, but that’s just not how it is with blogs and most podcasts.
I was having a conversation with someone at BarCamp about this very subject. She was getting into blogging based on a few pokes by her friends, and she was worried about writing something relevant. I told her “The magic of blogging doesn’t happen in an instant, you sort of fall in love 5 minutes at a time.”
I don’t really know where else to go from here, but suffice it to say there will likely be a “part 2″ of this post, and perhaps more. I’d love to hear your thoughts. I’d especially like to see what the 200+ attendees of BlogOrlando have to say about the subject.
Video Uploads to Flickr April 9, 2008
Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Podcasts, Orlando, Events, Video, Film, Reviews, Trends, MySpace, photos, Facebook, BarCamp, Storytelling, Viddler, Web Services, Flickr , add a comment
My First Video on Flickr fit the new requirements perfectly: less than 90 seconds, and less than 150MB. That’s fantastic, and the streaming in good, embed codes, tagging, fits right into my flickr photo/video stream, awesome.
The videos on Flickr are going to make YouTube obsolete, or rather, the MySpace to Flickr’s metaphorical Facebook. The content in each place is different. I don’t go to MySpace or YouTube expecting quality, art, or intellectual content of the least kind. However, I know some real life people on Facebook, and some really serious photographers on Flickr.
By creating a constraint like this, the “90-second short film” will gain a place on the internet. I wouldn’t doubt if the next set of consumer-level cameras have an option to limit video clips to 90 seconds to allow for easy Flickr uploading.
…and it is SO easy. The same exact experience as working with a photo - I haven’t tried geotagging, but I bet it works. Now if they can get Viddler-style deep tagging working just like Notes on photos, I’ll be a very happy man.
David is a total goofball, now you can see it at 30FPS. Thanks Flickr!
Conversation about Orlando Tech Association April 7, 2008
Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Markteting, Orlando, Links, Events, Trends, floridacreatives, BarCamp, Politics , add a comment…is happening right now over on Robert Dempsey’s blog - he gave some highlights from the weekend at BarCamp and some of the many events and discussions around the idea of forming a technology association in Central/all of Florida.
I obviously had something to say, and I think this conversation is headed in a healthy direction. If you want to get involved, please check out Robert’s blog and the subsequent comments.
Here are my words:
Florida Creatives is not the tech association, but it could be one option if people get on board. I would love to be involved, and if we end up using Florida Creatives as the name for the organization so be it.
Robert and I have discussed getting a regular conference call together that is recorded so people can listen in and post responses, as well as meetings in person, but I think something like a video or audio recording of these events will help ease everyone’s minds. I think the more open this entire process is, the fewer witch hunts we will see.
Over at FloridaCreatives.com we’re going to be setting up a free tool to help folks get organized, make connections, get a centralized list of events, and have a conversation.
The tools will be similar to those you see on Meetup.com but offered for free to anyone who wants them.
The work we’ve already done starting the wiki will continue with a more user-friendly look and feel, and hopefully the information will become even easier to find, search and import/export. The point is to make the tools free and openly available with a very low barrier to entry.
I’m stoked to hear so many passionate voices. It’s a sign that we’ve arrived as a community and it’s time to take action.
I never wanted to set up Florida Creatives like that and put in all the work until we were ready and it would be easy to get some folks to help us keep the thing running smoothly. This is the sort of thing we can write grant proposals about and gather donations for. Meetup.com’s $20/month fee is exorbitant, but they do have to pay the bills.
We’ve got a volunteer who wants to help with the design, but I’m sure we could use more. I know we have a couple of Drupal nerds in town, I’m willing to train more. Drupal’s Organic Groups is really one of the most robust and easiest tools to get this job done, and it will let everyone have a level playing field here.
This is a political movement - the word politics is scary, but creating a group like this means a consolidation of power - from individuals, groups and businesses alike, they all wield some influence, some resources, and often times the larger groups are not submitting higher quality volunteers, or more passionate, or even a larger number than the smaller groups. There’s a lot of talk going around about the size of companies, but one passionate and focused person can achieve what a large group of lazy and disagreeable types can.
If we can come to a consensus, philosophically, ethically; set a good example for others to follow, we can be a large group of passionate and focused individuals all going in the same direction.
BarCampOrlando IZEA Geekout Party
Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Podcasts, Orlando, Links, Events, Video, Beer, floridacreatives, Entrepreneurship, photos, Contributors, OrlandoScene, BarCamp, Social Media Events , 1 comment so far
This was how I spend 90% of the time at the IZEA GeekOut Party - talking to Tara Lamberson and Dan Kinchen about a Central Florida Tech Association, or something like it.
Thanks to Ted Murphy for throwing the party - we hope to see you on the 21st for Florida Creatives. Also thanks to Adam Teece for hosting the podcasts.
Also appearing in this video: Ted Murphy, Gregg Pollack and a widdle baby
See more videos by Adam at the GeekOut
BarCampOrlando Downtown April 5th and 6th, 10AM - 6PM April 1, 2008
Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Podcasts, Orlando, SEO, Music, Links, Events, Video, Coworking, Trends, Standards, floridacreatives, mashups, Graphics, OrlandoScene, Teaching, open source, BarCamp, PodCamp, Storytelling, phone, Web Services, Social Media Events, Social Networking, Programming , add a comment
BarCamp Orlando is a weekend for all types of creative folks to come together and share with each other. The event is dubbed an “unconference”, a format which derives power from the people instead of the event organizers or the presenters. Everyone has an equal opportunity to get on stage and speak, teach or lead a discussion, playing off of the idea that at any given conference, the people in the audience have more knowledge collectively than the presenter(s) on stage.
This second installment of BarCamp will be held over 2 days, Saturday and Sunday, April 5th and 6th, in downtown Orlando at the Wall Street complex, from 10AM - 6PM each day. Registration is free, and a registration promises a shirt and lunch on the sponsors of BarCamp, businesses who are passionate about the technology and media communities of Central Florida.
Saturday is the designated “Dev Day”, playing host to everything from web programming to robot building and video game development and everything in between. iPhone hackers, guys with soldering irons, the latest technologies, and plenty that haven’t been realized yet. Every 30 minutes, both venues will have a different talk going on, so if you’re feeling lost in the jargon, apply the “rule of 2 feet” and check out what’s happening in the other room!
Sunday is dubbed “Media Day”, and is the place for storytellers, journalists, writers, designers, filmmakers, musicians, 2D and 3D artists, podcasters, bloggers and social networkers to show off their work, share their tricks or talk about the state of the industry. From 12 to 1 we will be talking about the “Past, Present and Future of Media in Central Florida”, hoping to give our community a sense of our story, and where we’re headed.
Registration is free, and the event runs from 10AM - 6PM both days with a lunch break at 1PM. The event will be housed in Slingapour’s and One-Eyed-Jack’s, with Wall St Cantina acting as our “hallway”. There will be projectors and microphones, chairs and a space to speak. All you have to do is write your name on the whiteboard and you get 20-25 minutes to share your passions with a group of energetic, engaged geeks and creatives. I would not use the words “captive audience” to describe the BarCamp crowd, because they all want to get involved.
Visit www.barcamporlando.org today and register for Dev Day, Media Day or both days. Wall Street Plaza is at 18 Wall Street Plaza, Orlando, FL 32801 - barcamporlando.org/where has a map to the venue and information about parking.
BarCampMiami Audio: Podcasting is not about Tools March 3, 2008
Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Podcasts, Events, Trends, floridacreatives, Teaching, BarCamp, Storytelling, miami, Social Media Events , add a comment
Download BarCampMiami Audio: Podcasting is not about Tools
Had a great talk of about 35 minutes. I will link to folks’ blogs and stuff in a few minutes, but I just realised I hadn’t posted this yet. Flash player coming soon too.
Some talking points:
- What’s your interest in this podcast session? I’ve been podcasting for two years.
- Can we make podcasting more accessible? Understand how your audience consumes media.
- How did you get into creating podcasts? I wanted to record conversations.
- Why can’t everyone be famous? Sometimes being a celebrity helps, you need an audience.
- The subject matter of your podcast is intrinsically bonded to your audience. You can’t force it on them.
- What happens if you do something outside your niche? Don’t create any more channels.
- Podcasts are personal. For audiences and producers. Producers and hosts are members of the community.
- Syndication to larger sites as well as smaller sites can help you grow your audience.
- Doing an “informal” podcast is the same as a formal one - “once you start, you can’t stop!”
- Can we use podcasts to bridge the barriers of language and culture? Visuals, video with subtitles.
- Why video gets more play and advertising than audio - because of engagement.
- How people consume media in suburban vs. urban areas.
- How do I make money? Monetization must be in the plan from day 1.
- Using services like Revver to reward the sharer, creator and host.
Links mentioned in this podcast:
- My Podcast Network
- Lady Raptastic
- Sex and the Beach
- My post about adding subtitles to videos
- Piers Fawkes’ Blog about the 50/50 Corporation
- My video on Rocketboom
BarCampOrlando April 5th & 6th @ Wall St. Plaza February 24, 2008
Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Orlando, Events, Video, floridacreatives, BarCamp, PodCamp, Social Media Events , add a commentApril 2008 BarCampOrlando @ Wall Street Plaza, April 5th & 6th
I’m recruiting presenters and attendees for the New Media Day. Be there, bring your A-game. (your B-game is equally welcome)
At the last event, I think everyone’s understanding that there were going to be some crazy awesome presentations as well as some mediocre ones was not very solid. I spoke to a few people who presented and said “I thought I was going to be all by myself in a room with like 5 guys all scratching their chins, but I was SO wrong”, the other half of them said “I thought about presenting, but I didn’t think I was ‘good enough’, but then I saw it was just a bunch of guys like me, so I’m going to blow them all out of the water this time”.
Really, those are you only two options. You should have either presented at last year’s BarCamp, or decided that you were definitely presenting at the next one. If you weren’t there, then take my word for it and create a presentation. Really.
Orlando Geeks + Charity = My Suggestion January 31, 2008
Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Orlando, Events, Trends, Charity, Teaching, BarCamp , 1 comment so farAt BarCamp in September there was a food drive, and I think for what it was the project was considered a success. I like the idea, and I would gladly give food to local needy families.
Another way our event could have an impact on the world is by participating in the One Laptop Per Child Project. $200 is a lot of money for one geek to give on her own, but if a group of 200-500 geeks donated $10+ each, we could buy 10 to 25 laptops.
The XO laptop was designed by some folks from the MIT Media Lab (and I’m sure lots of collaborators) to stimulate kids’ minds and get them thinking at a higher level. Take a look at the literature on the OLPC site. There is a definite desire to cross the barriers of language with this project. It’s not just about Africa, but that is a part of the world where this project has focused lots of attention.
One Laptop per Child (OLPC), a low-cost, connected laptop for the world’s children’s education
That’s my thought. I think it fits the mission of BarCamp to encourage the passion for technology. From the BarCamp Wiki: “BarCamp is an ad-hoc gathering born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment.”
Updates:
The dialog is over on the BarCampOrlando Google Group, as of 2/1/08 there are 27 messages in the thread, several people have given positive or negative comments. Some folks explain why, others don’t. There is also some inside baseball happening here, and for now I won’t reveal it.
Needless to say, we are no longer planning a BarCamp, because there is nothing “ad-hoc” about it. Everything is getting discussed in committee, and we’re planning the thing like 6 months in advance. This is not Agile Programming.
BarCampOrlando Video October 17, 2007
Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Orlando, Events, Video, floridacreatives, OrlandoScene, BarCamp , 2 commentsFeaturing… everybody. Special shout-outs to Mike Misowitz from Petentials.com, Mike G, because he’s badass in every picture, the guys with awesome beards, and Jason Hawkins for rocking this video. It really is the BarCamp Video to leave all others behind.
Back room love, self-promotion, flashy titles, music by badass bands I’ve actually heard of (and seen live). It’s all there, it all gels, and I couldn’t ask for anything else. I’m so proud that such a conference existed to spawn such a video created by such a talented group that covered such a conference.
Jessica Clark almost gets Coworking October 3, 2007
Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Links, Quotes, Coworking, Trends, Web Sites, Facebook, BarCamp , add a commentJessica Clark recently wrote a web-only article for The American Prospect, “an authoritative magazine of liberal ideas” about our new friends at Independent’s Hall called Coworkers of the World, Unite! She gets all of the factual information correct:
Co-working goes hand-in-hand with the volatile startup lifestyle, offering a haven between gigs and a spot to generate new projects and connections. The trend started in the capital of what business writer Daniel Pink has dubbed the “free agent nation” — San Francisco. There, Chris Messina, 26, and Tara Hunt, 34, run Citizen Agency, a marketing and design firm that advises clients on how to develop brand communities, and Citizen Space, a co-working office.
Fine piece of journalism, really. I think this could help a newbie understand coworking. I disagree with the last 3 paragraphs. I left a comment, but it feels like I didn’t think it all the way through.
Am I too whiny? I felt like a kid defending his Ninja Turtles:
How can you say “for Hunt and others, these new ties are just as valid as the old connections of blood, proximity and race.” and then include these comments?
“no number of Facebook friendships will serve as a safety net if you go bankrupt”
“Incubate their startups so that they can cash in and move on to other projects.”
You have a theoretical knowledge of what all these buzzwords mean - social interaction, barcamp, coworking - but would you have written that if you knew what it was like? The bonds you make because of these common goals are far stronger than those you make with an everyday working relationship. To quote Chris Heuer from an unconference this week, “Business is personal again”. I won’t hire anyone I wouldn’t invite into my home, or go on a weekend camping trip with.
The people I’ve met because of my interest in coworking are getting invited to my wedding. I mean that.
She goes through several thousand words building up Coworking, BarCamp and other such geeky topics as new ways of holding a community together, and then accuses us of being hollow, shallow capitalists in the same breath.
Jessica, I charge you to go work at Indy Hall for a month and read your article to yourself; then we’ll talk.
