Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Video? Cast
Here is a podcast with moving pictures that i suppose counts as a video podcast. If i had more time in my quarter right now, i would simply record myself saying all of this and intersperse it with the still slides. But for now, because of comps and because i'm using my workload as a crutch, here's what i've got:
Enjoy?
As for the process of making this, it was pretty fast, but it turned out pretty terrible. I definately learned some things about making slides in other programs and then how they would need to be optimized for this process in the future. I tried to use this assignment as a test example of doing something like Eddie does for the 220 class lectures, in the thought of perhaps using the idea in future assignments/jobs, so in the end it was a good learning experience. If i had more time i would have perhaps tried to put in some demonstrations of how the actual microphones work in practice, or even more examples of how people would look while using them. Who knows. At least i sound like i'm paying attention while i read the lines, right?
Enjoy?
As for the process of making this, it was pretty fast, but it turned out pretty terrible. I definately learned some things about making slides in other programs and then how they would need to be optimized for this process in the future. I tried to use this assignment as a test example of doing something like Eddie does for the 220 class lectures, in the thought of perhaps using the idea in future assignments/jobs, so in the end it was a good learning experience. If i had more time i would have perhaps tried to put in some demonstrations of how the actual microphones work in practice, or even more examples of how people would look while using them. Who knows. At least i sound like i'm paying attention while i read the lines, right?
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
NEXT
Assignment that is....
Using this website to try to find information about political candidates was a little overwhelming. Perhaps its because i have comps this Friday, or perhaps its the other huge projects taht i'm working on, but i just didnt feel like i had the time, energy or desire to sift through all the typical bullshit associated with politics. I am very interested in politics, and will pay much more attention to individual candidates as the election progresses, but at this point, we're just seeing the first / second iterations of the same information that these blogs and websites and candidates are going to spoon feed us over and over again over the coming campaign process.
As far as reaching any specific audience... The only audience that i can see any of these websites reaching on any continual basis is candidate either supporters or absolute detractors. Casually political, or more apathetic people will probably rely on coverage on something like cnn.com where eventually all the "political analysts" will present easy to follow grids with graphics explaning who is who and what they think about everything. I dont know that the candidate page is anything more than a place for fanatics to go and scoup up minute to minute information, or for opponent's staffers to do the equivalent of facebook stalking on the other campaign.
I feel that candidates are now using blogs for a few reasons. First, viral marketing and the distribution power of the internet are formidable. They make disseminating information to the world much faster and easier than some other forms of media. They provide this information 24 hours a day, for people to consume at thier own pace. The blog is also sometimes considered personal communication, and allows the candidate (should they choose so) to "let their hair down" and interact on a more personal basis.
Whether any of these candidates are actually writing the information thier blogs, rather than just signing off on it is something we may never know. I am in far too cynical and pessimistic mood to have faith in politicians right now.
Using this website to try to find information about political candidates was a little overwhelming. Perhaps its because i have comps this Friday, or perhaps its the other huge projects taht i'm working on, but i just didnt feel like i had the time, energy or desire to sift through all the typical bullshit associated with politics. I am very interested in politics, and will pay much more attention to individual candidates as the election progresses, but at this point, we're just seeing the first / second iterations of the same information that these blogs and websites and candidates are going to spoon feed us over and over again over the coming campaign process.
As far as reaching any specific audience... The only audience that i can see any of these websites reaching on any continual basis is candidate either supporters or absolute detractors. Casually political, or more apathetic people will probably rely on coverage on something like cnn.com where eventually all the "political analysts" will present easy to follow grids with graphics explaning who is who and what they think about everything. I dont know that the candidate page is anything more than a place for fanatics to go and scoup up minute to minute information, or for opponent's staffers to do the equivalent of facebook stalking on the other campaign.
I feel that candidates are now using blogs for a few reasons. First, viral marketing and the distribution power of the internet are formidable. They make disseminating information to the world much faster and easier than some other forms of media. They provide this information 24 hours a day, for people to consume at thier own pace. The blog is also sometimes considered personal communication, and allows the candidate (should they choose so) to "let their hair down" and interact on a more personal basis.
Whether any of these candidates are actually writing the information thier blogs, rather than just signing off on it is something we may never know. I am in far too cynical and pessimistic mood to have faith in politicians right now.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Thanks for the Venom.
Lately i feel like i cannot focus. I have so much to do, and yet accomplish none of it. I'd love to blame it on playing video games, but if i didnt play WoW i'd just spend hours watching tv or movies to avoid work instead. The reality is, i just am completely overwhelmed right now by school and i dont know how to cope with it.
I think this will be less of an issue after comps next week, but even saying "comps next week" is sort of terrifying. I'm not worried that i will fail, i'm more worried that i will diappoint those who have invested so much time and effort into not only my program here, but also my ability to continue my education.
On top of that, its spring quarter, we're all insanely stressed, and we've all known eachother for more than 8 months. If you've never talked to me about it before, i firmly belive it takes you 8 months to fully know someone, or at least solidify your opinion. At that mark, girlfriends, boyfriends, best friends, classmates, everyone - you either get sick of them and fight or solidify some form of friendship that will continue onward. Therefore, we're all either secretly (openly?) sick of eachother, or if not sick, secretly sad we all know we'll be parting ways soon enough.
A one year program is so fast, almost too fast. Yet, it can drag on ad nauseum.
On top of this, i've started to grow alarmingly aware of how close time-wise august is from now. And just how soon i'll have to start making moving arrangements and all that. Exciting, but terrifying.
I think this post is a pretty good example of what i expressed in the beginning, the lack of focus. I dont even know what this post is about. I really hope that this all decides to neatly work itself out after comps. That would be great.
"Don't stop if I fall, and dont look back. Oh baby don't stop, bury me and fade to black" - MCR
I think this will be less of an issue after comps next week, but even saying "comps next week" is sort of terrifying. I'm not worried that i will fail, i'm more worried that i will diappoint those who have invested so much time and effort into not only my program here, but also my ability to continue my education.
On top of that, its spring quarter, we're all insanely stressed, and we've all known eachother for more than 8 months. If you've never talked to me about it before, i firmly belive it takes you 8 months to fully know someone, or at least solidify your opinion. At that mark, girlfriends, boyfriends, best friends, classmates, everyone - you either get sick of them and fight or solidify some form of friendship that will continue onward. Therefore, we're all either secretly (openly?) sick of eachother, or if not sick, secretly sad we all know we'll be parting ways soon enough.
A one year program is so fast, almost too fast. Yet, it can drag on ad nauseum.
On top of this, i've started to grow alarmingly aware of how close time-wise august is from now. And just how soon i'll have to start making moving arrangements and all that. Exciting, but terrifying.
I think this post is a pretty good example of what i expressed in the beginning, the lack of focus. I dont even know what this post is about. I really hope that this all decides to neatly work itself out after comps. That would be great.
"Don't stop if I fall, and dont look back. Oh baby don't stop, bury me and fade to black" - MCR
Monday, May 7, 2007
Assignment Number Something: Viacom and YouTube
For this assignment, we were supposed to read the article found here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR2007032301451.html
Having given up television in January due to the costs, i'd say i spend at least 20 minutes a day looking for things on YouTube to watch. Some days this equates to mechanical dinosaurs, some days it equates to comedy things that i know are from good groups that i want to look up. Other times, i'll type in the name of a television show i like, and see if anyone is bending the rules by putting it up, just so i can see a quick bit of it.
Is this wrong? According to the DMCA, yes. Who's fault is it? According, again, to DMCA, YouTube's. Are either of these statements true in my mind? Not entirely.
It IS wrong to put up someone else's copyrighted material for free. This much i can agree with. It is not right of someone, to take someone else's work, and freely distribute it. Is it wrong for me to look for it? Probably not. Technically, yes, because i am then "stealing" that programming, which would otherwise cost me some amount of money, in some way, to watch. Is the quality of a YouTube dub of something going to satisfy me, should i truely want to watch a movie or television show? No, not at all. Therefore, i personally would go out and seek the same programming somewhere i could purchase it. Does this fit as a mass generalization? no, so therefore, it is wrong to post this material from an ethical standpoint.
One quote from this article, which was written by a spokesperson for the Viacom corporation, really struck me as both odd and hillarious. "Does YouTube have "knowledge" of copyrighted material on its site? Does it have the "right and ability to control" the content? Yes and yes. If the public knows what's there, then YouTube's management surely does." I do not think that any managment staff in the world is accutely aware of every file being hosted on its giant ever changing website. Could YouTube do a more selective filtering, so that something like, South Park could never appear as a title because the software would automatically assume it was copyright? Yes. YouTube could easily impliment such filtering, but it would probably instantly lose much of what makes it so popular today. Perhaps it should be doing this sort of filtering, but again i think this would stifle many people, and also make it difficult to post some videos. (For instance "Tribute to South Park" would also be blocked from being posted under this framework)
It IS the responsibility of YouTube to take down these copyrighted materials. However, i feel as though as long as they are doing so, to the best of thier knowlege in as timely a manner as is possible, then this should satisfy the law. Again, whether or not this actually satisfies the legal rammifications at work here, i am unsure. Though the DMCA was meant to protect intellectual property, i do not think it was meant to stop or infringe on creativity on the web. Viacom is pulling an RIAA here in my opinion. Though, instead of going after the little guy, they are going after the big hoster guy, who is basically controlled by the little guy.
This sort of "grinds my gears" in general, but i really dont have the legal background or expertise to discuss it in more depth than the unfocussed ramblings of above.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR2007032301451.html
Having given up television in January due to the costs, i'd say i spend at least 20 minutes a day looking for things on YouTube to watch. Some days this equates to mechanical dinosaurs, some days it equates to comedy things that i know are from good groups that i want to look up. Other times, i'll type in the name of a television show i like, and see if anyone is bending the rules by putting it up, just so i can see a quick bit of it.
Is this wrong? According to the DMCA, yes. Who's fault is it? According, again, to DMCA, YouTube's. Are either of these statements true in my mind? Not entirely.
It IS wrong to put up someone else's copyrighted material for free. This much i can agree with. It is not right of someone, to take someone else's work, and freely distribute it. Is it wrong for me to look for it? Probably not. Technically, yes, because i am then "stealing" that programming, which would otherwise cost me some amount of money, in some way, to watch. Is the quality of a YouTube dub of something going to satisfy me, should i truely want to watch a movie or television show? No, not at all. Therefore, i personally would go out and seek the same programming somewhere i could purchase it. Does this fit as a mass generalization? no, so therefore, it is wrong to post this material from an ethical standpoint.
One quote from this article, which was written by a spokesperson for the Viacom corporation, really struck me as both odd and hillarious. "Does YouTube have "knowledge" of copyrighted material on its site? Does it have the "right and ability to control" the content? Yes and yes. If the public knows what's there, then YouTube's management surely does." I do not think that any managment staff in the world is accutely aware of every file being hosted on its giant ever changing website. Could YouTube do a more selective filtering, so that something like, South Park could never appear as a title because the software would automatically assume it was copyright? Yes. YouTube could easily impliment such filtering, but it would probably instantly lose much of what makes it so popular today. Perhaps it should be doing this sort of filtering, but again i think this would stifle many people, and also make it difficult to post some videos. (For instance "Tribute to South Park" would also be blocked from being posted under this framework)
It IS the responsibility of YouTube to take down these copyrighted materials. However, i feel as though as long as they are doing so, to the best of thier knowlege in as timely a manner as is possible, then this should satisfy the law. Again, whether or not this actually satisfies the legal rammifications at work here, i am unsure. Though the DMCA was meant to protect intellectual property, i do not think it was meant to stop or infringe on creativity on the web. Viacom is pulling an RIAA here in my opinion. Though, instead of going after the little guy, they are going after the big hoster guy, who is basically controlled by the little guy.
This sort of "grinds my gears" in general, but i really dont have the legal background or expertise to discuss it in more depth than the unfocussed ramblings of above.
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