AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: Why I Disagree with Chris Brogan on the 100 Comments Project STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 06/23/2007 08:04:01 AM ----- BODY: From "this post at chrisbrogan.com":http://grasshopperfactory.com/cbc/100-comments-mojo-for-video/ bq. 100 Comments Project- Someone starts a post, we fill up 100 meaningful comments. End result: an e-book on a topic. OK I am going to weigh in on this 100 comments thing. I think the law of declining returns definitely is in play on this. I actually think it is very difficult to (one) take the time to read through all the previous comments and have something thoughtful to add and (two) expect that people won't do a variation of "me too" just so they be part of the party. It builds more of a bully pulpit and "comments for comments sake" rather than in-depth, meaningful conversation. Or enough documentation to justify an e-book. Though I really like the idea of an e-book built on collaboration from many authors. I just don't think a blog post with comments is the ideal mechanism for creating it.
100 Comments is like a huge cocktail party. I'd rather have dinner with eight new friends.

I'd also rather spread the love and the conversation by encouraging people to go find a new voice they haven't /heard/watched before, and leave them a thoughtful comment! You can find these bright minds by reading the comments on the A-list blogs. Here are a few that I read (in addition to the above-mentioned Mr. Brogan) that get a lot of comments, many of them thoughtful. It's a great place to go mining for the bright, unsung voices of the internet: http://www.scobleizer.com - Robert Scoble for geeks and tech http://bloombergmarketing.blogs.com/ - Toby Bloomberg on marketing http://blog.guykawasaki.com/ - Guy Kawasaki on startups and business in general http://headrush.typepad.com/ - Kathy Sierra creating passionate users Then, go one step further if you like and add them to your "Twitter":http://www.twitter.com/roxannedarling friends and/or add a link to them in one of your blog posts. I did that earlier today for "Bryan Person":http://www.bryper.com, an active member of the Boston new media community and with "Rupert Howe":http://twittervlog.blogspot.com/ who I met online through videoblogging. h3. Rox's Summer Project #1: Share the Link Love Go out and spread the link love: * The love of giving your attention to someone new; * The love of talking directly to them; * The super love of telling someone else about them! What do you think? Leave a short comment here - "me too's" are perfect in this situation I think! I'd love to know your opinion and, I want you to spend your quality time connecting with others. No need to craft anything special here. For anyone new here, I love Chris Brogan and he loves me. We just have a different approach on this one! roxanne's signature , , , , , , , , , ,

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Jim Long URL: http://www.vergenewmedia.com DATE: 06/23/2007 09:24:03 AM Chris always raises thought-provoking questions. And he really has the leadership skills to rally people to his blog. Rox, you raise an interesting point here, and it takes a bit of courage and integrity to tell a friend.. "hang on here" and express dissent. Kudos to you! Having said that, I played along anyway wink ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Chris Brogan... URL: http://chrisbrogan.com DATE: 06/23/2007 09:26:23 AM It's a good point. And I'm not sure where it will lead. I wanted to try the concept and see what came from it. Could comments form enough meat to make a useful e-book. Beats me. Not from what I've seen so far. But instead, what I've discovered is that the thoughts and opinions of people in the comment space have led me to find new bloggers I wasn't reading before. Some of them do video or new media, and some of them are text-based bloggers whose stuff I wasn't into just yet. So maybe it's more a cocktail and apps party than a dinner. BTW, I'd love to come to your dinner party some time. : ) Thanks for your insights. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Roxanne Darling URL: http://www.barefeetstudios.com DATE: 06/23/2007 09:49:45 AM Thanks for your comments Jim and Chris. Yes - Chris does (you do!) have great, thought-provoking questions. And I think it's partly bc I am a "Z-list" blogger that i see things from this perspective. The fact Chris that you've already found some new voices? Very cool. But maybe in this case bigger isn't better. Maybe a little tweak: see if you can get 100 people to go out and find at least one new voice. It's a way to merge your reach with my idea of discovery and intimacy. I'll leave this idea on your site too. Aloha, Rox ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Chris Brogan... URL: http://chrisbrogan.com DATE: 06/23/2007 11:19:51 AM Discovery and intimacy is certainly a much better goal. Finding more voices and building relationships with them. Perhaps that will be project 2 or 3 in the summer series. Perhaps that will be yours to lead, and I'll just direct others here to pick up the starting point. : ) --Chris… ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ann URL: http://twitteringontheedge.blogspot.com/ DATE: 06/23/2007 11:36:20 AM BT--Before Twitter, I had no clue what was new media or old media. I have since learned a lot from a variety of Twitter pals. I love the debate and thought provoking posts from both you and Chris. Usually I sit on the sidelines and sort of take it all in, not usually posting a comment. From my start at Twitter I have always felt it was a cocktail party and I enjoy moving from group to group of people. I definitely have an intersting list of friends--but there are a few that really make me think. Chris Brogan is one of those people and so are you Roxanne. This definitely blows the whole "Twitter is for kids" idea out the window. Off to read four new blogs and keep the wheels turning. Ann P.S. You really are making me regret that I wasn't able to connect when I was in Hawaii...next trip for sure. :o) ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Toby URL: http://www.divamarketingblog.com DATE: 06/23/2007 06:35:18 PM Roxanne - thanks for your kind words. Chris' 100 comments is an interesting concept; seems like a sort of meme and one is likely to find a new idea or a new person to read. However, I'm not sure about the purpose. Is it to write a series of ebooks? Is it to discover new bloggers? It is to drive traffic? What feels uncomfortable to me is this game seems rather limiting. IF the goal is to discover new blogs or drive traffic. Unlike traditional memes that move quickly from blog-to-blog, this stays within the same blog until 100 comments are reached. Then someONE is tagged and the process begins again. I wonder how many people will have the opportunity to become a "host" of 100 comments? How is that determined? Where do bloggers with limited readerships fit in? If it's to build a body of knowledge on specific topics 100 comments makes more sense, especially if as John Moore did with his Starbucks question, the ebook mentions the blogger and links back to her (or his) site. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Chris Brogan... URL: http://chrisbrogan.com DATE: 06/24/2007 01:27:36 AM Toby- good point. It certainly doesn't travel virally or too fast. Maybe that's a downfall of the project. The idea originally was to see if we could concoct ebooks from comments. Why? No reason. I'm just trying new things to see if they work. Have you tried something like it? Not me. So I have no measure of success or failure on it. Blog tag, which Jeff Pulver moved forward a lot several months ago, moves things at the pace you recommend. This wasn't intended for that. Side effect of the 100 comments would be that it shows us new blogs to check and learn about. Thanks for your thoughts. --Chris… ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: June 26: The day the web goes silent STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 06/23/2007 07:28:01 AM ----- BODY: SaveNetRadio.orgI am quoting in this post directly from the "Save Internet Radio":http://www.savenetradio.org/ web site. "On March 2, 2007 the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), which oversees sound recording royalties paid by Internet radio services, *increased Internet radio's royalty burden between 300 and 1200 percent* and thereby jeopardized the industry's future. At the request of the Recording Industry Association of America, the CRB ignored the fact that *Internet radio royalties were already double what satellite radio pays*, and multiplied the royalties even further. The 2005 royalty rate was 7/100 of a penny per song streamed; the 2010 rate will be 19/100 of a penny per song streamed. And for small webcasters that were able to calculate royalties as a percentage of revenue in 2005 – that option was quashed by the CRB, so small webcasters' royalties will grow exponentially!"
The internet is here to stay. People are speaking and listening to each other, _as well as_ to your mass-produced content. Come join us at this amazing party, or be left behind.

When arbitrary and clearly biased fees such as these are imposed on the marketplace, the marketplace resembles more of a feudalistic system controlled by a few dinosaurs who don't know how to grow their businesses with the times than "may the best company win." Yes, this action has been spurred by the large traditional radio station owners who are seeing declining listenership due to the Internet. Calling all traditional media and traditional content producers: You no longer control the conversation all by yourselves. Calling YOU: You and Congress can stop this heinous fee hike that is designed to drive Internet Radio out of business. "This link makes it easy to contact your representatives.":http://www3.capwiz.com/saveinternetradio/issues/alert/?alertid=9738601 "View the list of participating stations here.":http://www.kurthanson.com/dos/ Meanwhile go explore internet radio if you haven't already! Here are some places to start: http://www.daveslounge.com http://somafm.com http://www.kcrw.org http://www.doctortrey.com http://www.live365.com roxanne's signature , , ,

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: In Praise of Wishy-Washy STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 06/20/2007 06:34:00 AM ----- BODY:
I attended the very first workshop they ever held (they used my testimonial for years), on web usability, and am a very enthusiastic user of their "Basecamp":http://basecamphq.com/?referrer=bfs project management software. If you haven't tried it, I heartily recommend it! Though if Jason (or many other internet literati) were writing this, the advice would be more like, "You MUST try this software!" In fact, today's post is inspired by "this post":http://www.37signals.com/svn/posts/416-achieving-emptiness-with-bit-literacy on Jason's blog, from which I quote: bq. It's nice to read someone who says "do it this way" instead of being wishy-washy. He was referring to the book, "Bit Literacy":http://www.barefeetshop.com/book-1000-0979368103-Bit_Literacy_Productivity_in_the_Age_of_Information_and_E_mail_Overload.html by Mark Hurst. Mark recommends, for example, getting your Inbox down to zero messages at least once a day. (I am not even going to go there.) However reading through the comments, it is plain to see the pros and cons of Mark's method, and the people for whom it is brilliant all the way to out-dated. It's great the book takes a stand and I love it when people Do take a stand, it's just problematic when people think their stand applies to everyone else. That's where I come in, just like the commenters, and de-construct the actual topic to help determine if "just doing it this way" is going to be more useful or more irritating to YOU. There is plenty of advice on the internet. Being willing and able to filter it while seeing both sides may be called wishy-washy in some circles, but to me, is %(hilight )simply personalization%. I also this type of engagement is more adult, more peer to peer, whereas just telling people what to do is rather parental, top-down style of thinking. We are all free to be bossy; in fact many of us like being told what to do once we have signed on to your ideas. It seems easier, for a moment or two, until more people, more facts, start pouring in. Where do you fall along this spectrum? Do you like absolutes and being told what to do? Or do you see the value in sorting through something to get to the specifics, the case-by-case-ness of it? In one sense, it's like having a blog with comments turned off - you just issue your opinions, versus having comments open, where people are encouraged to submit their own perspectives. And in fairness to Jason, Basecamp would not be the fantastic tool it is if they hadn't regularly listened to their very opinionated users. Which really closes this post for me: even when you try to be really "just do it this way" it's hard to actually get away with it. And that's my opinion! What is yours? roxanne's signature Tags: , , , , , , ,

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: Key Ingredient for Social Media Marketing Success STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 06/19/2007 01:09:00 PM ----- BODY: Today, my friend and colleague Mike McAllen over at "Grass Shack Road":http://www.grassshackroad.com/ queried a few of us on "LinkedIn":http://www.linkedin.com/in/roxannedarling about what elements we consider to be essential in a new media marketing plan. Here's what I offered to him, and now to you: %(hilight)The main point I would put on the table is that though the tools may be free/cheap, the real investment is in time and leadership. It takes a dedicated person who is outgoing and creative, and willing to talk into the ether for a measurable period of time before expecting results. The more you, as the host or sponsor, nurture and support this person, the better are your chances for a thriving community. Can they get a big head after a while? Yes, the risk is there. But first, let's get this thing off the ground.% *Checklist for the Ideal New Media Ringleader* * outgoing personality * technologically inclined (though this is the most trainable piece) * willing and happy to work independently * able to reach out to others without expectations * creative in a very conversational way * curious and able to learn by watching others and adapting (this takes a mindset where you can observe the underlying structures, not be distracted by the content of the discussion) * it really helps if the person is literate in the underlying topic that is the raison d'etre for the SN group. * ability to work with conflict and ability to be ignored without taking it personally. (This involves understanding web user psychology - 95% plus are lurkers and people can be much harsher and more reactionary than in face to face encounters.) In my experience, the best intentions and set up often fail if there is not a pied piper committed for the long haul to make it happen. Mike also pointed me to this series underway over at Spark Media: "The 12 Principles of New Media":http://www.sparkmediasolutions.com. Mahalo Mike! UPDATE 07-06-23: On "Twitter":http://www.twitter.com/roxannedarling I discovered this quote from "Mitch Joel":http://www.twistimage.com/blog/ "social networks have nothing to do with technology" that was posted by "Bryan Person":http://Bryper.com/. I so agree! roxanne's signature , , , , , , , P.S. Here is the archived site about my work in Indian Country. "Healthy Tribes":http://www.healthytribes.com

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: Case Study: Pretty But Powerless STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 06/15/2007 02:49:00 PM ----- BODY: h3. Overview I received a beautiful postcard invitation to a NM@F public event scheduled for next Tuesday, June 19th. My partner Shane is actually working in Santa Fe for two weeks, so I mentioned it to him. He said, "Send me the link." Hmmm, and that's where the story begins.
People are really good at helping themselves, if you give them the tools.

To save time and cut to the chase, there are several barriers to attending this event. Here's what is missing, from an online and offline point of view. *OFFLINE: Missing Ingredients* The postcard invitation is over-sized and attractively designed to get my attention. However, someone forgot the basic checklist, so I'll provide them here: * No price or RSVP instructions. * No name or phone number to contact. * No web site address. * No street address, only the name of the venue. _Bottom Line: There is no easy way for me to contact them. At first, I think, OK, no problem, I will search on Google for their web site._ *ONLINE: Missing Ingredients* Good news! I found the site easily. Unfortunately that leads me to the Online problems: * There is no mention of the upcoming event on the home page. * There is no mention of the event in the News & Events page or on the Calendar page. * There is not Contact link on the site. * There is no contact information on the home page. Screenshot of the New Mexico Ad Federation home page Here's a screenshot of the Home Page. No mention of the event or any contact information. (Click the thumbnail to see full size.)
Screenshot of the New Mexico Ad Federation news pageHere's a screen shot of the News & Announcements Page. Wow. Look at all that white space that could be helping people who want to attend an event. (Click the thumbnail to see full size.)
To be fair, on my final run through the site, I did finally find a phone and email address as text on an inside page. But as a busy person with a goal in mind, I was looking for "CONTACT." I was not wanting to stop and read the text on individual inside pages. I strongly recommend having a prominent "Contact" link on every page of your site, especially the home page. I did call the phone number, but alas, it is 6:30 pm in NM so I got the voice mail. It did include the event pricing (yeah!) and said I could RSVP by leaving a message. Cynical me, I don't trust people to leave clear messages about how to spell their names or remember to include a phone or email in case I want to follow up. A nice form on your web site does that very well though! h3. Big Bottom Line Here are a few of the opportunities being missed, that could be substantial if only there was integration of offline and online activities, combined with a checklist for basic standards for each: * Difficult for NM@F to plan this event. I have no clue how they are getting RSVPs and what number will be provided to the hotel for a meal count. (It's a luncheon.) * Shane can't easily RSVP; not likely to invest two hours of driving to take his chances. People online don't want to pick up the phone (high chance of getting voice mail) just get basics like the price of an event. * He was going to take our Lead Programmer. Now that's two seats that are lost. * We would love to blog about this and help spread the news digitally. Unfortunately, they didn't provide any way for us to tell our friends about it. * The most concerning thing to me, is that NM@F represents the best and brightest advertising minds in New Mexico. There is a serious credibility gap here. You can put an "at symbol" in your name, but that doesn't mean you understand how to do business online. In case you want to take your chances, I'm typing up the details for you. I don't know many people who would bother to do that, do you? h3. NMAF Upcoming Event Mary Nick - Honoring, Inspiring, and Unleashing Vision "Pierre Barbeau":http://www.linkedin.com/in/pbarbeau - The Birth of a New Media Mary and Pierre worked together previously at Sprint Nextel (where they helped shape the future of mobile marketing) and will tell us what advertisers should be doing with this technology to market more effectively to their customers. *Date:* Tuesday, June 19th, 2007. *Time:* 11:30 am *Place:* The Embassy Suites Hotel, 1000 Woodward Place NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87102 (505) 245-7100, "Google Map Link":http://urltea.com/s38 *Fee:* Free to members; $30 to guests. *RSVP:* 505-265-1286 or try *Web:* http://www.nmadfed.org/ *Please feel free to email this page's link to anyone you know who may want to attend!* Short URL already prepped for you: http://urltea.com/s3h h3. Takeaway * Include your website address on every printed piece! * Tell people how to attend the events you are promoting. (Date, Time, Place, Price, RSVP Details) * Have a prominent "Contact" link on every page of your website. * Use the Events section of your website to post your upcoming events. * Give us some spice about the speakers. I found Pierre's page on "LinkedIn":http://www.linkedin.com but was not so lucky with Mary. roxanne's signature , ,,, , , ,

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: How to Create Special Effects for Online Video STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 06/10/2007 10:52:00 AM ----- BODY: *Key Points* * Storyboard before you shoot. It will save you time and help you film complex-looking scenes bu using perspective and lines of motion to create the effect. It will make the shooting go so much faster too. * Get a little bit of cheap lighting to help light your scene. Good lighting will make it easier to apply special effects in the editing process. Household lighting can be used! * Search craft stores and garage sales to assemble stuff for making props. A little bit of spray paint can really create a realistic looking item. *Links* "Rudy & Casey's Galacticast":http://www.galacticast.com "Rudy & Casey's Production Company":http://www.8bitbrownies.com/ "Eric of IndyMogul.com":http://www.indymogul.com *Source Material* "Detonation Films":http://www.detonationfilms.com/ - free footage of "SpinExpress":http://www.spinxpress.com - Search for creative commons media "Free Sound Project":http://freesound.iua.upf.edu/ "The Force":http://www.theforce.net/ - star wars fan site and tutorials "Rebel's Guide":http://rebelsguide.com/DV%20Rebel%27s%20Guide/The%20Guide.html - best book ever! Fast Track USB - device for capturing live instrument sound and remixing "GarageBand":http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/ - sound effects and make your own music "Pixelodeon":http://www.pixelodeonfest.com

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ryanne Hodson URL: http://ryanishungry.com DATE: 06/11/2007 07:30:02 AM i hope someone took some video of this! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Roxanne Darling URL: http://www.barefeetstudios.com DATE: 06/11/2007 10:56:39 AM There was someone filming - I don't know who! You can ask if you send out any post-conference emails. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Shane TITLE: Not Enough Time for a Blog Post? Just Tumblr Instead. STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 06/04/2007 09:12:00 AM ----- BODY:
If blogs are journals, tumblelogs are scrapbooks.
Tumblr (totally Free) is what's referred to as a "tumblelog." According to the "Tumblr FAQ":http://www.tumblr.com/faqs : "To make a simple analogy: If blogs are journals, tumblelogs are scrapbooks. You can also look at tumblelogs as slightly more structured blogs that make it easier, faster, and more fun to post and share stuff you find or create." There's even a Wikipedia "entry on Tumblelogs":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumblelog that describes a "definition by Jason Kottke":http://www.kottke.org/05/10/tumblelogs dating back to 2005. You could also describe a Tumblelog as a "Micro-blogging platform":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro-blogging. Perfect for dumping in quick notes, thought, ideas, quotes, pictures, videos, etc. Anything that you might come across in your Web travels that you find interesting but that don't require a full blog posting. So you can use a Tumblelog right along side your blog and not instead of your blog. If you don't yet have a blog, a Tumblelog may be a great way to get started. Tumblr is one of the better known tumblelogs and has a list of great features that make it actually fun to use. Once you've created your free Tumbler account you can login to your Dashboard where you're greeted with a very attractive and sleek interface. A row of six easily identifiable button across the top of the page allow you to select which type of Tumblr entry you'd like to create. Selecting "Text" or "Quote" produces a simple text entry field into which you can type whatever's on your mind. Selecting "Photo" presents you with a button that allows you to upload a photo from your computer. "Video" allow you to easily paste in code to display a video from YouTube or your favorite video sharing site. One of my favorite Tumblr options is the "Chat" type. By simply entering text in the following format your page displays a chat or IM (instant messenger) type of dialog: "Here's an actual Tumblr Chat":http://tumblr.shanerobinson.com/post/2933577 from "my own Tumblr page":http://tumblr.shanerobinson.com. So if you haven't started blogging yet and you'd like to dip your toes in the water without setting up your own blog, Tumblr might be perfect for you. And even if you already have a blog or consider yourself a power blogger, Tumblr might be perfect for posting those little gems you find while surfing that you'd like to share but don't necessarily want to post them to your regular blog. If you have a Tumblr or tumblelog please leave a comment with a link. We'd love to see it! ----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Ryan URL: http://www.hawaiigeek.tv DATE: 06/04/2007 10:47:18 AM I'm warming up to tumblelogs. It is indeed ‘micro blogging,' a scrapbook of thoughtful things found on the web (or in our digital wandering). Sure, folks post links to Twitter, but I think those apps works better for presence ("What are you doing? Where?") than blogging. I'd follow your Twitter stream to keep up with you. I'd follow your tumblelog because you have a knack for finding things that I also like on the web. Take a service like Jaiku, and throw in your blog feed, Twitter feed, tumblelog, Flickr feed, Last.fm feed, and all those other feeds you deliberately or passively create out there, and you've got a "lifestream." A surprisingly rich, running log of your life. I find it exciting. Many understandably find it a little troubling. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Shane Robinson URL: http://www.barefeetstudios.com DATE: 06/04/2007 11:27:56 AM I like your "lifestream" framing, Ryan. I've checked out Jaiku a while back (http://shanerobinson.jaiku.com) and thought it was trying to be everything to everyone. I preferred the simplicity of Twitter. It does one thing, almost perfectly. But in your framing, one can continue to use all the other services to do what they do best, and use Jaiku to assemble your "lifestream" as a central place for anyone interested in that level/amount of data. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: File Links: How to Be Nice to Your Website Visitors STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 05/31/2007 01:41:00 PM ----- BODY: I practice politeness so I won't link to the offender; it's just their bad luck today that I decided to blog about this topic after visiting their site a few minutes ago. They have a lot of company out there on the internet and I don't believe in singling one person out unfairly. Let it be known however this web site belongs to a "communications professional." This is a tip for communicating _online_ as a professional. *Here's the Web Usability Tip from Rox:* When linking to a file on a web page, please append the title of the link with some indication that it is a _file_ and not another _web page_ assigned to that link. Although savvy web surfers can hover over a link and look down to the bottom of the browser window at the _status bar_ to see where a link is pointing, you as the site owner shouldn't require that of users to have a positive experience on your site. Instead, simply add a nice friendly note in or immediately after link, indicating what the link is all about. Here are two links that show what I mean: "Hot Stuff at Bare Feet Studios":http://www.barefeetstudios.com "Bare Feet Webmail Pricing":http://www.barefeetstudios.com/media/pdf/barefeet-webmail-pricing.pdf (PDF; 88 KB) Even nicer, add the file icon graphic: Download the PDF: Webmail Info & Pricing Sheet to learn more about our professional email service and pricing plans. (88KB) In the second example, the visitor knows without any effort that the link is to a PDF file, and even nicer, the size of the file so the visitor can decide if s/he wants to take the time to download it. Similarly, if it is a spreadsheet, add (XLS; 55 KB) or if it is a Word doc, you can add (DOC; 23 KB) — adding the correct file sizes if you know them. (Right-click on the file and look for Properties on a PC or Get Info on a Mac to learn the file size.) Without this nice little note, the unsuspecting visitor clicks on the first link expecting a nice quick jump over to a new web page but instead triggers a completely different and most like more time-consuming process. That creates irritation for many surfers and outright confusion for less-experienced web surfers. Professional web developers will do this automatically. If your web manager doesn't, be proactive with your web site and check your links. If you edit your site yourself (the ideal situation IMO, then you can take care of this straight away. You don't want your site visitors to experience either of those, now do you? roxanne's signature , , , , , , ,

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: Beach Walks Featured at Pixelodeon! STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 05/28/2007 02:03:00 PM ----- BODY: pixelodeon festival featured show graphicHere's what this event is about, straight from Pixelodeon: "Pixelodeon is an annual independent video festival recognizing innovation, inspiration, and community in global online video. This is our inaugural year! Over 300 videos, four keynote speakers, two dozen curators, and several hundred people interested in independent media will get together in one weekend to celebrate the diversity and talent of online video content. If you want to see what's happening online and meet the people who are making it happen, this is the place to be." Doing a show like "Beach Walks with Rox":http://www.beachwalks.tv delivers so many unintended consequences. In our case, they have been universally positive. We continue to make connections and receive recognition from the most unexpected and amazing people and places! Here's a recent viewer comment we received a few days ago: bq. I work as a crisis management consultant in Washington, D.C.—in other words, the polar opposite of BeachWalks in both geography and stress level. The show has become a daily breath of fresh air and calm feeling. You'll be pleased to hear that I'm passing the link around to some friends and colleagues inside the Beltway here. Most are as pleasantly impressed as I am — so you're gaining a small cult following in DC. *Event Details:* "American Film Institute":http://www.afi.com 2021 N. Western Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90027 So many wonderful people are doing so much work on this event. I hope you will consider attending. It will open your eyes to an entirely new world that is alive and well, yet still not in the mainstream of media and communication. We are also pulling together a Best Practices document for content aggregators, so please "email me":mailto:roxanne@barefeetstudios.com if you are interested in that. *We want to thank the sponsors who are supporting this event:* DivX SpinXpress Blip.tv Blogger Wordpress Revver MyWaves *A Special Shout Out to All of the Organizers:* Jay Dedman—A former journalist at CNN and educator at MNN, Jay has orchestrated a number of online videoblog projects. Zadi Diaz—New media producer and principal at Smashface Productions, LLC. Co-creator and host of Webby Award and Vloggie Award winner JETSET. Ryanne Hodson—Co-author of Secrets of Videoblogging, co-founder of Freevlog and Node101. Projects include Swajana and Ryan Is Hungry. Irina Slutsky—Co-founder and host of Geek Entertainment Television and founder of the Vloggies, an online video awards show. Steve Woolf—Co-creator and producer of the Webby Award and Vloggie Award winning JETSET show and principal at Smashface Productions, LLC. *And to the Video Editors* Lan Bui — A photographer by trade, Lan has been teaching video blogging since 2006 after co-founding OCvideoBlogging. He is also Co-creator and producer of Noodle Scar, a popular daily show. Vu Bui — Vu is a professional photographer, videographer, video editor living in Orange County, California. He is also a producer and editor for Noodle Scar. Bill Cammack — Bill is an Emmy Award-winning broadcast televison editor in New York City as well as a National and International Emmy Awards judge. Cheryl Colan — Cheryl teaches Digital Multimedia courses at Scottsdale Community College and at Phoenix College. She also founded Node101 Phoenix in 2006 to bring on-demand vlogging workshops to her local community. Eric Rey — Eric is a budding young video blogger from Los Angeles, California. You can watch him on his personal website ericrey.net. He also frequently collaborates with his brother, Rick. Rick Rey — Rick is a video blogging enthusiast and community proponent. His technical skills include web development, videography, video editing, and mad Guitar Hero skillZ. *And to the Support Team:* Travel: Gena Haskett — outonthestoop.blogspot.com Animations: Ryan Junell — junell.net Website: Rick Rey — rickrey.com roxanne's signature
View Roxanne Darling's LinkedIn profileView my profile on LinkedIn Follow me on Twitter , , , , , ,

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: How to be happy paying for stuff STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 05/19/2007 08:30:00 AM ----- BODY: Inspired by a discussion over at JetSetShow, asking "How will producers and studios get paid?":http://mix.jetsetshow.com/forum/topic/show?id=699622%3ATopic%3A8421. Here's a snapshot: "Kyle":http://mix.jetsetshow.com/profile/wolfoftheair said: bq. "Zadi":http://www.zadidiaz.com brought up a fairly common question in her response to Steve's question about THE CODE, and I don't really think it truly belongs there, in a response. It really belongs to be a centerpiece topic, one that can't be shirked away from, one that really has good minds attacking it. That question: "how do producers and studios make money if people can just "take" it without paying"? There's an inherent assumption in this question: it assumes that people will simply "take" it if they can take it without paying for it. "Rick Rey":http://www.rickrey.com said: bq. Cut out the middle men and create a system where artists can easily produce and distribute their own material. Educate artists before they sign deals and make it big. I think as more people become creators and not just consumers, and as ugc competes with msm, each side gets insight into each other's challenges. Sitting on the sidelines are the consumers (which we are all a member of, depending on the situation). Being able to "walk a mile in each others' shoes" is incredibly valuable in mediating the hostility that has developed where companies resent and don't understand their customers and customers resent and rebel against the manufacturers. It's why companies who blog and tell their side of the story, can only help themselves. Information. It's power. If people understand that you put that door on the right instead of the left for these 5 reasons, they will be much more willing to adjust to the change than if you just impose it on them. Better still, if you can set it up for them to choose whether they have the door on the left or the right, you've just made a better product and a better sales transaction! Organizations like the "RIAA":http://www.riaa.com/ still won't cop to the fact they have problems inside (be it processes, excessive executive pay, poor treatment of artists, etc.) and they still don't grok the deep resentment their customers have for them. Fighting a legal-eze nitpick battle is only inspiring more people to steal music, as that is the easiest, fastest way to vote for disapproval of the RIAA practices. I believe in time, once we get over the initial "high" of "free" that people will want to pay for (aka _support_) people and things they love. But it will be a much more organic, case-specific transaction based on so many factors - how much you like/love something, how much discretionary $ you think you have, and a whole slew of other more subtle factors. When we can give and receive in a genuine flow of energy, (as happens on "twitter":http://www.twitter.com/roxannedarling for example, with ideas) it will be an "enriching" experience for both of us as you share your music with my wallet. It's just gonna take some time, that's all. What is brewing now is a wonderfully exciting mix of rebel behavior, do-it-yourself creators, curious, even ravenous consumers, and a bunch of geeks building stuff to enable it all to happen. How cool is that? Any bets on when this will go from Roxy's idealistic brain into a SOP in the marketplace? roxanne's signature , , , , ,

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: Video Podcast Work Flow STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 05/15/2007 09:41:02 PM ----- BODY: Please check out: "Chris Brogan":http://www.chrisbrogan.com "Christopher Penn":http://www.christopherspenn.com/ "Podcamp":http://podcamp.pbwiki.com/SharedToolsAndCommonKnowledge We produce the daily video podcast, "Beach Walks with Rox":http://www.beachwalks.tv. We have to keep things pretty tight to make this work in our daily schedule. It helps that the nature of our show is straightforward most days. All bets are off though when we want to do something out of the usual! # Always keep the camera bag loaded with charged batteries and extra tapes, all lenses and filters. # Shoot the episode; one take is all we get. Our template (in "iMovie":http://www.apple.com/imovie) requires an 8+ second clip for the opening title sequence and about 10 seconds for the credit roll. We could use the same footage day after day to save on this, but we prefer a completely fresh new episode each day. Gearing up (and then down) and the shoot take about 15 minutes. (Not counting drive time as we would be going to the beach anyway!) # Import the footage from camera into computer; this takes place in real time. If we have a lot of clips, we take notes along the way and do a mental version of the "first cut." Figure this takes 5-10 minutes. # Our template in iMovie has the opening and closing music already laid in, and the closing copyright notice too. (Thanks to "Eric Rice":http://www.ericrice.com who pointed us this direction waaaay back when.) We add in transitions, add overlays with links, etc. sometimes drop in other graphics or footage. Editing takes 15-30 minutes for a typical show. Special episodes can take several hours. # Once edited, we export as a full quality DV file. That takes a little longer than real time, let's say 8 mins for a 5 min show. # Next, encoding. We have a little script that we drop the DV onto and it creates our Quicktime mov and the iPod m4v versions. This will take about 20 minutes. # While we are doing this, we open the graphic template in "Fireworks":http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adobe.com%2Fproducts%2Ffireworks%2F&ei=77lKRsOGEp34hAPH16ijBg&usg=AFrqEzf2BM_cDlA2HKCuxDbXPJ7GsBPjTw&sig2=YfymrxBsfpayTK0Oim2G5A, and create our custom show graphics. We used to make four (4) images of various sizes but have reduced this to two; a 480x360 for the main show graphic which also gets added to the iPod (.m4v) format as the ID3 show graphic; and a 240x180 for the "Akimbo service":http://my.akimbo.com/browse_category.aspx?cid=9ee61a620644f0b4 that we upload via FTP to our media server from which Akimbo then pulls every morning along with our WMV media file. # We also start the blog post, writing the show notes, adding the tags, and selecting the categories. # After the mov and m4v are done, we make a high quality Windows Media (WMV) version using "Quicktime Pro":http://www.apple.com/quicktime, and then a Flash (FLV) version using Visual Hub. Add on another 10-15 minutes. # Files are then batch uploaded to "blip.tv":http://www.blip.tv/users/view/beachwalks. For a 5 minute episode, this one process can take about an hour. During this time we finish working on the show notes and reply to viewer emails. If it's Tuesday, we start watching Boston Legal. grin Total Average Time for a 5-minute Episode: 2-3 hours, assuming the work is done on the G5 quad processor tower and a broadband connection. Working from our Intel MacBookPro and various internet connections can add considerable time to the process. The nice thing is that Secret Cameraman and I get to share the editing and encoding tasks, which really helps. Check out the camera gear we use here: "http://www.beachwalks.tv/behind-the-scenes/":http://www.beachwalks.tv/behind-the-scenes/. roxanne's signature , , , , , ,

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: Loving my new EVDO card for Mobile Internet STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 05/11/2007 06:06:02 AM ----- BODY: All I do is pop open the laptop, insert the card, click the little "connect" icon in my dock, and within about 20 seconds I am on the internet. The "Sprint service":http://powervision.sprint.com/mobilebroadband/ costs about $80 per month. At first glance that seems high. But when I think of the 15 minutes here and 15 minutes there that I can actually work—like right now sitting on a plane before takeoff —and then calculate the total and realize that when I get home, I may have an hour or more of free time! And that is for only one day. Multiply that but 10-20 days, and I'm reaping a lot of "extra" time that used to be filled with doing things that were not important, simply because I was hostage to the limits of my location. Obviously, the math works for me. It's a classic small business mindset to be penny wise and pound foolish, and I say I fall for it all too often. Playing out the math in terms of looking at where I can add small efficiencies to make my overall multi-tasked day more effective, I realize that it's worth far more than what it costs each month. As compared to price-shopping for the cheapest internet service that dictates when and where I can use it. It's Friday. I just posted this in 10 minutes, using time that otherwise was spent with listening to announcements for the 1000th time! P.S. "EVDO":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution-Data_Optimized stands for Evolution-Data Optimized.

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: A Newbie Guide to Business Blogging STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 04/30/2007 11:13:00 PM ----- BODY: # Find a co-author or two if possible. The age-old buddy system works great on a business blog, as you can share the tasks as well as provide motivation and support fro each other. Very often, the diversity of voices makes both the style and the topics more interesting. Having a peer you trust also makes the accountability energy available to support you both. "Drawn! The Illustration & Cartooning Blog":http://drawn.ca/ "Tom Peters and associates":http://www.tompeters.com # Set low threshold goals, so you'll be able to meet them. Starting a new blog is not the best place to be as macho as possible, or tack on one of those typical competitive, corporate goal-setting challenges. Blogging really seems to come in part from your soul, and I find souls are incredibly resistant to being treated like your average deliverables. It's probably going to take some time to find your voice and your comfort, and adding pressure just for the sport of it I think is counter-productive. "Your Blog Voice by Toby Bloomberg":http://bloombergmarketing.blogs.com/bloomberg_marketing/2005/02/another_quotama.html # Write twice as casually as you would imagine. Blogging is a conversation among friends. No need to put on airs, be formal, try to impress, or otherwise intimidate your readers. I find most of our clients who start blogging find this challenging. When fingers hit the keyboard, certain neural pathways are triggered and out comes memo-speak. I have the most wonderful, warm conversations on the phone, then I read an email and I seriously wonder "Is this the same person?? Why did you go all stiff on me? Did I do something to offend?" Writing a few posts first in longhand may help break this auto-response that is better suited to the legal department than the blogging desk. In other words, don't keep how nice you are, a secret. "Dennis Mahoney Gives Great Examples here":http://alistapart.com/articles/writebetter # Don't keep how smart you are, a secret. Stop laughing! It's true. Every businessperson - and I almost never use that word "every" - has knowledge about his/her products and services that potential buyers would love to know about. You have anecdotes about how things were developed. You have stories about how people have creatively used the stuff you make and sell. (See #3 above.) Please don't think it is boring or inconsequential or insignificant. Your readers get to decide that, and so far, the jury overwhelmingly has proven it will enjoy reading just about anything! Please contact me directly if you are struggling with this and I will give you 5 blog post ideas in 5 minutes based on your industry/experience, guaranteed. Boasting is allowed. It's good business and a lot faster (and cheaper) than a formal press release to post news about your recent accomplishments. "Dated and long and still a worthy summary of the PR benefits to blogging":http://blogbusinessworld.blogspot.com/2004/10/blogs-and-public-relations.html # And a few more Bare Feet B's of Business Blogging: ** Brevity is your friend. A single paragraph is plenty for a blog post. One little brief idea and you're done. You can write long posts, but it's not necessary or expected. ** Bullet points are easy on the eyes and the brain. Write a paragraph first if you like, then crunch it down to a list. They are much more digestible and I find they also me organize my thoughts to prevent repeating myself in a blog post. ** Bold titles are best for busy people. Tell it straight up, in the title of your post, and consider using a keyword or popular search term when appropriate to help new readers find you.

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Toby URL: http://www.divamarketingblog.com DATE: 05/03/2007 05:36:04 PM Roxanne - wonderful list. Thanks for including the post about finding your voice from Diva Marketing. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: People Are Put Off by Advertising STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 03/22/2007 07:22:00 AM ----- BODY: On the one hand, "NBC is testing viewers brains":http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i4b9ba971311ed450e5b0a67e8a6ab870 to see if ads can still register even when TV viewers fast-forward past them. bq. NBC is testing hearts and minds in its quest to track the habits of today's elusive media consumer. The network last week received the results of its first dip into the world of neurophysiology—examining brain waves, galvanic skin response and eye movement of TV viewers. NBC used an episode of "Heroes" to find out what viewers comprehend of ads when they fast-forward past them on DVRs. And "Business 2.0 reports":http://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2007/03/01/8401043/index.htm?postversion=2007022615 that "Ogilvy":http://www.ogilvy.com and "Yahoo":http://www.yahoo.com both are using cookies and math to track online behavior and change the content of what is displayed to us in real time. bq. Red isn't working on a particular banner? The background will be blue the next time you see it - and the software will even swap the ad copy. No one's happier about that than advertisers: Optimized ads perform 15 to 30 percent better than their standard-issue counterparts. "We've reached a point of instantaneous feedback," Hendra says. That's forced the business to become brutally Darwinian. Meanwhile Toby at "Diva Marketing Blog":http://bloombergmarketing.blogs.com/bloomberg_marketing/2007/03/the_pulse_of_he.html covered the "ESRC Report on healthcare marketing":http://www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/PO/releases/2007/march/health.aspx?ComponentId=18643&SourcePageId=96 that I quoted in the title of this post. bq. One thing that really put people off was advertising, so people clicked off drug company websites straight away. Generally, the medical information on drug company sites is very accurate but people question the authors' motivation and agenda. The issue of impartiality is quite crucial in building trust. In the latter report, they did find positive results from people reading trusted friends and _blogs_. It's my opinion that people are done with being tracked, tricked, tempted, and targeted into buying stuff they don't want or need. They are more curious than ever, however, about learning new things that will help them live happier and healthier lives. What side are you on? The "trick ‘em til they drop" or the "here's my experience"? Which one gets your money and your love?

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: Jeff Pulver Walks My Talk STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 03/08/2007 09:03:00 PM ----- BODY: "Video on the Net":http://www.videoonthenet.com/ He's actually putting money to bridge one of the many "digital divides" - in this case between the large media and IT companies who have revenues in the hundreds of thousands per employee and the small independent content producers whose work is fueling the likes of "YouTube":http://www.youtube.com, "blip.tv":http://www.blip.tv, and "Podtech":http://www.podtech.net. The bottom line is that the cost to attend is normally around $2K. The fact that Jeff realizes we independent producers don't have the big budgets, yet values our contributions and is making room for us to be there, is quite huge. It's a shift in thinking, that it's not just about the money. It's also about the conversations, and Jeff is bringing these two normally disparate groups together. We don't normally travel in the same circles, but we'll be able to schmooze together at VON. Historically we might have had little in common, but now our futures are closely entwined as IPTV aka video on the internet changes our world. I also had a great meeting today with Dick Jones who is leading the iptv innovations at "Hawaiian Tel":http://www.hawaiiantel.com. Part of our conversation boiled down to the discrepancy between the [excessively?] high programming fees charged by channels like ESPN at one end and the expectation that shows like "Beach Walks with Rox":http://www.beachwalks.tv can be had for free on the other end. We're working to bridge this gap too. So mahalo nui to both of you gentlemen for inviting us to the table. And especially to "Chris Brogan":http://www.chrisbrogan.com who is really helping make these ideas a reality. Chris is one fine messenger. roxanne's signature

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: Finding the Right Fit with Your Web Developer STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 03/01/2007 12:34:00 AM ----- BODY: I read a short post on Matt Mullenweg's blog today titled "Disconnect":http://photomatt.net/2007/01/09/disconnect/. It's so short, I'll quote the whole piece: bq. One thing I've found in the past year is there is sometimes a huge disconnect between people who make noise on blogs, or might have impressive blogs themselves, and productivity in the real world. It's unfortunate, because it makes it that much harder to find good folks. I really do feel for clients who get suckered in by a sales pitch. With "Web 2.0":http://www.barefeetstudios.com/bfs/bizzycast/detail/web-2-what-does-it-mean-for-your-business/, the web is both an increasingly technical place as well increasingly extrovert place. I must admit I also have tried to engage aka sell people into getting involved in the web more proactively with their businesses. But blogging is an opportunity to actually tell your truth, warts and roses all. I've learned that no matter how much potential I see, it's really irrelevant if the client isn't interested. I've learned that no matter how brilliant I think we may be, plenty of people don't want state of the art, they just want average. So I am using this blog, my "public speaking":/bfs/about/, and our show "Beach Walks with Rox":http://www.beachwalks.tv to put forth my opinions as well as my enthusiasm, to own my bias, to show the downsides as well as the upsides of working with us, or other developers. To help people find the right fit, considering price, skill, attitude, creativity, friendliness, etc. As you all know, someone may be very smart, but a PITA to work with, and vice versa - really nice but somewhat incompetent at the end of the day. People preach a lot of rules. "You have to have a web site." "You have to update it regularly." While I agree you can benefit from doing those things, I also don't believe in pressuring people. I'd rather tell people, "The web, especially Web 2.0, is not for everyone." I'd rather "make ‘em beg" than force feed ‘em medicine for an condition that to them, is asymptomatic. I'd rather attract people to us who really want to leverage our extensive skill set than proselytize those who are not yet believers. This goes against many tenets of basic selling. And my little monkey mind frequently tries to convince me that if I only were a better salesperson, I could convert more of the masses. Why? I hate it when people come to my door pushing their religion. That's really the same thing as people pushing their top 10 ways to be a success. What's the solution? More discussion and more research. The better we get to know each other, the easier it is to grok who's on the same page as you are. 

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: Roxanne Speaks at IABC Hawaii (Links & Notes) STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 02/15/2007 01:44:00 PM ----- BODY: I had such a great time! Having the "live case study" featuring Mighty J and Dr. Trey was the icing on the cake. I'll be creating a few video podcasts of the actual talk in the next few days. As a reminder, here were the goals I presented for the talk: # Realize that just because your kids can do something and there is a lot of free software, that it isn't likely that easy to do it for your business. Here are some places to start. # Shed some light on the current phenomenon of online video, social networking sites, and user-generated content. Discuss some real examples of how innovators are using the tools and tapping into the "attention economy." *Slide Show Presentation* *Technology + Communication: The Return on Influence* Here is a Quicktime movie of the slide show I delivered. (I'll be posting a video podcast of the actual presentation in a few days.) It will require the "most current version":http://www.barefeetstudios.com/bfs/blog/detail/how-to-know-when-to-update-your-software/ of the free "Quicktime":http://www.apple.com/quicktime software. Or, you can download the free "iTunes":http://www.apple.com.itunes software and keep a copy to watch whenever you like. To download a copy, right-click on the link and "Save" to your local computer. Click your back button when you are done and you will come back to this page. "View the slideshow in a new window":http://www.barefeetmedia.com/media/podcasts/iabc-070214-barefeetstudios.mov. *Links We Discussed:* "Go learn more about Mighty J & leave a comment":http://www.mightyjmusic.com! "Mighty J on KHNL":http://www.khnl.com/Global/story.asp?s=5697692 "Dr. Trey is the brains behind this Web 2.0 music strategy":http://www.doctortrey.com. "Beach Walks with Rox has a new episode every single day":http://www.beachwalks.tv. "Get the free, fast, safe Firefox web browser":http://www.getfirefox.com. "Save and tag your bookmarks at del.icio.us":http://del.icio.us. "Get a free gmail account and set up Google Alerts":http://www.gmail.com. "Learn more at the Hawaii Assoc. of Podcasters":http://www.hawaiipodcasting.com. "Attention Economy by Georg Franck":http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/5/5567/1.html "Learn more about the IABC in Honolulu & submit your work for their upcoming awards":http://iabchawaii.com/events.php. "Get a USB thumb drive to keep in your purse or pocket for fun or emergencies":http://www.barefeetshop.com/shop.php?k=usb+flash+drive&c=elec "Get an iPod - it's not too late":http://www.barefeetshop.com/shop.php?k=ipod&c=elec! *Beach Walks Audience Survey & Impact on Hawai'i Tourism* If you would like to review the audience survey results from Beach Walks with Rox, please "email me":mailto:aloha@barefeetstudios.com?subject=Beach%20Walks%20Audience%20Survey%20Results for the link. It has some very interesting data related to Hawai'i tourism. And while I have your attention. Beach Walks has several sponsorship opportunities available. Please "email me":mailto:aloha@barefeetstudios.com?subject=Beach%20Walks%20Sponsorship%20Inquiry if your company might be interested in having access to our outstanding audience and award-winning daily internet tv show. roxanne's signature "Your presentation on Wednesday at the IABC Luncheon was great. I learned about and absorbed meaningful information that I can use now. That is the way presentations should impact an audience and your speech did just that. Thank you." - Anthony M. , , , , , , , , , ,

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: Checklist for Business Video Podcasters STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 02/12/2007 01:31:00 PM ----- BODY: Video podcasting is a great example of one of the internet's most confusing aspects: very technical things can appear to be both simple and complex. Simple, in that all kinds of "regular" people are doing it using their home computers and (mostly) free software. Complex, in that it takes a fair amount of software and technical understanding to create the video files, encode them, post them on a web server, and then enable people to actually subscribe to them! Here's a beginning checklist to have in hand as you start thinking about delivering your company message and/or assets via podcasting. This post focuses on the technical criteria. # Where will you host your movie files? ** Some server configurations restrict the delivery of movie files. ** What are your bandwidth limits there? It is likely that adding video feeds will push the limits of your current contract as video puts exponentially more demand on a server, especially if you are successful. ** How are you tracking site stats? ** What backup procedures do you have for your raw video projects and your hosted files? # What CMS or blog software are you currently using to manage the pages that deliver video? ** Does it generate the RSS feed for you automatically? ** Can you edit the RSS feed so it is iTunes-compatible? ** What plug-ins are you using to manage the enclosures? # What file formats do you intend to provide for subscribers? ** Most people can view Quicktime files, but in our experience, about 10-20% prefer Windows Media versions. ** If more than one format, will your software handle multiple enclosures? # Do you intend to charge for your subscription? ** How do you intend to manage the private pages and RSS feed for paid subscribers? ** How do you manage contact/communication with your subscribers? ** How and where are you going to manage customer support issues "I can't see the movie." and training follow-up? # What copyright license do you intend to attach to your movie? ** Do you intend to share or license your movies for use by other organizations? ** Are you concerned about copyright infringement? It most likely will occur. # How do you intend to brand and polish your movies? ** Consider a custom iMovie template, show graphics, company brand embedded, royalty-free music, pre-post roll messaging, etc.) ** How and where do you intend to post your free feed for marketing purposes? ** Have you started a list of video aggregator sites that you may wish to use to market your podcast? I think that's enough for now! If this all sounds like too much tech and you still want to pursue video podcasting, consider "contacting us":/bfs/contact/ or check out "Freevlog":http://www.freevlog.org or "IzzyVideo Tutorials":http://www.izzyvideo.com/ for more information.

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: How to Know When to Update Your Software STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 01/05/2007 06:28:00 PM ----- BODY: I frequently hear people complaining about the so-called costly updates to the Mac operating system software, the "OS." Apple has been on a good run, and so there have been fee-based "version upgrades":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_OS_X#Versions about once a year since 2000. By comparison, Windows has "not had an upgrade":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Microsoft_Windows_versions since 2001 (unless you are a business user and have purchased the recently released "Vista":http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/aa905106.aspx. Where is the good news in here? Personally, I'd rather pay the nominal fee and get the terrific upgrade than wait for years and deal with a leaky, low performance OS. The cost of OS upgrades are so small, compared to the other expenses of your business. Each version upgrade for the Mac OS for example, is about $129 or "$199 for a pack of 5":http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=405B1455&nplm=MA453Z%2FA. This is so cheap! But each new version does so much more, not least of which is add security to your computer. As we all know, the virus writers just love looking for holes. Keeping your OS (and your virus definitions) up to date is essential for a smooth running business.
We use a really simple formula for determining how often to upgrade software: the more you use it, the more valuable it is _to you_ to have the most current version.

h3. How Often to Upgrade? That naturally means we start with the operating system on your computer. This is the brain that runs the rest of your computer and supervises your other software applications. It can extend or limit your capacity in a web browser, in an email program, and in virtually every other software tool you use. So it goes without saying that if you are on a Mac, and you look under the blue apple logo in the menu, when you click "About this Mac" ideally it will say "Mac OS X Version 10.4.8." If you are on a PC go to Start > Control Panel and then double-click on System. Ideally it will say Windows XP for Home use o Vista for enterprise business customers. h3. Web Browser and Email After the OS, most people use email and a web browser next most frequently. Using "Firefox":http://www.getfirefox.com or "Safari":http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/safari/ are great because they update themselves in the background for you and have so many features that are not available in Internet Explorer, even the most recent version 7. (As a sidebar, you might be interested to know that we spend an additional 10% of time when launching a new web site just getting it to work in IE, because this browser does not support "web standards":http://www.wc3.org.) Next in line is your email software. If you are on a PC, we recommend the "Thunderbird":http://www.mozilla.com/thunderbird/ application. It is open-source, free, and frequently updated, It has countless extensions that add functionality to it. If you are on a Mac, you can use Thunderbird, but we are actually switching back to Apple Mail. It has improved dramatically since first released a few years ago and its integration with other applications on your computer is amazing. Check out "Hawk Wings blog":http://www.hawkwings.net/ for more Apple Mail tips. *Caveat:* If you have custom applications or doubts about the newest version of a piece of software, it's a good idea to wait a few weeks or months and read the reports from others before deciding to upgrade. In my next post I'll give you some real life examples where having upgraded software pays off for your business, especially if you want to play successfully on the internet. roxanne's signature , , ,

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: New Site Launch: Here Comes the Guide STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 12/16/2006 12:52:01 PM ----- BODY: Here is the new site. (Click thumbnail to view full size.)Hopscotch Press originally came to us to create and manage an online database of wedding sites and services for California, http://www.herecomestheguide.com. Their site was database enabled with "Filemaker":http://www.filemaker.com since 1996, and they have changed their business dramatically over the decade. Originally a book publisher, the web site now drives the overwhelming majority of their business. It has grown many fold over the years, as we have continued to build custom applications within their site. Here is the before site. (Click thumbnail to view full size.) Their new web site is now upgraded for "Web 2.0" and includes a full Content Management System, site wide search as well as custom searches within the Locations and Services areas, and of course the activity tracker. This includes a much lighter design that is fully CSS-based. The home page features a rotation of specially-selected companies (an upsell opportunity for HP) and most all pages internally include the use of "touts" or small banners that can allow HP to push special messages to visitors site wide. (More upsell opportunities.) We've got lots of additional upgrades to roll out over the next few months, so like most births, this is just the beginning. On the surface the site is for brides and event planners. But what makes it work is the ability to search for well-recommended vendors who provide services to the wedding industry. These companies pay to be on the site. We have built a number of tracking tools that allow the HP staff to know 24-7 how many people have clicked on a company's detail page at http://www.herecomestheguide.com as well as how many then clicked on through to the company's own web site. HP's ability to edit all of their site content and to provide real-time, accurate activity reports on a per company basis are key elements of their success. We'd also like to thank designer Ryan Nichols of "Apples to Oranges":http://applestooranges.com/blog/post/grids-show-em-if-you-got-em/ whose insights can be felt throughout the site. And yes, we used grids to develop this site. Click on the image at your left to see a sample of what I mean, and what Ryan has been discussing on his blog.
Check it out and tell me know what you think! *UPDATE* I know, the site has only been live for five days, but here's one stat we love! Pageviews have more than doubled compared to the old site, which is a great indication of a much more engaging _user experience._ "Contact us":/bfs/contact/ if you'd like to improve the user experience on your web site! *UPDATE 2* It's been just under a month since site launch. Page views are up by 389% - almost a fourfold increase. Session duration (the average amount of time a visitor spends on the site) has more than doubled. roxanne's signature , , , , ,

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: Rox Interviewed on Network2.tv STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 11/17/2006 06:32:00 PM ----- BODY: Network2 was founded by Jeff Pulver, of the Voice on the Net fame. Jeff was a pioneer in internet telephony technology and now is immersed in internet tv aka online video technology. "Watch Roxanne's interview on Network2.tv":http://focus.blip.tv/file/102437/. "Learn more about Network2 here":http://network2.tv/. "Jeff Jarvis talks about the Pulver-organized onine video conference in March 2007":http://www.buzzmachine.com/index.php/2006/11/15/the-future-of-whose-tv/.

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Shane TITLE: Beach Walks with Rox is Featured on iTunes STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 11/08/2006 11:16:01 PM ----- BODY: The iTMS has dedicated an entire feature block to all the winners of the First Annual Vloggie Awards that took place this past weekend in San Francisco. We were fortunate enough to "win three vloggies":http://www.barefeetstudios.com/bfs/blog/detail/our-video-podcast-wins-three-vloggie-awards/ and are now just as fortunate to join the other amazing video blogs that are also being featured. You can "download iTunes for free":http://www.apple.com/itunes/ for both Macs and PCs and subscribe to audio and videos on thousands of topics. They'll be automatically delivered to to your computer every time a new episode is available. If you already have iTunes you can "add Beach Walks with Rox to your iTunes":http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=128301404 and automatically receive a new episode every day.

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: Our Video Podcast Wins Three Vloggie Awards! STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 11/06/2006 08:15:00 AM ----- BODY: Robert Scoble maintains his A-list blogger status by posting the winners within minutes! "People's Choice Winners":http://scobleizer.com/2006/11/04/best-videobloggers-list-from-the-vloggies-the-peoples-choices/ "Judges' Favorites":http://scobleizer.com/2006/11/04/best-videobloggers-list-from-the-vloggies/ Here are links to photos from the event, or just do a search on "Flickr":http://www.flickr.com for "vloggies." "Laughing Squid on Flickr":http://flickr.com/photos/laughingsquid/tags/vloggies/ and Laughing Squid's "personal post":http://laughingsquid.com/2006/11/05/the-vloggies-wrap-up/. "JD Lasica":http://www.newmediamusings.com/blog/2006/11/httpwwwourmedia.html has video of Dina Kaplan from "blip.tv":http://www.blip.tv and comments. (Thanks JD.) Andreas has a "judge's report":http://www.solitude.dk/archives/20061105-1442/ from inside the process. A reminder that "perfectly reasonable people disagree about everything." Hugs to my fellow winner in the Best Entertainment - Nonfiction Vlog Category, Bill Streeter of "LoFi St Louis":.http://lofistl.com/. grin *Update: More Vloggies Coverage:* "IPTV Evangelist Interviews Roxanne":http://www.iptvevangelist.com/2006/11/roxanne_darling_beach_walks_wi.html "The Clip Show":http://theclipshow.com/index.php?post_id=149028 "PodTech's own video from the event. Roxanne interviewed near the end.":http://www.podtech.net/home/technology/1439/vloggies-awards-show-party-video "Zen.Seesaa.Net coverage in Japan":http://zen.seesaa.net/article/26891797.html Many mahalos and thank you's to "Irina Slutsky":http://www.geekentertainment.tv (the fellow blonde behind this idea), to "Podtech":http://www.podtech.net as the official sponsor, and to the sponsors of the event for helping us continue to get this new media on the map: Yahoo Video Blip.TV GUBA Revver Webex Dabble Pandora Intel Cafe Nord And if you want to see my mini report from the evening, "it's here":http://www.beachwalks.tv/2006/11/04/beach-walk-255-otr-vloggies-come-in-threes/. You can see the over 500 nominees for "Vloggies here":http://www.vloggiessf.com/. Now go take the day off and get caught up with the online video revolution. roxanne's signature , , , , , ,

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: Podcast Sponsorships Part 2 STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 10/23/2006 10:56:00 AM ----- BODY: "Here's the link to Scobleizer.":http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/2006/10/22/great-advice-for-new-media-sponsors/ # Business collaborations work best IMO when there are open negotiations and each party is clear what they want to get out of it. # Nobody can know everything these days so it's good to have as many smart people on your team as you can afford. # Sponsorships can and should create a value add for all concerned. *Business collaborations work best...* It's each party's responsibility to both understand what it is s/he brings to the table as well as what it is s/he wants to take away. With that information, the negotiation of a deal can be productive.
A producer may not have an eye for business so…

*Nobody can know everything...* Content producers can't possibly understand a sponsor's business as well as the sponsor. (On this Mr. Coulter, you and I could agree.) However the sponsor also does not have access to the same information that a producer does, whether it is the implementation of the new media technology or the nuances of a producer's audience. It's the producer's responsibility to keep the audience in mind, and to select potential sponsors who will enhance the show's experience, not be some unrelated bunch of high-paying noise tossed in because the sponsor feels desperate to get his/her product in front of said audience. (Yes, this is why it is an uphill battle for "Edelman to help Walmart":http://www.businessblogconsulting.com/2006/10/will-the-edelman-wal-mart-saga-ever-end-two-more-flogs-outed.html get cool.) A smart sponsor will understand this. A producer may not have an eye for business so I think it makes sense to hire people like us who can translate the goals and expertise of the various parties into a useful strategy. *Sponsorships can and should create...* Otherwise, why bother? It is a short-lived, possibly expensive whimsy. I believe in sustainable business relationships (and sustainable environment practices.) It's business 101 that it's easier to keep selling a current customer than to try to go out and acquire new customers. A sponsor may not understand the psychology of the internet, so I think it makes sense to hire people like us who can translate the goals and expertise of the various parties into a useful strategy. *Let's Continue the "Amanda Across America":http://www.amandaacrossamerica.com Case Study* Here are few more things I would do differently: _From the Producer's Point of View:_ * Being a competitive person, and having screened each of the sponsors for being compatible with my project, I would want to see how much value I could deliver them so they'll have no doubts about supporting my next project. * In the case of Ford: I would plan to stop at every dealer along the way, and see how many Hybrids we could sell. I would use my role as media personality to attract my audience into the store, to have that great personal connection, and to have an open (yes probably and hopefully controversial) discussion about hybrid vehicles. Are they too little too late? Maybe. Want to test drive one? Sure. Are they better than your 5-year old stinkpot? You bet. But that's why I video blog - to have stimulating conversations with interesting people about new ideas without being afraid of commercial transactions supporting the process. * I would be delighted to challenge my audience to see what kind of difference we can make on this cross country trip. Add pages to the wiki to tally how many people turned off lights when they left the room (or switched to fluorescent), how many miles were walked or peddled instead of driven? The possibilities are endless. This is truly walking my talk, and getting my audience to do the same. _From the Sponsor's Point of View:_ * This is going to require more work on my (Ford's) part to get the dealer network involved and coordinate the logistics. But I'd be thrilled to have Amanda in our stores surrounded by her fans - a perfect demographic for the cars we are selling. * This also helps me support/pressure the dealer to take advantage of a great opportunity. "This price today only. It returns to normal by 25% a day so if you don't act within 4 days, you lose the benefit. And the first person who buys today goes to dinner with Amanda, we pick up the tab. We have sales people eager to answer your questions and let you take a test drive." [And dealers, you better be able to back this one up or it will backfire!] _From the Audience Point of View:_ * Hey, I'm getting great stories for free. Yes, I hate advertising, but I love Amanda and also like learning about things other people think are cool. And I trust my friends and the video blogs I watch much more than MSM. (Main stream media) * I've got ideas for the show; let me submit them. * I'd like to meet Amanda. Where is she gonna be? * Ok, I have been reading about Hybrids. I don't think they're the solution. I want to give Ford a piece of my mind, but I bet they won't dare to show up. They probably just tossed some money to try and look cool, without really caring about me. In my mind, this just proves they are clueless and don't really care. * I would listen to Amanda about this issue because I trust her and because this whole trip is to promote environmental awareness. So, if you are a producer and want to know how to make sense to a sponsor, contact us. If you are a sponsor who wants real ROI from your money, contact us. We see things differently and we love adding our plays to your game. roxanne's signature 808-384-5554 -10 GMT) "Check the current time in Honolulu":http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=103 , , , , ,

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Christopher Penn, Financial Aid Podcast URL: http://www.financialaidpodcast.com DATE: 10/25/2006 07:21:05 AM The thing is, if advertising is done RIGHT - meaning it's educational and entertaining, your audience won't hate it. Quite the contrary - they may love it. Even though they're 30 second spots, the PC/Mac ads from Apple are so entertaining, people share them without compensation. The same is true of podcasts and blogs - if the sponsor is truly a good fit for the show, then not only will the sponsor integrate into the content, but the audience may even welcome them. Christopher S. Penn, The Financial Aid Podcast A Publication of the Student Loan Network On-demand financial aid internet radio, no iPod required http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com http://www.StudentLoanNetwork.com ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: Fortune 500 Companies: Read this before sponsoring a podcast STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 10/22/2006 02:32:01 PM ----- BODY: The news this week was that "NBC to cut 700 jobs":http://www.breitbart.com/news/na/cp_X101902AU.xml.html as a direct result of *people's attention move from the TV to the internet*. Breitbart also reported that chief executive Jeff Zucker "told the newspaper that scripted shows cost too much given the lack of advertiser interest." I know advertisers are scrambling to put their money somewhere, especially online, in hopes of finding customers. Robert Scoble laments the "Internet Video Business Challenges":http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/2006/10/20/internet-video-business-challenges/trackback/. "Jeff Pulver":http://pulverblog.pulver.com/archives/005819.html is zooming forward with his "Video on the Net":http://www.videoonthenet.com/ conferences. I just wonder why companies squander so much on edgy projects and leaps of faith, when there are simple ways to extend both positive results and the measurement of those results. Let's look at "Amanda Across America":http://www.amandaacrossamerica.com as a case study. Amanda Congden, original host of the ground-breaking videoblog "Rocketboom":http://www.rocketboom.com, has re-launched her career with a cross-country road trip in a "Ford hybrid vehicle":http://www.fordvehicles.com/suvs/escapehybrid/ to highlight environmental awareness. Good idea. But I think there is considerable opportunity being left on the table. Part 1 is just about good manners. Part 2 is understanding the more pedestrian aspects of the internet. *Part 1: It's Just Good Manners* I actually think content producers and paid sponsors could help each other and themselves more if they would actually hold hands in public instead of sitting on opposite sides of the ballroom. It's partly my upbringing, but if someone is going to give me a bunch of money so I can do what I love, then I think graciousness as well as good business suggests that you do more than create a popup window called "thanks" where users have to actually scroll to see all of the sponsors. Only to find just a logo or a text link to the sponsor's main web site. So utterly impersonal. And cumbersome to track. *Part 2: Pedestrian Use of the Internet* Sponsors and producers could far extend the ROI of the partnership, without spending any more money, just by using the internet for the little things it is really good for. Like adding a page here and there, a real face and a real name, and remembering it's about the conversation. *If I were managing this project:* * I would _insist_ that each sponsor's logo be visible without scrolling. * I would _insist_ that each link take users to a custom page just for that sponsor. * I would _insist_ that the sponsor not just give me money, but also tell me why and what my users ought to know about their products, and I would add this message to the custom page. * I would _insist_ on integrating some of that message into my content. (Amanda did visit a Hybrid plant in MO.) * I would _insist_ that the sponsor give me a name, email address, and phone number of at least one real person inside the company who will talk to my viewers when they are ready to know more. * I would _insist_ that questions viewers post on the "wiki":http://amanda.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ get answered daily and that "daily updates" be added daily. (It's such a neat idea to have the wiki! Too bad it seems only minimally inhabited.) * And speaking of the wiki, I would _insist_ that the sponsors participate. What a great way to start a dialog with your customers. I sure was looking for the voice of Ford in there to answer questions about hybrids, and Ford, and the environment, etc. Remember, web 2.0 (regardless of your opinion on the jargon) is about people having conversations with people they previously could not. It's me talking to a big wig at Ford just as much as it is Ford talking to us customers online. *Why would I be such an insisting b/witch?* Because I would only take people's money whose products or services I think are relevant and valuable to my viewers. There's nothing to hide about that. And because I would want more of that sponsorship money to keep flowing in, so I can keep doing what I love. And because it's just good manners that when someone gives you something of value, you don't just say "thanks." And finally, because even if a big large company doesn't know _how_ to use the internet in these mundane yet powerful ways, I would feel honored to show the way. "Job Interview Thank you letters by Yana Parker":http://www.damngood.com/ready/exmpl/thank-you.html "BrownieLocks Tips for Writing Thank You Notes":http://www.brownielocks.com/notes.html And be sure to visit "Beach Walks with Rox":http://www.beachwalks.tv and watch our video blog. We've got sponsorship ideas like grains of sand for the right fit! roxanne's signature , ,, , , , ,

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: David Kowarsky URL: http://focus.blip.tv DATE: 10/23/2006 04:45:47 AM Astute thoughts on the ways in which companies can/should leverage the medium. V Cool. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Roxanne Darling URL: http://www.barefeetstudios.com DATE: 10/23/2006 12:01:47 PM Thanks David. You may be interested in today's post, Podcast Sponsorships Part 2 on this topic. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: Write Your Own Patent! STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 10/08/2006 06:37:01 PM ----- BODY: Sounds like perfect fun to me to grow your business! Courtesy of an email announcement from "Technology Ventures Corporation":http://www.techventures.org: *TVC-Sponsored Workshop on Patent Writing* Santa Fe Business Incubator 3900 Paseo del Sol, Santa Fe, NM October 25th, 2006 Albuquerque, NM Technology Ventures Corporation will be hosting a workshop entitled "Writing Your Own Patent" on Wednesday, October 25th, 2006 from 8 am to 12 noon at the UNM Science and Technology Park Auditorium at 800 Bradbury SE. The workshop will be lead by Bruce Winchell, who is a registered patent attorney with extensive experience in writing, submitting and defending patents in the United States and Canada. The workshop will outline the requirements for a US patent application, discuss what constitutes patentable subject matter, and provide instruction on writing patent claims. This workshop is provided free of charge but a reservation is required. Please email us your intent to attend to: or call Margaret Speer at (505) 843-4202. "Or just RSVP here.":http://www.123signup.com/register?id=qcfrk

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: Why (text-audio-video) blog? A sample of one. STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 09/19/2006 06:03:01 PM ----- BODY: Whether it's people pushing iPods or Bibles, the urge to evangelize is one powerful urge! "Jeff Pulver responded to Dina Kaplan's suggestion":http://pulverblog.pulver.com/archives/005606.html to "Do a Video Blog" with a sober and IMO realistic perspective: bq. This all said, working with video does require some level of full-time commitment and care and is more "work" than just putting together one's thoughts for a text blog on any given Saturday afternoon. And "Robert Scoble has a useful list of video blog considerations":http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/2006/09/16/to-videoblog-or-not-to-videoblog/ that is both inspiring (no, it doesn't have to be perfect) and yet practical (good sound matters). "Devlon at Loaded Pun also weighs in":http://loadedpun.com/2006/09/17/why-videoblog-a-question-to-bloggers.html, pointing out the grass roots power of this medium. It feels like something we the people are just not going to let go of! Video is so much more compelling. Remember all those arguments you've had, wishing someone had documented it with video, to "prove" your version of reality?? Well, now you can. h2. A Study of One: Here is my history with (text/audio/video) blogging. Even though I love to write, I so far haven't become a great blogger. I don't have much of the snoop and gossip genes that I think help make a great blogger. I've had many blogs, starting back in 2001, but none really stirred my pot. Then I got excited about audio podcasting, because heaven knows I love to talk to people. But that didn't really stick either, tho not for lack of ideas. It seemed cumbersome and I wanted to write it out first, but didn't want to take/have the time. Me alone with my microphone in my office where I already spend too much time? Nahh. Then along comes videoblogging, and I have truly found my home. It feels so natural to me. I love it, though it is considerably more difficult and more time-consuming than blogging or audio-podcasting. Especially since I choose to do my "Beach Walks with Rox":http://www.beachwalks.tv outside in the elements, every single day, generating content from my my own little heart and mind. Go figure! As a consumer, I often prefer to read as I can get so much more in, in a short period of time. I love it when a/v podcasters have show notes as that helps me decide whether or not to go further. Even if I don't have time to listen/watch, I can still engage in a relationship. I am very loyal to the podcasters who "speak to me" - something I cannot yet define. But I won't wait for an ad that most MSM requires before it will show me their video. Especially when I have to wait several seconds for anything at all to begin to play - as all the ad-click tracking makes its database calls to report on my behavior. But back to my original point, seems to me there are plenty of us who are seriously inspired by video on the internet and we can back off everyone else. I like that old AA practice: attraction not promotion. If it's as powerful as many of us think, it's only going to get bigger. You've got plenty of time to jump on this bandwagon. As for me, I have so many show ideas I can't sleep at night! roxanne's signature ,, , , ,

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: Looking for CoWorkers in Honolulu STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 09/11/2006 09:16:00 PM ----- BODY: Coworking was conceived by "Brad Neuberg":http://codinginparadise.org/ and revolves around the concept of an open space work environment, where expenses are shared by "anchors" and "day trippers." Anchors pay a fixed amount per month to cover rent and utilities. It's basic math: take the total amount due, divide by the number of anchors. Day trippers pay a low, daily rate, and use as little or as much as they please. Their fees go back to the anchors to cover the fixed expenses. The whole point is for self-employed modernistas to be able to leave the home office and its crying baby next door, the non-stop lawn services, the low ceilings, and the cramped space, in favor of a "real office" with few traditional barriers. Coworking spaces are popping up "all over the mainland":http://coworking.pbwiki.com/FrontPage, and Honolulu seems like a natural fit. Are you interested? If so, let's talk! 384-5554 Aloha, roxanne's signature , ,

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Brad Neuberg URL: http://codinginparadise.org DATE: 09/11/2006 11:12:46 PM Hi Roxanne! How cool would that be to have a coworking space in Honolulu. What kinds of stuff do you hack on? Best, Brad Neuberg ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Roxanne Darling URL: http://www.barefeetstudios.com DATE: 09/12/2006 09:39:05 AM Aloha Brad, My partner and I have a web development company and we are hooked on video blogging. In addition to our sporadic posts here, we do a daily show at beachwalks.tv. It started as a test of the technology but it is producing ideas all over the place! And yes, having a place in HNL would be groovy indeed. Then our fellow coworkers on the mainland can have a place to hang during vacations here. grin Mahalo for stopping by! Roxanne ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Roxanne Darling URL: http://www.barefeetstudios.com DATE: 06/18/2007 11:42:12 AM Here's another group doing this for reference. They are in Denver. http://hivecoop.pbwiki.com/Residents ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Shane Robinson URL: http://www.barefeetstudios.com DATE: 06/18/2007 12:21:13 PM Found this great centralized site: http://coworking.pbwiki.com/ ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: What's Dunn Got to Do With It? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 09/09/2006 04:36:01 PM ----- BODY: In light of the realization that HP hired investigators who allegedly used illegal tactics to spy on board members and journalists, "many are calling for Ms. Dunn's resignation":http://money.cnn.com/2006/09/07/technology/fastforward_hp.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2006090811. # A "publlic" company means that you are responsible to the public. From the fiduciary point of view, the publlic shareholders are your _raison d'etre_. From a marketing point of view, "everyone else" is a potential customer, and business acumen sugggests "those customers care about your corporate practices":http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/2006/09/08/hp-has-major-ethical-problem-day-3/. # The internet has become the supreme "outing":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outing entity. Secrets are only relevant to those who are irrelevant. Radar is so sensitive with the interconnected news hounds of the web that you have to be under the radar to hide your stuff. But even there, time is eroding your cloak of anonymity. # Small business owners do not have boards and layers of management to hide behind. Sure, there are crooks at the corner store too, but they get caught sooner as customers look at their receipts and talk to each other. # Most large companies would love us to think that Enron and WorldCom are deviant minorities. Thanks to Ms. Dunn, we continue to realize that even companies like HP have big problems behind closed doors, in addition to the leaking board members. My rule of thumb: the larger the company, the more money is at stake and the more incentive there is to go crooked and slimy. Small businesses are closer to their customers; they get found out sooner. And the market responds harshly. I'd like to inject neighborhood incentives into secretive corporate board rooms. Concentrating too much power into the hands of a few is bound to cultivate greed. The internet continues to level the playground and expose the bully tactics of a few that affect the many. roxanne's signature , , , ,

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: Collaboration: Is it gender or position? STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 08/02/2006 06:51:00 AM ----- BODY: Lynne d Johnson had this to say over at the Fast Company blog: bq. Huffington made the statement after announcing that she'd soon launch a new section on her site called "Politics Aside" that would feature topics that were not politics, such as mothering, sex, relationships, and cooking.... In my experience such a call for sharing of content is not common practice at male conferences — at least not in this context or without some sort of business deal being discussed. I tend to agree with Lynne that the average woman's view of collaboration is different from the average man. But does "Arianna Huffington":http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ fit into the averages? I don't know. I was not at Blogher, but I wonder did her offer to come on over and cross post on her blog come with any compensation? Would she be willing to cross-post over on other women's blogs too? After all, AH gets a lot of traffic. I think we are talking about spreading the wealth of influence and cash around, not concentrating it into the already dominant URL's. Yes, blogging is WONDERFUL because it has created dialog and mindshare amoung those at very different locations on the internet, the globe, the org chart, etc. But many of us see an old model slowly forming: concentration into the hands of a few rather than a truly distributed model. Internet software can handle that, but I think our brainware is struggling to keep up. But technology has frequently developed faster than psychology.
Gender may influence our gut reactions or choices, but experience and consciousness can trump those any day of the week.

One big issue in the videoblogging community is the huge outgrowth of video hosting sites. "Cross post your videos here for free!" But very few are discussing the revenue aspects, or if they are, it is tiny and speculative, and as most of us with some business experience realize, there still ain't very many free lunches. Greed is still a dominant force in business, and the challenge for the average woman I think is to navigate the balance between knowing that greed exists and yet still operating with an arms wide open stance. I think Robert Scoble is trying to change this game. How do we fairly compensate not only those who are bulding out the infrastructure but also those who are building the content? Molly E. Holzschlag got a lot of support when she decided not to speak at a conference for free. UPDATE: I incorrectly stated "SXSW":http://www.technorati.com/tags/sxsw. Thanks for the note Molly. Women may be more generous collaborators, but "they also tend to be left out of the big deals":http://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2006/06/21/PM200606218.html. Still, "women owned businesses are growing at twice the rate of all privately-held firms":http://www.womensbusinessresearch.org/topfacts.html. *Bottom Line?* Gender may influence our gut reactions or choices, but "experience and consciousness":http://www.beachwalks.tv/2006/07/20/beach-walk-148-size-matters-in-football/ can trump those any day of the week. roxanne's signature , , , , , , ,

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Molly E. Holzschlag URL: http://molly.com/ DATE: 08/02/2006 09:45:10 AM Very interesting article, and thanks for it. One important correction if you'll be so kind, it wasn't SXSW I wouldn't speak at for free. I never named which conference. SXSW remains a special case for me, but I'm sure others in the field disagree with that as well. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: I am woman, hear me. STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 08/01/2006 09:42:00 PM ----- BODY: Steve Safran suggests over at Lost Remote that a TV station hire a woman anchor just because she has a strong voice. This type of thinking is just what I focus on over at "Beach Walks with Rox":http://www.beachwalks.tv/2006/05/18/beach-walk-87-sorting-saves-energy-but/. Yes, we all still have that old back brain that runs purely on instinct and fight or flight syndrome. But that doesn't mean we have to use it! Part of what consciousness is about is learning to think — and act — with the frontal cortex. That ability to set aside things we know to be silly (like women can't lead or manage authority) and act different! This is precisely what Joan Baker (successful voice-over talent) suggests in her article called "Challenging the Voice of God":http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6350082.html. Counter Point: I have to add since we are talking about voices, I don't know where the young girls of today get those squeaky whiny voices. I find _that_ incredibly irritating. Alongside the very old prejudice against women's authority, is females adopting speaking behaviors that sound childish and powerless. It takes both sides to effectively change a power structure. C'mon girls! Drop those energy-draining twangs; they don't score you any points except perhaps with your own peers. Or better yet, develop a versatile voice that can come and go with ease. grin

----- EXTENDED BODY: ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR: Steve Safran URL: http://lostremote.com DATE: 08/02/2006 03:36:09 AM Roxanne: Thank you so much for the shoutout. One note - I'm not suggesting a female anchor so much as a female voice of the whole station. As in - the announcements for the promos, the voice-over for the intro to the newscasts, etc. Couldn't agree more about the squeaky voices. But there are plenty of guys with bad voices, too. A search for a strong female voice would lead to an excellent choice. Thank you again for the link. ----- -------- AUTHOR: Roxanne TITLE: How Blogs Work 4 U STATUS: Publish ALLOW COMMENTS: 1 CONVERT BREAKS: br DATE: 07/27/2006 09:35:01 AM ----- BODY: To me, blogs are like "tofu":http://www.webmediajournal.com/jessica_burruss/archives/2006/06/the_first_step_in_conquering_y_1.shtml. A lot of people say they don't like it for various reasons even though they have never actually experienced it. Or certainly haven't understand all of its benefits. Blogs are powerful in two ways: # Blog software enables cross-linking and networking as if your site is on steroids. # Blog content is where the action is these days on the internet. In my opinion, if you want to be successful online, you must understand how blogs work. If you want to "control your message" as many companies do, your best move is to be proactive with your own blog, or as Realty Objectives says, "Sunlight is the Best Disinfectant":http://realtyobjectives.com/blog/2006/04/13/sunlight-is-the-best-disinfectant/. Remember, anyone can start a blog and say just about anything they want about you. Are you ready and able to respond? Are you willing to talk candidly to your customers? Can you make the time to share some of your enormous wisdom and satisfy the deep hunger people have to know before they buy? Here is a short primer on how blogs work. h3. Add a comment on a blog add a comment to a blogThis is the easiest way to get your feet wet with blogging. You do not need a blog to so this! And your site will benefit immediately because your comment will create a link back to your site. (AKA "backlink" or "in bound link - IBL)
h3. Trackback to another blog trackback to another blogOnce you have a blog, you can trackback to another blog. This means, you add a link on your site, to someone else's blog. If their blog is configured correctly (not all blogs are equal!) then a link to your article will show up on their site. "Robert Scoble":http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/ gets a lot of comments and trackbacks on his blog. The trackbacks can be distinguished from the comments as they start with a bracket "[...]". Click on the "Comments" link for any article to see the details.
h3. Gain an In Bound Link from the Trackbacked Article imageAgain, if the other blog is configured correctly, your trackback will create a link on their site back to your site! Then all of the people reading that person's blog, will be able to click on over to your site and read your blog as well.
h3. Ping the Main Blog Directories ping technoratiNew directory sites track the activity on millions of blogs. This is where people can go to find the most recent blog discussion on virtually any topic. If your blog software enables it (not all blogs are created equal) then when you post a new blog article, you can "ping" or contact these directories to say, "Hey! I just posted a new article on my blog, and it's called "Five reasons Why Blogs Can Save Your Business." This is done automatically for you, in the background, by the software.
h3. Gain an In Bound Link from Each Directory inbound link from technoratiOnce you ping the directory, your link then shows up at the top of the list at each site. This generates more IBL going to your site, on very specific, keyword-dense topics. It also exposes you to millions of people lookin