links for 2007-04-01
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Nifty tool for adding all sorts of effects (from slideshows to frames, etc.) to Flickr photos and sets.
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Yes, yes, Justin.tv is all Justin, all the time. One man and a bloody camera attached somewere to his person, streaming video 24/7. Supposedly nothing edited out. Reality tv online … just what we needed.
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Yes, older people like videogames, too. (Is this really news?)
Stop Cyberbullying Day
In the midst of the blog-storm — and increasingly, the mainstream media storm — over cyberbullying and far worse threats made against ‘A-List’ blogger Kathy Sierra, Andy Carvin has taken the initiative and declared today – Friday 30 March – Stop Cyberbullying Day. While Sierra’s situation is horrid and complicated in the same breath, the general principle that any bullying is bad, and cyberbullying seems increase the tendency to be really nasty given supposed anonymity, I think Carvin’s idea is a great one, so I am declaring my absolute for Stop Cyberbullying Day – and my ongoing disdain for bullying in any form, be it cyber or otherwise.
I wish I had more time to write a more detailed and thoughtful post, but as I have no time at all, please have a look at my links post for 28 March points to Kathy Sierra’s post which announced the ongoing threats she received to the blogosphere, and it also contains a number of the initial responses including those from Robert Scoble (who is not blogging this week, in solidarity), danah boyd (who tells her own story about bullying while decrying the abuse of Kathy Sierra) and Doc Searls (who knows a lot of the people said to be involved in abusing Kathy and seems to be doing a pretty balanced job of trying to get to the bottom of it all).
Then read and use these if you can:
[X] Abc7News: Cyber Threats Against Well-Known Blogger has a brief overview of the threats Kathy Sierra received; it also has an unedited audio interview with Kathy Sierra about those threats – it’s well worth listening to.
[X] Andy Carvin’s Stop Cyberbullying Ning (a mini social network for discussing these problems, and work on solutions).
[X] Scott McLeod has created a some images you can use to show your support for Stop Cyberbullying Day (the image at the top of this post is one of Scott’s).
[X] Read and comment on current blog posts in support of Stop Cyberbullying Day.
[X] And, finally, please make your own blog post or other show of support if you can. Bullying hurts everyone.
Law and Order’s LonelyGirl15 Episode
I’m not a huge Law and Order watcher, and I’ve no idea how far the Australian schedule differs from the US one, but I was fascinated to hear (somewhat after the fact) that in November last year the Criminal Intent version of the tv franchise featured an episode which built directly on hype around LonelyGirl15.
The episode — and the fictional videoblog series — was called ‘Weeping Willow’ (instead of lonelygirl15) and instead of YouTube it was said to feature on ‘YouLenz’. I’d love to see the episode and will hunt it down one day, but what I found really impressive was the fact that the videoblog episodes created for Law and Order (still) appear online; check them out at FreeWillow17.com. These videoblog clips mimic the style and substance of lg15 really well; from the (early) dynamic between Bree and Jonas to the use of a handpuppet and the bedroom set. It was a little odd to see Buffy’s little sister (MichelleTrachtenberg) playing a character called Willow, but these are really well produced clips nevertheless.
If anyone knows when this episode will screen in Australia, please let me know!
links for 2007-03-30
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The Lonelygirl15 Youtube/videblogging sensation has entered the world of product placement, starting with Hershey’s gum.
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Jib Jab return with a funny little animation which – all too accurately – maps the demise of ‘The News’ in the US (and is easily extrapolatable elsewhere…).
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Watch politics through the eyes of participatory culture and collective creativity …
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Georgia Tech, Professor Jim Foleyhas been testing whether students listening to face to face lectures, or reviewing lectures on laptops/iPods learn better. Using class test results, the laptop/iPod group seem to perform 10% better.
links for 2007-03-28
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Death (and other) threats made against blogger Kathy Sierra are just revolting and cruel. (Nor do they appear random, but rather concerted and deliberate, which is all the more disturbing.)
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Ross Mayfield responds to the threats against Kathy Sierra soberly, sharing the concern many of us feel, but also pointing out this isn’t an argument against free speech and anonymity per se.
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Scoble: “I’m physically ill after reading what happened to Kathy Sierra. Maryam and several others here at PodTech asked me about it and are concerned since the same sites that are attacking Kathy also mentioned me and Maryam.”
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danah boyd talks about the threats and hate spech against Kathy Sierra and calls a spade very much a spade. she also (bravely) recounts similar experiences from her past.
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BBC News picks up on the threats: “Prominent blogger Kathy Sierra has called on the blogosphere to combat the culture of abuse online. It follows a series of death threats which have forced her to cancel a public appearance and suspend her blog.”
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Frank Paynter’s apology to Kathy Sierra for his part in MeanKids (and Kathy’s responses).
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Doc Searls tries to take a snapshot of the threats against Kathy Sierra, the causes, the people and offers a few words as to why their take anarchy isn’t so useful.
links for 2007-03-27
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Google starts to integrate … everything! It’s totally Epic!
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An excellent three-part essay on comic books and the changing shape of the superhero genre(s).
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“Doctors can greatly improve their stethoscope skills and therefore their ability to diagnose heart problems by listening repeatedly to heartbeats on their iPods.” (Drs accuracy doubles after 5 minutes with iPod recordings! Hmmm.)
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“The arch of an eyebrow or the curve of a lip tells chimps a lot about each other, in a finding that may give scientists new understanding about the evolution of human communication, researchers report.” (Donna Haraway will be pleased!)
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I know Ask A Ninja and OKGo … the rest are new to me. No stats on how many votes, though!
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UK man Kevin Whitrick logged into a chatroom, stated he was going to hang himself, turned on a webcam – was egged on by some, a few tried to talk him out of it – and then he hanged himself with a live webcam showing the whole thing.
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“You’ve heard of iPod – now welcome to iGod. High-tech vicar Reverend Clay Nelson is taking his sermons virtual. The Auckland vicar has been releasing weekly addresses from St Matthew-in-the-city through the internet for almost a year.”
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The Children of Húrin will be released worldwide on 17 April, with Tolkien’s son completing the unfinished work begun by his father more than half a century ago.
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