I am thinking about the Phoenix Digital Art scheme. There is a £750 budget as well as other support. Most of what I do is extension of blogging but maybe it could be art. I have found an online explanation of how MoMA New York has "acquired" the asperand - aka @.

Still thinking about #likeminds and Exeter. I feel disjointed as if it all happened in another place. Without a suitable piece of kit I cannot connect.Both Gowalla and Foursquare allow you to login to their site from the web but I don't think you can show where you are. I find that a netbook over 24 months or a phone over eighteen months could be within the £750. A few problems with this. Would they like the idea of blowing almost all the budget on kit? Also it is supposed to be a six months project. So what would the Phoenix do with the phone for the rest of the contract? I think the phone is more likely as some sort of geo positioning needs to be built in.

Argument number one - there could be a high number of @ produced.

More generally, text is enough to link to other stuff. I encourage Creative Commons because usually other people do things better than I do. So for art that links to social media the limited buget for outputs may not be a problem.

A couple of examples. I spoke to Damien Houston from the Wheely Saying something radio show on Phonic about Fieldworks by Juliet Robson. This is from last year but there are Flick photos. Why not do some photos from wheelchairs around Exeter? Earlier today I got a tweet about photos of slum dogs in India. What about the dogs in Exter? Or anywhere else. Of course we do not need location based social media to take photos. But it may add something.

And this on Flickr



Creative Commons licence as well. So maybe the stills could be combined with others.

Now I have found some embed code



This is from the Exeter Twestival Mama Stones

#ExeterTwestival on Twitter

Ellie Williams on Facebook

The Exeter Twestival is over but some video exists. Ustream seems to work well and the sound is good on what I hear so far.

This is a really good development. I have tried to work on several music videos with mixed results. Mama Stones has the resource for sound recording which is a good start. Suggest this is checked out as reference occasion.

This is video from Exeter. So don't worry about the nonsense on YouTube. Reasonable production is possible.

Still thinking about #likeminds and how Exeter continues meanwhile. I have found a Flickr link for Phoenix Galleries. Not sure how I missed it for so long. there are photos from several recent shows. I had thought that policy was to not allow photography from the public or casual bloggers. Just repeating myself but gradually getting towards a three minute version, social media assumes some sort of free access to samples, mashup possibilities and soforth. Music is ok most of the time, visual art not so yet as far as I can tell. The Flickr photos are not Creative Commons but can be linked to. Presumably no permission for collage with something else.

There are several from Fieldworks by Juliet Robson. Also text on Facebook (keep scrolling down). I will try to raise this with the Wheely Saying Something radio show on Phonic. The work involved several ropes showing a line of sight, for example from a wheelchair. There could be more photos from around Exeter, maybe paint the ropes in later.

The current show may involve a stage set and invite performance inspired by the Gold Diggers of 1932, 1934, 1937 etc. Warner are not the most obvious people to encourage a mash up. But what else is possible?

This post may claim to be about content but is an extension of the wifi Exeter idea. (Possibly some animation later but meanwhile the Aninexeter blog is off topic often enough).

The Phoenix is offering some funds for a digital experiment so I am thinking of what might fit. Trying to understand how online learning happens, it seems to relate to comparisons through time and space. There is something by way of script or process that is similar enough online and offline. Enough for some sort of feedback and connection. Script implies fiction, but not always. Leave that open till I understand the scope of the application form a bit better.

The #likeminds ideas are still sinking in. I tried out Gowalla and FourSquare. Location based and although there are websites they seem to assume you have a phone with location sensing built in. My guess is this is still rare in Exeter unless there are a crowd of visitors. Conference Centre on Queen Street still scoring high for Gowalla visits.

I checked with the New Horizon coffee shop on Longbrook Street and St Sidwell's. Both have web access but no positioning as far as I can tell. Still this would work with Twitter if you just needed to know when to meet. Sometimes there is web access at the Phoenix, a minimal Mac in the Imaginary Lounge. So there could be three locations to try out even before suitable devices are widely available. The spots could be imagined as other spots. This is what is beginning to make sense for me. I have thought about a walk for example on the Lancaster university campus with the InfoLab as a start and the Management School as a challenge to techno claims. Other scenarios are possible.

Looking in Dixons it appears that a laptop with web access is £30 a month on a two year contract. This is most of the budget. What else could you do as an output? Would a phone be cheaper? How long a wait is possible before the contract? I think it is supposed to be a year project.

Yesterday the City Centre Manager was on Twitter again about being in the City Centre. I am gradually learning more about how this sort of thing works. A link to Gowalla showed which coffee site he was in. Meeting up with #likeminds types.

I still find there is a disconnect with much of Exeter as I think about it. Maybe I should get out more or have not checked recently. The Exeter Twestival is using social media much more than most events. I think the Phoenix could do even more in this area.

Can't keep up with video for all that happens so here is a link to previously



I think the effect of options such as Gowallah could be to make links with other places. Exeter can be benchmarked through shifts in time or location.

Chris Brogan at Like Minds , embed invited on blog so I am encouraged to continue borrowing stuff.

I went back to Tools of Change New York. Forgot to look much last week in the excitement about Like Minds being in Exeter. Found this from Chris Brogan so it confirms stuff fits together.

Searching blogs for more on LikeMinds. This from John Bell-

Exeter UK is a hidden gem. Okay, hidden form me perhaps. Two and a half hours outside of London, who would have guessed that such a cool little town existed. It is a place that you could actually imagine living in (if you have kids) and you can actually buy stuff there as well. @scottgould and @drewellis did a great job of luring us all there and John Harvey aka @exeterccm - the City Centre Manager was a terrific host.

John Bell works for Ogilvy PR and teaches graduate studies in Digital Influence at Johns Hopkins University. So it is great that he has visited Exeter and may do again. But I have a bit of a disconnect as I don't really know who in Exeter will be continuing this conversation round the year. I miss LifeBytes as an internet resource and social connection. It might have more support if it existed at this time when the case for social media is better understood.

Also Flickr photos can be found. No complaints yet about my borrowing photos from Twitter for my own versions. So I am still thinking about Rougemont Global Broadcasting as social communication rather than pure video. What this actually means is going back to text, some of it in very short chunks, and linking to other people. They won't mind. Trust me, I'm a blogger.

See Whatleydude blog for map of where Exeter is.

Like Minds still settling. seems ok.

the tape has jammed in my sensible camera so it is back to stills and the disgo. Can't edit this, the software just stops. But YouTube will load it ok.



Just enough to make a connection. Please add links and comments.

Fortunately Documentalist is on the case. Very impressive to edit this together overnight. The sound recording is pretty good I think but not so free of background noise that the music can be added. Maybe it is just me. I have the same trouble with television. Maybe we are not really supposed to know what is happening at the Guardian. Anyway, well worth watching.



Flickr set of photos.

I lost the crowd after a bit. It was cold and windy so nobody eating outside. The images of people in central Exeter all discussing the social benefits of media and branding will have to wait for the summer.

I am still puzzled how this relates to Exeter. Most people seemt o be from London or maybe Bristol. Next week more investigation. We could start with analog2digital as an event that relates to social communication.

Retweets

ExeterCCM

RT @scottgould #likeminds (Broadcasting live at http://ustre.am/77OX) #Exeter
10 minutes ago from web

WeAreLikeMinds

Watch #likeminds live at http://www.twitterface.com/likeminds2010
9 minutes ago via Tweetie

Timeshifting Exeter TV

Problem is Jo is not in Exeter at this time. So Exeter TV, the production standards project, is not that present. Meanwhile maybe Rougemont global Broadcasting is better presented as a social network rather than video. not at all sure about this which is why a chat with Jo would be useful. Possible solution is to link this to Facebook then check later. Imagined events can coexist with actual. This is assuming that some sort of record is possible of the lunchtime wanderings.

My wild guess is that Jo might lunch somewhere like the Firehouse, just ouside the zone of the city centre management, then move towards somewhere the Bowling Green on the way home. In other words on a Friday he may not return to the formal conference. This is just fiction you understand.

I think Jo will actually be at the Bowling Green for the Pyrates on St Patricks Night. So I will try to discover his views on social media and the positioning of Exeter. The Pyrates are not too loud, we may be able to converse.

Later, do an edit to put some clips together.

Meanwhile, Facebook. Jo is not on Twitter as far as I know.

Do they mean us?

The wonders of Twitter include finding out what is going on just around the corner. During Animated Exeter I became aware of the Exeter City Centre Manager and then became a follower. This week it turns out there is a major event in Exeter around social networking. Friday lunchtime at various places not too far from Queen Street. From the Twitter feed so far it seems people or on trains or heading this way. I had no idea. Checked in the Tourist Information and they were surprised as well.

We are like minds, apparently media experts and brand builders. So my question would be how this can continue between visits? Is there a local base? Found an explanation published in Plymouth but still not sure what happens closer.

Story so far on this blog. Intel survey reveals Exeter as a wifi capital for the UK, the highest proportion of hotspots to population. Actually mostly IT games devices in pubs, ask the bar staff for the reality of how often they are used. But anyway the point is there was a UK headline event, then not a lot to follow up.

Will the RDA be there? I have been encouraged to venture to Bristol for the barcamp on apps for mobiles. But the RDA on a wander through the high street in case the social awareness is of global connectedness? Not sure this happens that often.

This recent Animated Exeter there was no problem in explaining what YouTube is. Long ago there was an issue that Exeter City Council support for Flash was limited. Not that wasting time on status updates is what people should be doing all day long but on the other hand culture events can benefit from a few links. Maybe people now find out about YouTube at home.

Meanwhile Rougemont Global Broadcasting continues on a small scale. The Rose Bond clip from the castle is now in double figures for views. Maybe i should relaunch it as a social networking example, with the video as just one aspect.

I will try to get some pictures tomorrow lunchtime. There could be a breakout session in the Firestation.

Winter Beer Festival on YouTube



Trying to keep up with events in Exeter. Still hoping to find an editor for the tapes from Beer At The Castle. The sound needs some help also. But something will happen soon. Lighting for live music really is better in the summer.

Not sure if there will be a 2010 summer event. But the Castle will have some combination of food / drink / music. My idea of the YouTube chatshow at the moment is to link to something else whenever possible. So please look out for Isambarde Electric when they start to tour as the snow disappears.

YouTube search comes up with a train named after Brunel leaving St Davids so ignore that one unless it is interesting.

More about local news. Not sure if this is the right blog but "wifi Exeter" has tended to be about anywhere there is wifi. Exeter may be similar but out of time. News is that there will be tests of the local tv news approach for ITV. These will be in Scotland, Wales and North East England. Most interest seems to be in Scotland. Media Guardian has nothing in print today but who knows when it was written? The BBC have most detail and there is also a report from Media Week.

I missed the news about the invitation to tender or where the pilots are to be. So far there is nothing about using the input from social media to augment the impact of local TV. By the way is "local" the whole of Scotland for example?

I missed the Coldplay concert in Exeter as I was in Granadaland for the holidays. Snowscape very seasonal but it continued when life was supposed to return to normal. Checking Youtube shows that the Coldplay event was well reported. The South West could be a test of how local news works with YouTube etc. Nothing yet on Ian Anderson in the cathedral or Spin2 on New Year's Eve. I may be getting too local for the equivalent of a Bristol studio but YouTube can be flexible.

Anyone reading this in Scotland? Swap observations over 2010? What chance the ITV budget could reach the public and allow for better editing etc. ? What sort of difference will the experiment make?

Spent the last couple of weeks in Granadaland but YouTube has much stuff from Exeter Castle. Nothing I can find on Ian Anderson in the Cathedral or on Spin2. But the Winterlude one is at the end of this list. 2010 could be even better for video from Rougemont.

Over the weekend I visited Beer, fantastic sunshine. Sundown in Budleigh was a week or two too early. I noticed that the Mccreadys will soon be playing so this is a good reason to promote the video from Sidmouth again.






Perhaps another seven people will see the video and one or two will be somewhere near Beer. Not yet a mass medium but gradually a method is emerging. Also met the Old Porch Band at the Well in Exeter. They seem ok about being on YouTube.

Still looking for an editor or trying to learn a bit more about it. the tapes from Beer At The Castle will appear on YouTube in time to be ahead of next year. Meanwhile this one is easier as there is only one camera anyway. Forgot to load the other tape. They will be at the Well House Tavern next Sunday 27 September from 8pm and also at Phoenix Cafe Bar Sunday Social 11 October 1.30-2.00pm.

Video around visual art is getting easier but it may be easier still for a blog to include bits of visual content for the purpose of discussion. I have done some blank photos and versions with cable or string to show a network around the Exeter Castle, BT building, library Phoenix and museum. Each is on Flickr with Creative Commons copyright. So feel free to do some better lines and/or more photos.

The chat show during the beerfest was ok but could have had more people visiting from nearby. The connections can be at any time and comms could be by phone but the images show the possibility of connecting buildings. Assume a network exists inside each one. Line of sight could be cable, could be wifi.

Obvious connection with Fieldworks by Juliet Robson in the Phoenix till 2nd Sept. This is about fields of vision and ways we perceive our environment. But why stop inside the gallery?

The next event at the Castle is on July 17th. I will be in Lancaster then so hope other people will do some video. Rougemont Global Broadcasting has a policy to link to other sources most of the time.

Charity Folk Fest Poster

My blog on New Exeter has links about reporting technology. Having seen video and sound loaded through an iPhone. Have a look here. I may turn up on Phonic sometime soon so the basis for this will be in the New Exeter blog. It may seem as a bit messy but will become clearer during the broadcast. Actual live radio works quite well.

The music from Beer At The Castle will take a while to sort out so meanwhile here are some links-

Barnfield Music Club

Alex Cross

Kerry Brux

Adelia

Cole Stacey

Mel Rout

The Old Porch Band

Isambarde

Exmouth Shantymen

Can't find Dave Wood so it fits in that he did not want to be recorded.

Cole Stacey will be at Dukes during Sidmouth.

Can't find Grandmas's Living Room. they will be at the Castle in July with Spin2 and The Pyrates. Any clues welcome if they would like a link.

YouTube updated with some talk from the Beer At The Castle event. It is getting closer to being a chat show. Probably it will have to be recreated over time. There is a lot of music to come later but it will take time to edit. There is a tape from the sound mixing desk but not sure where the sound is that different or what to do with it. Need to find some help on this. Best tradition of chat shows, the music comes at the end of the post.



Guy Wadsworth explains what the Castle is about and mentions another event in July when the music will include Spin 2, previously seen in the Castle through the wonders of Photoshop.



Carl Munson talks about a radio show on Phonic FM. He would allow a video camera to attend one Thursday morning. This could be a chance to follow up the discussion below with Simon Egan on music and visual art. Is there a viable way to offer some of it free online? Why is it more likely with music than visual art?

Towards the end Simon also talks about the beer.



The music loaded so far is only a sound check. More later.

Today is day two of Beer At The Castle and already I have loaded a video from yesterday. This is about as fast as news can happen I think. then there is the time for the audience to find it. Possibly by next year YouTube will be contributing to publicity for this event.



This video came from an AVI from a stills camera. There is video on tape but this takes a while to edit. Maybe months. But a lot of the music could be on there.

Previously I did some photo merging with backgrounds from the castle and Spin2 who were busking in the High Street the same day. They are not part of the official beer fest but on their MySpace page it says they will be at the FireHouse this evening. Not far away.

The NME has found the video but a bit late to help publicity much.

This year is just a test for next year really, it is never too soon to try to work out where it went wrong.

The House of commons debate on Digital Britain had some interest in the idea of a pilot for local news. There seemed to be a lot of support for Granadaland as a suitable location. Maybe we should benchmark on this. If Ben Bradshaw suggested Exeter was the ideal spot it might lead to comment. So some research in Granadaland could fit in somewhere. The Pyrates have a booking at a festival in Kendal and I am planning a trip to Lancaster. So something will turn up in this blog later.

Shakespeare's Monkey is photographing his coffee cup. Image covered by Creative Commons so could be printed out.

Thinking about a beer festival as a section of unusual time. One of the papers I do not yet understand is by Michel Foucault about Heterotopias or alternative spaces. He also mentions "heterochronies" slices of time they may be linked to. somehow this connects with learning theory and web design, unless I am just adding in my own take on an academic scene.

The actual event could be more like a fairground. The museum aspect may take over with the video edit.

Tuesday night was interesting. More reasons why news online can be slow. The mix of editing and/or getting permission for images takes a while. And events are not that clear when and if they happen. At The Shed in Princesshay there was the official launch of the art exhibit but it has been announced and postponed a couple of times previously so almost nobody was there till the end. I did take some photos but not sure yet whether to use them. The idea is for a talk about art with images in the shot. The stills could be used with people or avatars from somewhere else but maybe something else will happen tomorrow. Meanwhile here is a photo of a beer glass. Lager fans who find the lager has run out at Beer At The Castle may venture towards Princesshay. I think the galleries at the castle will be closed.



Later I went to an open mic at the Tiggas Bar. Hum has left Exeter at the moment so I will have to ask him later about image rights. I think it will be ok to use his work from MySpace. Sound seems ok on the video but not sure if people want this public. I will check next week or when they turn up next. Photo of David Gedrych meanwhile, video could be later.

I have loaded some updated notes to Scribd

Notes for Chatshow during beer At The Castle

Thing is I am not sure how much of this will actually be discussed by Saturday. Not enough preparation or notice. So I am now thinking about it as a test and some of the discussion will continue. The music video could suffer from poor sound for example. But the performers will turn up somewhere else later so there could be a link. Sidmouth Folk Week is another sort of timeframe. Interviews could be in Exeter during the morning. Buses to Sidmouth early afternoon are in time for much of the music. So another question is the times for buses to return. Will there be any late night buses as arranged a couple of years ago? Anyway this is off topic for the moment.

Scribd is more urgent as a topic. The reputation in UK media is as a pirate refuge. Too easy to load stuff up, too well connected for comments and links. But USA publishers have strated to use it for freebies and promotions. Also there is now an option to charge for stuff. Only in the USA however. Swizz or what?

Scribd intends to support EPUB and PDF. Pre-media and publishing could be projects for Exeter. The council may be right to ignore Flash given the 2meg target for the UK as announced by Carter. This is more on topic for this week.

Thinking more about text and books, it may be more difficult to cover. In Exeter there are two branches of Waterstones in the High Street, both with stock of Sony Reader. Also a Blackwell branch at the university campus but there are no plans for an ondemand book printing device as the site will close soon for redevelopment. Earliest date a couple of years as part of a relaunch. Also I have a cardboard replica of a Kindle. Not available in the UK so why all the fuss?

There has been a slight change with the Apple shop. It seems video is ok if no staff are included. Public statements are best coming from head office. But Princesshay is now to be treated more or less as public space. So you can photograph in the street equivalent.

Maybe we could find some video from somewhere else.

Opinion on what is a text and what should it cost could come from anyone.

Another search later it turns out that BBC content has been reworked for YouTube, with video and subtitles. What is wrong with this? Slicing up the BBC budget to keep keep existing models going is only one option. "Sharing" could mean more of a network that went a bit wider.

Other topics are more or less covered so the scope ccould include more on text, journalism and publishing. Books include images also but it seems to be words that are the basis. The talk around "Digital Britain2 so far has been mostly about how to preserve exisiting structures. Bigger fines for piracy, that sort of thing, today Peter Preston in the Observer suggests that BBC funds should be paid to newspapers for local news and other good work. No mention for bloggers, citizen reporters, funding some slightly better lighting for the average web video or indeed anything at all on the positive aspects of what web technology makes possible. Preston seems rather pleased that the MySpace business model might be losing market share and jobs. Why not look at the business model for OhmyNews? I have been sensing in text stories for a while now but how a similar approach could work with video is still an open question. I am not suggesting that all the stuff on YouTube is great. But a discussion would be useful that included the potential for all citizens to contribute. Most of the coverage and policy seems a bit limited. The idea that closing down BBC free news online would result in a rush of subscriptions for UK newspaper sites only makes sense for people who do not experience the news online from other sources. The UK is quite a small place, not as grand as seen by London media.

Also, whatever happened to the BBC archive? Some time ago there was an idea to make old clips available for a mashup etc. This seems much more sensible than anything recent.

A couple of searches later, it turns out the BBC Creative Archive stopped in 2006 but the Open University still has something.

There is now a post on animX about Breakpoint and John Whitney, both with Youtube clips to explain a bit. So this is a good start for a conversation.

Also I have borrowed a graphic from Ban The Wheel on MySpace. Should be ok as i have tried this before and Hum starts off from music as I understand it. His attitude to copyright is very clear. Hope to meet him during the week.

Trying out embed code from Acrobat.com



If you have some black ink in stock, should print ok. During Beer At The Castle the studios will be closed for health and safety reasons so there will not be as much artwork as there could have been. Maybe more graphics will turn up that could be printed out. Originals could be a problem if beer got to spill on them.

This post is about content but I am going to concentrate on animation in animX. this is about video, could be animation but mostly not really. "Compositing" : what is meant by this? Should this blog get confusing best to ask me to clarify during the Beer Festival next Friday and Saturday. Earlier the more sensible, conversation easier to hear before Isambarde go electric.

Breakfast today was free at Spacex, coffee and cakes. No news yet on the size of a new carving. But there are leaflets for EASTvideo, to reach Exeter in August. Video is a bit closer to music on the copyright scale. Closer than still images that is. Permission to photograph an oil painting is not very likely. Better stored away somewhere. But some video is online or a sample could be. Topics to cover include why this is so and is it changing?

Some links so far.

Two Quicktime web pages

Elizabeth McAlpine LIGHT READING Cinematic Explosions

Grace Schwindt The Chair

Some Youtube links, best fit

Patricia Esquivias, Folklore No. 1, 2006

Green Elephants

v kunst review 1

Appendix 2: Chce wyjsc ! Chce wrocic do domu + Warsaw View By Day

Teletaxi

Por Convencion Ferrer - A Film by David Jacques (Chapter 1)

Also

Kate Corder

Ursula Mayer Interiors

Laure Prouvost

Other link suggestions welcome.

It seems obvious to me that all this video will be better on a big screen than on however you find YouTube. So the consequence of some of it being public online will be to promote the event at Spacex. That is theory A. Discussion to be continued, possibly on camera but possibly not and not either soon or near.

I have done a very quick video on the new iPhone, available in Exeter. It is an inspiring idea about getting stuff on YouTube quite quickly. things have changed a bit too. It is not forbidden to photograph near Princesshay as was widely believed when it opened. So this has not got any staff opinions in it and should be ok. Links follow as the official explanation of video arrives on YouTube. I have seen a brief demo and it works well. You can select the part of the image to focus on. Editing is just clipping the beginning and end. No titles. But send to YouTube looks fast enough.

How many will be in Exeter for next weekend? Cameras already exist and a few days to edit and load makes not a lot of difference. That is my impression at the moment but things may change.



Also an interview with Jo Gedrych about Exeter TV and several about the Beer Festival.

I think this is the same {dweeb] appearing at the Cathedral as have a Youtube channel. The NightChurch project certainly is putting on music. The Jazz last week was excellent. Mostly standards so there was nothing too experimental. I did some extracts on YouTube, search on Cathdral Jaxzz or start here, The Way You Look Tonight.

A poster for the NightChurch event on 26th June is available for download.

Many things can happen over the same weekend. Maybe enough will be recorded to catch what you missed later on.

An actual meeting did happen at the Well House, part of a planning meeting for the Beer Festival. Some progress as I managed to get agreement for something to be quoted. "Exeter is the biggest village I have ever lived in" said Captain Gallows while handing out sample CDs of the Pyrates who still have a few unbooked dates over the summer. Exeter may be a regional capital but it is also a county town and actually the central part is not that big. It is possible to walk across most of it in a fairly short time. The loop between castle and cathedral is quite short and is a suitable set for photos or video. Taking in the Phoenix and the Apple shop suggests some tech for doing this. The Beer Festival 26/27 Junewill be just from the Castle though the Well House has a cider festival at the same time.

Discussion also covered the technology available in Bristol and a "non-conference" coming up in July called OpenMIC - a mobile innovation camp on 2nd July. This blog is about Wifi Exeter but we tend not to get too technical. Maybe we will just concentrate on content for a while and return to wifi around the time of openMIC. Proabaly there will be several blog updates on the same day, even a Twitter experiment. But things move more slowly once you get west of Bristol. Maybe some people visiting will have mobile phones with cameras etc but the plan is to work out a text guide over a month and then end up with a few three minute video clips.

The Pyrates will be part of Kendal Calling at the end of July. They would like to find some bookings near Lancaster on the way there and back, say Sat 1st August and/or 31 July. Kendal Calling have their own Youtube channel. Not updated so far for this year but it could be useful benchmark to compare hoe Exeter events are promoted. The Pyrates will be asked later for a full report on actual Kendal.

Rougemont Global Broadcasting -
draft notes for chat show during Beer @TheCastle 26/27 June

(this blog is mostly about bandwidth but content is in there somewhere)

RGB is a longterm project to develop video from Exeter. So far there is some text and some clips on YouTube. Mostly the standards are not of broadcast quality. Exeter TV is also on YouTube but with some sort of standard and resources for DVD production. The summer light is a chance to record some interviews and Exeter Castle is a suitable setting. so far the organisers of the Beer Festival have no objections to photography though some of the musicians prefer not to be recorded. We have previously done video from Sidmouth Folk Week where most people accept photography.

Topics will be developed during June and even late May.

Why is music an area where artists are fairly relaxed about copyright? Or put another way, why is print publishing so worried at the moment? Exeter has two Waterstones with the Sony Reader. Also Blackwell at the University where there may bean Espresso instant book machine. Will book culture have to change? The Analogue to Digital Music Expo showed that many people in music have already adjusted.

The RGB loop is between Castle, Phoenix Arts, Cathedral, Apple Store and back again. Photography near the Apple Store not welcome but Second Life is an alternative. The dynamic is to explore technology and content. At the Cathedral there has been recent video of Simon Pope on show at Spacex and also jazz concert. Apologies for the low production standards in both cases. The wind wrecks the sound for most of the talk about Carved From Memory and the lighting collapses soon after the concert started at 8pm. However there could be studio interviews with people who were on the walk and Cathedral Jazz will perform again some day. The approach around YouTube is to load what is available. An edit can come later.

Editing is a major topic. OhmyNews is a citizen journalism site in Korea. They concentrate on editing resource for stories sent in by readers. I have done a report about the Exeter Korean Film Week. How will the approach to text change as more news comes through video? On YouTube the audience can choose a sequence. Is there much use of worldtv?

See http://worldtv.com/rgb-loop/

There is much discussion on how local newspapers can survive current difficulties. Working with bloggers and other websites could be an option if there was a shared idea of network news. some finance needed for video. the costs are dropping but editing still takes time.

Visual Images are probably still more closely protected than text. Galleries rarely allow video of interviews near to artwork. However, sound is part of the art mix and also video can be seen as an exhibit. What sort of thing turns up on YouTube? Conversation can be around both the value of what is on YouTube and whether recognised work of value should remain in a gallery.

Other topics may crop up. Or all issues may have been resolved already through text. If the musicians welcome it the concentration may be on recording performances. But some of these questions are worth repeating.

Simon Egan has claimed on camera that he will be loading the soundtrack of "Fraud" to the Internet Archive. Can't be found at the moment but perhaps this statement was a deliberate deception. Expect a follow up question if he can be found during June.

contact Will Pollard will.pollard at gmail.com

links

http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/eedcamra/fest/summer/index.htm

advance tickets

* The Old Firehouse, Exeter
* Great Western, Exeter
* The Bridge Inn, Topsham


Isambarde The Kesh & Old England on YouTube

The Archbishop of Canterbury will visit Exeter during the same weekend

test from New Horizons

on Longbrook street so could be updated on where i am near the centre of Exeter. Twitter only works one in three so far.

This may seem a strange choice for this topic but I think the solution could be better access to photos from CCTV through some sort of network. The starting point is the possibility that trees are in danger in the Cathedral Yard not just because of Health and Safety issues but because of the need for clear lines of sight from CCTV cameras. I thought this was a wierd idea at first but then I did some Google searching and found the minutes of a recent meeting for Devon County Council.

Appendix II

To ECC/09/28/HQ

Key Issues identified at presentation on 12 December

--------------------------------------------(i) - (iii) missing here

(iv) Proposed tree planting: the positioning of trees was questioned because of concerns that CCTV views would be obstructed: the proposed trees around the relocated Memorial would also obstruct the view of the west front.

So it is least a possibility that CCTV concerns may have contributed to earlier discussions. As reported on the "This Is Plymouth" website, the reasons given for axing the trees were to do with the danger of branches falling off.

Cathedral authorities said consultants called in to examine the seven trees found they were all suffering from a “common structural fault” and had to be felled.

The cathedral took the advice after an incident the previous year when a branch snapped and took a lower branch with it.

Just in case CCTV may become an issue for the surviving trees, why not surround them with cameras? The scaffolding could be done with taste and the video stream made available to the public. Sound should be possible as well. Nowadays people share all sorts of information through Twitter. We have nothing to worry about if not breaking any laws so why not have more cameras as long as the results can be shared?

Raving on about the Guardian I realised I should explain more about local news and video. Sometime soon there could be a local resource with some sort of business model. not sure how this would work. But there is a discussion about local news that so far seems just to be about finding subsidies for a model that is under so much pressure it may not survive anyway. The Web can work with networks so new models could be relevant. YouTube is one example. To be continued.

This blog is mostly about bandwidth but this post is about content except the last bit so please keep reading. I think it will more or less hang together.

OhmyNews have published my story about the Analogue to Digital Music Expo. Usually there are about 4,000 readers for each story but I am not sure where they are. I am promoting this story as a connection of something local and something global. OhmyNews has a Korean base but a very wide audience,

I linked the Exeter event to Adventures in Technology in Bristol and the Sundown demoparty in Budleigh Salterton. The editors have picked out my comment about the Mac emphasis. What about the rest of us? Very nice but could it all be done a bit cheaper? etc etc these questions will turn up again. Also they choose a picture from Bristol for the front page. Google News finds Kat Marsh as the first picture in the story. It was pointed out that her performance shows the move from analogue to digital very clearly.





The Express and Echo is the other relevant result on Google News. I claim that citizen journalism has added something. But then again it takes me several weeks to do one story. Still if every citizen did an online story a month it would add to the rich mix of local media.

In Korea the OhmyNews site often gets several stories about the same event. Then some corrections and comments from readers. The English language site so far has rarely reached this level. But similar forms of communication do develop. Events like Sundown and Adventures in Technology are reported through online networks. My stories for OhmyNews are intended to show some connections. There is enough happening round the year for a news event to be claimed every few months.

The mentions for "South West England" in the sub headline and chip design towards the end may get some official attention. Why worry about the future when the retro interest is so strong. The main current concern is the difficulty of getting reliable equipment for the chip tune.

Another recent story in OhmyNews by Jean K. Min suggests that in Seoul people expect about 100meg broadband at home and will soon get 50 while mobile. When I started to write for OhmyNews about four years ago i thought they were about four years ahead with Web resources and working out what to do about it. They still are. Jean's blog is called "Planet Sized Brain".

Brother Pollard has returned to Exeter. He visited Southwark Cathedral last summer and then stayed on the south bank. Apparently Vibraphonic could be the explanation.

Not sure if this should be in wifiExeter, mostly about bandwidth, or in animX, mostly about content. soon there will have to be a way to match the blogs together.

While in London he visited the parks around the rivers and canals near the site for the Olympics. There are not yet enough wooden exercise resources in Exeter but there is still plenty of time.

I have joined New Exeter and posted some photos from the High Street


Find more photos like this on newexeter


Could do a video but this is supposed to be a site where people are sparing with resources. Also I am moving backwards towards the Sony Reader so greyscale photos are interesting, as is text. Script or outline to be sorted first.

Invite has arrived to join a New Exeter Group based on Ning. It looks interesting and includes links to Phonic FM. I have started a profile and explained an interest in a YouTube group for Exeter. Exeter TV may eventually appear much like old Exeter but there is not much sign of this at the moment. So "New Exeter" is to be welcomed.

Meanwhile Facebook are still categorising people from Exeter as if we lived in Plymouth. How many protest groups need to exist before they check their email? Nothing wrong with people from Plymouth of course, just that something clearly based in Exeter is suitable for some purposes.

As far as I know there is still no support for Flash on Exeter City Council websites. Will this policy change any time soon? My guess is that YouTube will soon be better regarded and it will clearly be a problem that Exeter has not got more of an online presence. The animX blog has pointed out some animation connections.

It seems possible that mobile devices could be sold and supported online. Will there be a need for so many shops? The Express and Echo has closed the office on Sidwell Street and suggest using the website as one way to contact them.

Perhaps the local papers will have more to say about Flash and YouTube?

More photos on Flickr

Thinking a bit more about it maybe there should just be acceptance for the fact that bandwidth in the UK is quite a lot slower than is often supposed or could be assumed by comparison with many other places. Perhaps Exeter City Council is right not to support Flash. At least they can support a lot of text. Recently I have been thinking about the ePUB format for the Sony Reader. This is mostly XHTML but there should soon be ways to move in text from most sources. The Sony Reader can import text files as well but then there is no contents page.

So rather than just raving on about how different things could be I think i will just concentrate on the text file (400k max as I remember from dial up days, not a bad target) as a project for the UK in general and Exeter in particular.

Lord Mandelson has started to blog and has an avatar in Second Life. Whatever next?

I have left a comment-

When you consider the creative industries there appears to be an expectation that Digital Britain has a chance to explore the potential of the internet. i think you should have a realistic view of UK bandwidth compared to other places in Europe and in Asia. The relative decline is now quite rapid. I write as a citizen journalist for OhmyNews based in Korea. My impression is that the UK is about 4 or five years behind. This is based on a conference they invited me to a while ago. The UK is now discussing the same sort of media topics they covered then. So I welcome your interest in bandwidth and creative industries but hope you start from some accurate info.

I doubt if he reads all the comments but you never know. Just having a comments facility is a step closer to the spirit of blogging. Who knows where this text ends up? Maybe nowhere except a Google server in a secret location.

The Western Morning News has launched a new blog feature, linking to other blogs in the region. So earlier views on a lack of connection between print and online will need to be reconsidered. Bloggers can only gain from the promotion in print. However I cannot find a comments feature so far. My plan is to continue blogging here and send an email.

The Saturday hard copy version of the Western Morning News revealed that a YouTube video about creatives in the South West had in fact been planted by the Regional Development Agency. So in recent days there has been developments in both blogs for print journalists and YouTube for local government.



What strikes me is that there is mention of Swindon, and Bristol and Plymouth as well as Cornwall but nothing on Exeter, where the RDA office is located. Maybe they think that YouTube and Exeter do not connect. I discovered last year when trying to get some interest in digital animation that Exeter City Council have no way to view YouTube as it depends on Flash. Currently there is no Flash content on the Exeter City Council website and there is no support for people who may want to view flash content in the Exeter City Council offices.

Meanwhile Adobe claim that Flash is available on most browsers. Quoted numbers seem to start at 95% and tend towards 98%. This must be a mistake surely. Could the entire 2% of not Flash browsing be somewhere in South West England? Unlikely to say the least.

During Animated Exeter or at any time of year there could be some links with blogs and online animation. I have put some suggestions on the animX blog. Ahead of next month, that is during Jan, it would be good to have some more discussion around the topics of Flash, YouTube, blogging and animation. I will send a link to this post to the RDA and Exeter City Council. Any comments are welcome, including link suggestions.

New interviews on YouTube

This post is in this blog because it covers the implications of broadband etc. some of it is animation but the animX blog will become mostly about content, especially next month as Animated Exeter gathers focus in real space and time.

So far I have been loading some test videos to YouTube as Will Pollard and developing script outlines for Rougemont Global Broadcasting. Exeter TV continues with the aim of a local cable or satellite channel. Meanwhile the samples on YouTube from Exeter TV show material that could be part of longer broadcasts.

I think there needs to be a step change so that Exeter TV and other people with cameras can improve quality. There is a gap between what turns up on YouTube unofficially and what is on mainstream TV. Support of various kinds from arts organisations would be a contribution. Exeter City Council may have a view on how the city is represented online. Reportedly there is no support for Flash on council screens at this time so awareness of YouTube is not what it might be.

Ahead of Two Short Nights I did get some press authorisation so was able to video live talk during the screenings and do some interviews with David Salas and Lee Morgan. I tried out four cameras, two for stills one with zoom, a Canon borrowed from Exeter TV and a disgo from Exeter high street costing less than 30 great British pounds. More on the stills later. The interview with Lee Morgan was in the cinema away from the noise in the bar which seemed a good idea at the time. However the lighting comes from up above and the results are dreadful on both cameras. So this is now sound only with some web links as text.

About the Two Short Nights events

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3


local media

David Salas part one in the bar

David Salas part two in the gallery

There will be updates so I think I will wait for new material before another edit. This is more like a record of what is available now than an edit. Exeter TV has a level of quality control but these are just intended to demonstrate a possibility.

Sometime next year there could be another interview with Lee Morgan in outside light. A trip to South Devon would be interesting. Apologies for the lighting this time and also to David Salas for introducing an extra L into his name. Too late now but the next edit will be more careful.

I think the issues covered could be commented on by many others. If you put a video response or text comment onto Youtube please keep a record somewhere. High definition media can be left at Life Bytes on Sidwell Street opposite the Odeon.

Answers please to the following questions

What is the consequence of Web technology for how content is created, distributed and marketed? Is there any sort of business plan that allows this to be viable? Can a news organisation integrate print and web?

see also previous interview with Dr Jo, using the disgo. He may have more to say so more than one final edit is required for balance.

Draft of story for OhmyNews. They may well change it. It has some opinion and several plugs around Exeter so as some may vanish later here is a copy.

BBC Trust cancels local video in the UK
Print journalists celebrate lobby success

The BBC Trust has rejected management proposals to spend £68 million on a network of local video for the UK. As reported by James Robinson for the Guardian, the budget will be removed from Nations and Regions, and handed back to "central control".

Robinson explained the concern of local newspapers, usually connected with national newspapers, on this issue.

blockquote

Battered by an advertising downturn that analysts predict will cause revenues to fall by at least 10% next year, newspapers were particularly fearful that the BBC's plan would hamper their efforts to retain readers by beefing up their own websites with video content.

endquote

Sly Bailey from Trinity Mirror was "delighted" with the decision. Michael Pelosi from Northcliffe Media saw it as a "victory for common sense". Earlier Alan Rusbridger for the Guardian suggested that funding could be available for video from networks of local newspapers from various sources as part of "public service broadcasting". This might include the supposed digital surplus from the BBC licence fee, a possible levy on broadband service providers, and assumed contributions from regional development agencies.

The term "public service broadcasting" is now used to describe a wide range of programmes that show no immediate profit. For example, Rusbridger suggests that ITV might stop regional news completely. UK print journalists are able to make claims on the BBC budget in the context of continuing concern about editorial integrity. Details on recent events around BBC Radio 2 are on the Wikipedia.

The Daily Mail reported on the John Sergeant decision to quit Strictly Come Dancing that "With many fans demanding a refund for the money they spent voting to keep him on the show, the BBC could also face a bill of ten of thousands of pounds...Millions of viewers have threatened to boycott the show ." The chance of positive reporting on the BBC in the Daily Mail is very low.

There is a case that the BBC has done well with Strictly Come Dancing and that this should be recognised. One of the hosts, Bruce Forsyth, once worked for ITV. As reported in The Independent he decided to quit after David Liddiment moved his game show to a teatime slot.

"Never in more than 40 years on ITV have I been out of primetime. This man has embarrassed me, humiliated me, and shown me no respect whatsoever."

ITV have made some bad decisions. It is possible that getting rid of regional news could be another as national identity has some value.

The BBC has also found it easier to relate to the Web than news organisations based in print. As online is global the BBC brand is an advantage for the UK so many people are prepared to support it. There is a sense that the BBC is aware of the value of content created by the public. Eddie Mair presents a teatime news program on BBC Radio 4. Recently they have started an open blog and short programs based on the blog at strange times of day such as ten to six in the morning. This has a small audience but clearly showed what the noise level was like near Heathrow Airport at a time when flights are not supposed to happen.

Living in Exeter, South West England I notice that some local video is possible, even outside the BBC. My opinion is that the growth in online video will continue and that UK newspapers need to face the implications. I have sometimes borrowed a reasonable video camera from Exeter TV based at Life Bytes, an internet cafe. I also post to YouTube with rough cuts from a camera costing less that $50. So the following examples include links to projects I am involved in. Other examples are available.

Exeter TV started with a wide brief but is gradually tending to concentrate on music video. The YouTube selection is intended to indicate the range of a future cable channel so usually there are no complete performances. However a recent set at the Phoenix by the Pyrates has turned up on their own YouTube channel. In theory any local news organisation could include material from local artists. Even if the BBC is not offering such a service the gap will be filled, probably by global Web companies such as YouTube.

In April this year an editorial in the Western Morning News , published in Plymouth, described local television in the USA as 'trashy'. My impression was that some print journalists just do not like video. Just because the BBC will not do local video existing newspapers have an opportunity if they understand the new area. My blog for wifiExeter includes the text of a letter to the Western Morning News from Jo Gedrych of Exeter TV. So far it has not been published as far as we know.

Exeter is one of many places with an icerink at Christmas. Last year it was at Rougemont Castle, an interesting location. Exeter City Council arranged sponsorship from the Express and Echo, a local newspaper. This allowed them full image rights so unfortunately it was not possible for Exeter TV to video the occasion. Unofficial video from phones has appeared on YouTube so there is no real problem. But there is also no evidence that local news organisations understand how to link with other sources. There needs to be some form of business model that allows for forms of citizen journalism including projects such as Exeter TV.

Meanwhile the Express and Echo has started a Youtube video channel but there are only three so far. The Ellie Williams song has excellent sound quality but I prefer the camera movement from the Phoenix.

In a related story Peter Wilby has recently considered whether newspapers could continue to be published with fewer and fewer journalists. The headline is that "small is inevitable". Wilby predicts a reduced role for subeditors.

blockquote

If subediting is drastically reduced, as it usually is, headlines may be less arresting, copy less polished, libels more egregious and errors more numerous - but nobody has ever demonstrated clearly that reduced staffing has these effects, still less that they cause readers to cancel their orders.

endquote

The business model for citizen journalism suggests a different possible future. Subeditors could work with various forms of contribution.

UK newspapers face many issues that need to be resolved. Beating up on the BBC will not buy unlimited time.

World TV now offer embed code so this is a test

Another take on wifiExeter being anywhere. These are videos around Tottenham Court Road. It may be easier to find people to talk about things here such as the Sony Reader. Eventually there will be an edit. Add a response video to YouTube if you like.
The basic route is a square, down TCR, across to Morgans, back up to Waterstones, back to TCR. There is a Sony Centre on the way.

Goodge Street Station heading south



Finding Williams the newsagent



Turning into New Oxford Street



From Morgans towards Waterstones



From Waterstones towards TCR

October 22nd, draft format for training at Life Bytes to cover publishing around Acrobat and also how to be a critical e-citizen. Acrobat is not the only means of publishing, ePUB is through the Digital Editions Reader and the Sony Reader as well as others that could be searched for. The European Computer Driver Licence is looking a bit desktop bound as even Microsoft turns to the clouds. The "e-Citizen" content assumes people should just fill in forms more reliably. Am i being unfair? You can add a comment.

Probably 4 o clock and 6 o clock. Can both topic areas be covered in an hour or so? There will of course be future dates announced.

Opposite the Odeon, Sidwell Street Exeter.

Buzz Busby visits Red Lion Gallery in a sort of Second Life. That is to say there is a photograph. Previously attempts to get permission to set up photographs or video have met with some problems so Second Life has some benefits although there are costs in actual land. I realise this has been explained before but there are gaps in this blog so sometimes a recap is required for new readers. Mixing the avatars and actual photos is one approach till a budget arrives for Exeter TV and / or Rougemont Global Broadcasting. then there may be an island or some studio time. Meanwhile the RGB reporters are just for the photos.

The questions remain much the same, how do creatives adjust for digital technology. How to present, how to promote, is there a business model? For example, several images are available on the web for the Exeter Open Studios (7-9 November) which is good in itself and may also help to lift the prices for the postcard auction. There is a difference with hard copy, even a postcard so my guess is that the value of the original is not harmed by a reasonable definition of the image online. This is something to discuss later on.

Think local, act online or something like that.

I have done a rave about the Guardian, trying to establish that the Web is ok. Jeff Jarvis is about the most sense in a sea of evasion.

For example, headline for Roy Greenslade

Which regional group will collapse first?

But is there anything in the text to answer the question? Not that I can find.

In Exeter we have already lost all print production to Plymouth so it is hard to imagine how production costs could fall any further.

If there is a problem with regional news, then the role of bloggers, citizen journalists, YouTube experiments etc should be part of the discussion in my honest opinion. I tried to video the icerink last year for Exeter TV but was told that Exeter City council had arranged exclusive image rights with the Express and Echo. If regional news groups really do have problems there is room for some discussion here on how Web video could develop.

Meanwhile Michael Grade has warned that even national news may be a problem unless ITV can be given some more money.

Photos from the Wilton Music Hall did not come out well, not enough light. So i have started to try out ways of changing them in Photoshop. Elements 2 that is, nothing very complicated. There is a show by Christiane Baumgartner coming up at Spacex in December. She works on woodcuts from video stills. I will try to persuade others to do some experiments. I think there is an online space alongside galleries. See also her current show in London and a video interview. There could be more interviews in a gallery. Actually this one has no questions but it makes a point.

Rotherhithe Tunnel is now closed to pedestrians. I found this out during the Open house weekend. My information that it was open was based on a walk by a friend on the occasion of the celebrations for the hundred years since it started. Maybe there is no notice on the south approach. Not sure about this. I did meet people during the weekend who were not convinced about the air quality but others can remember times when walking through was possible and frequent.

If you a wondering what this has to do with Exeter, the thing is that "wifi" now covers a wide range. the "open house" approach is in Exeter one weekend, somewhere else the next. see story for OhmyNews.

It also turned out that the Brunel tunnel was closed. This line will be part of the Overground, not the Underground and could be seen as an extension of the North London Line. Someone from London could explain this better, I can only repeat what I was told.

I still think a crossing of the Thames is useful at this point. Walking a bit further East than Tower Bridge is possible but Greenwich is a long way if you want to get back again. Apparently by 2010 it will be again possible to get a train from Rotherhithe to Wapping. So investigations continue about the rest of the loop.

Sony Reader story submitted for Ohmynews

Yet to be edited, but here is a link

Still checking it out. there is a sort of keyboard when you change the date and time. The numbers on the side work as numbers. So simple forms or questions would be possible. Or ASCII codes to specify letters and about four words a minute. No, this device is about reading. So far this seems ok, I can find another instance of the document on another device if I want to edit.

Sony Reader arrives in Exeter

As predicted, both Waterstones have stocks of the Sony Reader. Not much excitement though. There were no queues, no special events. The Apple Store would have made a bit more of it I think but maybe consumer electronics is a bit unusual for a bookshop.



Other e-book readers are available, but not in Exeter shops. The Amazon Kindle is not expected anytime soon outside the USA. It is pretty much a mobile phone so loading files in is fairly easy. After a few hours trial at Life Bytes I find that downloading titles is not too hard. The Adobe Digital Editions library shows the Sony Reader in the Libary where "drag and drop" works ok. There is also eBook Library software supplied by Sony with similar functions, also a Reader for the content that works on the computer.

The Sony sortware is only for Windows. Also there is no credit I can find for Linux, though the Wikipedia claims that is what the Sony Reader is using. The impression is that the complexity is all in the loading of content. The Reader itself just runs. There is a well hidden hole in the back for a reset, something we will never need.

I was worried about how to create an ePUB file but it turns out that (Rich Text Format) RTF works ok. The public information states that Word files are accepted but it seems they are translated to RTF. I saved some text from Open Office
as RTF and it displays ok. It would still be good to find out more abouthow to go from open documents to ePUB. But meanwhile PDF is ok for the Digital Editions on most computers and RTF is ok for the Reader. Sorry if the words are overlapping in meaning. It may make more sense later.

WHSmith are stocking the iLiad online but no promotion in the Exeter shop. This has wifi like the Kindle and also a keyboard. It is useful to make notes on a text or order more titles but at the moment the Sony Reader seems ok just as a Reader. The only interaction I have found is the option to add a bookmark. There could be notes added on another device later.

Also it works for sound and viewing photos. The greyscale is lacking something but it will be interesting to see what combinations become available. The books could come with photos and sound.

These are still early days. There will be devices later with more direct links to wifi or whatever links to content. But this is an interesting phase. A laptop with wifi is enough to speed things up but it seems to go against the point of an e-book. I think I will next take just the Sony Reader and find out what they thnk at WHSmith, the Apple Store and the Phoenix. The Phoenix Arts Centre usually attracts Mac fans so I don't suppose they will like the Windows bias. Steve Jobs has suggested that eBooks will struggle as many people have moved on anyway to sound and video. The Sony Reader is mostly text in shades of greyso this may explain the limited interest.