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.

epub on sony reader in Exeter

I will be at Life Bytes on Sept 4th to discuss the Sony Reader and the ePUB format. My guess is that this could be an "event". eBooks may get some recognition in the UK.



I am claiming to definitely be there for "late afternoon" but may be other times as well. I will visit a few times before the actual arrival of the Sony Reader so somebody behind the desk may have a view. In other words, drop by at any time, something will be happening. Or add comment. more later.

Sidmouth as an inspiration for local video.

For some reason it seems possible to video stuff in Sidmouth. This is year three or four of the YouTube etc. approach and so far there has been no problem. Melonious Funk have requested that Exeter TV drop one video but there is now another with better sound, even though it is from somewhere else. I don't think it matters too much if the essence of a place is represented. So in Exeter there is now a loop going round the centre with the possibility of dropping in interviews along the way.

For Sidmouth things are even better as there are already videos for the locations. Here is a version. (Better linking guides to directions welcome for the future)

Starts from Bedford Hotel to Dukes (will return later)



Recording from Dukes is rare for some reason but here is a video for Hannah and the Madding Crowd



Dukes to Market square



Dancing from Market Square, 2008, with an intro of other scenes



There is no video on how to get to the Anchor from the Market Square. It should be easy enough. Next year there will be a route via the Swan and Volunteer and back by bus.

From the Anchor Garden



From Anchor to bus stop at Triangle



From bus stop to Bedford Hotel



At Bedford Hotel



also seems to fit in here although from somewhere else, Wellington



So this seems to hang together well enough. Production levels are pretty low but it can mostly be done again. so maybe there will be a budget eventually. Suggestions to Exeter TV c/o Life Bytes opposite the Odeon Exeter. There may be a plan going forward.

Found this blog about African festivals, looks interesting. Is it folk music? Sidmouth has now started so my confusion returns as to categories. Buskers are playing Chuck Berry but it seems to fit together.