Category: Blogging

Social Carolina: Tech Events Calendar

Wayne Sutton is on top of local tech events in our area. So a couple of us asked him to create something to keep track of these events. He set up a blog at socialcarolina.org and I created a google calendar. Plus we have the Twitter user RDCH to follow and stay up-to-date.

Know about a cool event that involves technology of some kind? Is it happening in the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill area? Then contact us with the blog form. We’ll put it up on the calendar and promote it. We already have a few cool events up there. Check it out.

Best Biz Blog

Last Wednesday I went to a Social Media Club event at Ignite’s offices in Cary. We talked about a ton of things. But the one part I’ve can’t stop thinking about is what businesses blog well.

My favorite example of business blogging is the Twitter blog. They promote good uses of their service, new applications built upon their service, and important customer info about their business. All with humor and fun. This is a great example I wish all folks who are thinking about blogging at their company would emulate. Don’t look at business blogging as customer relations chore. Look at it as fun.

Thanks to Wayne for telling me about this event. Big thanks Jim, Lisa, and Gene for hosting and the PIZZA!

Meet Congressman Brad Miller

Ruby and I are sponsoring a get together for Congressman Brad Miller at Mill Town in Carrboro on Thursday November 29. Its a great opportunity to chat with someone who works for US in Washington, DC. He’s a blogger, an incredibly nice guy, and interested in what you’re doing. Please join us in chewing Brad’s ear off! (See official invite info bellow)

Please Join Congressman Brad Miller

For a discussion hosted by Ruby Sinreich of OrangePolitics.org and Brian Russell of Yesh.com about the impact of blogging on today’s political environment.

When: Thursday, November 29, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Where: Mill Town Restaurant, 307 E Main St, Carrboro, NC

Suggested Donation: $10
Cash Bar

Congressman Brad Miller is currently serving his third term representing North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District. He has often blogged on many progressive sites, including the DailyKos and Blue NC. Congressman Miller serves on the House Financial Services Committee, Foreign Affairs Committee, and Science and Technology Committee where he chairs the subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight.

RSVP by calling 919-834-2343 or e-mail andy@bradmiller.org or just stop by www.bradmiller.org

Is the Internet a Global Argument Clinic?

Sometimes the Internet seems like one giant argument clinic. Case in point…

The Argument Sketch (or Argument, Argument Clinic, or Six More Minutes of Monty Python’s Flying Circus when including the non-argument sections) is a sketch from Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

Palin: “An argument is a collective series of statements to establish a definite proposition.”

Cleese: “No it isn’t”

Palin: “Yes it is. It isn’t just contradiction!”

Cleese: “Look if I argue with you I must take up a contradictory position.”

Palin: “But it isn’t just saying ‘No it isn’t!'”

Cleese: “Yes it is.”

Palin: “No it isn’t! ? Argument is a intellectual process. Contradiction is just the automatic gainsaying of anything the other person says.”

Ahhh Isn’t our freedom to argue online wonderful!?! 😉

Your Comments are Valuable

Ever notice how your comments on the Chapel Hill News blog Orange Chat end up in the paper? First time I noticed my comments there I though, “Wow. That’s cool. My words in print for people to see.” Its kind of like a letter to the editor. But now I am concerned that all this user generated content isn’t being obtained ethically.

Comments on a blog are information. Information is a commodity. It has real value. To discover this value you need to know how to use it. But before you do that where do you get this commodity? You ask people to give it to you. What do you provide in return? The going “rate” is space to leave a comment and the “privilege” to have it put in front of thousands or millions of people. If you can get these returns by creating your own blog and doing some Search Engine Optimization yourself then you may be able to compete with large corporations. This is the entrepreneurial democratization of commerce. This is one way sites like Digg or ChapelHillNews.com are making money in the Internet age.

I am not against this practice. Its a popular form of business. But are these businesses compensating you fairly? I believe the majority of the people out there using sites, leaving comments and clicking links, are not fully aware of the resources they are creating. User generated content is quite important to democracy and community. But when we don’t understand its value we may not be equal partners in business transactions.

Our comments and letters are actually a type of free user generated content turned into profit. When you sign up to log into many sites and leave comments you can relinquishing your rights to what you write in your comments. Try reading the terms and services. Notice that little check box above a submit button? Usually there is a link there to some confusing legalese. Contained therein are words that strip you of your copyrights. (Not all sites. Comments on this blog are the exclusive property of there authors.)

Those few words you write in comments on Orange Chat may not have any value else where but they do contribute to the content of the paper. There are a ton of “free” websites that collect user generated content and leverage it to create sales from advertising online. In fact this is a main tenant of Web 2.0 business models. Take free data, represent it, sell ads, and provide premium services. aka the Freemium Business model.

The past few years has shown a real change in the relationship that journalists have with blogs. Before newspapers started blogging we wrote about local issues on our blogs. We made two way conversations possible and integrated first person stories about events and ideas. All before many journalist knew what a blog was or thought them worthy of concern.

Now we see how important local blogs are to local political reporting. Reporters read local blogs like Orange Politics to understand what some are thinking and discussing. Blog comments can be the ultimate research tool in understanding street level thought about local events. Blogs can be lead generation machines. Especially for a reporter who may not live in a local community for a long enough time to know people or the issues.

I applaud journalist use of blog and their comments for research. But recently I think some may have crossed the line. I believe our copyrights have been violated.

RE: Councilman seeks recount Front page story in the Chapel Hill News on Sunday November 11, 2007. In this story several comments left on OrangePolitics.org where reprinted verbatim. Orange Politics was referenced as the source, but that was not enough to fulfill the copyright terms of the sites Creative Commons license.

The Chapel Hill News use of comments in their for-profit publication appears to violate the Creative Commons license this website uses. This license applies to the posts and comments.

The Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 1.0 Generic license that OrangePolitics.org uses has the following conditions:

You are free:
* to Share — to copy, distribute and transmit the work
* to Remix — to adapt the work

Under the following conditions:
* Attribution. You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).
* Noncommercial. You may not use this work for commercial purposes.

* For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work. The best way to do this is with a link to this web page.
* Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder.
* Nothing in this license impairs or restricts the author’s moral rights.

Has the Chapel Hill News obtained written or verbal permission from commenters Tom Jensen or Mark Marcoplos to waive these conditions?

Has the Chapel Hill News made it clear to others the license this site uses by linking directly to this site and/or comments? (FYI, each comment on this site has a unique URL.)

Here are direct links to the comments quoted in the Chapel Hill News that appear to violate the Noncommercial condition of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 1.0 Generic license.

Tom Jensen’s Comment on Orange Politics reprinted in the Chapel Hill News
http://orangepolitics.org/2007/11/preliminary-results/#comment-120906

Mark Marcoplos’s Comment on Orange Politics reprinted in the Chapel Hill News
http://orangepolitics.org/2007/11/preliminary-results/#comment-120920

I, Brian Russell, hereby provide permission to reprint my comments or posts on Orange Politics.org to not for profit publications. All other publications must obtain written permission from myself to publish any text. Thank you.

All in all I am quite happy that journalists use Orange Politics as a source. I object to their lack of direct linking to specific sources and disregard for the legal terms of websites. The people who work hard on non-profit sites like Orange Politics do it for there community, not for profit. When for profit websites like ChapelHillNews.com lift text verbatim they profit unfairly from there communities hard work. Ignorance of our copyright terms is not an excuse.

This problem could be fixed in several ways. I’d like to see the Chapel Hill News, and all other for profit media companies, to link to all sources inside a stories body content. (using a URL) Also they could obtain direct written permission from each copyright holder if they intend to profit from their republished comments. Finally I think all modern journalists, editors, owners and others need training in modern copyright law especially as it pertains to the Creative Commons license.

Social Networks Amplify Serendipity

Ok… today I said something during a Converge South session that I want to remember, Social Networks Amplify Serendipity.

I love listening to creative people. The inspiration is extremely valuable. Thanks Converge South!

Context from Twitter:

waynesutton @BrianR I’m with you, online social networking has allowed me to meet more people with like interest than if I wasn’t online

arsepoetica @BrianR, amplifying serendipity. Nice! Phrase of the day. (And I agree. I’m not remotely social in meatspace.)

coreyr @BrianR u mean the internet +’s serendipity because info flow is higher than offline. (SocNets are just reifying people, further +’ing flow)

Update:Social Networks ONLINE Amplify Serendipity (thanks for helping me clarify Corey!)

Bora at A Blog Around The Clock:

The quote of the year, I think, goes to Brian Russell who, during a session on social networks (e.g., what are we “creepies” doing on Facebook pooping on the kids’ party), said that “Online Social Networks Amplify Serendipity”. What a great phrase, explaining exactly what social networks do.

Ignore the Indy this week

When I first read the front page story of the most recent triangle Independent Weekly I though about writing a letter to their editor. (Notice how I don’t link to them?) Then I thought about not blogging about it. Now I am telling my fellow blog friends to ignore it. Not to blog about it. But its hard… So instead of writing my own FULL point by point rebuttal I’ll just say this.

I love journalist. I am a news junkie. I read a paper in my hands. I am your fan Mr. Newspaper Man and Woman. I don’t want your job. I respect your opinion. I know how amazing your talents are. Your hard work impresses the hell out of me. Especially when you defend the First Amendment. So why do you keep writing attacking screeds of fear?

I am so tired of this blogger vs journalist bull shit.

Converge South 2007

Converge South 2007, Greensboro, NC
Going to try and do updates throughout the day. Not live blogging really. Just the bits that strike me as interesting.

9:00 AM – Just finished coffee and deserts after getting my name tag. Now we’re at the intro session where Sue Polinsky is welcoming us.

Keynote

Jason Calacanis with Ed Cone. Seems the basis for Mr. Calacnis new venture Mahalo is that there is too much info on the web. Thus we need “experts” who are “real humans” to help us search it. Sounds good to me. But to assume that “80 to 90%” of info on the web is junk is absurd. This over simplification just doesn’t take into the billions of separate opinions people have all over the world. Each of us has many different ideas about what is good info and what is bad info. Though its really important to fact check. There are facts in the world. But I would argue they aren’t as imperial as some would believe. Everything can be challenged. Even gravity.

Panel Discussions

Step by Step
Dan Conover, Will Bunch, Joe Killian (moderator)
Three smart journalists who get it. They are the future right now. Simulating commentary huh? What something better? Read what others are writing here and here.

We Agree to Disagree
Ruby Sinreich, Chris Rabb, Dan Conover (moderator)

Ruby starts off by asking how many people in the room are pro or student journalists. “Good now I don’t have to lecture you.” Snarky laughs in the room. I see her remarks as a form of tough love. Shes beautifully direct. But ya know I’m biased.

Short overview
Best part of CS2007 Friday was talking to people. Many opportunities to catch up with folks I haven’t seen since the last time I made it to this event. The sessions where pretty good. I learned a lot.

Donate to Help OP Grow

Please donate to the Orange Politics fundraising drive to help pay for site improvements. Read more here.

Our last update was 3 years ago, and OP is seriously needing better identity management and improved community tools. I think drupal will be a good solution for us, and I hope to work with the good folks at Advantage Labs to make OP more useful and (and more stable) than ever.

The work will involve importing all of our posts and comments from WordPress to drupal, configuring our a new drupal system, and getting us set up on a new server. I will probably be able to create a new drupal “theme” to match what OP looks like myself, so we should not have to pay for that. I expect this work to cost at least $1,000 (not including monthly hosting fees), so I am setting that as our target.

Using drupal will allow us to have individual blogs for each registered and verified user of OP. That means no more hoping Ruby will approve your guest post and not knowing when it will be published. On the new site, you can post whatever you like, within some limits, and the community will vote on which entries go to the front page, similar to the way BlueNC.com and DailyKos.com are managed.

Please chip in, and ask your friends to support this effort so that OrangePolitics can be an even better progressive community resource!