13 weeks ago I began a new experience – creating a blog for IPD. The blog helped me to consider issues in publication and design and implications of media issues and new technologies.
Whilst I don’t think my writing style lends itself to be entertaining, blogging has given me a voice and an opportunity to raise points of interest without necessarily replying on a response. Email has made us all expect instantaneous response and when we don’t get it, we wonder if the addressee has in fact received our email. Blogging has been fun, posting and waiting, checking to see a response – not getting any but this doesn’t mean nobody has read the post just that somebody may have read the post and be considering their thoughts.
As a big fan of journal writing I can see where an anonymous blog could be used and could become part of my everyday life.
Thanks IPD for introducing me to the world of blogging – I’ll be a keen participator from here on I think!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
When was the last time you wrote a handwritten letter? – 14 June 2008
A program on Life Matters on ABC Radio National which was first broadcast on November 30, 2007 led me to consider when was the last time I wrote a handwritten letter. The funny thing is on Friday I hand wrote a greeting card and was so annoyed because I mis-spelt a word and couldn’t go back and correct it that I had to go out and buy another card.
This experience made me think about the changing nature of handwriting. With most of our written communication nowadays taking place via electronic modes be it computers or mobile phones, our handwriting is often limited to short notes, shopping lists and greeting cards.
When was the last time you handwrote a letter? When I shut down my computer I’m going to write a handwritten letter to my Nanna – perhaps because she is one of the few who wouldn’t think it was strange to receive a handwritten letter!
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/lifematters/stories/2008/2188818.htm
This experience made me think about the changing nature of handwriting. With most of our written communication nowadays taking place via electronic modes be it computers or mobile phones, our handwriting is often limited to short notes, shopping lists and greeting cards.
When was the last time you handwrote a letter? When I shut down my computer I’m going to write a handwritten letter to my Nanna – perhaps because she is one of the few who wouldn’t think it was strange to receive a handwritten letter!
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/lifematters/stories/2008/2188818.htm
A Living Library – 9 June 2008
I came across a really interesting website which is a living library.
“Issuu is the place for online publications: Magazines, catalogs, documents, and stuff you'd normally find on print. It's the place where YOU become the publisher: Upload a document, it's fast, easy, and totally FREE. Find and comment on thousands of great publications. Join a living library, where anyone finds publications about anything and share them with friends”
http://issuu.com/
This looks like a great concept and looks to me like an extension to the idea of a blog. You can post your own designs and documents and have your friends, peers and even strangers comment on them. It is another form of collaboration and yet another example of how technology is encouraging ‘online’ communities.
In my professional career I think that the living library concept could be of value and could help to increase usability of the documents I may one day produce. It is a skill to step away from something you are so close to and put yourself in the shoes of your audience so, this site may be of assistance in doing this.
“Issuu is the place for online publications: Magazines, catalogs, documents, and stuff you'd normally find on print. It's the place where YOU become the publisher: Upload a document, it's fast, easy, and totally FREE. Find and comment on thousands of great publications. Join a living library, where anyone finds publications about anything and share them with friends”
http://issuu.com/
This looks like a great concept and looks to me like an extension to the idea of a blog. You can post your own designs and documents and have your friends, peers and even strangers comment on them. It is another form of collaboration and yet another example of how technology is encouraging ‘online’ communities.
In my professional career I think that the living library concept could be of value and could help to increase usability of the documents I may one day produce. It is a skill to step away from something you are so close to and put yourself in the shoes of your audience so, this site may be of assistance in doing this.
Is there room in professional communication for emoticons? – 9 June 2008
Often people will talk about the blunt email they received and you will hear people talk about how someone misinterpreted the email they sent. Emoticons are increasingly being used to give this some context. To add emotion and give the reader of the email an idea of how the message is intended – whether it be sad, happy, joking etc people are using emoticons. Faces created originally through the use of symbols and now special characters themselves.
Is there room for these emoticons in professional communication? I’m not sure that there is. If I received an email from my Chief Executive with a smiley face at the end of it, I would interpret the message less seriously and it would diminish the authority of the sender. To me emoticons are for use in emails to friends and we should continue to maintain a level of formality in a professional context.
The Media Report 18 October 2007 featured a story on Emoticons and email etiquette and I found an interesting transcript to read.
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2007/2064342.htm
Another website on the topic of email etiquette is
http://www.netmanners.com/
Is there room for these emoticons in professional communication? I’m not sure that there is. If I received an email from my Chief Executive with a smiley face at the end of it, I would interpret the message less seriously and it would diminish the authority of the sender. To me emoticons are for use in emails to friends and we should continue to maintain a level of formality in a professional context.
The Media Report 18 October 2007 featured a story on Emoticons and email etiquette and I found an interesting transcript to read.
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2007/2064342.htm
Another website on the topic of email etiquette is
http://www.netmanners.com/
Technology is affecting basic communication skills – 7 June 2008
After receiving a text message from my 16 year old niece which was written in text speak I realized that I wasn’t the young hip aunty I thought I was. The message which was full of abbreviations, dropped vowels and ‘mis-spelt’ shortened words immediately made me think that technology was failing the younger generation. My mum constantly says how young people these days can’t spell, phonetics aren’t taught in school and lots of young people lack face to face communication skills. I agree with her but at the same time am quick to point out that times have changed. Technology is changing everyday and there are two choices – jump on board for the ride or get left behind.
So to decipher the message I called my niece and asked her to explain the message – so simple and logical….why didn’t I see it! Why couldn’t I get it? A sign of the times I was raised in. I now look to include emoticons and text speak when engaging in text messages with younger people.
What this experience taught me is to stop and consider that perhaps there is nothing wrong with text speak – it is merely communication changing and that there is no right or wrong just differences.
LOL – C u 2moz!
The link below is to an article which discusses texting and its impact on spelling.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20060601/ai_n16461902
So to decipher the message I called my niece and asked her to explain the message – so simple and logical….why didn’t I see it! Why couldn’t I get it? A sign of the times I was raised in. I now look to include emoticons and text speak when engaging in text messages with younger people.
What this experience taught me is to stop and consider that perhaps there is nothing wrong with text speak – it is merely communication changing and that there is no right or wrong just differences.
LOL – C u 2moz!
The link below is to an article which discusses texting and its impact on spelling.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20060601/ai_n16461902
Eventually books will disappear completely as they become superseded by electronic media and therefore irrelevant – 6 June 2008
After listening to a radio interview about publishing’s carbon footprint, it led me to consider e-books and the impact they may have. Whilst I don’t think they will replace hard copy books entirely, I do think that one day they will occupy a place in society. There will be specific hand held, lightweight devices that will appeal to those who like to read without having to carry around a heavy, bulky book.
Some people thought that radio would disappear with the introduction of TV but as we have seen each platform has continued to co-exist. This will be the same as books and e-books. For as long as the web cannot be relied upon as a completely credible source of information (wikipedia etc) due to the fact that content can be published, changed and put on by anyone around the globe without any real authority, books of acknowledged authors and theorists will continue to exist.
Have you ever sat next to someone on the bus who is reading a paper? I know I have and have felt like the person next to me is taking up a lot more than their allocated space! Perhaps an e-reading device would solve this problem and give us all our allocated space back?
Some people thought that radio would disappear with the introduction of TV but as we have seen each platform has continued to co-exist. This will be the same as books and e-books. For as long as the web cannot be relied upon as a completely credible source of information (wikipedia etc) due to the fact that content can be published, changed and put on by anyone around the globe without any real authority, books of acknowledged authors and theorists will continue to exist.
Have you ever sat next to someone on the bus who is reading a paper? I know I have and have felt like the person next to me is taking up a lot more than their allocated space! Perhaps an e-reading device would solve this problem and give us all our allocated space back?
New era of publishing and broadcasting – 4 June 2008
I looked at the Guardian’s blog for content to discuss in this post. You will note that the BBC is looking at content on portable viewing devices such as iPhones as viewers increasingly demand content that can be viewed anywhere at anytime. I put it to you that users are driving the rapid conversion to emerging media technologies. The phrase word of mouth may next be coined power of text or something similar to encapsulated the essence of this sort of viral marketing which will see the boundaries being dramatically reduced and more content accessed globally.
The link below to the blog on the Guardian website highlights the post talking about new media platforms and new eras of broadcasting and publishing.
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/digitalcontent/2008/06/why_the_new_media_world_looks.html
The link below to the blog on the Guardian website highlights the post talking about new media platforms and new eras of broadcasting and publishing.
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/digitalcontent/2008/06/why_the_new_media_world_looks.html
Looking good and/or communicating? - 2 June 2008
While this blog acknowledges the important role design plays in the structure of texts, design is more than mere decoration and abstraction – it is a means of communication of a message (Wheildon 1990).
This should not be forgotten as I would argue that communicating a message is equally as important if not more important the design. A design can look good, use great images and typefaces however, if it doesn’t communicate a message is it really doing its job?
When we speak our message is conveyed through the interplay of verbal cues, language, tone and facial expression. If the message is not communicated initially there is opportunity to clarify and question. If we say that a document can also convey a message through the use of design that is through colours, structure, layout, images, font style, icons, indexes and symbols, we need to ensure our intended messages are clear and eliminate as much confusion as possible as the opportunity for clarification is not there.
Therefore, as Schriver (1997) suggests, design is not only about the way the document looks, it is also about how text and image go together to be read and understood. Text driven cues such as redundancy, complementary, supplementary, juxtapositional and stage-setting all have a role in communicating meaning. As does knowledge driven cues – those that come from the “reader’s experience, attitudes and beliefs” (Schriver 1997).
Different colours, icons, symbols and images have different meanings to different people so, an element of caution needs to be applied when designing layouts be it for print, online or for another format.
Schriver, KA 1997, ‘The interplay of words and pictures’, Dynamics in document design: creating texts for readers, Wiley Computer Pub., New York, Chapter 6, pp. 361-441.
Wheildon, C 1990, Communicating or just making pretty shapes, 3rd edn, Newspaper bureau of Australia Ltd, North Sydney, excerpts pp. 4-8 and 11-15.
This should not be forgotten as I would argue that communicating a message is equally as important if not more important the design. A design can look good, use great images and typefaces however, if it doesn’t communicate a message is it really doing its job?
When we speak our message is conveyed through the interplay of verbal cues, language, tone and facial expression. If the message is not communicated initially there is opportunity to clarify and question. If we say that a document can also convey a message through the use of design that is through colours, structure, layout, images, font style, icons, indexes and symbols, we need to ensure our intended messages are clear and eliminate as much confusion as possible as the opportunity for clarification is not there.
Therefore, as Schriver (1997) suggests, design is not only about the way the document looks, it is also about how text and image go together to be read and understood. Text driven cues such as redundancy, complementary, supplementary, juxtapositional and stage-setting all have a role in communicating meaning. As does knowledge driven cues – those that come from the “reader’s experience, attitudes and beliefs” (Schriver 1997).
Different colours, icons, symbols and images have different meanings to different people so, an element of caution needs to be applied when designing layouts be it for print, online or for another format.
Schriver, KA 1997, ‘The interplay of words and pictures’, Dynamics in document design: creating texts for readers, Wiley Computer Pub., New York, Chapter 6, pp. 361-441.
Wheildon, C 1990, Communicating or just making pretty shapes, 3rd edn, Newspaper bureau of Australia Ltd, North Sydney, excerpts pp. 4-8 and 11-15.
Journalism’s Future – 31 May 2008
In a convergence of technologies when searching for articles I came across a news video of an interview with Guardian journalist, Roy Greenslade speaking at the Future of Journalism Conference. It was interesting to watch the interview and listen to the audio attached to the file.
Roy Greenslade talks about democratic forms of journalism, freedom of expression and the future of newspapers. He also talks about Journalists as individuals not being as important as journalism itself. Anyone can be a journalist and can contribute so in fact the role of journalists is changing. Exposing things people don’t want exposed were previously left to investigative journalists these days the exposure is not going to be left to the journalists, there are going to be opportunities for individuals to broadcast whatever pieces of information they choose.
While Mr Greenslade talks about newspapers as a large conglomerate ‘dying’, he does highlight that niche publications will continue to exist as the financial structures are in place to support them. He cites the Australian Financial Review as an example of a newspaper which will outlast others. Newspapers are not a sustainable platform for journalism however, the net will be the next platform for journalism.
This leads me onto the importance of online design. It has been proven that “Onscreen reading is far more difficult than reading a printed document” (Parker 2003). Therefore, it is importance to understand how users read web pages in order to make it as easy as possible to read.
The F reading pattern refers to the rough shape in which readers generally scan website pages. It highlights that people only skim read web pages, paying attention to the heading and to the beginnings of the first couple of sentences. What this means to journalists is not only that they have to consider this when writing for the web but that they should also follow the inverted pyramid style of writing putting the most important information at the start of a sentence and the beginning of the page.
More information about the Survival of media platforms for journalism can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2236747.htm
More information about the F Reading pattern can be found via the link below.
<http://rodrigo.typepad.com/english/2006/04/the_f_pattern_w.html>
Parker, RC 2003, ‘Designing documents for web distribution’, Looking good in print, 5th edn, Paraglyph Press, Scottsdale AZ, Chapter 14, pp. 269-293.
Roy Greenslade talks about democratic forms of journalism, freedom of expression and the future of newspapers. He also talks about Journalists as individuals not being as important as journalism itself. Anyone can be a journalist and can contribute so in fact the role of journalists is changing. Exposing things people don’t want exposed were previously left to investigative journalists these days the exposure is not going to be left to the journalists, there are going to be opportunities for individuals to broadcast whatever pieces of information they choose.
While Mr Greenslade talks about newspapers as a large conglomerate ‘dying’, he does highlight that niche publications will continue to exist as the financial structures are in place to support them. He cites the Australian Financial Review as an example of a newspaper which will outlast others. Newspapers are not a sustainable platform for journalism however, the net will be the next platform for journalism.
This leads me onto the importance of online design. It has been proven that “Onscreen reading is far more difficult than reading a printed document” (Parker 2003). Therefore, it is importance to understand how users read web pages in order to make it as easy as possible to read.
The F reading pattern refers to the rough shape in which readers generally scan website pages. It highlights that people only skim read web pages, paying attention to the heading and to the beginnings of the first couple of sentences. What this means to journalists is not only that they have to consider this when writing for the web but that they should also follow the inverted pyramid style of writing putting the most important information at the start of a sentence and the beginning of the page.
More information about the Survival of media platforms for journalism can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2236747.htm
More information about the F Reading pattern can be found via the link below.
<http://rodrigo.typepad.com/english/2006/04/the_f_pattern_w.html>
Parker, RC 2003, ‘Designing documents for web distribution’, Looking good in print, 5th edn, Paraglyph Press, Scottsdale AZ, Chapter 14, pp. 269-293.
Net starts to overtake TV – 28 May 2008
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/21/2251210.htm
This is a very interesting story about the changing face of media. This has impact on advertising and in general of media consumption. It provides much opportunity to reach niche markets cost effectively and provides an opportunity for targeted marketing. A large number of websites contain advertising and the internet is a powerful medium for advertising – it can be more cost effective and have a greater reach as links which are viewed are those that are paid for by the advertiser therefore, advertisers are no longer paying for the large audience who channel surf to avoid advertisement in television ad breaks.
As we know the incorporation of spoken and written language, interplay of words and pictures and of sounds, music and moving pictures are increasingly being used in the convergence of technologies. (Walsh 2006) This concept is supported by the survey results referred to in the article mentioning that online videos and music “were the two most popular types of content on the net, with nearly half of Australian broadband users surveyed using this type of content”.
Walsh, M 2006, ‘The “textual shift”: examining the reading process with print, visual and multimodal texts’, Australian journal of language and literacy, Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 24-37.
This is a very interesting story about the changing face of media. This has impact on advertising and in general of media consumption. It provides much opportunity to reach niche markets cost effectively and provides an opportunity for targeted marketing. A large number of websites contain advertising and the internet is a powerful medium for advertising – it can be more cost effective and have a greater reach as links which are viewed are those that are paid for by the advertiser therefore, advertisers are no longer paying for the large audience who channel surf to avoid advertisement in television ad breaks.
As we know the incorporation of spoken and written language, interplay of words and pictures and of sounds, music and moving pictures are increasingly being used in the convergence of technologies. (Walsh 2006) This concept is supported by the survey results referred to in the article mentioning that online videos and music “were the two most popular types of content on the net, with nearly half of Australian broadband users surveyed using this type of content”.
Walsh, M 2006, ‘The “textual shift”: examining the reading process with print, visual and multimodal texts’, Australian journal of language and literacy, Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 24-37.
Connecting people – 27 May 2008
An example of blogs connecting people was an article I read on the ABC website http://www.abc.net.au/rural/telegraph/content/2006/s2264716.htm
The article was interesting as it profiled three very different people geographically distanced throughout Australia however connected via their blogs. Their blogs can be accessed via the links below.
Simon's blog - http://simonbedak.journalspace.com
Annette's blog - http://artlifechooks.journalspace.com
Dirk's blog - http://flinthart.journalspace.com
This is just another example of how blogs connect people and give you a voice.
The article was interesting as it profiled three very different people geographically distanced throughout Australia however connected via their blogs. Their blogs can be accessed via the links below.
Simon's blog - http://simonbedak.journalspace.com
Annette's blog - http://artlifechooks.journalspace.com
Dirk's blog - http://flinthart.journalspace.com
This is just another example of how blogs connect people and give you a voice.
Readers need print despite migration online – 15 May 2008
I read with interest an article on The Age website regarding online readership surging while print editions are moving marginally up or down. The channels for proliferation of news have changed. Once the newspaper was the dominant source now there is radio, TV and more recently the internet.
It is important for news organizations to have a number of contact points in order to engage audiences. The older generation may tend to lean towards print news and specific TV news while the younger generation may in fact rely on websites for their news.
When presenting news on websites, it is important to consider online design principles and after reading the article Readers need print despite migration online, I considered the importance of following design principles to produce an effective news website.
Design principles guide readers through a text, increase interest, highlight areas of importance and provide an easy reading experience. Reep (2006) highlights principles including balance, proportion, sequence and consistency. These principles are important for web page design also as they create the overall ‘look’ of the website.
After reading this article I looked at the News.com website (www.news.com.au). I found that it followed the design principles. Consistency was achieved through the use of consistent typefaces and margins, the page is balanced with differently ‘weighted’ areas which draw your eye to the heavier weighted areas first, the page and elements within it are in proportion and the a logical reading sequence is maintained through the design to guide the reader through the page. Colour, images and contrast is also used well and overall it is a positive reading experience.
Given that the article says “Readers are developing an online habit at a galloping rate”, I think that web designers need to pay significant attention to the design principles when designing their news web pages.
http://business.theage.com.au/readers-need-print-despite-migration-online-20080515-2erp.html
http://www.news.com.au
Reep DC 2006, ‘Document design’, Technical writing: principles, strategies and readings, 6th edn, Pearson & Lonman, New York, Chapter 6, pp. 133-172
It is important for news organizations to have a number of contact points in order to engage audiences. The older generation may tend to lean towards print news and specific TV news while the younger generation may in fact rely on websites for their news.
When presenting news on websites, it is important to consider online design principles and after reading the article Readers need print despite migration online, I considered the importance of following design principles to produce an effective news website.
Design principles guide readers through a text, increase interest, highlight areas of importance and provide an easy reading experience. Reep (2006) highlights principles including balance, proportion, sequence and consistency. These principles are important for web page design also as they create the overall ‘look’ of the website.
After reading this article I looked at the News.com website (www.news.com.au). I found that it followed the design principles. Consistency was achieved through the use of consistent typefaces and margins, the page is balanced with differently ‘weighted’ areas which draw your eye to the heavier weighted areas first, the page and elements within it are in proportion and the a logical reading sequence is maintained through the design to guide the reader through the page. Colour, images and contrast is also used well and overall it is a positive reading experience.
Given that the article says “Readers are developing an online habit at a galloping rate”, I think that web designers need to pay significant attention to the design principles when designing their news web pages.
http://business.theage.com.au/readers-need-print-despite-migration-online-20080515-2erp.html
http://www.news.com.au
Reep DC 2006, ‘Document design’, Technical writing: principles, strategies and readings, 6th edn, Pearson & Lonman, New York, Chapter 6, pp. 133-172
Andrew Denton’s Interview of Wayne Carey – 1 April 2008
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s2201719.htm
After watching this interview it became apparent that the reason this story is being so widely monitored, reported and watched was because of the prominence of Wayne Carey.
Wayne Carey – the former ‘king’, a once football star often whose career has now been forgotten and he is now infamous for his post football life and misdemeanors went on Enough Rope in a frank interview about recent incidents and his desire to move on.
When watching the interview my Dad raised the question “Why air this? People take drugs, assault police and cheat on their wives everyday.” He is in fact correct, but such stories don’t make the papers as they do not involve people of prominence within the community. It is a given that one of the news values in prominence and is such news. News values are what sells the newspapers and people want to read about the lives of other people, they want to have an opinion and this story was given so much media coverage that it seemed inevitable that Wayne Carey at some stage would respond – he chose Enough Rope with Andrew Denton to do this. His motive could have been to choose a more credible program rather than something like Today Tonight or 60 minutes.
Whatever his motive for agreeing to do the Enough Rope Andrew Denton interview, Wayne Carey is right when he referred to numerous blogs about him and his issues and no doubt following the airing of the interview bloggers will have gone crazy each providing their own opinion of Wayne, his life, his choices, his associates and his alleged crimes. With such thoughts freely available on the web is this a chance to tell his story or trial by media?
Wary employers are considering if blogging could potentially damage their employment branding - 27 March 2008
An article in the Media and Marketing section of The Australian on Thursday, 27 March highlighted the potential dangers of blogs. Many workplaces have considered placing blogs on their websites as well as utilizing new technologies such as social networking sites in an attempt to attract technology savvy generation Y candidates. Many of these organizations have chosen not to enter the blogging and social networking ‘world’ due to the uncontrollable nature of anonymous posts. While the potential for good publicity is there, the even bigger potential for negative publicity also exists.
The article in The Australian is based on blogs contributed to by those in the advertising industry. One agency boss is quoted in the articles as saying “Because our industry is based on subjectivity it (a comment on the blog) will affect a career, a pay packet, job prospects. People do read these things.” I agree with this and wonder to what extent new media platforms such as search engines, social networking sites and blogs will have in the future in the attraction, research and profiling of candidates, competition and simply to gather information about people.
The article in The Australian is based on blogs contributed to by those in the advertising industry. One agency boss is quoted in the articles as saying “Because our industry is based on subjectivity it (a comment on the blog) will affect a career, a pay packet, job prospects. People do read these things.” I agree with this and wonder to what extent new media platforms such as search engines, social networking sites and blogs will have in the future in the attraction, research and profiling of candidates, competition and simply to gather information about people.
Redefining the journalist as a news marketer - 27 March 2008
The role of a journalist is changing to incorporate elements of marketing. As new media becomes an emerging big business role definition changes. An enormous new media industry is Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). News organizations are now using SEO to increase their stories appearing at the top of search engine result lists.
Journalists are now not only having to write quality stories but also consider how they can be promoted. It’s interesting to see this change occurring because as journalism evolves in the new media era the changes are set to be extensive.
Being a frequent user of search engines, I think the business of SEO is advantageous to users however, it is not without limitations and without being open to exploitation. It is going to be interesting to see how news organizations use SEO and it is successful.
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2198348.htm
Journalists are now not only having to write quality stories but also consider how they can be promoted. It’s interesting to see this change occurring because as journalism evolves in the new media era the changes are set to be extensive.
Being a frequent user of search engines, I think the business of SEO is advantageous to users however, it is not without limitations and without being open to exploitation. It is going to be interesting to see how news organizations use SEO and it is successful.
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2198348.htm
Digital Era is Changing ABC TV - 20 March 2008
‘On the record’ with Mark Scott
Mark Scott confirms that ABC TV will continue with a model of internally produced ABC content and some independently produced content. This appears to be the future for the ABC.
ABC is dealing with technological change and in response has launched 60 new websites, ABC local websites across regional and rural Australia. The interviewer delves into resourcing issues and Mark Scott responds with working smarter and differently. Interesting, I think perhaps sounds good but does it really work?
Mark Scott also cites new competition and players such as Google, Yahoo and emerging players like Facebook and the telecommunications industry as competition.
This is really interesting as in the digital era competition is changing as more and more companies compete for audience attention.
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2186071.htm
Mark Scott confirms that ABC TV will continue with a model of internally produced ABC content and some independently produced content. This appears to be the future for the ABC.
ABC is dealing with technological change and in response has launched 60 new websites, ABC local websites across regional and rural Australia. The interviewer delves into resourcing issues and Mark Scott responds with working smarter and differently. Interesting, I think perhaps sounds good but does it really work?
Mark Scott also cites new competition and players such as Google, Yahoo and emerging players like Facebook and the telecommunications industry as competition.
This is really interesting as in the digital era competition is changing as more and more companies compete for audience attention.
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2186071.htm
Beijing Blogs – 16 March 2008
In my first post about blogs, I commented on the similarity of a blog and an online diary. I read with interest an article on the ABC website about the gags being placed on Olympic athletes competing in Beijing.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/17/2164887.htm
Some of the restrictions placed on the blogs include that athletes cannot discuss the performance of other competitors, cannot sell blogs to newspaper or other websites and that there are restrictions on the use of moving pictures and sound.
I agree that athletes shouldn’t be allowed to sell their blogs to newspaper and other websites and I also agree with restrictions within reason as to the appropriate use of moving pictures and sound however, to some extent I disagree with the restriction of discussing competitor’s performance. I think that an athlete within the grounds of common law so as not to defame someone should be able to comment on the performance of competitors. Is it any different to commenting in an interview? I’m not so sure.
What are your thoughts?
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/17/2164887.htm
Some of the restrictions placed on the blogs include that athletes cannot discuss the performance of other competitors, cannot sell blogs to newspaper or other websites and that there are restrictions on the use of moving pictures and sound.
I agree that athletes shouldn’t be allowed to sell their blogs to newspaper and other websites and I also agree with restrictions within reason as to the appropriate use of moving pictures and sound however, to some extent I disagree with the restriction of discussing competitor’s performance. I think that an athlete within the grounds of common law so as not to defame someone should be able to comment on the performance of competitors. Is it any different to commenting in an interview? I’m not so sure.
What are your thoughts?
Does digital radio have a future? - 12 March 2008
ABC Radio National Media Report on 6 March 2008 featured a segment titled ‘Does digital radio have a future?’ The segment discussed the future of digital radio in Australia and comments were made by UK and Australian industry commentators.
The discussion focused on the introduction of digital radio into capital cities and regional centres over the next 3-5 years. ABC has embraced the introduction of digital radio and sees it as a development of existing production models. Just like podcasting and user defined playlists, digital radio will play a role in catering to niche markets.
As for myself I can see that both digital and analogue radio fro the moment can coexist and I think that it will take awhile to take off. It seems to me that podcasting is now only just becoming popular even though it has been around for quite some time and people really see massive benefits or are forced to adapt to digital radio there will be a slow adoption rate.
Whilst I am a relatively conservative radio consumer – my consumption is basically reduced to in the car (approximately two hours per day), I can see the potential for the technologically savvy individuals particularly in niche markets for internet services as well as digital radio systems to increase choice. What it comes down to is ‘is the market for digital radio in Australia or are we ahead of our time?’
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2179290.htm
The discussion focused on the introduction of digital radio into capital cities and regional centres over the next 3-5 years. ABC has embraced the introduction of digital radio and sees it as a development of existing production models. Just like podcasting and user defined playlists, digital radio will play a role in catering to niche markets.
As for myself I can see that both digital and analogue radio fro the moment can coexist and I think that it will take awhile to take off. It seems to me that podcasting is now only just becoming popular even though it has been around for quite some time and people really see massive benefits or are forced to adapt to digital radio there will be a slow adoption rate.
Whilst I am a relatively conservative radio consumer – my consumption is basically reduced to in the car (approximately two hours per day), I can see the potential for the technologically savvy individuals particularly in niche markets for internet services as well as digital radio systems to increase choice. What it comes down to is ‘is the market for digital radio in Australia or are we ahead of our time?’
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2179290.htm
Web logs, Blogs and Blogging – new terminology for me - 10 March 2008
Web logs or blogs as they are commonly known was a term I’d heard of but never experienced prior to undertaking Issues in Publication and Design. To understand the concept of blogging, which was new to me, I logged onto www.blogger.com. I soon learned that a blog was an online diary, a record of your thoughts; an opportunity to engage and gather thoughts from others, a blog gives you your voice on the web.
When asked to contribute to my own blog the task was somewhat daunting. Posting my views and thoughts online and being open to comments, opinions and criticism from others was a new concept. However, it is this concept which is also very exciting.
This blog aims to share my thoughts on media, design and publishing issues; with particular reference to the ABC Radio National Media Report and The Australian Media section.
A blog where the postings are short summaries of articles, views related to theoretical concepts and my own comments. A blog of my own thoughts…….well here goes.
To find out more about blogs, check out the following websites:
http://www.blogger.com
http://www.thoughts.com
http://www.ojournalism.blogspot.com/
http://blogpulse.com
References and links – 14 June 2008
http://www.blogger.com
http://blogpulse.com
http://www.ojournalism.blogspot.com/
http://www.thoughts.com
http://simonbedak.journalspace.com/
http://artlifechooks.journalspace.com/
http://flinthart.journalspace.com/
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2179290.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/17/2164887.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2186071.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2198348.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s2201719.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/21/2251210.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2236747.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2007/2064342.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/lifematters/stories/2008/2188818.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/telegraph/content/2006/s2264716.htm
http://business.theage.com.au/readers-need-print-despite-migration-online-20080515-2erp.html
http://www.news.com.au
http://www.netmanners.com/
http://issuu.com/
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/digitalcontent/2008/06/why_the_new_media_world_looks.html
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20060601/ai_n16461902
http://rodrigo.typepad.com/english/2006/04/the_f_pattern_w.html
Parker, RC 2003, ‘Designing documents for web distribution’, Looking good in print, 5th edn, Paraglyph Press, Scottsdale AZ, Chapter 14, pp. 269-293.
Reep DC 2006, ‘Document design’, Technical writing: principles, strategies and readings, 6th edn, Pearson & Lonman, New York, Chapter 6, pp. 133-172
Schriver, KA 1997, ‘The interplay of words and pictures’, Dynamics in document design: creating texts for readers, Wiley Computer Pub., New York, Chapter 6, pp. 361-441.
Walsh, M 2006, ‘The “textual shift”: examining the reading process with print, visual and multimodal texts’, Australian journal of language and literacy, Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 24-37.
Wheildon, C 1990, Communicating or just making pretty shapes, 3rd edn, Newspaper bureau of Australia Ltd, North Sydney, excerpts pp. 4-8 and 11-15.
http://blogpulse.com
http://www.ojournalism.blogspot.com/
http://www.thoughts.com
http://simonbedak.journalspace.com/
http://artlifechooks.journalspace.com/
http://flinthart.journalspace.com/
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2179290.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/17/2164887.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2186071.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2198348.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s2201719.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/21/2251210.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2236747.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2007/2064342.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/lifematters/stories/2008/2188818.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/telegraph/content/2006/s2264716.htm
http://business.theage.com.au/readers-need-print-despite-migration-online-20080515-2erp.html
http://www.news.com.au
http://www.netmanners.com/
http://issuu.com/
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/digitalcontent/2008/06/why_the_new_media_world_looks.html
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20060601/ai_n16461902
http://rodrigo.typepad.com/english/2006/04/the_f_pattern_w.html
Parker, RC 2003, ‘Designing documents for web distribution’, Looking good in print, 5th edn, Paraglyph Press, Scottsdale AZ, Chapter 14, pp. 269-293.
Reep DC 2006, ‘Document design’, Technical writing: principles, strategies and readings, 6th edn, Pearson & Lonman, New York, Chapter 6, pp. 133-172
Schriver, KA 1997, ‘The interplay of words and pictures’, Dynamics in document design: creating texts for readers, Wiley Computer Pub., New York, Chapter 6, pp. 361-441.
Walsh, M 2006, ‘The “textual shift”: examining the reading process with print, visual and multimodal texts’, Australian journal of language and literacy, Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 24-37.
Wheildon, C 1990, Communicating or just making pretty shapes, 3rd edn, Newspaper bureau of Australia Ltd, North Sydney, excerpts pp. 4-8 and 11-15.
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