The New Media Collective

It's been almost a year—eight months to be exact—since I last posted to The New Media Collective. This extended hiatus can be attributed to a few things—though mostly a gross lack of time management skills. :-)

When The NMC was first conceived, the primary goal was to feature people of color from different areas of the blogosphere, letting the world know who we were, and that what we were doing was relevant and consistent. I also wanted to help educate those who were new to the worlds of blogging, videoblogging, podcasting, and photoblogging, facilitating in the smallest way, the closing of the digital divide. Little did I know, the person to be educated most would be me. With each person I interviewed for the OUR VOICES or MEDIA MINDS segments, and every HOW-TO entry I posted, I realized just how little I knew about the tech world, and how intimidating it can be for a wannabe geek like me. However daunting, this learning process became the beauty of the project. Not only did I get to create a site that was informative and educational, I got to learn from the people I interviewed and from the research I did. I guess the saying is correct that "he who teaches, learns."

In addition to the site being a teaching vehicle, the goal was also to create a community where people would connect with and learn from each other. Initially, the response was good. The word was slowly getting out about what The NMC was doing and people were supportive. I even had the opportunity to present at the 2006 BlogHer Conference in July on a panel about starting a community-based site. It was great meeting new people, some of whom I'd only known (or known about) through their work online.

Initially, I had a lot of ideas and plans for The NMC, but life took a slightly different turn and I was unable to follow through with them. This year, I'm looking forward to starting over with a renewed vision and a resolve to fulfill my original dream, and to recruit as many people as I can to help, because as my mother never failed to remind me growing up, "no man is an island."

Thanks to everyone who gave any kind of support to me and this project while it was on hiatus, even if it was just a kind word of encouragement.

Peace & love for 2007,

Posted by Melanie Morgan at 11:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In our continuing coverage of the Network Neutrality issue (see previous post), we present a video giving the why's and how's of it, and why we, as citizens of the blogosphere, should do our part to stop any threats to our online freedoms.

Provided by the SavetheInternet.com Coalition, this video is the latest effort in their campaign to garner support to protect the internet's First Amendment, Network Neutrality. Comprised of organizations from across the political spectrum, bloggers and concerned citizens, the Coalition's goal is to get folk to take action by contacting their local representatives in Congress, urging them to take steps to preserve Net Neutrality. This will ensure that the internet remains free and open to the thousands of people who use it as a voice to express and as a vehicle for innovation and progress.

Click below to support the SavetheInternet.com Coalition and save Net Neutrality.

Posted by Melanie Morgan at 08:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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I'm absolutely ecstatic to announce the arrival of the new book, Secrets of Videoblogging: Videoblogging for the Masses, by my friends Ryanne Hodson and Michael Verdi. Published by Peachpit Press, this book has been long awaited by the videoblogging community, whose members are featured prominently throughout.

This video, produced for the newly updated Freevlog.com (Freevlog 3.0), features Ryanne and Michael talking about the how's and why's of Secrets of Videoblogging, and all the cool things they cover in the text, under headings like Citizen Journalism and Topic, Tone and Audience.

Dedicated to vloggers everywhere, Secrets of Videoblogging: Videoblogging for the Masses is now available at Amazon.com.

Posted by Melanie Morgan at 03:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

For those who don't know, there's been a conference going on since Friday called the International Podcasting Expo 2006. I wish I had learned of this sooner, considering this is the last day, but you can still check it out, and maybe even get in on a session or two before it's over.

What's different about this event is that it's conducted entirely online. This virtual expo even has exhibitors booths and meeting rooms just like a physical conference (take the video tour of the expo site). General admission is $11.00 which includes a free audio recording and editing program, and a multi-media podcasting course. The best thing about it is you don't have to leave your chair!

So hurry up and get in before the closing ceremony. (Yes, there's a closing ceremony.)

Posted by Melanie Morgan at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I received this email the other day from political education and advocacy site, Moveon.org, and I shuddered. For the first time in human history, most people who want to develop a large audience to promote a particular point of view can publish and communicate worldwide.

So, this law would keep the role of corporate media of what I consider to be a consciousness poison called propaganda. As we can communicate, we have the power to change the world around us to be a positive existence instead of the class locked power struggle that is current reality.

Encourage a free and fair internet and encourage human progress. Send the letter below.

If you would like to call your Senators and Representatives directly, look them up at Congressmerge.com.

Continue reading "Stop the Hostile Takeover of the Internet" »

Posted by Priscilla Grim at 01:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Know what's happening before it happens with NMC's new EVENTS CALENDER. Keep up with the many conferences and other media events occuring in the blogosphere throughout the year, including NMC's own projects. Although new events seem to pop up everyday, we'll try to stay on top of them and keep you posted about the where and when of it all.

To stay in the loop, just click on the button in the sidebar (or above) to view the calender, or subscribe to our feed for monthly event reminders. (If there's an event you know about that's not on the calender, send me an email and I'll see about getting it up there.)

How To Navigate the Calender:
In the left sidebar you'll see a box called LABELS under which is listed different event categories (called "Appointments"). Each category (Label) is color-coded for easy viewing in the main calender.

Continue reading "Keep Up With The Collective!" »

Posted by Melanie Morgan at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Andrew Michael Baron and Amanda Congdon from the popular videoblog, Rocketboom, will be live and in person at The Museum of the Moving Image in New York City this Sunday, April 23 at 4:00 pm for the museum's Video Blog Explosion event. Also on hand will be Ravi Jain from DriveTime, and Jakob Lodwick from Vimeo. Admission is $10.00.

Rocketboom, a daily 3-minute newscast, has more than 100,000 viewers. Ravi Jain’s DriveTime is a weekly talk show taped in Jain’s car during his one-hour commute to and from metropolitan Boston. Lodwick’s Vimeo is a popular site for uploading and sharing video clips.

Check out this interview with Andrew and Amanda to learn a little more about Rocketboom. And click on the image below to see what Ravi Jain's DriveTime is all about.

The Museum of the Moving Image, located at 35 Avenue at 36 Street in Astoria, Queens, is dedicated to educating the public about the art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, and digital media and to examining their impact on culture and society.

Posted by Melanie Morgan at 07:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Women bloggers, the world over, will converge at the second annual BlogHer Conference in San Jose, CA on July 28-29. This year's roster of speakers will include yours truly, Melanie Morgan, and NMC contributing editor, Zadi Diaz. I'll be on a panel called "So You Have This Crazy Idea" about setting up community sites, and Zadi will be conducting the "Video" panel with uber vlogger, Ryanne Hodson. Other speakers include Lynne D. Johnson, and Tiffany Brown.

This year's theme: How are your blogs changing your world?

How are blogs making a difference in your lives, your families, your communities, your businesses and/or the world around you? Come to BlogHer '06 and hear what the BlogHers have to say. Come out and see "The Collective" represent!

There's still time to register (but not much), so click here or on the banner above for more information. To learn more about BlogHer, check out their website.

Posted by Melanie Morgan at 03:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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For those who missed Roger Spence's Videoblogs from Around the Globe presentation at the Echo Park Film Center in Los Angeles on March 30 (see announcement), here's a video recap of the event shot by NMC's own Zadi Diaz and edited by Roger. Enjoy!

(FYI: Roger's the one in the gray cap and shirt.)

(Video originally posted on Of By and For on April 12, 2006.)

Posted by Melanie Morgan at 02:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

To get back in the good graces of the vlogging community, Veoh Networks, Inc. CEO, Dmitry Shapiro, issued an open letter to the Yahoo Videoblogging Group last night apologizing for any misunderstandings or possible wrongdoing, and vowed to never let anything like this happen again. As a peace offering, he even offered up Veoh as a Vloggercon 2006 sponsor. I guess Mr. Shakespeare said it best: "All's well that ends well."

Check out the letter below:

Dear Video Bloggers,

As I have stated in previous messages, Veoh's intent has never been to be a place where publisher's rights are violated. It is our intent to provide an open service where content publishers can easily publish their video and deliver it to the world without the restrictions of traditional broadcast mediums. We are the greatest fans of user created video content, and believe that it is this revolution that will change the world that we live in.

Continue reading "Veoh Makes Nice" »

Posted by Melanie Morgan at 01:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There's been a whole lot brewing in the videoblogging community these last few days over the unauthorized acquisition of videos by the online video service, Veoh. Apparently Veoh has been collecting videos from individual vlog sites as well as video services like blip.tv and OurMedia, and hosting them without the creator's knowledge or permission. They've also not given credit to the content creators for their work.

Videoblogging news site, We Are The Media (WATM), reported extensively about this issue in a post titled What's Going On With Veoh on April 8. The story was also covered on a number of blogs including GigaOM, and Loaded Pun, who has listed some of the pirated vlogs.

Posted by Melanie Morgan at 02:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

For those in the New York City area, there will be two media conferences you may want to check out. There's not much time, so you've got to act fast.

From Friday, April 14th to Sunday, April 16th, The 2006 Queer Media and Entertainment Conference (Q-Me Con 2006) will be held at the Tribeca Cinemas (located at 54 Varick Street). Q-Me Con is the first-ever multi-day conference designed specifically for industry professionals working in, or looking to break into, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) content creation for the burgeoning queer TV and new digital media arenas.

Of particular interest to the blogging community will be Podcasting, Vlogging & Videostreaming: Using the Web to Broadcast your Queer Content, taking place on Sunday, April 16, 2006. Panelists include Lukas Blakk, Genderqueer Vlogger & No-Budget Filmmaker; Richard Bluestein, aka "Madge Weinstein," Executive Producer, Yeast Productions (a subsidary of PodShow.com); Heather Green, Department Editor, Business Week; Josh Rosenzweig, Director, Corporate Communications & Public Relations, here! Networks and Co-Host, "here! Podcast"; and Ted Trent, Founder, "Out of the Closet TV."

Continue reading "Media Meets in NYC" »

Posted by Melanie Morgan at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It's Videoblogging Week 2006!

I know there's not much time, but get your camera's out and start shooting. From Monday, April 3 to Sunday, April 9, videobloggers across the planet will be shooting any and everything and posting it to their vlogs everyday. This ain't time for fancy editing—just shoot it, get it up there, and tag it so everyone will know where it is.

Learn more at the official (?) Videoblogging Week 2006 site, accept the challenge, and get your vlog on!

(To see last year's vids, check out Videoblogging Week 2005.)

Posted by Melanie Morgan at 04:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There are now TWO ways to network at The New Media Collective. Our Frappr map, which you can add yourself to and post shout-outs, is a cool way to let everyone know who you are and where you're located in the blogosphere. (Click here or check out the cute little box in the right sidebar.)

	The New Media Collective
	Browse Archives at groups.google.com

There's also the NMC Google group, designed as a forum to post announcements, ask questions, or discuss anything related to new media and our place in it as people of color. So please take a few moments to sign up and join the conversation.

(FYI: You'll need a Google Account to participate.)

Posted by Melanie Morgan at 09:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I know this is short notice, but if you're in the Los Angeles, CA area, there's going to be a videoblogging presentation given by Roger Spence of 93mm and Of By and For at the Echo Park Film Center this Thursday, March 30th.

Here's the official announcement:

Join us for an evening filled with videos from around the world made by people who have taken blogging to the next level. On Thursday, March 30th at 8pm, HEADUCATE media presents “Of By and For: videoblog selections from around the globe.” Gathered from various blogs, this showcase will feature videos from different countries with topics ranging from experimental to documentary to comedy.

The event takes place at the Echo Park Film Center located at 1200 N. Alvarado Street and Sunset Boulevard. Seating is limited so arrive early (RSVP if you can). Suggested donation is $5. For more information go to: OfByandFor.blogspot.com or call 818-554-2731.

Posted by Melanie Morgan at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

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Check out this promotional video created by Zadi Diaz for the FILM YOUR ISSUE contest she's involved with. (See previous post.)

As Zadi says, "The more people film their issues, and get it out there/here for others to see, the better. Right?"

Absolutely!

REMEMBER THE DEADLINE: May 1, 2006.

Music by Superjump.

Posted by Melanie Morgan at 05:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I'm very excited to welcome Zadi Diaz as NMC's newest Contributing Editor. As you may have read in the interview we did with her recently, Zadi's very involved in new media and the vlogosphere, and has contributed to many media-related websites. As someone with strong views and convictions about how media impacts life locally and globally, I look forward to seeing what she'll bring to us here at The Collective.

Posted by Melanie Morgan at 08:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you're an American resident between the ages of 18 and 26, shoot and submit your film to FILM YOUR ISSUE, an unprecedented short film competition focusing on films dealing with social issues. Students are invited to create a 30-to-60 second film—live action or animated—as a way of engaging them in current issues, empowering them to add their voices to the public dialogue, via film. It's ultimately an exercise in democracy and being an engaged, informed citizen.

FYI is free to enter and the rewards are pretty cool (an awards ceremony at the UN, an 8-week paid internship in Los Angeles during the summer at Paramount Pictures or Walt Disney Co., a laptop, cell phone, and other prizes).

Films will be partially judged by a VIP Jury including actors George Clooney and Philip Seymour Hoffman; television news legend Walter Cronkite; Senator Barack Obama; Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; CNN's Anderson Cooper; MSNBC's Brian Williams and others.

Some participating media and academic partners in this venture include Microsoft/MSN Spaces/MSN Video/MSNBC.com, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly , MTV, The United Nations, The Humane Society of the United States, ASCAP, The Maui Film Festival, The Vail Film Festival, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the American Association of University Professors, Campus Compact and Imagining America.

For more information and to submit entries, go to www.filmyourissue.com, or contact Zadi Diaz.

The deadline is May 1, 2006 so start filming!

Posted by Melanie Morgan at 07:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Welcome to The New Media Collective.

The purpose of this site is to serve as a virtual home for The NMC and as a source of information and community for those who come here. Check out the ABOUT section to get an overview of what the project is and what we'll be doing.

As we go along, I'll be posting information about new media, particularly in the areas of videoblogging, podcasting, blogging, and photoblogging, and the roles people of color are playing in it. You'll find out who's who, what's what, where to find people, and most importantly, you'll see our faces.

I truly believe that when individuals have access to what they need all things are possible. Therefore, NMC's primary goal is to teach and promote citizen media, and bring it to those who would not otherwise have knowledge of, or access to it. As a people, and as a community, we've been behind the technology curve for far too long. We need to know and understand what digital media is, and how to use it to tell our own stories in our own ways.

Once again, welcome. And while you're here, please add your videoblog, podcast, blog, or photoblog to The NMC DIRECTORY. Also, check out the RESOURCES page for a list of media-related sites.

Thanks for stopping by and checking us out. Please come back and participate. It'll be up to all of us to keep this thing going, so if you'd like to contribute content (articles, media, site links), please send me an email.

Remember: It's a WE thing!

Peace & Love

Posted by Melanie Morgan at 09:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)