Convergence

I first used the term convergence in the world of media in 2001 when I was talking to a group about using video and audio in a web site. The thoughtful process of preparing the audio and video for distribution and packaging on a web site was still somewhat new and I considered this to be a convergence of technologies through one medium...the Web

Convergence denotes the approach toward a definite value or a common view. In mathematical equations the term convergence can refer to the limit of a series, and has plenty other meanings in physics, chemistry and environmental sciences. But that's not all.

Convergence has been thrown around by large media and telecommunication companies for the past 18 months as some sort of new mantra that will save the people from frightening new technologies that lay ahead. It’s a good thing the large companies are looking out for us because surely, the average person couldn't know what awaits through the doors of new technology. Wait a minute! Are we to believe that these companies (the same ones that constructed the massive public screwing that happened as a result of the 1996 telecommunications act resulting in excessive cable TV charges, the same ones that urged President Reagan to allow for telecommunications deregulation in the eighties, resulting in media consolidation and loss of essential quality public programming) are actually thinking about us? Let’s think about what convergence, or converged environments/networks, means in the world of information technology.

In this case we are talking about companies that were once in different markets, now suddenly using the pipes and technology of the Internet (or the galactic interweb as I like to call it) to supply their services. Phone companies created their networks in the early 20th century...large copper wires going from city to city and home to home. They were required by law (written in the twenties and thirties) to provide a connection to every home that was physically possible. Television broadcast networks, under similar laws, were required to provide access to home's hands allow so many hours a week of public information programming. The cable companies created their initially analog network in the seventies and eighties. They were also required by law to "build out" their networks to every home but they did this on a city by city basis through franchise agreements. They have not been held to the same programming standards that broadcast stations were. Internet service providers built on telephone networks in the nineties, upgrading many large copper wires with fiber optic technology.

Why do I mention these three completely different types of companies and their networks? They are all converging now. Telephone companies, cable companies and ISPs are in the process of creating high-speed networks to deliver what is known as the quadruple play: fixed landline, mobile telephony, broadband Internet access and multi-channel television. Telephone operators, Internet service providers and cable TV companies have all suddenly found themselves in the same business. Cable companies now offer broadband Internet and voice services over networks that used to carry just television; telecommunications companies will offer television signals after they upgrade their networks and Internet service providers are now beginning to offer telephone and video over their network.

Convergence--any company that can deliver high-speed information to a customer can offer any and all of these services. Imagine getting all of the information and entertainment that you want from one company for one low-price. Sounds great doesn't it? So what's the problem?

It is difficult to say if there will be any problems. Convergence is a response to increasing competition in these converging industries. Companies will do whatever they can to get your business and hold onto it. Make no mistake. These large companies are not interested in you. They are interested in your business.

Companies may try to control which devices you can connect to the network and which services you can use once connected. After networks are established consumers may see prices increase drastically due to lack of competition in the market. If legislators do not keep up with the evolving technology we may see advanced networks available in only selected locations, such as wealthy neighborhoods. Consumers may also see an increase in marketing content (advertisements) through their televisions, computers and mobile devices.

The possibilities of Converging technology is truly appealing, but as consumers we must be conscious of the services that we are paying for to ensure that we are not just putting money into the pockets of large corporations for what we think is better or more convenient. We need to hold these companies and our government accountable for providing quality services and content at reasonable prices to everyone.

ZipDocs

This class will map the Cambridge Community with video. The end product will be a google map filled with short videos that are motivated by a place, event or person in Cambridge.

check it out

http://www.cctvcambridge.org/map/node

and, check out the first episode

http://blip.tv/file/132999/

New CCTV Promo

there is a new Cambridge community television studio promo online and once again I have volunteered to help. follow the link to listen to my voice guide 'bob' through the process of becoming a member and learning how to use the studio

http://www.cctvcambridge.org/node/805/play

Cambridge WIFI

it's happening all across the country. Cities are recognizing that access to the Internet is a fundamental part of society - such as having access to electricity or to the telephone network. as a result, cities are developing ways to provide wireless Internet access (known as municipal wireless or muni wifi) to its citizens. Cambridge and Boston both have plans to develop muni wifi networks over the next couple of years, along with 300 other cities around the country. Some cities, including San Francisco, New Orleans, Philadelphia, and Alexandria, VA, are moving ahead on partnerships with large companies like EarthLink (which is making a major push into muni wireless). These plans involve varying funding mechanisms for build-out and maintenance: public money, private money, ad-revenue, and/or subscription fees. Meanwhile many community groups have set up low- or no-cost networks within cities.

according to a city newsletter Cambridge’s Information Technology Department, working with other city departments, MIT, Harvard, and the Museum of Science, intends “to blanket Cambridge with free basic-level wireless access” http://www.cambridgema.gov/CityOfCambridge_Content/documents/Cambridge_Life_0906.pdf

The deployment will happen in phases and the City has prioritized delivering service to subsidized and low-income housing areas. Students in Cambridge’s schools are also a target. City Councilor Henrietta Davis, who initiated the discussion on municipal wifi at the City level, stresses her goal of “making sure that every ninth grader has a laptop and Internet access by September 2007.”

check out the project on the Cambridge web site http://www.cambridgema.gov/wifi/

SMI on BeLive

Watch the video

SKIN 2003

Watch the video

Citizen Journalism: From Pamphlet to Blog

Through the Project Documentary Class at CCTV myself and several others, Jason Crow, Shaune, Darcie, Amy, Buzz, j. Ong created this mini documentary

Zombie March Somerville Cambridge 2006

Zombie March Somerville Cambridge 2006

Watch the video

Video Makers need money too

through experimenting with blip.tv I came across a tank that I have not seen yet rel="payment". basically an easy way to add a click a donation and steam to your blog vlog or web site.

it is in created by video vertigo...check it out rel="payment"

Cambridge Challenge 2005

Cambridge Challenge 2005

Watch the video

summer of 2005 hi worked on a video commercial for the Cambridge challenge project. I worked with four youths for the Cambridge chamber of commerce.

ACM 2006

this is it! the annual alliance for community media conference. Happening in Boston this year. so many things going on and I get to represent two of the best access centers in the country, BNN and CCTV.

the hometown video awards are this evening, where BNN will win an award for 'Early Works' which I have produced while I worked there. CCTV is winning another overall excellence award to add to their 2002 victory. BNN won the honor last year.

see you at the conference!

sustainability

I've been to a bunch of conferences for the past year. community media, grassroots media, media policy...and there has been a 'hijacking' of 'sustainability' as a term used in the emerging business models of community media and technology organizations referring to funding. I imagine that there is a sense of the organization giving back to the world but there is a stark difference between this concept and the concept of sustainability. is anything concerning technology actually sustainable? this is a different concept than "can we make enough money to buy new technology next year". I'm sure there are many different opinions on this and I like to hear them.

wikipedia has this to say:

Sustainability is a systemic concept, relating to the continuity of economic, social, institutional and environmental aspects of human society, as well as the non-human environment. It is intended to be a means of configuring civilization and human activity so that society, its members and its economies are able to meet their needs and express their greatest potential in the present, while preserving biodiversity and natural ecosystems, and planning and acting for the ability to maintain these ideals in a very long term. Sustainability affects every level of organization, from the local neighbourhood to the entire planet.

Apocalypse Soon for Public Media?

An On-line Community Discussion featuring Live Podcasting and Blogging
[Boston-area folks invited to be in the live audience]

read more on the tactical media blog http://tacticalmedia.blogspot.com/

Encuentro 5
http://www.encuentro5.org/
33 Harrison Ave., 5th Floor
Boston, MA 02111
-- corner of Harrison Ave. and Beach St. in Chinatown, 3 blocks from the Boston Common --

Wednesday, May 17th, 2006
6:30-8:30 p.m.

The Community Media and Technology Program at the UMass Boston College of Public and Community Service, The Tactical Media Project, and Massachusetts Global Action are presenting a communications policy discussion and community meeting.

Public media and the Internet are in deep trouble. We are currently seeing the emergence of the communications and media systems we will live with for the next several decades. And, as we write, there are proposals in Congress that dramatically threaten the public interest, and the potential for innovation and media justice in those emerging systems, in the US and around the world.

At stake are:

* local control of our communications infrastructure,
* the survival of the Internet as an open and affordable communications network [a.k.a. "net neutrality"],
* maintaining and expanding public access to cable and other media production and distribution resources,
* our communications rights to receive and create media,
* the democratic and equitable provision of telecommunications access to low income communities and communities of color,
* the future of public service media,
* the ability of local government to assure the communications infrastructure is present to support progressive economic development.

NYC grassroots media - what is community media

The New York City grassroots media conference held February 11, 2006 at the new school University was a conference put on by an alliance of my makers, artists, independent media organizations in community-based organizations interested in the working towards Democratic media in New York City. the goal of the conference was to connect different media makers in organizations in response to ongoing FCC threats to further relaxed media ownership regulations. organizers also wanted to strengthen connections between independent media makers and social justice organizations. as both an independent media maker and a person involves with public access media BNN - CCTV I found this conference very interesting.

A session I found particularly interesting was a panel discussion focusing on using the video as organizing tool. it was called "putting in Villa community in community media". the seminar devolved fairly rapidly into the problem of defining a working definition of community media.

blog research for No Limits Media

What is a Blog?

A blog is a website in which items are posted on a regular basis and displayed in reverse chronological order. The term blog is a shortened form of weblog or web log. Authoring a blog, maintaining a blog or adding an article to an existing blog is called "blogging". Individual articles on a blog are called "blog posts," "posts" or "entries". Blogs can be hosted by dedicated blog hosting services, or they can be run using blog software on regular web hosting services.

How blogs differ from traditional sites

A blog has certain attributes that distinguish it from a standard web page. It allows for easy creation of new pages: new data is entered into a simple form (usually with the title, the category, and the body of the article) and then submitted. Automated templates take care of adding the article to the home page, creating the new full article page (Permalink), and adding the article to the appropriate date- or category-based archive. It allows for easy filtering of content for various presentations: by date, category, author, or other attributes. It usually allows the administrator to invite and add other authors, whose permission and access are easily managed.

Difference from forums or newsgroups

Blogs are different from forums or newsgroups. Only the author or authoring group can create new subjects for discussion on a blog. A network of blogs can function like a forum in that every entity in the blog network can create subjects of their choosing for others to discuss. Such networks require interlinking to function, so a group blog with multiple people holding posting rights is now becoming more common. Even where others post to a blog, the blog owners or editors will initiate and frame discussion, manipulating the situation to their specifications

Digital media

While straight text and hyperlinks dominate, some blogs emphasize images and videos (videoblogging).

Some textual blogs link to audio files (podcasting).

Steve Garfield...Massachusetts own father of the Vlog. An article on the Boston Phoenix

http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/top/features/documents/05145823.asp

http://homepage.mac.com/stevegarfield/stevegarfield/menu.html

RSS

RSS, Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication, depending on what you believe, is a method of publishing recent content entries on many contemporary web sites which can be posted automatically to countless sources by a simple aggregation script. In short, stories from NLM have the potential to automatically appear on other sites and computers without contacting the administrator.

Recently the RSS platform has evolved to include enclosures in the published text files so that media, including images, audio and video, can be carried across RSS feeds as well. There are a flurry of video and audio RSS aggregators in development.

This is an interesting feature because it allows automatic downloading of new content (a new video story), but it doesn't necessarily attract people to the site.

An important thing to keep in mind is - whatever you set up to deliver video should consider using RSS so that people can subscribe to the feed. You don't need to have a Blog to use RSS.

Hosting – Free Hosting / Shared Hosting

Free Blog Hosting

http://blogger.com – Owned by Google. A free basic(no media) hosting service.

http://wordpress.com - similar to blogger

There are video podcasts, aggregators, hosting and sharing services appearing at an astounding rate. One of the best video podcast aggregators is Mefeedia

http://mefeedia.com

Many of the video hosting sites are in beta and are quite slow and not always easy to manage. Additionally, many require that you have an existing blog as they don't offer that service. They only provide the media hosting, which again can be quite slow.

http://ourmedia.org/ - I have experimented with an account here and it seems to be one of the easiest to use with many features. Unfortunately it's extremely slow.

http://archive.org/ - a public nonprofit building an “ Internet Library” - works in conjunction with our media(use the same e-mail address to register).

http://videobloggers.org/ - content and blog hosting. again, extremely slow

http://blip.tv/ - seems interesting and not as slow as the others (probably not as popular). They don't seem to have any blog features built-in

http://vblogcentral.com/ -lets you host video and audio content for your already existing blog.� doesn't seem to be as slow

With most of the previous services you have to create a blog with a hosting provider. If you are interested in hosting your own you could, using freely available sotware, create a site that has a custom look and feel, with many of the same features.

Alternatively, you can get fairly creative with different blog hosting services that indeed more flexibility and administrative features - these often cost money

http://typepad.com - Paid service using a modified version of the MovableType software that can be downloaded and configured for free. Created by http://www.sixapart.com/

Summary

Free blog hosts offer an interesting opportunity to experiment with RSS but do not provide enough flexibility to create a site intent on creating and sustaining a community. Blog-like software can be used within the site to add functionality.

Many of the free media hosting services are slow or in beta and I would not recommend using them for commercial or professional purposes. There may be paid video hosting/streaming services available that can be used in conjunction with your site to provide the media content in a speedy fashion.

prince - AB 1980 - HOT

http://www.dvblog.org/movies/01_2006/prince/prince_AB.mov

Media Makers in JP - Node101

such a great group of folks. Steve is starting up a node101 video blogging location at Sweet Finnish in JP(Boston), MA. Check out Steve's blog entry about it. Node101 is about helping people put video on the web using blogs. So much to talk about...but others have already done so, so...

Blog entries from the day

proactivebusybody
Adam's
Steve's

and a list of all the attendees and there respective media outlet sites. Thanks for putting this together! Check out all the blogs and vlogs

Digital Video or DV?

When I refer to Digital Video I could be talking about any number of video formats that store image and audio information in a digital form. Generally it's Digital Video whether it's on a DV tape, DVD or a file on disk.

DV is a specific Digital Video format based on DV tape - where the conversion between analog and digital information is done inside the camera. Most of us know this as miniDV in our pro-sumer cameras. For a longer discussion of this check out What is DV?

What about DVC and DVCAM you ask?

DVCPRO was created by Panasonic in 1995, followed one year later by Sony's DVCAM. The formats sound alike and they basically use the same video and audio encoding format as the consumer DV format. But they have subtle and not-so-subtle differences in speed, makeup and track pitch of the tapes being used. Of course, they also cost significantly more than the consumer models. To "differentiate" the products even more, Sony invented some hurdles which can prevent copying from DV to DVCAM via Firewire.

Let's have a breakdown.

• DV usually refers to miniDV
• DVCAM prints the same DV bitstream to a larger, more featured tape stock
• DVCPro uses a robust tape stock and supports a high-quality mode - DVCPro 50 which digitizes at twice the data rate as DV
• DVCPro HD uses DVCPro tape stock to record a compressed 720:1080 pixel "hi-def" frame at 14 Mbytes/sec
• HDV uses the same miniDV tape stock to record compressed digital video with 1080:1440 frame sizes at a standard DV data rate

Confused yet? well, if not Digital formats compared will do it to you.

thoughts on current telecom legislation debate

The discussions – in the house will involve *House Energy and Commerce* *Chairman Joe Barton,* R-Texas, *Energy and Commerce ranking member John Dingell*, D-Mich., and *Reps. Fred Upton*, R-Mich., *Edward Markey*, D-Mass., and *Charles (Chip) Pickering*, R-Miss

if a subcommittee markup occurs next week, a full committee markup session could be scheduled in February or March, with action on the legislation coming in the full House during the spring of 2006.

The Senate Energy and commerce committee is far behind the house and discussed the bill on November 9 but it was dissolved mainly because it lacked Democrats support

Among the major points of contention was language in the bill related to the ability of cable or telecommunications companies to block high-speed Internet traffic. Could this be seen as data discrimination?

Companies that rely on the Internet to distribute their services – such as Google -- want language in the bill to ensure “network neutrality.” This involves a requirement that cable or telecom companies cannot impede data flowing over the Internet. Think of it like electricity. When you plug in your TV set to the wall the electric company doesn't care who made your TV and won't place any extra static on the line based on it - also known as common carriage.

Legislators (well their aides anyway) in the Senate committee are working on a third version - but we don't know yet if it will address the issue of “ network neutrality”

The big issue right now is infrastructure. The phone companies want to make sure that the cable companies have to play by the same rules (paying into universal access) and both industries want to be able to offer competitive services. SBC, Verizon and the other bells need to stay competitive with Comcast and the other cable companies both in terms of access and content distribution.

the interesting thing about this debate is that it is still being thought of as two separate industries and the language of the legislation will most likely reflect that. in my opinion this is about IP (Internet protocol) infrastructure and regulating franchise. the industries are overlapping and within a couple of years it will be difficult to separate them. phone/video/music - it's all going to go through the air, over the phone lines,over fiber-optic, over cable .

This also goes into the PEG world (public, education, government) of cable channels. It is very likely that new legislation will remove any control that cities and local communities have over the contracts with cable companies. The idea being that the customer should have the control (consumer choice act). This could have a negative effect areof removing the existence of the smaller PEG channels altogether. It's likely that many large channels will take a hit but remain functional

later,
matt

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Tactical Media (Artists formerly known as CMT Working Group) Meeting

Attendees:

Shannon, Danielle, Sequoia, Matt, Jason

Digital Media Workshop - debrief:

• Why not more students attend?
• Tell Susan Eisenberg next time to send to alumni
• Visit CPCS classes
• Good falculty & community (VISTA) turnout
• More handouts – then post to website
• Next steps:
• Put any materials (photos, videos, links, handouts) on website (Shannon)
• Danielle to send email to presenters saying thanks and asking for materials info

Screenings:

· Hold at Campus Center (2^nd/3^rd floor) [Media Auditorium too big and no traffic]

· Mondays after lunch

· Try to schedule showing of “OutFoxed” the week of Dec 12^th

§ Sequoia has a copy of film

§ Shannon to research permissions/copyright

§ Matt to put in request for space

Media Policy Discussions:

Topics this week: Wireless (Sequoia)

TERMS:

Wifi:

· Wireless fidelity: most commonly used wireless technology today

WIMAX:

· Range of approx. 3 miles

· Wireless microwaves

· Seldom used

· Goes through buildings

· Wireless broadband – potentially much cheaper

· 802.11g – as fast as cable

Wireless Mesh Networks

Municipal Wireless Networks

Wireless IEE E Technology

(See Sequoia for diagram of wireless IEEE Technology frequencies)

Readings from Sequoia:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9551548/ (Wi-Fi tech) http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid40_gci929334,00.html

(WiMax tech)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4455727.stm (WiMax tech)

Readings from Matt (wireless mesh networks):

http://research.microsoft.com/mesh/ - from the big MS – interesting and techie

http://www.free2air.org/ - an implementation in Berlin

http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=38692 – companies pushing the technology…Motorola..etc…

http://www.corante.com/mobilemesh/ - an implementation in Vegas…”Vegas baby…Vegas”

Readings from emails:

Municipal broadband nationwide
http://news.com.com/Municipal+broadband+and+wireless+projects+map/2009-1034_3-5690287.html

Community Internet Under Attack

http://zmagsite.zmag.org/Images/szczepanszyk0905.html

http://www.hearusnow.org/connected

Google's WiFi Bid for San Francisco

http://www.alternet.org/story/27340

Milwaukee to create citywide Wi-Fi net

http://www.fcw.com/article91104-10-14-05-Web

Legislative Barriers Against Municipal Wireless (WiMax): And You Thought This Was About Technology?!

http://www.informit.com/articles/article.asp?p=418865

Media Policy Topcs for next sessions:

• NO MEETING Nov 23^rd – Happy Turkey Day!
• Telecom Act of 1996 (Jason) - Nov 30th