looking back at Multimedia II - part 2

Our class is built around success as a user and content provider on the www.  Last time I was on this subject I ended by raising the potential of achieving nirvana in web communications (a much promised state….if you “buy” my software) and efficiency in web communication, i.e. spending yotta pixels and electrons but saving trees.   Not only saving trees, but what about all those postage stamps?  Why didn’t the US Postal Service dream up Pixelpipe? 

Setting aside all the typical political complaints (from the tea party and libertarians), it probably is a case of marketing myopia and the inertia of a huge organization.  The USPS knew it was in the information delivery business, but it never took advantage of the potential of the net. It is probably safe to say kilos of companies failed this way, even many that were trying hard to make web access into a money machine.  So it is really hard to succeed in a business way on the net.

What did work was megas of small entrepreneurs developing small applications that added up to communication connectivity that was quick, wide spread and usually cheap (not free).  Large organizations are all about planning but nobody really planned much of the internet beyond hardware needs.  That lack of planning helped get us where we are today. And that thought reminds me of how we use and create our web presence: just dive in  and find a way that works for you. 

looking back at Multimedia II - part 1

Perhaps looking back is not the perfect title to this subject but our instructor thought it would be appropriate to post ideas about what we have learned in MM II. 

I am in the middle of the last assignment now, basically tying it all together by following or subscribing to interesting posts (read- all classmates, the outside world, et. al.).  I think most people struggle when they first start using web multiumedia simply because it is a new way of communicating.  The systems and machines are so different from face to face or paper and pencil. 

And then, at the end, there is Pixelpipe, the Nirvana of self publishing, at least according to one reviewer.  Pixelpipe attempts to liberate your media by simultaneously publishing photos, video, audio, text and files on over 100 online destinations.  As far as I have seen, this pipe ain’t perfect, but I do appreciate all the trees we are saving from the papermakers.   

Social Media

Lately I’ve run across a few articles (in the AJC Living) and blogs that discuss the state of “digital literacy” in the USA.  They mostly focus on two types of people: “digital natives” (anyone under 10 years old) and how they handle old fashioned social skills such as learning and playing in real groups, and everyone else.  Everyone else is getting digital education via self teaching (often problematic and inefficient) or structured courses such as Multi-media I & II.

Achieving true digital literacy is a big order, as I found out over the Thanksgiving holiday.  While my daughter was home we talked about the new availability of Beatles music, and she was glad I knew it was provided by Apple.  Then she got mad at me when I asked her to drive me to the nearest Apple Store.  "It's at the iTunes Music Store" she said as she stalked out of the house.

Bu-da-bing, bu-da-boom.