Podcasting since 2004; Conversations, conflicts, adventures and monologues from around the world.
A few days in Berlin, among other reasons, to spend time with my dear friends, and to attend BarCamp Berlin.. which is neither a bar nor a camp.. just a nerd convention. Naturally there will be several podcasts and vlogs coming up related to issues here in Germany and beyond… I’m especially curious to discuss the experience of a new parent in Germany, what support the government gives you and that sort of thing.
For now, I require sleep.
Arrived from VlogEurope in desperate need of sleep. So tomorrow will be back to business, today I leave you with 3 photos from Heidelberg.
Some of you may recall last year’s conference in Milan, this year vlog Europe is coming a little earlier and a little closer to Amsterdam.
Heidelberg, Germany is the location, September 1st and 2nd are the dates. If you are a vlogger or someone who watches vlogs or at all interested in the practice and art of making videos for the internet, you should definitely join us.
Visit the site, add yourself to the wiki, it is less than a month away and these meetings are an exception in the world of conferences and the internet. why? Because at vlog europe we have a tradition of cutting out the bullshit, being ourselves, and maybe even learning new things. Its not about youtube, it’s about vlogging!
Over the past few weeks I’ve finally started sorting through programs offered by Radio Netherlands via podcast. I have long heard that the Dutch sponsored English language radio had some great programs worth listening to.
Little did I know one of my first choices to subscribe to, The State We’re In (not to be mistaken with the fine blog of my good friend Brian – TheStateImIn), is in fact hosted by a former classmate of mine – Jonathan.
Beyond being hosted my an old acquaintance, The State We’re In covers some solid issues that I would say are under reported by mainstream media. Case in point, the most recent show features a report about the terrible death and suffering going on in Burma. A place that is completely ignored by big media and much of the international community, I for one was glued to my mp3 player and thankful that someone is dedicating time and energy to reporting about it. Go give it a listen. (and for those who prefer text, there’s a text feature as well)
With the population of the world being as big as it is, I realize evaluating people for jobs, prizes, relationships, you-name-it; there is less time to spend on each person.
That said, I still hate it. A 1 page letter of motivation. A 2 minute audio sample. A 3 minute conversation over a drink at some party. Each of these is supposed to give someone an accurate idea of who I am, and then a judgment is to made based on that.
FUCK THAT.
The world is going to have to figure something else out, because humans are simply more complicated then these little allotted samples.
Recently my wonderful friends over at Radio Open Source, aka Public Radio in Boston, urged me to enter into the Public Radio Talent Search…. so I submitted my audio for judgment in a contest who’s winner gets money, and some other lovely support from the NPR world.
As a struggling journalist, obviously I could use such things. Plus I’m honored that they thought of me, so I entered. I grabbed a random 2 minutes from the NEw Orleans series, and submitted it. (click the link if you feel like voting) And even as I did it, I was thinking “2 minutes… thats it?” Two minutes does not explain what I do and why it matters. To be judged in 2 minutes, after almost 3 years of podcasting, 200 shows, 6 years of blogging, and untold experiences and studies… is to me.. preposterous.
But this is how the world works, so often. Universities and their methods for judging potential students. Employers and their demand for that “CV”, which of course they never read beyond the first page. So your life’s worth is then evaluated based on a piece of paper, or a few pieces of paper, maybe some testimony from 2 people. The horror.
Actually it reminds me of speed dating. Thats right, I’m a curious person and an amateur anthropologist, so I went to a speed dating debauchery not too long ago. And again, my first thought from the moment I arrived: I will not try and explain myself in 3 minutes. I am complex in what might be a very good way, but that complexity cannot and should not, be squashed into 3 minutes because the world doesn’t have time to listen.
So public radio, you’ve got my 2 minutes. While it is true that this struggling journalist could use your help, I don’t need you to tell me my work is worth something, and I certainly don’t need you in order to continue in this well established podcast that already has a wonderful relationship with a large group of people scattered throughout the world.
Speaking with Sijeka in London recently, for an upcoming podcast on the French elections, she mentioned opendemocracy.net. I was invited to write an entry for their blog “The Democratic Image”. And so I did, and as it turns out, I really enjoyed writing it and have been meaning to put these thoughts and facts into words, so go give it read please.
Here’s a quote, just for fun (its sad when you start quoting yourself)
It seems to me that despite all the potential that the internet and personal publishing in all its forms brings to the world, we are still in the primordial ooze stage of what could become a long media evolution.