January 2009 Archives

2009-01-29 16:57:42

LISFeeds Statement

Statement by Stephen Michael Kellat

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 29, 2009

LAS VEGAS--The following statement was made by Stephen Michael Kellat today for Erie Looking Productions:

"It is my pleasure to announce that Erie Looking Productions has taken up operation of LISFeeds for LISHost. As part of the redevelopment of that site, LISFeeds is experiencing a change in mission. LISFeeds is becoming a site now for librarians skittish about podcasts who want to take tentative steps.

"Using an open source software package called planet, we have created an aggregation portal. With the agreement of Chuck Cage and Greg Schwartz at launch, we are able to include the podcasts Galactica Watercooler, ToolTalk, and Uncontrolled Vocabulary. The audio version of LISTen from LISNews is also included in the mix. Due to the nature of government-produced programs, we have included a few United States Government podcasts in the mix.

"The mission now is to provide further access to programs produced by librarians. Informational shows that would benefit librarians through increases in knowledge are also included. ToolTalk talks about the realm of tools which is likely to be important with regards to possible reference questions by shade tree mechanics during these economic times. Galactica Watercooler covers science fiction and comics, perennial areas of concern for young adult and adult services patrons librarians might serve. Uncontrolled Vocabulary and LISTen are two large general information programs within the realm of librarianship that talk about professional issues. We've also included in the mix programs from the National Library of Medicine as well as the Voice of America, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and the United States Army.

"Discovery tools for podcasts are not perfect. Following on the moves toward curation happening at Mahalo, we are attempting to take steps in that direction where the ALA should but isn't. Curated glimpses into the realm of podcasting can be great not only for discovering new programs but also for easing adoption of new media systems by librarians. A setting like this is likely more familiar to the average librarian than iTunes, gpodder, bashpodder, or other podcatchers. The goal is for folks to be comfortable taking first steps in new media.

"Podcasts can be added to the aggregator as time passes. Since we sometimes need to have verifiable expressions of interest to back us up in seeking to add other content providers, the contact link points to instructions instead of an e-mail address. Digitally signed messages sent using an OpenPGP-compliant system give us verifiable interest needed in any approaches. The linked instructions explain roughly how to install such a package and use it to communicate with Erie Looking Productions.

"We will be judging podcasts as to quality when considering additions. There is plenty of material out there that pays no attention to production values. In creating a portal where people can start to explore podcasts, we want to show off the best out there.

"This will be an adventure. Hopefully it proves useful to librarians at large."

LISFeeds can be found online at http://www.lisfeeds.com/.

###

For more information:
Michael J. Kellat, Owner, Erie Looking Productions: erielookingproductions@gmail.com


Posted by Stephen Michael Kellat | Permanent Link

2009-01-25 16:05:02

An Essay In Opposition

I rarely wish to rise in opposition to any library science faculty. This is an instance where such becomes necessary. To do otherwise would be to violate my conscience.

Dr. Michael Stephens recently wrote at Tame The Web about his experience with a YouTube takedown. In writing about the original video posted, Dr. Stephens noted that it was not cleared but was a de minimis violation. There has been some discussion already in the biblioblogosphere about this conundrum such as a Twitter post by Greg Schwartz cited by Dr. Stephens.

Philosophically there comes a major problem with acts like this. Is it an act of creativity to subordinate and repurpose the creative output of others? Despite earnest attempts to define creativity in that way, such a definition has yet to inhere.

This sort of cultural act stifles creativity. Rather than fostering broader horizons, instead we see life reduced to interlocking bricks. In repurposing the creative output of others in a way like this, people are not forced to use their imagination but rather to act as if they were customers at a grocery store.

An old proverb is that close only counts in horsehoes, hand grenades, and nuclear weapons. Even if there is no commercial impact does not mean a rights holder will exercise forebearance towards you. Non-commercial uses that are not covered as fair use would be legitimate targets as part of a "broken windows" sort of rights policing campaign. Non-commercial infringement without defense of fair use is still infringement.

I really wish I could say I had sympathy in this case but I do not. If this was a test case then it was shown that the law was not on the side of Dr. Stephens et al. Copyright exists as a means to preserve compensation of people that make creative works. While the Radiohead case of voluntary payment was a unique gimmick, it is not something that can be generalized throughout all creative endeavors. Drastically changing copyright from what it is now may well have the adverse impact of dissuading people from producing works. While intended to bring power to the people, such instead makes producers of creative material more powerless with regards to large corporations that would easily prey on them.

While it may seem like someone like Madonna would see no loss from a bit of non-commercial infringement, it must be remembered that she is not the only one covered by copyright law. Smaller music artists, writers, visual artists, and more also rely on the operation of copyright to maintain a somewhat steady routine of putting food on the table and possession of a dwelling place. A change to allow the infringement on Madonna would also impact smaller producers in a disproportionate fashion.

Erie Looking Productions is hosting a workshop to help teach librarians, not just those in IT, how they can avoid these problems. Library school does not teach librarians adequately how to create content, only the management and warehousing of it. Whatever his policy preferences may be, the invitation is made for Dr. Stephens to join us for a unique event about content creation for those who do not specialize in such. It might even be termed a live, in-person edition of Tech for Techies.

Libraries have to pick their battles. This episode involving a video bearing music of Madonna is a case where libraries should not have gone. Other choices were possible.

Stephen Michael Kellat, MSLS
Writer/Presenter, LISTen: The LISNews.org Podcast
Henderson, Nevada


Posted by Stephen Michael Kellat | Permanent Link

2009-01-17 21:32:00

Boot Camp on Online Production for Librarians Announced

Boot Camp on Online Production for Librarians Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 16, 2009

LAS VEGAS—Erie Looking Productions announces today that it is arranging an intensive training workshop geared to the needs of librarians. The workshop would involve theory as well as actual hands-on practice producing online content. Our program is focused on being a less high-pressure learning environment than that found at larger conferences such as Computers in Libraries.

The event will run from 8 AM until 5 PM Pacific Time on Saturday, February 21st. There will be a complimentary catered buffet luncheon provided for attendees. Potential attendees are asked to advise in advance relative to particular dietary concerns. Recommended airlines for use in reaching Las Vegas are Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines. A two night stay at the Fiesta Henderson was found to cost USD$100 although prices can change with time. Staying there or at any other “locals casino” for Friday and Saturday would be the most cost-effective course for lodging.

The workshop is planned to start with an informational and eye opening Internet security lecture by a special guest that will include practical demonstrations. Mike Kellat of Erie Looking Productions, creator of the segment series known as “Tech for Techies”, will talk about the mechanics of production and provide opportunities for librarians to try out the basic tools of production that were not taught in library school. Stephen Kellat, the writer/presenter of LISTen: The LISNews.org Podcast, will discuss planning content releases and will engage in role-playing exercises with participants relative to the process of securing program guests. After navigating the realm of public relations gatekeepers and learning how many times his background has been investigated in the past twelve months, Kellat will share insights about what it takes to secure guests and successfully navigate PR gatekeepers. Subject to the availability of time, participants will have the opportunity to help create an episode of LISTen as part of their experiential learning.

Beyond travel and lodging costs, the event will cost USD$249 per person. A non-refundable deposit of USD$100 will be required by February 9th to secure a space. Space is limited and unless significant demand requires it there will not be room for more than fifteen librarians to attend. Librarians located in the Commonwealth of Nations are specifically encouraged to attend the event.

”Lectures at CiL and elsewhere are great. Lectures can be cool. For creative enterprises like new media, hands-on experience is a better way to learn that is worth a fortune,” Stephen Kellat remarked about the event.

Pamela Munson is coordinating the business side of the event for Erie Looking Productions. She is also the designated point of contact for registration. Mrs. Munson can be reached via electronic mail at pammunson@gmail.com. Potential event attendees must include “ELPEVENT” on the subject line to keep their messages out of spam traps.

###


Posted by Stephen Michael Kellat | Permanent Link

2009-01-16 12:05:12

A Sneak Peek

I am not quite ready to let loose the announcement of something special we have coming up. For one thing, we still do not have the event named yet! I can at least say that an educational workshop is being planned to take place in the Las Vegas metro. The target period we're scheduling this for is February 20-22. The evening of the 20th is travel time, the 21st is an eight hour session, and then the 22nd is a tourist stuff/return home day.

The cheapest place to stay that we've found in setting this up is Fiesta Henderson. That casino is small but nice with apparently a good hotel operation. Their buffet is excellent, too.

The best carriers in terms of cost for getting out here are Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines. Southwest has a major hub operation in Las Vegas. The crew here has flown Frontier Airlines and has been well satisfied with the airline's performance and service. Another airline with a significant hub operation in Las Vegas will be US Airways that could be considered if the other two do not pan out.

The event is looking to be one of hands-on education. The focus will not be on theory but on gaining an appreciation of ways to apply it. The tentative cost per person is USD$249 with a USD$100 non-refundable deposit required in advance. Topics have not been settled yet but there will be a practical security lecture with demonstrations included.

I am expecting that we fire off the press release on this Sunday. Such would involve a small ad appearing in the next regular episode of LISTen: The LISNews.org Podcat.

We'll be happy to have any English-speaking international guests for the event provided they are actually able to arrive in time and are paying attendees.

There is a small chance that an episode of LISTen: The LISNews.org Podcat will be produced during the workshop. Details are not settled but it appears that participants in the workshop may be given a chance to try out production tasks directly. This remains to be finalized, though.


Posted by Stephen Michael Kellat | Permanent Link

2009-01-15 01:28:07

Late Night Pondering

This was posted by me to LISNews on Wednesday:

A Vice President for Engineering at Google announced that the Dodgeball service is being terminated in the next couple of months and Jaiku is to be no longer developed actively as a Google product. Jaiku was acquired by Google in October 2007. While mashups have been popular in the library realm, Google's Mashup Editor is being terminated in favor of App Engine with existing applications ceasing to receive data in six months.

Google also announced that development of Google Notebook will be terminated next week and that they are focusing on integrating similar features instead into SearchWiki, Google Docs, Tasks in Gmail, and Google Bookmarks. At the Google Book Search project, the effort to provide searching of product catalogs is being terminated effective January 15th. Google Video announced that no further uploads to the service will be allowed at an undefined point in the next two months.

(h/t Ariel Waldman)

Later on that day the following tweets showed up from Jason Calacanis: #1, #2, #3, #4. Jason's tweets were not optimistic about the plans of Google and Yahoo!. He was optimistic for start-ups, though. Jason pointed out reporting at Search Engine Land in the matter.

We're working on putting the next episode of LISTen together. Such flows during a week and can change. A conundrum right now is how to respond to news like this. Simple reporting for librarians in LISTen isn't enough. LISTen is a news magazine that is geared towards professional development. The problem is how to do such.

At this point, preparing HOWTO content is possibly going to get very important. Libraries unfortunately are heavily invested in using these "free" tools. What sort of a memory hole is created, though, when the tools disappear? I fear that this is merely the beginning of service closures since December saw Pownce and Podango disappear.

Since there is plenty of library content on Flickr, a priority is going to have to be putting together a HOWTO relative to preventive archiving of what you posted. Such is not impossible. A tool called FlickrFS would allow libraries to archive their pictures in batches. While there is an Ubuntu package available, nothing presently appears pre-built in openSUSE Build Service or through RPMFind. A Java-based tool for Windows would be FlickrEdit although that does not make pictures addressable as files like FlickrFS does via FUSE.

A ton of change is coming in the Web 2.0 realm. Are events like Computers in Libraries nimble enough to adapt? Do alternative measures need to be taken to keep librarians in the loop?

I have no easy answer to that one. This is a conundrum ill-suited for this time of night.

Posted by Stephen Michael Kellat | Permanent Link

2009-01-11 22:57:18

A Windows 7 Problem

Due to a certain set of circumstances, no program produced by Erie Looking Productions will be able to review Windows 7. The problem is that, relatively speaking, our hardware is ancient. Without an actual operating budget we cannot secure new hardware.

Many apologies for this. As our hardware can cope with Linux we can review that. If you are interested in helping make the crew ready to review Windows 7, this previous post has all the details you need.


Posted by Stephen Michael Kellat | Permanent Link

2009-01-08 20:14:10

The Need For DTV Education?

Tech blog Engadget reports that the Obama transition team is asking for the digital television transition to be delayed. The report notes that public education has been insufficient. Little time is left before Hawaii switches on January 15th with the rest of the United States following suit on February 17th.

Erie Looking Productions is available to consult with libraries and other entities in terms of public education efforts. The hourly cost for such remote consultation is USD$13.47 per hour with a 30 percent governmental assessment burden added at the end in billing totals. For on-site presentations, potential clients have to pick up the cost of transportation and housing for any representative. The per diem rate is USD$90 with a 30 percent governmental assessment burden added at the end in billing totals. At present crew are available for travel on most days with the exception of February 2nd.

Inquiries should be directed to erielookingproductions@gmail.com.


Posted by Stephen Michael Kellat | Permanent Link

2009-01-05 22:21:17

Suggestions For Author Interviews?

I just want to open a thread to take in suggestions for authors to be interviewed on LISTen: The LISNews.org Podcast. There are no guarantees we can land particular authors. We try our hardest, though.


Posted by Stephen Michael Kellat | Permanent Link

2009-01-04 19:40:38

The Business of "New Media" Isn't New

The Business of "New Media" Isn't New
By Michael J. Kellat

A Commentary
As Prepared For Delivery

Warning. This commentary in fact represents the official views, policies, and procedures of Erie Looking Productions. The same cannot be said of LISHost. Listener discretion is encouraged.

What does it take to put together a media production? Recently Identica creator Evan Prodromou wrote on his blog complaining about the NPR podcast of This American Life. Specifically Prodromou was uncomfortable with how they asked for money. In his post Prodromou noted multiple ways technology could be used to reduce costs.

While focusing on technology is something that even librarians do when it comes to new media, there is a problem. Without experience in the production of media, one might think that that is the biggest cost. In reality, it isn't. The biggest costs are human capital and fixed overhead. Oddly enough, media outlets do share that in common with most libraries out there.

Lining up stories is not as easy as it seems. Listeners only ever get to hear the end product. Blake Carver gets to share with my crew here in Las Vegas in the many defeats that happen every week when we cannot get interviews. Our biggest problem is that we make it look too easy. Interviews can sometimes take a month to arrange such as the recent one with Felicia Day. Some interviews never happen as it comes down to a couple tech people we couldn't find common ground with to talk after a week's back and forth.

Production takes time and coming up with pieces takes time. If you like high quality content, rarely is it thrown together at the last minute. It takes time to develop stories and get them together. This can run 8-10 hours per day at a minimum every day of the week for Stephen and to a lesser degree for myself. While most librarians really don't like to hear about the stories we're working, Stephen has to keep Blake in the loop with a somewhat complete picture of what I am producing. Occasionally we can sneak in a surprise but that is pretty rare these days.

In the published annual budget proposal for LISTen it runs $78,000. About $41,000 is set aside for labor costs. Split between two people, that's kinda barely above the poverty line. There are no benefits like health care or retirement figured in. All that does is keep a roof overhead and keep crew somewhat fed. A small dedicated facility would not even be covered by the remainder of that budget cost but we have a moving cost built-in in the event we have to go for such. An adequate sized facility would run about two thousand square feet and would cost at the least $1.25 per square foot per month not including utilities and other sundries. One must not forget the taxes owed to Caesar...regardless of which Caesar it is. Between the City of Henderson, Clark County, the State of Nevada, and the US Government there is quite a cost burden there.

Regardless of whether stories appear in print, on the radio, on television, or on an iPod you have to face the tremendous cost of human capital and overhead costs. These things do not come together by themselves. One of the greatest fallacies of the Amazoogle world is thinking that they do and that technical training as well as journalism school let alone experience is irrelevant.

Without the traditional means of funding such as classified ads and other advertisements, the only way to fund things short of going to a paid access model is to ask for support. It is very hard to advertise to a planetary audience when your potential advertisers are mainly local and the national advertisers won't talk to you as you're not big enough. The only business model that is viable right now is the PBS/NPR model of asking for money or finding someone to underwrite the operation.

Will you go forth in ignorance or instead be enlightened?


Posted by Michael J. Kellat | Permanent Link

2009-01-02 23:50:54

Thinking About Radio

Talking about digital divides can be a great game of political football. While it seems desirable to have broadband access for all, there are parts of the United States where slow dial-up is the best possible access. This is quite ironic considering the decline of traditional media forms where such material is shifting online but requiring broadband for it to be actually usable.

One of the tech innovations that has doggedly survived against competition is radio. Radio has survived not only the introduction of television but also the Internet. As a mass medium, it works and provides means to get out a message that the Internet cannot easily provide.

In producing a podcast, a conundrum arises. Are there people out there within the United States unreachable with such a tool. Even in the battle born state of Nevada, broadband is only really available in urban areas. While cable access to the Internet is possible in the Las Vegas metro it is not quite possible in Winnemucca or Battle Mountain. In American Samoa, dial-up access is the only game in town with connection speeds not exceeding 30 kbps and bandwidth via the ISP even slower. Unless you had a pricey DSL connection, the browser of choice in American Samoa was lynx.

Broadband penetration is uneven in the United States. The United States is a first-world country militarily but we lag in other areas from time to time. Expanding the scope of the podcast program is something that requires me to consider that.

To secure a one-hour time slot each week for a full year on shortwave broadcast station WBCQ costs only USD$900. WBCQ's signal blankets the eastern seaboard and hits the Caribbean. With a USD$40 shortwave radio, one could access such a broadcast with relative ease. Compared to other distribution costs possible let alone technological access barriers, this is pretty cheap.

An interesting experiment would be in trying to expand the scope of LISTen: The LISNews.org Podcast via shortwave. In some respects, that would greatly increase reach. For the cost of two individual ALA memberships, the expansion of this professional development could happen. Time slots are scarce, though, so waiting six months may mean that this would be a non-starter. The strange thing there is, this is a cost-effective buy with green implications to it indirectly. Professional development and growth material could be distribute farther at a cheaper rate.

The question is whether anyone would have the audacity to financially back such an experiment...



This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.


Posted by Stephen Michael Kellat | Permanent Link

2009-01-01 19:04:16

LISHost Announces Strategic Response to Podango Instability

LISHost Announces Strategic Response to Podango Instability

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 1, 2009

LAS VEGAS--In light of the collapse of podcast hosting services from Podango, LISHost and Erie Looking Productions together announce a new service. Libraries and librarians in need of podcast hosting have an opportunity not only to purchase hosting services but also consultant services in establishing a program. As the skills required to maintain such an online presence are not routinely taught in librarian training programs, LISHost and Erie Looking Productions are partnering to help fill a vacuum.

Libraries and librarians seeking podcasting can take solace in the stability of LISHost in providing hosting services. LISHost has been the librarian's choice in online hosting for years. Erie Looking Productions produces the program LISTen: The LISNews.org Podcast for LISNews and its team has over a decade's experience working with media.

While five dollars might get a library or librarian hosting at one outlet, such does not include the value-added care this strategic response would provide. The family business of Erie Looking Productions has a track record stretching back years in working with churches, musicians, and others to ensure success in multimedia production. For libraries venturing into the brave new world of creating content rather than warehousing it, having help is something to not be ashamed of but to cherish.

Hosting for one year with LISHost is USD$130 but we can work with your budget. The cost for the services of Erie Looking Productions is negotiable based upon what services are actually required by a client. Adventures in production online start by visiting http://lishost.org/.

###

Contact:
Blake Carver, Owner, LISHost: btcarver@lisnews.com. http://lishost.org/
Michael J. Kellat, Owner, Erie Looking Productions:erielookingproductions@gmail.com. http://erielookingproductions.info


Posted by Erie Looking Productions | Permanent Link

2009-01-01 00:01:34

Happy New Year!

Happy new year! We released a welcome to 2009 at LISNews. Right now our budget needs are quite in effect. This year may well be interesting. Our upcoming events calendar looks like this now:

January 5th: Macworld Conference & Expo 2009 begins in San Francisco

January 8th: Consumer Electronics Show 2009 kicks off here in Las Vegas. Due to circumstances beyond our control, LISTen will not...I repeat NOT...be able to report on the event.

January 9th: Macworld concludes.

January 11th: Consumer Electronics Show 2009 concludes.

January 12th: The House of Commons and the House of Lords return from recess

January 15th: The third alpha release of Ubuntu's Jaunty Jackalope is released

January 16th: Mandriva 2009.1 Beta 1 is released. LISTen outright ceases production on this date without an injection of operating funds or some sort of miracle.

January 20th: Mr. Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States

January 23rd: ALA Mid-Winter Meeting 2009 begins in Denver

January 26th: Second session of the 40th Parliament of Canada with the Speech From The Throne

January 28th: ALA Mid-Winter Meeting 2009 concludes in Denver

January 31st: Deadline for employers to provide tax documentation to employees in the United States

February 3rd: Fedora 11 Alpha is released. Both the Australian House of Representatives and Australian Senate resume sitting

February 5th: The fourth alpha release of Ubuntu's Jaunty Jackalope is released

February 9th: The second beta of Mandriva 2009.1 is released
February 10th: First sitting day in 2009 of the New Zealand Parliament

February 14th: Valentine's Day. This will be a Saturday.

February 17th: Analog television broadcasting ceases in the United States for full-power television stations. Certain low-power facilities will retain the ability to operate in analog transmission.

February 25th: The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals will be presenting in London an executive briefing entitled: “Is Copyright fit for purpose in the Information Age?”

March 3rd: Technology show CeBIT opens in Germany

March 8th: CeBIT concludes

March 30th: Computers in Libraries 2009 kicks off

April 1st: Computers in Libraries 2009 concludes

April 28th: The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals will be presenting in Manchester an executive briefing entitled: “Is Copyright fit for purpose in the Information Age?”


Posted by Stephen Michael Kellat | Permanent Link