Ok, step number one for keeping up on events Get iPhoto (requires a mac first :), install iPhoto 6.0, don't upgrade past 6.0... got to the tag feed or group for the event on flickr and add it as a photo-cast feed... not only does iphoto aggregate the highres photos (for those with highres sharing turned on), but it also retains permalinks back to the flickr page and all the meta information. I guess you can use any news-reader for this btw, but it won't download and cache the photos, only show little 24x120 thumbnails. Alternatively if your on windows try out I/ON. I don't have a lot of time with it yet, but it appears to be pretty sweet. People keep telling me they don't see the power in photo-casting (ahem, Josh @ fireant :), but believe me... flipping through endless photos of SXSW as they stream in and reading comments... and descriptions at leisure... as a point of just fluid keeping up on the sights and people and the scene... it's teh bomb. You're literally seeing an event through the eyes of participants, often your own friends. Try it. PS. I/ON the open source video blog aggregator has also got some photo-casting support, but other than iPhoto and I/ON it's an wholly unexplored territory a whole new frontier, and it is perhaps as big and important as video-casting and audio casting. It's a gold mine as certain as the success of flickr and photoblogging. It's fundamental. On a side note, all Fireant has to do is support jpg enclosures, and preferably mRSS. ;) FYI, photocasting is not a catch all solution. Like vlogging, and audio podcasting and blogging it has it's place, and it's place is as an amazing point of entry... like looking out your window, but on events half way around the word. Remember the web cam craze? Photo-cast feeds like SXSW for events blow that relatively still hot concept away. Essential elements of a good photo-cast interface are just like video blogging 1) aggregation, caching, viewing, full screen viewing is a plus 2) commenting, favoring, tagging through permalinks back to the photo-blog or flickr 3) organizing and archiving media, both on computer and server side... iPhoto has drag and drop folders, ratings, and keywords... it's a robust photo managing and archiving interface so photos don't just pile up on your hard drive. (BTW, Fireant and I/ON could stand to study and implement basic media management in iPhoto, it's awesome stuff.) 4) reading extended descriptions while watching viewing the media... the interplay of text and media is an essential part of the experience... in photocasting the description provides the story behind the photo. However like vlogging you won't get photocasting until you try it. It's got this amazing quality, like "flash cards" for people, places, events. For example, I'm a HUGE architecture fan, and the architecture groups on flickr are prolific... it's like a giant flash card of architecture around the world... see the photo, guess the place, architect, date... then check the title, description and comments to verify. Like it? Pressing the Command key and number keys 1-5 rates the photo in iPhoto, or you can drag and drop it in a folder, or add some keywords. Endless, endless fun... and other than some quirks in iPhoto the software generally just gets the hell out of your way, letting you flip through literally hundreds of photos in minutes and endlessly interact with reading, commenting, tagging, favoriting and all manner in iphoto and flickr... it's really what vlogging should be like. Indeed iPhoto would be a much better interface than iTunes for video media... which iPhoto does support videos, just not video feeds, again... bastards at apple. :P Better example still... One of my favorite photo-casts is J.D. Lasica's, it corresponds very nicely as a preview of his real people network (video blog) and other blogging endeavors. He's a conference maven and always, always included peoples names and their companies... his network of photocasting, vlogging, and blogging is so damn good I really feel guilty for not paying. Between the three I don't miss anything. And yeah, this multi-modal / multimedic approach... Approaching the same content through different media is superb... see the pictures during the day, take a ride or jog and listen to the audio podcast... watch the video off your ipod that evening. Blog about it or comment tomorrow. Every media type has it's place and value. It's an endlessly subversive and interactive media model. This is what the future of media is all about... not just anytime, or anywhere, but multi-format, immersive reciprocal communications. Speaking of which photos offer an immediacy that absolutely nothing else can offer. This immediacy is something you'll never get in blogging or vlogging... it's like being there... photos sometimes appear mere minutes after they're taken via phone cam and other. Flickr friends feeds are the best for "telepresence"... they offer ambient sense of space and time. It's what one might call an "ambient technology"... like looking out the window on a whim but instead of seeing the weather, you see your friends, where there at, what they're up to, what they're interested in. 240 friends is nothing to keep up on photocasting, minutes a day even though people post far more photos than blog posts or videos, try keeping up on that many blogs and vlogs. It's impossible. It indeed photo-casts as a filter leading to supporting media. Well, that's the best I can come to explaining the magic... and it is magic. It's impossible to explain until you stick your Flickr friends feed or a very active events group feed in the iPhoto 6.0. Just do it. BTW, apple removed the permalinks in version 6.02 of iPhoto, again, bastards! So don't upgrade to it, boycott it. I have no idea what's wrong with apple boycotting permalinks to vloggers, podcasters and photo-casters, they're boycotting US by not including permalinks, and I can't believe people are not more alarmed, pissed off even. I am... and I really wish "somebody" would do photocasting right. Cross platform too. (ahem, so come help I/ON and bug Josh @ Fireant. Sorry Josh, I never said I play fair. ;) Speaking of which, Nathan Frietas of I/ON needs your help. He needs feedback on the latest version of the amazing Java based open source video / audio / image aggregator for Windows and Mac. It's really getting good. Did I mention it's free and runs on mac and windows. :) Check it out. Please join up and give your feedback, it's a great project. Also, if you want to know more about photocasting and flickr I just initiated a photocasting group there. Please, come check it out. I could use some questions to answer about it. It's mostly an awareness thing. Cool photos from photo-cast enabled feeds would be nice too. So... I hope that answers your questions on how to keep up on events! Oh! And now meedia supports the reltag (aka. technoratti tag standard), so be sure to tag you even videos on your vlogs too... they'll automatically appear on mefeedia. Oh! And delicious is also a good resource for tracking events, and blogdigger.com/media/ a great media search. -Mike
On 4/26/06, Ted Tagami < [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
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