Tag: Internet

Two free, sure-fire social network ideas, ripe for the picking

As I try to decide how my book/blog/Website/workshop/consultancy/business should go (too many slashes, but I still believe it’s got plenty of potential), my blog posts have become a bit less regular than I’d like. And the apologies get old, but I will anyway. Sorry.

So let me throw out there two ideas I’ve been bandying about in my head, and the amazing potential they have — separately or, better yet, in sync with one another — and if someone takes the proverbial ball and runs with it, I just ask they remember who gave them the ideas. Preferably at Christmas, or in their will, whichever comes last. I’m a patient pan.

First up: PetPeeves.com — oh come on now, everyone has a whole herd of them. Or gaggle, or pick your favorite Animal Husbandry Grouping. You could even make it a voting deal, where the most broadly felt, frustrating pet peeves move up the list, and those as I’ve blogged about before (no big-size Kleenex boxes, really?) could still stand, just down, way down the list.

Advertising there might be tricky – but where there are eyeballs, there’s potential profit, right? (Maybe someone could even design a lil cutesy mascot – think Gremlins crossed with puppies — and call it a Peeve. Sort of like a Minion, but with definite attitude, sort of like a Jackson Galaxy-proof Cat From Hell.)

And then, on the other end of the “but of course! Why didn’t I think of that!” spectrum, there’s … Nicebook. (OK, it’d have to have another name – Msr. Zuckerberg likely wouldn’t take too fondly to that – but you get the drift.)

A social network where jerks are booted and signal-to-noise ratio is exalted. Two slogans: “Be nice or be gone.” And “Not Pollyanna, just less drama.”

It’d be pretty darn hard to keep things on the sunny side of life — as it is on Facebook, for sure — but wouldn’t you like to associate at least some of the time with nice folks, who in general would far rather share Cute Cat and Dog Videos or praise their friends then tell tragic tales of woe, or bitterly spleen-vent and argue, again, over … well, the usual — Obama, the 1 percent, how kids today have it too easy and Hey You Get Offa My Lawn!

Anyway, if the Nicebook folks get too ornery, you could just send them over to PetPeeves.com! And if — and granted, this is a ridiculously huge if — the folks get too nice on the Venting Mothership that PetPeeves.com would no doubt become, you could send them over to Nicebook and say “Be Nice over there!”

After all, each of us has some form of those proverbial (again with the proverbial) Devils on one shoulder and Angels on the other, trying to turn us toward the dark or light sides. And depending on your mood, you could hang out in one spot or the other that particular night.

The Yin and Yang of social media – no more one site trying to be all things to all people in all moods, good, bad, foul or happy as a lark!

So there you have it – the Next Facebook. Or two. You’re welcome!

Which reminds me, I’ve said before how many of us spent much of the ’70s and ’80s waiting for the Next Beatles, before eventually, sadly realizing there wouldn’t be one. But Facebook – teens are leaving it in droves, right? It’s becoming like an old shopping mall where only geezers such as myself shuffle along and post cutesy pics on our walls? No?

PetPeeves.com and Nicebook. Someone needs to create them – why not you?

Heck, if I were half as smart as some folks think I am – not many, but some – I’d have already snapped up both domain names and be willing to part with them for a few measly Numbers With Commas In Them.

Nah. Then I’d become someone else’s Pet Peeve, and might have to herd them over to Nicebook (Slogan: “Where Nice is Not a Dirty Word”) and tell them to zip it and Have a Nice Day!

As year’s end nears, a different look at our clicks and views

It’s perhaps only fitting in the world of purely pageviews – and Web pageviews at that — that not a single news article makes the top 20, 30, 40 or even 50 in the most-popular list for KTVZ.COM in 2013, courtesy of Google Analytics.

That is a list from the “old-fashioned” dub-dub-W computer-visited Website, which once was the center of the online universe but now shares equal and, in the future, diminishing billing with that increasingly popular computer in your pocket or purse — the smartphone and the tablet, the portable news viewers of the 21st Century. Each platform has its own peculiarities and statistics, and sure we can combine them all.

But for old time’s sake, let’s focus on the Website for a bit of statistical observation.

The home page makes up 10 million of the 25 million page views this year — and that’s only fitting, because while we want you to click through to all that great content, we also went you to know we’re the place to turn to see what’s new — and the front page, of course, is and always will be the place to start. Top Stories, latest Local Alert Weather Webcast and all that.

The Local Alert Weather page is the single most-visited page beyond that, at 1.3 million page views, and the local news page is behind that at 563,000 page views.

Our sports page is not too far behind, No. 5, at 135,000 page views — so there! And the seven-day forecast is sixth, at 131,000 page views. Our Fox Central Oregon page makes the top 10, in No. 9 slot at 112,000 page views.

Slide shows or photo albums — I use the same interchangeably, probably confusing to some, sorry — make up an astounding number of our top-viewed/clicked on pages — logically, as most have dozens of gorgeous views or fun parades, etc, and each click counts..

But for better or worse, in parlor game or … whatever, the top-viewed slide show, by far, is not all those pretty, scenic pictures, but the Deschutes County Parole and Probation “most wanted” list — well, lists, as each update is a separate item — and all told, they take up nine of the top 20 slots!

And then there’s the funny Nos. 12 and 20 — the “page not found” pages — close to 120,000 of the page views end up at a dead end, frightfully sorry (if I’m sounding British, blame the Christmas “Doctor Who” special) — and just behind at 21 is our Fire Alert page. Our Events page also makes the top 25, in No. 24 slot at 47,000 page views.

Crook and Jefferson counties’ most wanted lists also are in the top 30, as are the national news page (No. 29) and some of our seasonal photo albums, plus the ones dedicated to wildfires and wildlife.

Our Pump Patrol page is in the mix at No. 42, our videos page at No. 49, and you have to go No. 51 to find the very first actual news article in the ol’ (non-mobile) Web list, which is…

Ah, but that would be telling! We’ll be talking about top stories of the year in coming days, and while editorial judgment is on equal par with the clicks, there are some interesting things to share on what drew that particular finger-twitch on the mouse or trackpad.

(Update: Oh wait! That was by Page Title — my goodness, not a spreadsheet or database jockey am I, and by actual page the list is quite different! Several news stories in the top group, and we’ll be laying out the year in review soon.)

Merry Christmas! And Happy 2014 to come!

Judging the judgmental: A moderator’s lament

Some days I really wonder why I ever volunteered to moderate 100s, even 1,000s of comments on our Website all the time. (I know why, of course – because a news Website without comments seems cold and sterile and one-way to me. So either you have no comments allowed, you let them say just about anything that’s not obscene or threatening – or you have someone like Yours Truly who gets to draw the line and redefine ‘offensive’ all the day and night, etc.;-)

Two recent stories prompt this little venting session — both of which I knew darn well would prompt the kind of judgmental comments that they have — after years of this, you get pretty good at know what will spark debate and where the debate is likely to go.

One is a piece on a local panhandling couple. The other is on a Redmond family’s reaction to a cut in their food stamp benefits.

I often post the first comment now, to spark discussion and to plead, even beg for civil comments. Knowing full well I likely won’t get my wish.

Indeed, I ask you to review the comments and see where things have gone. It’s often not pretty, but oh so predictable.

We’re always wanting to, and often asked to please put “real people” in our stories. Many such people are reluctant to appear on camera – and considering the caustic state of our social media-driven online dialogue, who can blame them? Why would anyone voluntarily subject themselves to such scrutiny from the digital purveyors of all that’s right and wrong?

I do understand, especially in the food stamp story – we all pay for them, and so many folks seem to have witnessed so much abuse. Maybe I’m blind when I go to the grocery store – I don’t see it all that often. Or maybe it doesn’t register/ignite upset and rage as it does with some.

But in these kinds of stories, I have to bite my tongue harder than ever to not fire back – a dangerous thing for me, and I do fall victim to getting into the fray at times. But while I’m not much of a religious person – much to the dismay of older brother Rick — I do know the lines, “Let he who is without sin …” and “Judge not …” Some seem to know but not live it day to day, or at least, not in what they say in comments online, anonymous or not. And one only needs to visit Facebook for a brief period to see it’s NOT all about people hiding behind screen names – it’s AMAZING what some folks will say with their names attached — apparently without shame or regret.

Yes, it’s all part of that thing I refer to as today’s Blame Society – it’s always been that way, I suppose, but never so toxic, caustic and in your face. Maybe it was all better when it was whispers behind one’s back rather than shouts in your face while the whole world’s watching. I don’t know. And maybe it has something to do with a certain segment of teens turning off Facebook — well, some — because anything shared online can be scorned, scrutinized and make you wish you never opened your digital mouth.

I sure do know that so many of us are only a paycheck or two away from needing our own Oregon Trail card. And maybe we’d only buy bread, milk and fresh fruits and vegetables, and be ashamed when we get in line and pull out the card. But wow … the judgmental nature of those who get to check a person’s shopping list on their fridge or whatever … it’s simply amazing, and depressing.

Don’t get me wrong – there are some insightful comments amid the nasty ones. And on some stories, people are supportive, kind and understanding. But it seems things like this bring out the worst in some people, oh so predictably.

I often hope that the people who regularly post aren’t who they appear to be by their posting – that it’s an alter-ego, perhaps, or a venting of sorts that allows them to be more kind, respectful, etc. in real life to those they encounter, or their families or co-workers. Naive? Perhaps.

Then there are those who have fired back, calling the critics hypocrites. And some comments I’ve wanted to stand up and applaud – but as moderator, I NEVER a) ‘like’ or upvote/downvote  a comment or b) post under a pseudonym. It’d be far too dangerous and slippery a slope for me.

But I do have this blog, where at least it can be clear I’m reacting to and venting about the comments in general and not about a specific commenter, which causes grief in so many ways.

To judge others is human nature, I suppose. But I just hope and pray that we don’t have to hand out a ‘Here’s How to Sanitize Your Life to Avoid Ruing an Interview’ sheets to every ‘real person’ we talk to. Police, govt. officials — they sign up for the barbs and brickbats that come their way. But “everyday people” shouldn’t have to be perfect to go through a media encounter unscathed. Should they?

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: The only people I really hate are those who seem to be people full of hate and judgment. And if that makes ME judgmental … well, so be it. I can live with that, knowing what the world of nasty online comments has brought us to, or is pushing us toward – unless we take control of the discussion and drown out the nastiness with … dare I say … compassion, civil debate and respectful dialogue.

Care to join me?

The new news symbiosis (no blackout when it comes to info-sharing)

I started hearing about power outages this evening near Sunriver and La Pine.

I asked about it on our Facebook page. In minutes, dozens of reports – well before I got hold of the Midstate Electric Co-op representative to start providing reports.

I used the Facebook friends’ info to help tell the story – the neighborhoods and roads in the affected area.

Soon, I had official info to weave in – not just official info, but also from the most sought after thing in the news world – real people.

Put the two together, and you have magic. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it does happen a lot. It’s grown every year in the past several.

The questions are simple and obvious, in this case: No political messes, no angles or subtext.

How big is this outage? How long will it last? Phone lines can melt down, and … people want to know.

People hear sirens, see a bunch of police cars, and they ask … me, us. Often on Facebook, where they hang out. I appreciate their trust in us, and try to answer when I can.

We’ve found out about plenty of things on Facebook from people who wouldn’t e-mail or pick up a phone, but feel comfortable weighing in there. (Do I wish they’d comment on our Website instead? Yes, for a host of reasons, and I’m trying to spark conversations. But people are where they are, and like what they like. We can only affect that so much.) Just about every day, a reporter suggest we seek out some folks willing to help in a story — and sometimes, like last week, they end up on the air.

It’s a wonderful symbiosis — they help us, we help them. Information is shared, news is gathered, from new sources and not-so-new.

When it comes to the Future of News and Is Everyone a Journalist Now? Great themes for hand-wringing and crystal ball-gazing — pontificators can pontificate, consultants can consult, advisers can advise.

Meanwhile, I… we are … just doing it. Day by day, post by post.

And it’s pretty darn cool. A 2-way social media avenue that benefits both parties.

No money changes hands, and that worries a lot of people who justifiably need to find how to pay for things of value that we provide.

It’s like my old T-shirt slogan idea: Information wants to be free! (But I want a raise). Cognitive dissonance that doesn’t help directly pay the bills — but return on reputation IS worth something, right?

Those questions need answers, and one way or another, they will come.

But in the meantime, in between time… ain’t we got fun?

As always, to our Facebook friends: Thanks for the help, folks.

E-mail’s too easy, but Big Data is a Google away

OK, I have learned from those who know me that sometimes my venting-frustration e-mails to colleagues or our Website’s service providers are … over the top.

Granted, I have learned that e-mail can be the BEST way to reach a news source – beats phone tag, for sure. Sometimes people in the newsroom can’t get hold of someone – granted, they need to get someone on-camera, usually – but for info or a quick answer, it’s still one of the best ways to get it.

But it’s also just too easy to fire off a vent-note when something isn’t working again and … well usually it’s in part to make folks aware, but it’s also to… complain, and whine. I need to dial that back, and I will.

But Google… well, now that’s a different story. I’ve read the sample and am probably about to buy a book about the wonders of Big Data — how amazing all that data can be at, say, tracking where the flu is hitting, in real time (via search queries!)

It’s not a matter of calculating formula dreck, it’s just having alll that data can present magical answers we never could have gotten the old-fashioned way.

And because it’s late, I’ll leave it at that;-)

Sandy’s tentacles reach far and wide

You may have noticed fewer videos on KTVZ.COM this week. (Then again, maybe not.)

Our video service provider, Syndicaster, is located in a data center in lower Manhattan, so … power was cut off there as floodwaters rushed in.

Their (Critical Mention is the co.) gear is upstairs and all fine, they say – but without power, they had to wait until the water was pumped out below so they could get going again.

We’ve been using workarounds to get video on the Web – but considering we’re still rasslin’ with a recent major change to a new video editing system, well … the Perfect Storm hit us, too.

It just goes to show you that all this “save it in the cloud” folderol is … a bit overblown. Nothing gets saved up there in the sky. It’s all down here, and all the precautions and backups in the world aren’t going to prevent occasionally getting snakebit.

There is NO comparison, of course, to our tech hassles and the misery those in the Northeast are facing. But this interconnected world of ours does bite back once in a while.

It’s good we’re so connected, most of the time. But we can go well beyond Bill Clinton’s “I feel your pain” line when you literally depend on those a continent away for the things you take for granted, day in and day out – until they aren’t working.

And then, you remember, and realize just how thin the veneer of ‘everything’s OK, just rollin’ along’ really is in today’s tech-dependent society.

What a blog is – and isn’t

This is a blog. Blogs are usually one person’s posts, thoughts and comments, usually presented chronologically.
A blog is NOT an online forum system, or a commenting system on news articles. Somehow, many folks have gotten confused about just what a blog is — and isn’t.
Our daily paper has a front page story about how the city of Bend is going to try out an online forum. The word they picked for the “jump” header? Blog.
I guess we’re all looking for short, punchy shorthand to describe and categorize stuff. But right is right, and wrong is wrong, and bloggers know that much of what is called blogs these days are NOT a blog.
That said, I wish the city all the luck in the world in trying to get some useful info out of folks in a forum structure, and keep the rabble-rousers to background. It’s a challenge, as I know from our very lively comment system at KTVZ.COM and other experiences over the decades.
But people who post comments there WON’T be blogging, or posting blogs. Let’s try to call it what it is.

Pet Peeve No. 2,304,405: Unreadable gray on white type

Where in the world did basic design rules go?

Why do so many sites do as this one does http://www.regrettheerror.com/2010/12/03/they-sullied-his-good-name/#disqus_thread and http://www.poynter.org – and go with gray or worse, light gray on white type?

It CAN’T be just I who has to squint to read the words displayed like that. Whatever happened to good ol’ black on white? (A related issue is – why do so many make the type too small – but I can tell you, black on white type is a LOT more readable than gray on white, at ANY type size!)
Anyone have a clue where this trend began, and how we can reverse it, for the sake of all of our eyesight?

PS – Found this lil forum thread on the topic, so I’m not alone, yay! http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?2259365-Why-Do-Web-Designers-use-Light-Gray-Type-on-a-White-Background

Long past time, yet again

Wow, well maybe this fresher summer-y WordPress theme will encourage me to get back here and say hi.

Hi!

We’ve settled in at the new Internet Broadcasting-run KTVZ.COM digs. Still some lingering issues (when isn’t there in technology?) but overall, pretty cool.

Took a week off (OK, as usual, semi-off) from work – actually got to the coast with Deb, but hey, the B&B dropped breakfast (huh?) but had dandy WiFi, so I could keep the site up to date. Was fun, and quite an accomplishment in our new Land Without Credit Cards. (Scary, but true – beats the false sense of security they provide. I think;-)

And I owe Ted Taylor, one of our newest reporters, a debt of thanks – both for taking over for me that week and allowing me to be my typical invasive self, from home, not letting him just … run the Website. (Though there was one crazy afternoon where having four hands rather than two getting stuff on the Web was a godsend – there are days.)

Deb is busy with both her job processing bankruptcy claims (lots of irony in that!) and her paralegal studies (since when is business algebra something a paralegal needs?) and getting routine As – so proud of her! But when you read in the paper of reporters having to go through foreclosure and move to a new job … the scariness continues.

Oh, and then there’s the cats, and a recent issue of … a wet ‘present’ left behind on the bed, so now we have to close the bedroom door during the day, costing Salem his sun-until-he-bakes time (and he trill-whines to make sure we know.) A boy has got to be able to sunbathe at times, so … I just try to use moderation in how much he can. Nice vet says he likely was dehydrated (surprise to the guy who cleans the litter box!) so Deb feeds him wet food 2x a day (always been a dry food cat) and he goes for it like the junkyard cat he is;-)

So all in all … hanging in there, like the rest of the world. How are YOU doing?

Please let me know you’ve read this by leaving a comment or two. Once that happens, and I get a wee bit of encouragement, maybe I’ll get around to posting here more regularly.

Belated welcome, hearty thanks

(I’m training myself to do Headlines With Words Capped on the Website, but dang it, this is MY blog and I know current style is downstyle headlines;-)

It was a long week, but a fulfilling one, getting the new KTVZ.COM up and running. It was touch-and-go for a bit, due to late problems we’re still addressing, one that delayed getting the new video system (Syndicaster) working. But it works great now – bells and whistles, just like the site itself – and the video looks far better than under the old system/site.

We’re still working out some kinks with things like the weather page, e-mails and the like. Unlike what our poll results show, most e-mails and comments have been positive about the cleaner, faster-loading site, and for that I and my colleagues are very grateful.

It was especially nice to easily be able to compile a slide show of user-submitted Pole Pedal Paddle photos, nice and big, to share with everybody. It’ll be great when the next surprise snowstorm;-), fire or other big local event happens. (I’d already posted a couple slide shows on a ‘burn to learn’ exercise and the National Guard troops’ homecoming.)

But who knew that after a night with too little sleep, the first day of the new site would end with a fiery gas tanker truck crash east of Bend? And then, on Friday, a Facebook post inquiring about sirens in Redmond led to something we hadn’t heard about – a fatal plane crash near the end of a Redmond Airport runway.

These things might not even make the cut on a big-city newscast, but it was big news here, and I got to, for example, learn how to send a breaking-news e-mail in the new system, on the fly, with a kind lady at the Internet Broadcasting (IB) help desk helping me through it.

Got a bit nervous when we dropped from Google News’ radar screen for a day or so, but looks like we’re getting better.

I wrote a long, typically Barney-rambling welcome over on the site, so won’t repeat myself here, other than to offer a hearty thanks to the folks at IB, and at the station, for allowing me to focus on all the little nitpick things I keep bringing up to make a great new site even better.

Back to making the Week 2 list of needs and wants for just that purpose. Have a good week, everybody.