Based on this post on the Nevada New Media blog, I have questions.
Photo by Kino-eye
Different industries use the term “New Media” in different ways. So what do we mean when we talk about new media? That’s one of the first questions we have to try and answer as a group so that Nevada New Media can develop a set of goals on which to focus. Let’s start the conversation right here, right now. [emphasis added]
1) Where were you when we were talking about new media topics over the last few months and years? I didn’t see a comment from you on this post, or this one, or here, or here . The conversation has been started several other places @several other times in the past. It would be great if you could either take part in them, or quote and link to them so that your new blog was a resource. New media is about being part of a community and interacting and participating on multiple forums.
2) I don’t see a signature on this post yet you use the first person as if we are supposed to know who you are. Sure I assume it is Tracy posting, but who else knows that?
3) As for the blogroll, I would use technorati and see which nevada blogs come up for a search for new media and use those. But since you either weren’t aware of those other discussions, or disregarded them for some reason, what will your blogroll offer those of us in “new media” in Nevada?
-Mike
This post is tagged
Here’s another link that’s been around for a little while. I haven’t marketed it much, or really used it much, but all are welcome to contribute.
http://groups.diigo.com/groups/renosmtt
-M
My blog doesn’t do trackbacks, but I linked this with some comments.
http://www.mrjerz.org/links/nevada-new-media-right-where-right-when
I think its a bit silly to claim that since I don’t blog about new media, I’m late to the conversation. (Actually, I have blogged about new media and politics quite a bit but it’s mixed it in with my other political thoughts). I have been participating in new media since the 80s and I work on it every day as a professional and as a part of my political activism. In other words, I do it A LOT more than I discuss it–thank god. Lord knows there are all kinds of new media/social media “gurus” out there clogging up the internet. That’s why I’m working with Ed Lenert to start the conference–I’m a doer more than a discusser and when I do discuss it, it’s usually in other venues and for other audiences because that’s were they’re talking about the developments I’m interested in.
As far as there being no signature on the post, that’s an issue with the theme that I didn’t even notice until you called it to my attention, something that will change soon since a new website (and new name) is coming by the end of the month.
The blogroll isn’t finished. As I ruminated in the post–there is still a question about what kind of sites to link to and that’s a conversation the advisory board needs to have, not something I should decide on my own. I’d think most people would be happy about that. The only local sites I added are those that are involved in the planning of the event (Reno Ignite is a sister event sponsored by Reno Collective and of course the J-school is a sponsor).
I sure hope you decide to contribute to the conference since you feel so strongly about the development of the event. Thanks
If you don’t want to participate in the online discussion anymore that’s fine. But don’t try to pretend that you own the debate now just because you have a board and a summit. I’d rather see you post about the discussions already going on. Why ignore it?
-M
I dont see it that way at all. My major point is that I discuss it in other places. I don’t see why I have to discuss it where you say I should to make my experience somehow valid to you. I discuss it all over the place–but places that make sense to my own work.
You must made a big leap that wasn’t warranted. I’m not trying to own the debate, I’m only defending my right to be a part of it because in your post above you implied that I didn’t have that right because I havent participated in discussions with you or with people you think I should have.
You obviously see it differently but the purpose of the conference is to promote the discussion and foster a stronger community. But that requires an openess to the different places and positions of other people.
Color me pale-faced, red-necked and befuddled.
At the LEAST, Reno Baby and New Media Crusaders should be front and center on this site.
What does Berkeley’s Center for New Media (invalid link), and a host of others having seemingly little or nothing to do with Nevada, have to do with this event that those of us involved with social media in Nevada do not?
-b.
PS Was the current blogroll cleared by the board?
Again, reread my original post. The advisory committee will meet and determine the direction of the blog roll. Those are just the national sites I picked out quickly because I built the site in a day and then had to go back to other projects. I should have just left it blank. I’ll add those to sites in order to alleviate your immediate concerns, but nothing else is going to happen on the site until the end of the month.
You just illustrated exactly why the advisory board needs to dictate the direction of the site–oversights will occur if all heads aren’t brought together.
I would think that you and the gang would be happy that I am not solely responsible for content and direction. I am trying to alleviate those kinds of concerns. That’s exactly why I’ve been waiting and why I wrote in the original post that I was waiting.
Minx,
Note the emphasis in the quote above and the title of my post. The only right I begrudge you is the right to draw a circle on your new blog and ask everyone to jump in it. Do your readers a favor and show them around the neighborhood.
I’m not sure i understand what you mean by other places. Are there Nevada New/Social Media blogs or sites that I’m not aware of? Please post them?
-M
PS, the board was in the process of being formed when I quickly made the website. I think I’ve told you a couple of times that I spent one day building the website and dont have time to make more big changes until the board makes those decisions–at end of the month. Once again, at the end of the month.
I would add one more comment. It would be nice if everything was perfect and finished and complete with the website and the board and the event. However, we are throwing this together fast so its far from perfect now and won’t be perfect until February. However, we already have a great keynote (almost confirmed) and interest from many to contribute presentations and workshops. What I and the board would ask for, and have asked for on the site, is patience and for people to become involved where they can.
don’t try to make this criticism bigger than it is. All I’m saying is that there is no right here or right now. the debate is already on in several places. If you don’t recognize the online new media communities in northern nevada as being important enough to include, reference or participate in then the name “nevada new media” makes no sense to me.
-M
[...] Third Eye Rounds and discovering (a) “Nevada New Media” and (b) coworking setting in Reno. By atiasrama Thanks to the feeding of blog articles into places like http://nevadamojo.blogspot.com and http://zekesaysso.blogspot.com , I come across many interesting new things just by simply scrolling down the margins of these sites (where the various fresh and new articles are linked from). So, in that way I found a note (with a useful link) on something called “Nevada New Media” at Ryan Jerz’s blog: http://mrjerz.org And, Mr. Jerz linked to a blog article elsewhere, where one of the founders of something called Nevada New Media (see http://www.nevadanewmedia.org) was engaged in an active conversation addressing the questions and criticsms of the blog writer: http://www.iamindisposed.com/blog/2009/01/02/nevada-new-media-right-where-right-when/ [...]
I especially like that you have said you don’t sit around talking, but instead are a “doer.” You’re talking to three people in this post alone who do this every single day and have examples to show for it. On the other hand, your “doing” amounts to a scheduled time to sit down and talk about it. Hmm.
Tracy,
The reason, I presume, everybody is acting all butt-hurt is not because of names, what’s on the blogroll (thanks for updating it, btw) or what the summit is called. It’s unilateral, non-inclusive and, frankly, sanctimonious nature of the organization, however it came about, that claims one thing – Nevada, new media, community building – yet is functionally none of those things, as Jerz and Wolfy have had to painfully point out.
I interpret what others are asking is for this to be more genuinely inclusive. Throwing out to become “involved where they can” is passive-aggressive, ham-handed bullshit. As is coming back with having to clear things with the board – since it’s evident so much has not been up until now.
The fact is, I’m *excited* for the opportunity to hopefully present some things at this event. New media stuff is bouncing around in my head 24-7 and I know for a fact there’s a contingent of folks just in Reno that can themselves rock an event like this.
We NEED an event like this – maybe not this one, but something similar – if for no other reason than for people to learn about these technologies and how they can incorporate them into their lives for whatever reasons they want – work, productivity, promotions, activism, shit talk, whatever.
If I can read and comprehend correctly, I bet we could all hash this out over beers, throw out input and criticism and offer up ideas and ways we can all participate. If this is truly about community building, and exposing one to divergent views, then how about it?
-Bob
So, I’ve seen this convo go around and around (Twitter, Jerz’s blog - http://www.mrjerz.org/blog/new-media-is-not-what-you-think-it-is) and I guess since I’m up late and bored, I’ll pretend you are interested in my thoughts.
I, like Bob, am excited. I’m excited that more people are getting interested in new media and its applications (communication, marketing, so much more!). And I’m looking forward to being a part of the teaching, the learning and the discussion. We all win if folks in Nevada become more aware of not only what new media is available, but WHY and HOW to use new media.
I’d like to applaud the Nevada New Media Group for taking the initiative to try to organize an event that helps progress the conversations. But, let’s admit that many things were put together rather hastily, and without a ton of equity from a community that could have REALLY been of a lot of help in the planning process. Probably should not have started promoting the organization or the summit until the board had approved some things, and agreed a bit more on direction, definition, and most importantly, STRATEGY. And part of that strategy would have to be (especially in social media) getting equity from some of the players. And, lo and behold, social media would have facilitated that conversation.
I think that’s really a big part of the issue. There will need to be multiple layers of conversation. It feels as though there is a group that has come in to declare - “we are the new media authority in Nevada!” I know, that was never said in any way or form, but that’s the perception, and perception is reality. Inherently in social/new media are layers of equity, learning, conversation. One of the things I’ve learned from social media is that if you don’t involve the community, credit the community for work already done, or ask the community for input BEFORE decisions are made, the community will rebel against you. I think maybe that’s a PART of the rebellion we’re seeing here.
I agree with my colleagues in that NNM should have more focus on Nevada, involve the community more, and have thought this out a bit more before it was publicized. That’s part of my major pet peeve with new media in general. People jump in, head first, before they fully consider the strategy in doing so successfully. There is a TON of groundwork that needs to be done, and it sounds like NNM rushed some things, and is now answering for it. (BTW - that blogroll is pretty bad. What’s with Verge New Media? They post an update once every 1-3 months, and haven’t posted anything new since August! Bleh! We should be referencing these guys for new media expertise?!?).
But, let’s agree that this thing is now established and we’ll need to work together to make it successful. This thing was NOT ready to go, but it’s going. So, let’s do something to make it right. It’s like when everybody pitched in to make Charlie Brown’s pathetic little Christmas tree into something beautiful.
Bob - I’m in for those beers!
Speaking of new media technology, I was curious how my blog article ended up in this thread? Is this what they call a “pingback”? (You have to forgive me….I’m an aging person who has a severly limited new media/technology related vocabulary)
Do you all get those “outside.in” email news updates, catered to specific area news??? All the new media people and their postings show up on that ( so far as I can see). I notice Zeke always gets top billing there, though.
So far as this matter of “nevada” “new media” not being functionally inclusive and community building (as envisioned in the vehicle that Tracy is putting out there), that’s because it hasn’t been manifested yet.
That process is organically happening now, with this conversation obviously a part of the creation process.
Mike, yes, your post showed up here because of your link to this post and underlying technology that makes that happen.
I do get Outside.in, but honestly it’s borderline useless. When for an entire month or more all I got were links to RGJ stories, I lost faith. They contacted me once about being or knowing of someone who would be a local editor. When I asked how much they were paying, I never heard back. The idea of outside.in was a good one started by a smart guy, but the execution has been atrocious.
Nevada New Media has shown through this brief process to this point that they are out of the loop around here. There are several places where this was already being done, and Tracy knew all about them. She chose to be a non-participant, and even tried to compete with at least one of the best places in town to have a conversation. Her venture failed miserably, and she never joined the other. Now we get a self-promotion vehicle to try to take the conversation away from the places it already lives and thrives, and move it to where her company can be front and center. That’s where one of my beefs is. It has nothing to do with not yet being manifested. If you read what she’s saying, she already knows all there is to know about doing this, but it’s not February yet. Then it will all be perfect. I can’t wait.
Thanks, Ryan. I just found and saw your own long article on this…..by going to outside.in, btw!!….and have a clearer understanding of all this now. And, i think I know what your talking about related to the social networking groups (like ning). Yours is the most active and interactive one I’ve seen (among the many ning groups I’ve seen). Those groups are hard to keep going…..people just seem to fade away….or drop in a couple of times a year.
Back to outside.in: todays listing has Zeke’s latest article at the very top, then a bunch of rgj stuff, then dullardmush and finally Ryan Jerz. No turd eye on reno, alas.
Mike,
Good points. I think the issue of this being part of the conversation is problematic because Tracy as the Nevada New Media spokesperson and co-founder has chosen to shun local efforts prior to springing the latest upon the community. It reads like an attempt to take ownership of something she before didn’t care to participate in — as if none of it was good enough. That’s the message I get.
More recently she has dodged at least two public invitations (one above by me, and one by Mike on Twitter) to sit down and chat (okay, Mike’s was going to be broadcast live as a Tallcan episode, which would have been fun, IMO) about all of this, which is all fascinating, especially for somebody who claims to be all about ‘community building.’
I like some of what she’s done as a blogger in Reno (great taste in music, for example) — she and Ryan were the trail blazers in my opinion — and would like to get to know her better in person. If she’s not willing that’s fine, but then the dialectic comes off as empty and insincere, or when there, as full of excuses and rationalizations.
Judging by these comments, the conversation in other words, continues to be for and by the folks who have been and continue to be active participants in Nevada new media efforts — none of whom are formally a part of the summit that claims, essentially, to represent them.
I’m not sure how many more ways all this can be said.
-Bob
I’ve not looked @ outside.in. but if it’s just zeke and the rgj then i don’t think i will.
That’s my other problem with the NNMS. It’s institutions trying to make it happen. It should be the people making it happen..
Nice to find you atiasrama! thanks for your input.
-M
[...] The Spin. It all looks to be heading for a showdown. One of the better exchanges I found was at I Am Indisposed. All three of the sites are New Media Crusaders. Most of the people in Nevada New Media don’t [...]