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The panel meets once a month in the conference room at the newspaper with Senior Editor Dan Barkin and Vice President of Marketing and Community Publishing Felicia Gressette. We have bagels and muffins and coffee. We talked about sports, Mary Easley, the comics, the editorials and how the N&O relates to the online space. We’ve met other editors and seen slide shows about demographics.

WELCOME TO THE UNDERGROUND

The Community Panel doesn’t exactly meet in a parking deck. But I’ve never seen any mention of the group in print or online.

Since I was never asked to sign an anonymity agreement, I guess it’s okay to blog about it. So here are my notes from the most recent meeting, Wednesday June 17, 2009.

“PARTING SHOTS”

Every meeting has its own flavor. In June, with several Community Panel members at the end of their one-year terms, we got to hear a little of what people really think. Call it “Parting Shots.”

The meeting started in the usual way - people milling around chit-chatting, getting their coffee, reading the day’s newspaper, fresh from the presses. Ruth and I discussed her imminent departure. “We have something to say,” she confided in me, indicating the senior panel members with her eyes.

The meeting began. We had previously discussed talking about “green” topics in the June meeting. But within moments, the senior panel members had steered the conversation to their own topic.

“I think the Community Panel is off-course,” said Jim. Ruth said about the same thing, as did Danny.

Ann said she “felt impotent on the panel.” I wrote in my journal “me too.” But mostly, the newer members kept quiet.

I watched Dan Barkin slowing eating his breakfast, eyes on the table, as the comments washed over him. I’m thinking, “this is awkward,” but I’m digging it, too. Not from schadenfreude, mind you. I think Dan Barkin is a good guy, a good newspaperman and in a position to need a thick skin. But I also think he needs to hear the criticism.

Someone on the panel worried about whether the paper will be here in another couple of years. Felicia Gressette assured us that “the N&O will be here in a hundred years.”

I admire her confidence.

WATCHDOG JOURNALISM AND OTHER KEY BRAND ATTRIBUTES

Both Dan and Felicia pointed out the key strategic attributes that guide the N&O:

• Watchdog Journalism
• Local Sports
• Editorials & Opinions

Ann added the N&O’s coverage of education issues to the list and some mention was made of “community.”

The News & Observer does a great job on investigative reporting. As Barkin points out, without a strong local newspaper, who will grind it out to do this stuff? Dan also mentioned that not every local newspaper uses its platform to keep an eye out for shady dealings in the public sphere. All true.

If I were the ad guy for the N&O, I’d push the watchdog journalism aspect in TV ads. It really is the brand equity and DNA.

STUMBLING INTO CYBERSPACE

The discussion shifted to the online site, newsobserver.com. Dan (or was it Felicia?) suggested that it might be interesting to have the panel read the paper for a month exclusively online.

Several members voiced anguish at this suggestion. Jim said he “couldn’t possibly read it all online.” He observed that the site was difficult to navigate.

Dan told us that the N&O is working on a new site and that he expects it will be live by the end of the summer. You heard it here first, people.

Felicia observed that the current site was like a “Rube Goldberg contraption.” This is not unusual in mega-sites that have grown for years without a major redesign. But I applaud her for saying it out loud. Later, she likened the website to “a giant kitchen junk draw.” Great phrase - pithy.

Dan followed up by mentioning that traffic to the website is robust and growing strongly (think he said 30% year-over-year). N&O blogs are driving one million page views per month.

I wondered why no one accepted my invitation to speak or attend WordCampRDU last week.

Dan also observed that the paper is continuing to create new blogs to meet community interest, including blogs about business, food and TV.

BLOGS NOT INDEXED FOR SEARCH

Panel member Danny noted that the search function on newsobserver.com doesn’t index the blogs. Dan complimented Danny on his web savvy and assured him that the N&O was working on a solution.

But, for me, that one fact sums up how far the N&O has got to go to really understand and benefit from social media.

NO GO ON GOLO

Interestingly, a couple of panel members pointedly disparaged WRAL’s GOLO portal and begged the N&O not to adopt a similar technique.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE COMMUNITY PANEL

Felicia acknowledged that the departure of Ted Vaden has left a void in the panel and the paper. She spoke sincerely and convincingly on the N&O’s need for community feedback and the value of the panel. Dan Barkin echoed her sentiments.

Earlier in the meeting, Ann and Jim had tossed out the idea of a Community Panel column online. This idea came back in a different way toward the end of the session.

ASSOCIATE EDITOR = MODERATOR

David, one of the junior panel members, had prepared a short report on mashing up climate news with the weather page. A self-avowed data junkie, David’s idea generated some enthusiasm from the panel. Dan joked that he should be an associate editor.

The other panel members carried the light chatter forward, suggesting a few humorous associate editor positions for panel members.

But, I thought, associate editor is not that different from the online function of moderator. Moderators can shape discussions, introduce topics and enforce rules and standards.

Looking beyond the Community Panel, wouldn’t a local paper benefit from training a force of “civilians” to help run the online operation? Imagine a moderator for each high school in the area, trained by the N&O to ensure a quality content stream. People are creating great content (how many dads have I seen at youth sports events with 1000mm lenses). What’s lacking is relevant organization.

It’s not share.triangle.com. It’s dozens, or even hundreds of local niche portals run by the N&O and supported by the communities.

Communities. Not community. The Triangle contains scores of communities, each with its own interests, news and events.

Maybe that associate editor gig isn’t such a joke after all. Call it Associate Community Editor and perhaps the journos could live with it.

REPLACING THE PUBLIC EDITOR

The panel has had no news that the N&O is seeking a replacement for Public Editor Ted Vaden. Maybe they shouldn’t.

What’s needed in 2009 is a Director of Social Media. Ford has one (@scottmonty). So does WRAL (@communitygirl).

The social web is the key to engaging audiences in the future (and, very rapidly, in the present). The social web is your feedback channel.

A DSM would explain why you should consider WordPressMU for your blogs (search is already baked in). The GarnerCitizen uses WordPress. So does The New York Times.

A Director of Social Media would build your Twitter stream. 1800 followers in a region with 1.3 million people could be improved.

A Director of Social Media would fit nicely under Felicia’s umbrella. The DSM could train community members to be moderators and help establish new channels.

THE LAST WORD

Panel member David had the last word. After listening to the debate about the role and nature of the Community Panel, he said “the most important thing is that it exists.”

Most people around the table seemed to agree with that notion.

GET INVOLVED

Past, present and future Community Panel members, readers of the News & Observer and people interested in Journalism 2.0 are invited to leave a comment or subscribe to this blog.

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Very sleek, very modern, very impressive facility. NC Central School of Education hosted WordCampRDU over the weekend.

• New on Flickr: 0614_nccu http://bit.ly/11UM4A #
• A rush of spammy followers after WordCamp yesterday. No pic, no posts=blocked. #
• Matt Mullenweg aka @photomatt is presenting. Hilarious & informative. #
• #WordCampRDU / Session 1 / Phillip Barron - WordPress 101 #
• Today is @WordCampRDU. Should be an exciting day! Tweet y’all later. #
• Don’t forget @WordCampRDU tomorrow in Durham. I’m presenting on videoblogging. http://bit.ly/KfW3h Sign up today - no door sales. #
• From my farm shoot yesterday http://bit.ly/17YgN5 #

• RT: @andrew_dunn: Baltimore Sun redesigning site. Before: http://www.baltimoresun.com/ After: http://bit.ly/166A0V (via @timwindsor) #
• New on Flickr: Long Branch Farm http://bit.ly/SdVUP #
• Long Branch Farm http://bit.ly/17YgN5 I took 380 pictures today. 1 down, 379 to go. #
• Done shooting for today. http://yfrog.com/5dj5yj Good day on the farm. #
• Just had a country ham sandwich to die for in Four Oaks, NC http://yfrog.com/18×2yj http://yfrog.com/5bsh9j #
• Just finished at Danny Rhodes farm http://yfrog.com/7gyuixj #
• Heading out to photograph three farms for our Ag client. Will tweet pix. If I’m not back by 3, send help. #
• Big thanks to @georgegumpert for being the official photographer @WordCampRDU this weekend. #
• RT: @erickschonfeld: Cisco on IP traffic. Video will be 90% of all consumer IP traffic and 64% of mobile by 2013: http://su.pr/50iCbR #
• New on Flickr: Lavender Exuberence http://bit.ly/k2lZB #
• Thanks to @WordCampRDU for the props! Be there on Saturday in Durham. Matt Mullenweg of Automattic is the keynote. http://bit.ly/KfW3h in reply to wordcamprdu #
• A Fifth of Blues is Number 1 on the ReverbNation Blues charts for Raleigh, NC! http://bit.ly/jPdIp Next show is 6/27 at the Aviator Brew … #
• RT @WordCampRDU Presenters include: @full_throttle @waynesutton @alanknox @andybeal @hal990 #wcrdu #wordcamp #wordpress This Sat, 6/13. #
• The Web in Numbers: Twitter Growth Flatlines http://bit.ly/pVfyg Via @mashable #
• Calla is the Sexiest Flower http://bit.ly/17A9Si Desktop of the Day. #
• Journalism at its finest: News & Observer forces ex-Gov’s wife to quit NCSU http://bit.ly/LIOc4 #
• Just added myself to the http://wefollow.com twitter directory under: #photographer #filmmaker #musi #

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1. WORDPRESS & VIDEO

The most basic question about video blogging might be: how do I get my video content into my blog? We recommend:

Video   —>   YouTube —>  WordPress

Upload your video to YouTube, grab the embed code and paste it into your blog. Make sure you paste it in “HTML” view in your WP blog.

Why not upload your video directly to WP? The answer is Search.

Search engines, and Google in particular, love video content. It is often returned above websites in a search result. Additionally, posting to YouTube gives a chance for a wider audience, better syndication and distribution.

Finally, don’t forget to use consistent tags when you upload your video to YouTube and WP.

2. EDITING IS GOOD

Editing is crucial to successful video production. Let’s start with available programs that are either free or under $150.

• PC - Pinnacle/Avid, MovieMaker
• Mac - iMovie, Final Cut

The key things you need to be able to do with video editing are:

• Edit sound and picture separately
• Decide the order of shots
• Decide the duration of shots

Those three are the biggies, but video editing has other key benefits as well:

• Ability to add music
• Add titles
• Add transitions (btw “Cuts” are 95% of all transitions)

3. PRODUCTION

Production (shooting) can be great fun. Here are a few tips and tricks to get a good result.

A. Composition

This is how you frame a shot in camera. Consider these four guideslines:

i. No need to move the camera

ii. Web video is a close-up medium

iii. Rule of Upper Thirds - place the subject’s eyes about a third down from the top of the frame.

iv. Keep it Square - pay attention to the horizon line.

B. Coverage

Make sure you get everything you need when you shoot.

i. B-roll and cutaways help illustrate the story

ii. Use different angles to provide variety

iii. Use the “short” end of the lens as much as possible (that is, stay wide and get close)

iv. Avoid zooms

C. Interview Technique

i. The person on camera should look at the interviewer, NEVER the camera.

ii. The interviewer needs to “hold the eyes” of the subject. Be nice, act interested, smile and nod. Don’t look down at your notes.

iii. Don’t talk over the talent. It generally ruins the take.

iv. Get the subject to restate your question in their answer (”statementize”)

D. Cheap Gear

• Tripod
• Low cost lighting - Home Depot aluminum reflector and high output CFLs
• Microphone

It’s also good to have a power strip, extension cord. some duct tape and a big plastic bin to keep your kit together.

E. Some Sage Advice

i. Plan your shoot in advance / develop a shot list

ii. Check your gear before you go

iii. You’re the Boss. Own it.

5. COMPARISON OF VIDEO CAMERAS

We also covered The Best Camera for Videoblogging, a reprise of an earlier post on this topic.

6. EXAMPLE

Here’s an example of a video blog we produced using the techniques outlined above. It took about an hour to shoot.

EXTRA

If you’d like a PDF of the slideshow that goes with “Intro to Video Blogging,” drop me a line.

* WordCamp photo by George Gumpert.

We’re working on an assignment that includes photographing 27 farms in Eastern NC. This is the first photo from my shoot yesterday of three plant nurseries near the town of Four Oaks.

The collections included jackets, jeans and shirts for men that transition from work to play. We shot at North Hills in Raleigh as our location.

Credits:

• Photographer - Hal Goodtree
• Stylist - Leslie Huffman
• Models - Todd & Thomas

Special thanks to North Hills.

• New on Flickr: Calla http://bit.ly/ypeUl #
• We’ve started a Flickr channel for one of our ag clients, the Johnston County Nursery Marketing Association in NC http://bit.ly/6tOX5 #
• Shooting today for menswear designer McKenzie Tribe #

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• New on Flickr: Aviator http://bit.ly/AV3iQ #
• Getting ready to play at Aviator Brewing Co http://yfrog.com/11ssoj #
• The Newspaper is Dead http://bit.ly/3OSYB Long live journalism. #
• Facebook Valued at $10 Billion http://bit.ly/L7azB Russian firm offers $200 million for stake in social media start up. #
• Online classified use soaring in U.S. http://bit.ly/tgQaN 45% of internet users, up from 22% in 05. Newspapers need to refocus. #

• Death on the Farm http://bit.ly/RHThJ Selected as WUNC/State of Things “Picture of the Week.” Thanks to Dave DeWitt & Katy Barron. #
• RT: @jayrosen_nyu: According to @ChloeS of Twitter, the AP’s report yesterday http://tr.im/mpJm about a Twitter TV show was incorrect. #
• Off to the dentist for some early morning torture. #
• New on Flickr: Death on the Farm http://bit.ly/7u1TN #
• NC Vietnam Veterans Memorial http://bit.ly/7k8ob Wishing everyone a peaceful Memorial Day. #
• Band practice with A Fifth of Blues http://yfrog.com/0dtgqj http://yfrog.com/5rr1bj #

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I’m proud to be represented once again (the first time was in August 07) by my photograph “Dump Trucks at Davis & High House” as the SOT Picture of the Week.

I suppose this photo is newsworthy due to the pitched battle that was fought over the development of this land.

A grass roots public advocacy group, DavisAndHighHouse.org, formed to fight additional development at this corner in Cary. It proved a lightening rod for public dissatisfaction with development in general, tipping the balance in municpal elections. One term mayor Ernie McAlister was upset and slow-growth candidate Harold Weinbrecht took over in North Carolina’s sixth largest city (News & Observer, 10/9/07).

Slow growth may be in, but too late to roll back the tide at the corner of Davis & High House.

Special thanks to SmartGrowthGirl.com and to Dave DeWitt and Katy Barron at WUNC.

• New on Flickr: Red Tractors, Gray Sky http://bit.ly/138cQf #
• The Future of Artificial Intelligence http://bit.ly/WJhzx The missing link between apes and intelligent beings may be us. Via @nytimes. #
• Wrightsville Beach, NC http://yfrog.com/0up4zoj #
• Digging our new clients in the Ag category. Traveling to Wilson, NC today to visit a tree & shrub farm. #
• N&O Community Panel today - one more picture http://yfrog.com/0zad9tj #

• N&O Community Panel - Tracy Cook presenting marketing data http://yfrog.com/0ycynj Fascinating. #
• At the N&O; discussion about future story topics concerning the economy http://yfrog.com/0xzucj #
• News & Observer Community Panel this morning http://yfrog.com/17h9uj #
• Evening in Richmond http://bit.ly/zX7FY Download the big size as wallpaper. #
• Call it a Program or an Initiative. Just don’t say Campaign. http://bit.ly/mYXe6 #
• New on Flickr: Richmond VA http://bit.ly/mVubj #
• New on Flickr: Good and Evil in the Garden http://bit.ly/dFCms #
• You can still get $5 off @WordCampRDU http://bit.ly/o8Gjf Sat June 13 at NCCU in Durham, NC. Keynote: Matt Mullenweg of Automattic. #
• RT @benkunz Tweetdeck is getting out of control. May be time to go back to a simpler system. Me: Try TwitterFox. Less of a RAM hog. #

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Virginia is for Lovers, originally uploaded by hal990.

New on Flickr. Good example of my mixed feelings about Virginia and my penchant for making pictures tell a story.

• A Journalist’s Guide to Twitter http://bit.ly/FG0uH Detailed info should be of interest to every newspaper man & woman. Via @mashable #
• Sporting News continues online expansion with a major NBA web channel. http://bit.ly/uzrv8 From the Sunday NY Times Sports. #
• Phrase of the Day: Zombie Banks http://bit.ly/113mW3 From William Safire in the Sunday NY Times Magazine #
• has reviewed the book Invisible Man - http://bit.ly/s5gQN #
• has read Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison - http://bit.ly/s5gQN #
• New on Flickr: Young Lavender http://bit.ly/13FXL5 #
• Desktop of the Day: Virginia Is For Lovers http://bit.ly/f5RvG The question is: lovers of what? Download the big size for wallpaper. #
• New on Flickr: Virginia is for Lovers http://bit.ly/wuJew #
• Matt Mullenweg, the founding developer of WordPress, is the keynote speaker @WordCampRDU. Be there! #wcrdu #
• Great meeting with @ldbaldwin about @wordcamprdu. Are you going? #
• RT: @Scobleizer: For my blog redesign, we are looking at Disqus, Intense Debate, BackType, Me: Don’t forget Subscribe By Email. #
• “Asymmetric social networks” by Tim O’Reilly http://bit.ly/8PMjB Good thinking and a useful term to understand @mrdictionary #
• New on Flickr: James Kelway Daisy http://bit.ly/12Mwsn #
• Sign up for WordCampRDU http://bit.ly/wcrdu09 Coming up on Sat June 13. Get your discount now, people! Please RT. #
• Estimate your web traffic http://webtraffic24.com/ This is pretty cool. Try it on your own site and see. #
• RT: @ldbaldwin: @brettbum, @gatewood5000, @hal990 and Phillip Barron are ALL speaking at #WordCampRDU June 13th. Join us! #
• Desktop of the Day: Magenta & Yellow James Kelway Daisies http://bit.ly/GGh0C Enjoy a little taste of NC springtime. Download the big size. #
• Some Judges Refuse Pay Cuts http://bit.ly/19a2PO This is what newspapers do well. @dbarkin @newsobserver #
• The “From” line in my Inbox said “President of the United States.” @whitehouse begins email marketing. Good idea, but needs improvement. #
• The Nanny State Snuffs Out Our Freedom http://bit.ly/sFUuV N&O repubs a blog on the Opinion page, a sign that newspapers are catching on. #
• Listening to Fortress: http://bit.ly/v7v9n #
• New interface for http://www.last.fm is pretty darn cool. Even includes a Ken Burns type slide show for streaming radio stations. #
• Pimping profiles on ActiveRain and Facebook Business Pages. Anybody know a good FB app for grabbing a Flickr stream to a Page? #
• Twitter hits 17 million visits in U.S. in April http://bit.ly/FLbqY HT @TechCrunch Impressive chart. Proud I joined when it was still flat. #
• RT: @10000Words: Brain drain from newspapers is a Self-Inflicted Wound http://bit.ly/3XiwiI #
• RT: @Padmasree: Bad idea-Twitter’s decision to hide replies to people you don’t follow. RT if you think so also #fixreplies Me: Amen in reply to Padmasree #
• RT: @smashingmag: The Do’s and Don’ts Of Modern Web Design - http://is.gd/wz1t Me: Link seems to be dead. Please repost. #
• Expert Advice on SEO for Blogs and Web Pages http://tinyurl.com/p97bk8 Thanks to @andrewcmiller and @mwalters at WordCamp Richmond #wcrva #
• Fair Use of Other People’s Content: a short guide http://bit.ly/KMrHj Thanks to @gatewood5000 #
• Following @wheresspot - the Mother of all Ad Communities online. Good stream already. Perry & Michael always get it. #
• New on Flickr: WordCamp - Bradley 2 http://bit.ly/qfA6w #
• I like the changes @newsobserver has made to their twitter stream. Much improved presentation, better info. @dbarkin #
• One last pic from WordCamp Richmond - Journalist and Fictioneer Bradley Robb http://bit.ly/17dNY3 @knownhuman @mwalters #wcrva #
• RT @PerrySchaffer NYC 59th downtown A platform. Old guy singing My Girl with the Temptations backing him. Awesome voice. Me: I love NY. #
• It’s Official: I’m presenting @WordCampRDU in Raleigh, NC on Saturday June 13. Thanks @ldbaldwin! More info to follow. #wcrdu #
• Want to see a community news blog that works? Try Church Hill People’s News http://chpn.net/news/ #
• Wow - I’m following @Astro_Mike from the Space Shuttle. HT @pogue #
• Flickr Pic of the Day: Magic Bus http://bit.ly/17VjtQ @codearachnid - over-saturated and over-sharp, just for you spider man. #
• New on Flickr: WordCamp - Matt http://bit.ly/ZszPe #
• Couple of more pix from WordCamp Richmond http://bit.ly/3RM4G @mwalters @rosscatrow @chpn @gatewood5000 #wcrva #
• WSJ Presents: Back to the Future - Return of the Walled Garden. Per @mashable, this one’s sure to be a box office dud http://bit.ly/RGPNF #
• A few pix from WordCamp/Richmond http://bit.ly/yy0NB #wcrva Very well run WC. Great speakers. Congrats to @mwalters #
• Apparently, I’m speaking at @wordcamprdu. #
• New on Flickr: WordCamp - Community Panel http://bit.ly/14vsRI #

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New on our Flickr photostream.

THE BACKGROUND

Reassuringly, Andrew pointed out that search engine optimization is:

• Not Rocket Science or Voodoo
• Not Free Traffic
• Not “Set It and Forget It”

Too true. Managing search is like caring for a useful pet, perhaps a sheep dog. You want to herd the audience to your content. Andrew called it a “funnel to capture intent.” His metaphor is probably better.

THE 3 PILLARS OF SEARCH

Many pundits try to explain the quantum mechanics of search, but Andrew’s summation seems as good as any. Ranking in search rests on three pillars:

1. Accessibility - Can the search engines find you?
2. Relevance - Who related is your content to a particular search?
3. Credibility - How can the search engines tell if you are an expert?

ACCESSIBILITY

Andrew touted the benefits of Sitemaps to create visibility for search engines. These are not the site maps that viewers may use to find pages on your website. Sitemaps (capital “S”) are code documents that index all your content and provide instructions for search engines.

Andrew noted that many tools exist online to help you generate Sitemaps including Google Webmaster, Yahoo Site Explorer and Sitemaps.org.

RELEVANCE

Want to boost relevance - take a look at the stats for your website or blog. What are the entry keywords - that is, what did people search for that led them to you?

Focus your content on the keywords and concepts most dear to your audience. Use your keywords liberally - in links, headlines, body copy and elsewhere.

Write for humans, not search robots, and you will also keep the audience you attract.

CREDIBILITY

Links from other websites to your content, also called incoming links, build cred with the search ‘bots. One sure fire method to build incoming links to to circulate your content widely.

For example, we’ll repost this blog on ActiveRain, the portal for real estate professionals. We also use Feedburner and other services to notify all the search engines when we post and distribute the content to blog aggregators everywhere.

Finally, Andrew mentioned another of our favorite things: deploying an AddThis button on web pages and blog posts. AddThis and other social buttons give your audience a wealth of ways to share and save your content, including bookmarks, email, Facebook and Twitter.

All this enables more sharing of your content and more external links back to you.

SLIDE SHOW PRESENTATION

Andrew conveniently included his slides in an online slideshow.

WordCamp is great for bloggers of all stripes. Thanks to Matt Walters for organizing WCRVA.

Look for more details soon about WordCamp RDU for folks in the Triangle area of North Carolina.

• Thunder storms in NC. The sky is so red and torn up it looks like a bloody wound. #
• Heading back to NC. WordCamp Richmond was great - thanks to all the presenters & @mwalters for organizing #wcrva #
• Three pillars of SEO - Accessibility, Relevance and Cred. Good info from @andrewcmiller at WordCamp Richmond #wcrva #
• Now, Andrew Miller on SEO for blogs at WordCamp Richmond #wcrva #
• Interesting info from @mwalters on Custom Fields in WP. We use custom fields to display video on StreetstyleTV http://bit.ly/10oSTA #wcrva #
• Matt Walters on WordPress Themes and as a CMS #wcrva #
• “Newspapers can’t compete with the flat org chart of bloggers.” #wcrva #
• Got a WP t-shirt! http://twitpic.com/4v4n3 #wcrva #
• Chris Gatewood, lawyer and blogger, on copyright #wcrva #
• Tim Wood only said #uck once. Or twice. I feel cheated. Serious nerd stuff #wcrva #
• WordCamp afternoon session - Tim Wood on Security & Hardening #wcrva #
• Lunch at Bottoms Up http://twitpic.com/4us3v #wcrva #
• Wow - Less than 10% of the crowd subscibes to a daily newspaper #wcrva #
• 23 no-shows at WordCamp Richmond http://twitpic.com/4ul17 50% of life is just showing up #wcrva #
• Interesting idea - AP for bloggers. Community bloggers citing examples of newspapers scraping their content #wcrva #
• Discussion about the survival of newspapers http://twitpic.com/4uiwg #wcrva #
• John Murden presenting on community blogging http://twitpic.com/4ug2g Who knew Richmond was the citizen blogging Capitol of America? #wcrva #
• Blogging panel starting with Jason Kenney #wcrva #
• Good stuff from Bradley Robb on the new journos @knownhuman #wcrva btw: RSS is dead. #
• Bradley Robb presenting on content http://twitpic.com/4ud5c @knownhuman #wcrva #
• Intro from Matt Walters & Chris Gatewood http://twitpic.com/4ucxo #wcrva #
• WordCamp Richmond http://twitpic.com/4uc13 Getting set up #wcrva #
• I failed the stress test. But I’m not eligible for a bailout. #
• Gas is up to 2.15 a gallon in NC http://twitpic.com/4s4xs How much is gas (or petrol) where you live? #
• Beam me up, Scotty. Earthlings are experiencing a pandemic of StarTrek flu. #
• Caged Buddhas: Desktop of the Day http://bit.ly/DYXyx One of my Flickr faves. By the artist Stuck in Customs. #
• Looking forward to WordCamp this weekend in Richmond #wcrva #
• This is bad: only 4 out of 16 science teachers at my daughter’s high school have web pages. And 2 of them are on Geocities. #
• Braved the tornado and had a fine dinner with the Johnston County Nursery Marketing Association. #
• I’d Rather Be in Paris http://bit.ly/9J3TQ Desktop of the Day. #
• The Big View from the Middle of Nowhere: May 09 - http://eepurl.com/bbP0 Our monthly digest of web news. #
• The Big View from the Middle of Nowhere: May 09 - http://eepurl.com/bbP0 #
• Listening to KCRW, Morning Becomes Eclectic http://www.kcrw.com/ Support public radio #musicmonday #
• Desktop of the Day: Radioactive Shopping Center http://bit.ly/XFBQg Click “All Sizes” above the picture to download as wallpaper. #
• Win a Flip camera from @1938 media http://bit.ly/TEmDv Sounds like the perfect project: here’s the footage, make something great #1938 #
• From GigaOm: Why MySpace May Be GeoCities 2.0 http://bit.ly/dr45j Me: A brand’s arc can be painfully short in the virtual ecosystem. #
• New on Flickr: Waverly http://bit.ly/Mz6Nt #

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1. Is the original work being reused for commercial or non-commercial purposes?
2. What type of work is being copied (factual vs. creative). Classic example is the phone book.
3. How much of the work is used? There is no hard and fast rule, for example, like three lines or less.
4. Effect upon the potential market for the original work. Can be very subjective.

Of course, the solid gold way to use content from others is to get permission. Citing sources and using links boosts your cred and lowers your risks as well.

Good presentation on legal issues for bloggers. Thanks Chris!

The gang at Vision Park in Raleigh invited us to an eye wear trunk show. We saw the latest trends from OGI and JeeVice. We even had cupcakes with lemonade icing.

Special thanks to Elizabeth from Vision Park and Michele from the blog One Chic Mama.

In the May issue, that guy is me.

The one caveat: I had to wear a skirt.

Read the full story online or pick up a copy at your local news stand.