Cohort10's Interactive Journalism Blog

Wikipedia Edit Tracker

cohort10 — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 20:08:02 +0000

This application can track the IP address of a user who edits any Wikipedia page:

http://wikiscanner.virgil.gr/

Here is Wired Magazine’s take:

http://www.wired.com/politics/onlinerights/news/2007/08/wiki_tracker

-A.C.

Wikipedia Conflicts of Interest

cohort10 — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 20:00:53 +0000

Some helpful ethics guidelines to follow when editing material on Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Conflict_of_interest

-A.C.

“GITMO” in pictures and other slideshows

cohort10 — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 18:09:59 +0000

An excellent narrated photo slideshow of the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station in Cuba.

The Atlantic Online offers several narrated photo slideshows.

Some of my favorites are Above Nambia, Panda Land, and Spirit in the Sky. What are your thoughts?

Do you know of any sites that offer high quality digital storytelling?
A.C.

Recording Phoners

cohort10 — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:11:17 +0000

OK…to answer your questions…

I record phone interviews at work – I know there are trinkets you can buy to hook up to your phone and recording device – but, they can be quite costly.

same answer as above

not recording online

The best sound quality is captured when you record in studio

Not sure how well the speaker phone quality will turn out – but, it’s a decent idea!!!

One word: OIL

cohort10 — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:42:01 +0000

OIL

The blogoshpere abounds with tales of gloom and doom.

The view from abroad is mixed with some saying that the bubble has burst.

There is hope that the pressure of high gasoline prices will force innovation in fuel efficiency.

Record profits among the multinational may accelerate the development of emerging fossil fuel technologies.

A.C.

A house in order or a house built on sand?

cohort10 — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:48:19 +0000

On the other hand, the dollar is weak compared to the Euro, the British Pound, and the Canadian Dollar. The current economic woes would be considered a soft landing for a robust and fundamentally sound U.S. economy.

A hard landing would would be devastating for a House of Cards economy.

A.C.

The G.D.P. in maps

cohort10 — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:41:16 +0000

The U.S. economy is still dominant despite the looming recession and the rise of India and China. Our gross domestic product is estimated to be in excess of 13 trillion dollars for 2007 according to the C.I.A. World Factbook.

Here is a snapshot taken by the blogosphere:http://tjic.com/?p=5076The sourcing is disputed for the ‘United States of the World’ map, but the idea is clear.

A.C.

Find free stock photos

cohort10 — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 20:29:47 +0000

Picfindr is a good search engine to find free stock photos.

The Creative Commons search engine also has a wealth of free information.

This blog lists 100 sites that offer royalty free photos.

If you are using someone else’s photo, be sure to attribute the work and read the license.

A.C.

Spice up your soundslide, interview, or podcast

cohort10 — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 20:17:44 +0000

You can use add free sound effects to your audio track by visiting Soundsnap on the web. The site offers an interactive library of free samples that you can download in several formats. You can load these files in Audacity and copy and paste the sound effects into your interview.

From the Soundsnap website:

Soundsnap is the best platform to find and share free sound effects and loops- legally. It is a collection of original sounds made or recorded by its users, and not songs or sound FX found on commercial libraries or sample CD’s.

It was originally started by a small group of sound people from all over the world. Our common belief is that sounds and samples should be free for everyone to use in their projects, commercial or not.

Our users are a diverse mix of sound designers, sound artists, web game developers, filmmakers and music producers. Hobbyists and home video makers are welcome too.

Enjoy!

A.C.

Digital audio and interview technique

cohort10 — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 20:15:33 +0000

Find a quiet spot to conduct your interview.

Know the capability and limitations of your recording device.

Remember to start off by identifying yourself.

Ask questions for sound bites.

Avoid vocalized pauses, the use regional dialect/slang, and over-used phrases.

Be prepared for setbacks, frustrations, and equipment failing at the wrong time.

Always have a backup plan.

A.C.