Current.com Blog
- Closed Topic: Look around, vote and respond but you need an invitation to add
What the heck is going on around here? Wouldn’t you like to know? Just because the Current.com team is busily coding away doesn’t mean we can’t take the time to keep you posted on what is happening here at Current. If you’d like to stay in the know about the seedy underbelly of developing and maintaining a website such as this, you can choose to follow the Current.com Blog topic. This is also the place for you to holler at us when you've got a complaint or a suggestion, or give us kudos if you think we've earned it. Let the dialogue begin!
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What is “good citizenship” on Current.com?
So you’ve become part of the Current online community (welcome!), and you may be asking yourself, “What now?” Well, as with any community (virtual or otherwise) there are some responsibilities that come with being an active member. However, in an online community it’s not always clear what makes someone a good citizen. We took a cue from some of the most active members of the Current community, and came up with a short list of good places to start:
// Make comments meaningful //
Not every comment is going to be deep and insightful, but that doesn’t mean touting “First!” on every thread is the way to go. Some of our best comments are made by those members of our community who take the time to raise a question, answer another community members’ inquiry, make a point with a supporting link, or point out an issue that deepens the debate.
Stay on topic. Remember, you can always start a new topic or thread if you would like to discuss something else. Ask yourself whether or not your comment belongs on this thread, or deserves a thread of its own.
Debating differences of opinion should not be personal, so don’t be the one to go there. Remember, it’s OK to agree to disagree, but please do it in a respectful manner that promotes discussion and debate.
// Weigh in with a vote //
Voting is a simple way to give your opinion on a story and help shape what gets reported in Current:News. Make sure you know what voting is, how it works, and it’s effect on a story. We’ve posted about this before, you can read it here: http://current.com/items/89017951_vote_up_vote_down_and....
It’s OK to redlight something, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad story or that you hate it, and it definitely doesn’t make you a troll. Try to vote based on whether or not you’d like to see it highlighted in an upcoming Current:News segment. Our community is full of all different types of people, so it’s only natural that we’re going to get a variety of stories – that’s the beauty of it!
// Flag //
If something looks spammy, strange, or seems like it could be a violation of our community standards, flag that puppy. It’s best to let us take care of a situation rather than calling another user out or trying to handle the situation yourself. Also, when describing the issue, please be clear and concise. Descriptions like “that’s wrong!” or “they can’t say that, take it down!” don’t really help us out. Something like “excessive profanity” or “spam” or “personal attack” give us a much better idea of the issue at hand.
// Contribute //
Posting items is a great way to contribute to the site and inform others about the issues, topics and events that you find important. While not every contribution will skyrocket to a featured slot in Current:News, here are a few tips to help get your post noticed, your opinion heard, and then perhaps even on TV.
Have a catchy title, but make sure it’s accurate and relevant. If your post is about ice cream, don’t title it, “Cure for Cancer Found!”
Add a picture. Take minute to find a relevant and interesting picture to go along with your post. If necessary, make sure to give credit for the picture you use.
Tell us what you think! Adding a short excerpt from an article is a great, but take a minute to add a short blurb letting people know why you think it’s revolutionary…or ridiculous.
Be Nice! That’s what a lot of this boils down to. Respect your fellow Current community members. Differences in opinion are always going to pop up, especially on Current. By taking the time to be nice and have a meaningful conversation with others, you’re on your way to be a great Current citizen and creating an even better Currrent.com
We’ve tried to cover the big things here, but since all of us have a hand in contributing, we want your help defining the Current.com community. Help us out by telling us what you think our community should value when it comes to “good citizenship” on Current.com.
So you’ve become part of the Current online community (welcome!), and you may be asking yourself, “What now?” Well, as with any commun... more -
Got an iPhone? Make it Current!
Since the launch of the iPhone, and the crazy cool App Store, we've been fielding questions like, "Hey, where's the Current.com iPhone app?" and "What's up with Current on the iPhone?"
Well, we're not quite ready for an iPhone app, but we're working on it. In the meantime, you can still use your iPhone to contribute to Current.com by adding a "Make Current" bookmarklet to your Safari bookmarks, and then syncing your bookmarks to your iPhone.
Simple, right? Well, just in case I threw together a quick how-to. Take a gander and get set up to contribute to Current from anywhere your iPhone has signal.
Speaking of Current.com iPhone apps -- what would your ideal app do? Would it be able to shoot video while streaming to Current.com? What about voting and commenting on the latest rising stories in Current:News? Or, would it make coffee and balance your check book?
Tell us your ideas in a response below.
Mario
Online Community Team Since the launch of the iPhone, and the crazy cool App Store, we've been fielding questions like, "Hey, where's the Current.com iPhone... more -
The Current.com Guide to Troll Spotting
// How to Identify a Troll //
Trolls are tricky. They like to cause trouble. That’s it. They like chaos and disorder and they love nothing more than coming into a discussion, leaving a comment that they know is inflammatory and then sitting back and watching the fur fly. Some trolls are obvious, some are sneaky, but they all want the same thing—to wreak havoc.
There are many ways to define a troll—try Googling “troll” and you’ll see what I mean. But when identifying a troll, there are some things you should keep in mind.
Disagreeing with someone is not always troll-like behavior. Also, expressing a minority opinion does not make someone a troll. Not taking the time to upload an avatar, or fill out profile, is not damning evidence of trollhood, either.
On a site like Current, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that everyone on the site shares a particular ideological viewpoint. But Current isn’t a site just for liberals, or a site just for conservatives. All viewpoints and opinions are welcome here (as long as everyone plays by our community standards, as always) even if they aren’t always the most popular.
// Defeating Trolls in One Easy Step //
Don’t feed the trolls.
Really, that’s it. The best thing to do when you run across is to take a deep breath and back away from the keyboard. Trolls love drama, and the easiest way to make them go away is not to give them any. Go for a walk, read a book, pick up your knitting, practice meditation, hit a punching bag—whatever you do to calm down, now is a great time for it.
If someone is violating our community standards, please use the flag button to report them to staff, and we’ll deal with it. Troll-wrangling is part of what we do, so let us deal with them.
It may be tempting to call out a troll in the comments, but please don’t. Troll is a slippery definition, and chances are that’s going to cause a lot of heated discussion—exactly what a troll wants.
So remember. Don’t feed the trolls.
Steph
Online Community Team
Flickr Photo: Troll in Eden shop, Hveragerði by chillihead http://www.flickr.com/photos/chillihead/729241192/
// How to Identify a Troll // ... more -
Updated profiles and a brand new level -- Picked for TV
Howdy Current community, our latest release brings a few updates to profile pages and a brand new level to Current.com – Picked for TV. Community members can now level up based on the number of times their submissions have been picked for TV, in addition to leveling up as a commentator with comments and votes, a producer with VC2 and VCAM uploads, and a contributor with link submissions from blogs, news sites, online videos, etc.
Head over to your profile and check out the new layout in the upper right corner. There you will now find three tabs worth of goodness – levels, achievements, and activity.
Here is a quick rundown of our levels:
// Picked for TV //
Picked for TV is tracked with pink squares – each time you make it on TV in Current:News, VCAM, or VC2 you’ll increase your chance of leveling up!
// Producer //
Producer is now periwinkle blue – level up by uploading VCAM or VC2 eligible videos!
// Contributor //
Contributor is sticking with orange squares – submitting news stories, blog posts, and other links move you up in level.
// Commentator //
Commentators are represented with teal squares – comment and/or vote 5 times in one day, and you’ll earn a kudos point. The more kudos you collect, the more you level up.
You'll also notice that the level badges next to avatars on the homepage and in responses have been updated to show four tracks instead of three. The corresponding color for each level will light up for each bar, so it is easy to tell where other community members are in terms of leveling on Current.
We've added an achievements tab on the profile tab to call out which of your submissions made it on TV by type, whether it be a VC2 pod, a VCAM, or a Current:News item or response. Think of achievements as your own personal trophy case for your TV accomplishments. Once something you’ve submitted makes it on TV, your achievements will update in this tab. Check it out!
We’ve received several requests for a better way to look at your personal activity on Current.com. The community wants to keep track of what they've done, and it also helps to see what someone else has contributed. So, we added the Activity tab to track how many total contributions you’ve added, responses you’ve left, videos you’ve uploaded, webcams you’ve recorded, and votes you’ve submitted. Take a look and let us know what you think.
// So, I got an email...What's going on with level 2 swag?? //
We’ve got some good news! The swag train is just about loaded and ready to leave the station. We’ve run into a couple hold-ups along the way, but things have been sorted out and we are poised send some Current goodies your way.
One of the cool things heading your way are Current laptop stickers made by StickerGiant. You can check out the design on their blog: http://www.stickergiant.com/blog/?p=323
Let us know what you think by leaving a response below.
Best,
Mario
Online Community Team Howdy Current community, our latest release brings a few updates to profile pages and a brand new level to Current.com – Picked for TV... more -
So you wanna be a homepage hero
There you are, surfing the internet, and you finally find it. That great story, the one that makes you laugh/cry/cheer. You want to share it with all your friends and post it to Current.com—but how to make your item stand out from the crowd?
Here are some tips to help you make your posts to Current even more eye-catching.
1) Give it a catchy title
The title is the first thing people are going to look at, so make sure yours is a good one. You want to give enough information to lure someone in, but you don’t want to tell the entire story. Something short and witty that sums up the story is always good. (And we won’t turn down a good pop culture reference either.)
2) Find the best link
Let’s face it, the Internet is repetitive, and you’ll often find the same story posted a lot of places. Check around to see if there are different or more complete versions of the story you’re linking to; sure, a short story pulled from a newsfeed is great, but an in-depth piece from a local paper is even better. Some of the places we look for breaking news are CNN http://www.cnn.com/ and NPR http://www.npr.org/. If you have other great sources for breaking news, share them in the comments!
3) Did someone already add this?
Do a quick search on Current.com to see if anyone else has already clipped a version of the story, especially if it's a popular news item. Let's face it, 20 stories in a row about the same thing would be pretty boring. If someone has already added a version of the story, but your link has new or better information, try adding it as a comment on the original item instead.
4) A picture is worth a thousand words
Make sure you’re using the best image to go with your item. If the image that is selected automatically isn’t the one you want, use the “choose other media” link under the preview image to browse for more, or add an image from elsewhere on the web. If you’re adding a video, make sure you have the image that shows the player selected. Can’t find an image? Flickr is a great source for images that are available to use under the Creative Commons License. Find Flickr Creative Commons here: http://flickr.com/creativecommons/
5) What makes this interesting?
That’s what we want to know! Don’t just copy and paste the entire article; sure, that tells us what’s going on, but it doesn’t tell us why you think it should be on Current. Instead, summarize or quote the most interesting parts and then let us know what you think about it.
6) Tag it!
A great way to get your story seen is by adding topic tags—but choose wisely. Add as many relevant topics as you can think of, but resist the temptation to add topics just because they’re popular. Make sure that the topics really are related to the story, and be as specific as you can. Something like news is a pretty big topic, so you might want to consider adding more tags—is it entertainment news? International news? Politics? Just make sure the topics apply; no one wants to find the entertainment topic cluttered up with science news, or to head over to the WTF topic looking for something bizarre only to find endless stories on politics. Add topics wisely!
So, what are you waiting for? Go out and start clipping!
Photo by Randy Son of Robert http://flickr.com/photos/randysonofrobert/1154746963/ There you are, surfing the internet, and you finally find it. That great story, the one that makes you laugh/cry/cheer. You want to sh... more -
UGB -- User Generated Bamboo
Last week we had to remove a post by GreenScreenCinema for reasons that I won't go into (partly because they will bore you).
Today a package arrived for me. I knew today held little significance for me in my personal life, so when I received a message informing me that a package arrived, I confoundedly wandered to the front desk.
Lo and behold, the package was from GreenScreenCinema -- a bamboo plant with a nice note:
"Dear Mario, I'm $50.73 worth of sorry for my article [sic]. I didn't think you'd be mad, geez! I also noticed that you sit in a dungeon, so I thought I'd knock down 2 birds with this one plant. -- GreenScreenCinema"
Well, thanks! While I totally appreciate the plant and the fresh oxygen it brings to the dungeon, I was never mad per se.
But thanks for the bamboo! Now all I need is an alligator, and I can start up Indiana Jones adventures of my own. ;)
http://current.com/items/89002415_indiana_jones_and_the...
Thanks!
Mario
Online Community Team Last week we had to remove a post by GreenScreenCinema for reasons that I won't go into (partly because they will bore you). ... more -
Tour of the Current Headquarters in San Francisco
Scott Beale of Laughing Squid visited the Current offices last Friday, snapped a few photos, and stuck around for lunch. Here is his blog post recapping the fun. Scott Beale of Laughing Squid visited the Current offices last Friday, snapped a few photos, and stuck around for lunch. Here is his b... more
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Let’s talk staff participation, algorithmic soup, and Current:News
Hey everyone. Concerns regarding staff participation and perceived “selective censorship” in Current:News have been bubbling up, and I’d like to try and clear the air a bit. We’ll need to work together to get things running smoothly, and this boils down to a boatload of time spent discussing the issues in play. So let’s dive in!
// Staff Participation on Current //
Current staffers are a part of the community. We vote, comment, and contribute stories. Some staff submissions become popular. Others fall into obscurity like many others. In the end, Current:News is about participatory news, and we all work together to determine what gets reported.
Current staff includes our large broadcast team and our online team of developers, designers, product and community teams, and most importantly for the purposes of this conversation, an editorial team.
// Why did this story jump up / get featured over another? What gives? //
Whenever major news breaks across the world, we get flooded with similar submissions on Current. Our editors focus on making sure that the same type of story doesn’t get reported several times over, that what we report makes interesting television, and that the items reported are credible and accurate.
They only intentionally place a story on the home page in rare cases of breaking news. When I say breaking, I mean major political decrees, losses of human life, convictions and other jury verdicts, etc. When we do this, you’ll see a bright red “Breaking News” badge next to the story. We promise to use this power responsibly.
Does Current staff ever push content down? Yes. Because popular stories on Current make it to TV, we take an active role in making sure that each newscast comprises of compelling news based on your contributions. Sometimes stories cannot be aired on TV – not because we don’t like the story, but because some have already been reported, don’t make gripping television, or are inappropriate for TV.
We don’t do it often, we’d like to do it even less, and our intent is to reduce this practice as our algorithm improves. Still, we should do a better job communicating this—and we will.
// What is this “algorithmic soup” you speak of? //
We hear this all the time: “Why does this item have X number of views, Y number of comments, and a higher % of green votes over red votes, yet it still hasn’t made it into Current:News?” Well, our algorithm takes many factors into account when determining item popularity. I can’t give you the whole recipe, but the ingredients include everything from comments to votes to community reputation and story freshness.
Sharing activity counts, too. If you find a story you think others should see, send it to connections by using the share feature. Or, post it to Twitter, your blog, Facebook, etc. Get the word out and get people to vote and comment on the story.
Take note: Sometimes less is more. If a Paris Hilton submission doesn’t feel right for Current, don’t post comments expressing how inappropriate you think it is. These spark discussion and could inadvertently give the story a boost! Instead, voice your input by voting it down, and then move along.
// Vote Up/Vote Down buttons //
We’ve weighed the option of ditching the red voting button, but we felt it was more important to clarify voting instead. It’s less about whether or not you like the content of the story and more about whether or not you feel more people should see it. A one-button voting mechanism is OK, but getting both positive and negative feedback helps us more in the long run.
We hold daily reviews, and we spend a lot of time poring over everything that is going on and trying to find ways to improve both our human and algorithmic processes. We’re far from perfect, but we’re working really hard to get better.
I realize that this is a lot to process. Soak it all in, and let’s discuss. Our goal is to improve and your feedback is pivotal, so let me know what you think.
Mario
Online Community Team Hey everyone. Concerns regarding staff participation and perceived “selective censorship” in Current:News have been bubbling up, and I... more -
Vote Up, Vote Down, and Rising News
Hey there, it's release time once again here at Current.com, and this time around we have several new features to recap, so let's jump right in.
// Yellow Bar //
If you're reading this, chances are you've already met our new home page message bar. This cleverly named yellow bar gives us the ability to easily inform our community of system news and recent Current.com blog posts. When we have updates, the trusty yellow bar will appear with links to help guide you on your way.
// Voting Buttons //
How many times have you wanted to vote on a story, but hesitated when faced with the decision between I Like It and Nope? Too often? We know. Voting I Like It for a story like, "Albinos hunted for their body parts" just feels so...wrong.
Confusion over our voting buttons has gone on for too long, so we've decided to try something different on our home page. Current community, meet our new Vote Up and Vote Down buttons. Now voting up a story like "Albinos hunted for their body parts" no longer implies that a voter thinks hunting Tanzanian albinos is a good idea, it simply means that this is a story they think should be seen by more members of the Current community.
// Featured Videos //
Have you noticed the Current TV tab at the top of the page? This tab is a one-stop shop for checking out and voting on pods that have aired on Current TV. The most popular Current TV pods now have the chance to show up on the home page in our new Featured Video slots found in the home page stream. Featured Videos are not eligible to get picked for Current:News, and they will change with each refresh of the home page. Try it out!
// Rising News //
Looking for more stories to vote on? Check out the new Rising News section. Think of it as an on-deck circle for stories that are starting to pick up steam and gain some traction on the popularity front. Place some votes, refresh, repeat.
// Wait, those look suspiciously like ads... //
OK, you caught us. In an effort to afford keeping our servers running and our team fed, we'll be introducing ads on both the Current.com home page and our topic pages. For now we’re simply displaying Current-related house ads, but our plan is to keep things clean and friendly once we start introducing offsite ads.
As always, these are some significant changes to Current.com, so please don't hesitate to shoot us a response on this post sharing your thoughts and feedback. If you don't feel like sharing publicly, you can always fire off an email to feedback@current.com.
I look forward to hearing what you have to say,
Mario
Online Community Team Hey there, it's release time once again here at Current.com, and this time around we have several new features to recap, so let's jump... more -
Items rebooted -- response threads and sharing
Howdy,
Release day is upon us once again, which means new features on Current.com. Here’s a breakdown of what’s new:
A new look for items
- You may have noticed that the “keep browsing” section has packed its bags and moved across the page to the left. We think this will help draw attention to other Current.com items worth checking out.
- We’ve moved the views and response counts up to make way for longer titles on your items.
- The launch of Current:News brought heaps of feedback about picked for TV items. We’ve added tabs at the top of picked for TV items, so switching between the item and it’s Current:News counterpart is easier than ever.
- Our send button has been re-incarnated as an email button, which in retrospect makes much more sense.
- Have thumbnail woes? If you’ve ever uploaded a video that resulted in a lackluster screenshot, this one is for you. Our uploader now lets you select and edit screenshots to your heart’s content.
Improved responses, now with threading!
- Item pages were getting some redesign love, so we decided to toss in some improvements to responses as well. Now when you include an image or video in your response it will display in-line, in all its glory. Try it out!
- But wait, there’s more! We know discussions on Current.com can get confusing, so we’ve added the ability to reply directly to another community member’s response. These create threaded discussions that can be expanded or collapsed. Go post a response to a response, it’s fun!
Tired of receiving share emails?
- Shares are a great way to, well, share with other members of the community. While these emails can be informative, too many shares can quickly become overwhelming. Our first step is to add the ability to customize share email preferences. You can choose to receive shares from anyone, just your connections, or no shares at all. In addition, when you receive a share email, you will now be able to prevent that individual from sharing with you in the future. We’ll be expanding this in our next release, so let us know what you think.
User generated content? No, user generated logo!
- A short while ago, a member of the Current.com community sent us some feedback regarding our header logo. Needless to say, the feedback was critical, but it was also spot on. Thankfully, he offered some helpful tips, and lo-and-behold, a much-improved version of our Current.com header logo was born. You can read his original post here, complete with screenshot comparisons: http://www.nivas.hr/blog/2008/05/12/optimize-your-logos.... Thanks, Daemon!
Our team has been working feverishly on these updates, and they’re eager to hear what you think of them. Suggestions? Feedback? Post a response below, or pour your thoughts into an email, fold it into a digital paper airplane, and send it flying in the direction of feedback@current.com.
Best,
Mario
The Online Community Team Howdy, Release day is upon us once again, which means new features on Current.com. Here’s a breakdown of what’s new: ... more -
The Power to Recommend
Some of you may have leveled up and noticed that you’ve attained a newfound ability on Current—the power to recommend.
But, we noticed that there’s been some confusion about what ‘recommending’ is and how it’s intended to be used, so we want to let you know what’s going on.
We all see a lot of great stuff on Current—but sometimes you see something so great, so insightful, that you just want to give it that extra push. That’s the time to recommend something. Recommending isn’t a way to say “I agree,” it’s a way to highlight the best of the best—the thing that, if someone could only look at one thing on Current that day, you would tell them to read.
Think of recommendations as the Oscars of Current.com. Sure, you might get sucked into watching Dirty Dancing every time it’s on, but it’s not Gone with the Wind. Save your recommendations for the Gone with the Wind comments—otherwise, they won’t mean as much.
Do you like the ability to recommend? Do you agree that it should be reserved to highlight the very best on Current.com? Let us know what you think in a comment below.
Best,
Steph
Online Community Team
Some of you may have leveled up and noticed that you’ve attained a newfound ability on Current—the power to recommend. ... more -
We'll Miss You Jonny!!
Hey Jonny,
Of all the wonderful people I've had the pleasure of working with at Current you hold the highest honor of being the most miserable person I've ever had to work with. I'm glad we are finally opening up a spot for a hard working, brilliant, funny, and overly witty engineer on the team. You know...basically someone who's the exact opposite of you. I tried to come up with a list of things to thank you for but it gave me migraines so I squashed that idea and made a list of things I'm not thankful for. No thanks for passing gas in my general vicinity. No thanks for teaching me engineering logic. No thanks for giving me rides home. No thanks for asking how I was doing when my grandpa was ill. No thanks for taking me out for drinks. No thanks for reminding me to enjoy my youth.
Ok maybe a couple of thank you's. Thank you for everything, anything, something and, most importantly, nothing.
I won't let you go empty handed though. See attachment.
With Deep Remorse of Ever Knowing You,
Marvin
PS - I know I'm sending this early but I'm going on vacation tomorrow so get off my back!
PSS - Thanks Smith, D$, Rod Naber, and Andy for the extra photos. Especially to Andy for the last few photos. =) Hey Jonny, ... more -
Congrats Christof and the Vanguard team!
Congratulations to Christof and the Vanguard team! From Russia with Hate won not one but two Webby awards in the category of Drama, Original Episode.
From Russia with Hate is now a Webby Award and People's Voice award winner, so if you haven't had chance to check it out, head over and watch: http://current.com/items/84906361_from_russia_with_hate.
Kudos to the Vanguard team and thanks to all the Current community who helped bring the People's Voice Webby home. Congratulations to Christof and the Vanguard team! From Russia with Hate won not one but two Webby awards in the category of Drama, Or... more -
Robert Scoble visits Current at Maker Faire
Scoble dropped by our booth at Maker Faire to check out the t-shirt making frenzy, pick up some stickers, and inquire about Current:News.
Here's the video he streamed. Scoble dropped by our booth at Maker Faire to check out the t-shirt making frenzy, pick up some stickers, and inquire about Current:Ne... more -
Making it to Maker Faire
If anyone just so happens to be around San Mateo, Ca this weekend, it's a perfect opportunity to attend Maker Faire. We'll have a booth set up with some creative Current swag, so if you're in town or are planning to attend stop by and say hello!
We've created a topic for Maker Faire, so if you happen to attend and take any video feel free to contribute.
Hope to see you there.
Mario
Maker Faire on Current: http://current.com/topics/32970052_maker_faire
Maker Faire: http://www.makerfaire.com/ If anyone just so happens to be around San Mateo, Ca this weekend, it's a perfect opportunity to attend Maker Faire. We'll have a boot... more -
Current Uploads -- Now With Less Noise
We know our uploads have suffered from extraneous compression artifacts in the past, so we've made some tweaks and improvements. But don't take our word for it, check out our taste test and judge for yourselves.
Watch the intro of this classic "Davos" episode of SuperNews in full screen (click on the full screen button to the left of menu on the video player): http://current.com/items/76255882_davos
Ew, did you see the SuperNews title card? Jaggies and artifacts all over the place, right?
Now check out the intro of the "Spitzer Blows It" episode (clipped above) in full screen and compare. Better right?
Well, we've still got a way to go, but this is a step in the right direction. Let us know what you think in a comment below, or send your thoughts to us at feedback@current.com.
Thanks!
Mario We know our uploads have suffered from extraneous compression artifacts in the past, so we've made some tweaks and improvements. But d... more -
Don't blink or you'll miss Current.com
The previous 500 items from Current.com (as of about a week ago) edited into about a minute of video by a little computer program. Images stay up on screen longer based on comments and voting. The previous 500 items from Current.com (as of about a week ago) edited into about a minute of video by a little computer program. Ima... more
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Vote for Current at The Webby Awards
Hello community,
In case you haven't heard, The Webby Awards have nominated two of our Vanguard pods in People's Voice categories this year! Because you guys play such a massive role here, any nomination for Current is a nomination for the community as well.
In case you haven't seen them yet, our two nominees are:
Drama: Individual Episode
From Russia With Hate: http://current.com/items/84906361_from_russia_with_hate
News & Politics: Individual Episode
Getting Waterboarded: http://current.com/items/76347282_getting_waterboarded
These two pods represent what makes Current a unique place. Where else are you going to see someone willingly subject themselves to waterboarding so that the public can visually see the practice in action and make a determination of their own? Congratulations to Kaj, Cristof, and the rest of our Vanguard journalists on these nominations.
And now, community, the fate of these awards is in your capable hands. Do what you do best, and vote. Visit the Webby Awards site to cast your ballot. You’ll need to register, but once you've registered head over to the Online Film & Video section and click on the Drama: Individual Episode, and News & Politics: Individual Episode categories to see the nominees.
Vote early, spread the word, and who knows, we all may end up Webby Award winners this year.
Congrats!
mario
The Webby Awards: People's Voice
Online Film and Video section: http://pv.webbyawards.com/ballot/home/82 Hello community, ... more -
Breaking news! Current:News stops time
Hey Current community,
First and foremost, we can't thank you enough for all of your contributions to Current:News. Your participation really makes this all come together. So again, thanks!
We're going to be taking a little breather this weekend due to some scheduled power outages taking place in the UK. So, we'll be pausing the countdown timer on Saturday and we'll be back up and running on Sunday.
In the meantime, now could be a great time to check out a couple of things you may have missed:
Get your video responses on TV with Current:News -- http://current.com/items/88888693_calling_all_web_cams_...
New ways to post your Current items --
http://current.com/items/88907999_post_the_current_love
Also, one quick question for all of you seasoned Current:News contributors out there. What are your favorite methods to finding the latest and greatest news, blog posts, and video clips from around the web to contribute on Current.com? Share your skills and insights in the response section below.
Mario
this photo used under creative commons 2.0 license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
photo by fantomdesigns: http://flickr.com/photos/fantomdesigns/2120180194/ Hey Current community, ... more -
Wanna be a video star? Who needs a webcam, anyway...
I hear this all the time, "I want to webcam comments, but I don't have a webcam."
Truth is, a webcam is just a dedicated camera for uploading short videos. Any camera will serve the same purpose -- even your digital still camera can do the trick if it has a video mode.
Sure, it's one extra step. You have to record your video, then copy it to your desktop, and then upload it. Webcams roll all of that into one step, but it can still be done. As Duncan points out in his post, even many pro live streamers use a pro camera or an old digital camcorder to do this sort of thing.
But that's just the basics. He also covers everything from streaming to distribution, while tossing in some interesting software suggestions.
Our Current:News team is looking for webcam...scratch that, video responses to feature in Current:News pods. So fire up your webcam/digital camcorder/still cam and upload your responses is video form. You just might find yourself in an upcoming Current:News TV broadcast.
this photo used under creative commons 2.0 license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
photo by gahdjun: http://flickr.com/photos/gahdjun/2006752680/ I hear this all the time, "I want to webcam comments, but I don't have a webcam." ... more
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