New Media Vocabulary: SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

December 27, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

This is the beginning of a new series for Careers in New Media, “New Media Vocabulary.” Here I will try to make sense of some of the New Media terms that get tossed about, but which might be confusing to those new to the New Media world. — Douglas

New Media Vocabulary: SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

SEO (Search Engine Optimization are tactics, procedures and practices designed to increase the profile of your web site properties in the various Interest search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo Search and more. These practices can range from “white hat” style SEO such as producing good content, informative and attractive headlines for posts and judicious keyword usage to “black hat” tactics where software is used to attempt to manipulate the search engine algorithms to artificially inflate a web site’s profile.

The main goal of SEO is to place your web site in the top page of search results for a particular set of search terms. Such placement can result in large amounts of web traffic and that, in turn, can result in large revenue from that web site.

For more information on SEO…

Do you have questions, comments or clarifications to this New Media Vocabulary term? Add them to the comments!

Previously on New Media Vocabulary:

Podcast

New Media Gear 004: Mike Phillips from MikePhillips.me and Computers 2K Now podcast

December 23, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

New Media Gear 004: Mike Phillips from MikePhillips.me and Computers 2K Now podcast

Mikephillips

Mike is very knowledgeable about microphones and also has quite a lot of experience working with all the different types in many different situations. During the PodcastU Roundtable a few weeks ago, Mike mentioned these two mics as some of the best for beginning and intermediate podcasters and other New Media content producers. You can find out more about Mike from the links below.

Link: MikePhillips.me

Link: Computer 2K Now

Mike answered my call for Podcast Gear recommendations via the Facebook Podcast Community Group. You can ask your questions and find lots of podcasting discussion there.

These microphones are somewhat unique in the that have both USB and XLR connectors. Beginning podcasters can connect them directly to their computers via USB, without a mixing board, but intermediate podcasts can then step up to a mixer and use the XLR connectors of the microphones in their more advanced setups. Very cool and this is the first time I have heard of such microphones. I think this is a great idea to offer users a bit more flexibility in their setups.

If you have any questions about Mike’s podcasting equipment, please drop them in the comments.

New Media Equipment:

Previously on New Media Gear:

Subscribed 017: In Our Time from BBC Radio 4

December 21, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Subscribed is my series highlighting the Podcasts, YouTube Channels and Blogs that I follow on a daily basis. Check out this entry, and past entries, for some great New Media Content — Douglas

Subscribed 017: In Our Time from BBC Radio 4

In Our Time, hosted by Melvyn Bragg, is one show that I always include in my collections of great podcasts. I consider it, along with a few other shows, “My Own Private Masters Degree!” I learn so much in 45 minutes that it almost seems impossible. In each show, Bragg, along with 3 experts, tackle the heart of a given subject. Some weeks it is history, sometime science, sometimes philosophy. Regardless, it is an entertaining and enlightening overview of the topic.

People often ask how I can carry on intelligent conversations with nearly anyone at a party. In Our Time is one big reason. It provides such a great introduction into so many topics that it is rare I can’t find some common ground for discussion with nearly anyone.

I highly recommend In Our Time as a large part of any self-directed educational program. We should all be learning something new every day and this show is a great way to do it!

Check out more info on the In Our Time web site at BBC Radio 4

What are some of your favorite Subscriptions? Share them here in the comments!

Previously highlighted on Subscribed:

New Media Vocabulary: Podcast

December 20, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

New Media Vocabulary: Podcast

Here is my definition of a podcast…

A radio or television-like show, consisting of audio or video, that is delivered directly to a subscribers computer or mobile device over the Internet. While podcasts can be consumed directly from a web browser, podcasting provides a mechanism, the RSS feed, which allows software such as Apple’s iTunes to “subscribe” to a show and download new episodes automatically as soon as they are released. These downloaded media files can then be moved to a mobile player, such as an iPod or iPhone automatically and are available wherever and whenever the subscriber wishes. Despite the name, Podcast, they do not require an Apple device to consume them. While Apple devices make consumption easier, the podcast files can be moved onto and viewed on any number of media players.

It is the subscription and download model which I think makes podcasting so powerful. Once downloaded, subscribers can watch or listen no matter where they are, without an active connection to the Internet. The automatic delivery feature also makes it as easy as possible for the subscriber to receive new shows without any extra effort on their part.

While other New Media services support a subscription model, such as YouTube, viewing video from YouTube requires an active Internet connection of sufficient speed and quality to watch. Users also cannot download shows to create a local archive or listen when “off the Internet Grid.”

For more definitions of podcasting, see…

Do you have questions, comments or clarifications to this New Media Vocabulary term? Add them to the comments!

News: Amazon To Produce 6 Original Comedy Series Pilots, Viewers Decide Which Shows Survive

December 20, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Amazon Studios, the online retailer’s department responsible for sourcing scripts and developing original video content, today announced the development of six original comedy series pilots. When production is completed, the series will air on Amazon’s Instant Video platform, which delivers video content like TV and movies to users’ set top boxes, phones, tablets, and computers.

[…]

Here is a list of pilots to look forward to on Amazon:

Alpha House – Alpha House was written by Academy Award nominee and Pulitzer-Prize winner Garry Trudeau (Doonesbury, Tanner ’88). Alpha House follows four senators who live together in a rented house in Washington DC.

Browsers – Written by 12-time Emmy-winning comedy writer David Javerbaum (The Daily Show) and to be directed by Don Scardino (30 Rock), Browsers is a musical comedy set in contemporary Manhattan that follows four young people as they start their first jobs at a news website.

Dark Minions – Written by Big Bang Theory co-stars Kevin Sussman and John Ross Bowie, Dark Minions is an animated workplace series about two slackers just trying to make a paycheck working an intergalactic warship. The pilot will be produced by Principato-Young (Reno 911).

The Onion Presents: The News – The Onion Presents: The News is a smart, fast-paced scripted comedy set behind the scenes of The Onion News Network that shows just how far journalists will go to stay at the top of their game. The Onion Presents: The News is from The Onion’s Will Graham & Dan Mirk (The Onion News Network, The Onion Sportsdome).

Supanatural – Supanatural is an animated comedy series about two outspoken divas who are humanity’s last line of defense against the supernatural, when they’re not working at the mall. The series, written by Lily Sparks, Price Peterson and Ryan Sandoval, will be produced by Jason Micallef (Butter) and Kristen Schaal (The Daily Show).

Those Who Can’t – Written by Andrew Orvedahl, Adam Cayton-Holland and Benjamin Roy (Grawlix), who were discovered through Amazon Studios online open door process, Those Who Can’t is a comedy about three juvenile, misfit teachers who are just as immature, if not more so, than the students they teach.

Read the entire article

Book: Cognitive Surplus by Clay Shirky

December 19, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Cognitive Surpus by Clay Shirky

I finished reading this book yesterday and found it quite useful, especially when discussing New Media/Social Media issues with folks.

Shirky provides a good overview of what is happening in today’s social society even if he cannot give us a roadmap of where it might take us. Still, knowing something about our journey can help us better understand it as it occurs rather than simply trying to apply old rules to a new world. There are a lot of good examples of how and why certain social media activities occurred along with some analysis.

I especially liked the section on understanding group behaviors. Anyone trying to start or manage a group will find that section useful and informative.

Still, in the end, Shirky can’t really tell us where this is all headed. I can’t fault him much, as I don’t think anyone can really see that future fully. He does offer some ways of looking at New Media and how people us it as guidelines to future uses. That is useful in useful in itself.

I borrowed my copy of this book via the Los Angeles Public Library. You may be able to access ebooks via your own local library, too.

“Some (social media) services won’t resonate with you at all…”

December 19, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

From “Social Media Self Preservation“…

“Some (social media) services won’t resonate with you at all while with others, you will wonder how you ever did without them.”

Download a sample of this book, or buy your own copy, via Amazon.com.

** You can read Kindle books on nearly any device including your computer, tablet or smartphone.

News: Google releases new YouTube Capture app for iOS/iPhone/iPad

December 17, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Just saw a Google+ post linking to the announcement of this new YouTube Capture app for iOS. (Film and share videos instantly with YouTube Capture for iPhone and iPod touch) It is designed to allow you to quickly capture videos, add stabilization and color correction and then upload it to YouTube. Additionally, it also can send links to Google+, Facebook and Twitter announcing your upload.

I just did this quick test of the app. The lighting was a little low, but it is a Real World Example of how the app would work in general use.

Can’t see the video above? Watch “YouTube Capture Test Video” on YouTube

Download the YouTube Capture from the iTunes app store

Podcasting/New Media Advocacy Group – A Public-Facing Group Designed to Promote Podcasting and New Media Content to the Public

December 17, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Podcasting/New Media Advocacy Group – A Public-Facing Group Designed to Promote Podcasting and New Media Content to the Public

One of the things I have always found lacking in the Podcasting Community is a public advocacy group dedicated to promoting podcasting (and other forms of New Media such as YouTube Channels) to the general public.

While this group, and others, do a good job of podcasters supporting each other, we all seem to be left on our own wen it comes to introducing our shows to the public, as well as the concept of New Media in general.

With advances like the AppleTV, Roku, Boxee and smart TV’s, it should be easier than ever for podcasters to get their shows before the non-technical public who are just interested in good content. I have often said that one item required for podcasting to grow into a more powerful medium is to “get on the TV!” By this I don’t mean get purchased by a television network, etc, but rather “get on the box” that is in nearly everyone’s home already.

In that regard, I am proposing the creation of a New Media Advocacy group specifically to promote podcasting and New Media to the general public. If there are other interested people, we can set up some online structures to start this journey and begin got move forward as 2013 begins.

I can offer some more thoughts on this topic if people are interested. It is something that has been on my mind since 2004.

Interested? Let’s start a conversation!

New Media Gear 003: Clay Dugger of The Righteous Dude’s Dudecast

December 16, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

This is the third installment of a new series here on Careers in New Media/New Media Interchange — New Media Gear. I started collecting information for this series by posting a question in the Facebook Podcasting Community Group — “What equipment to you use?” I know that I like to know what others are using — and finding useful — in their New Media work and ways that it might make my work a bit easier. Over the next several weeks I will highlight a podcaster in each post and let your know what equipment they find useful and provide links to where you can pick it up yourself. — Douglas

New Media Gear 003: Clay Dugger of The Righteous Dude’s Dudecast

Find out more about Clay Dugger of The Righteous Dude’s Dudecast

Here is some of the equipment that Clay is using to produce his shows. He passed along this information via the Facebook Podcast Community Group. You can ask your questions and find lots of podcasting discussion there.

If you have any questions about Clay’s podcasting equipment, please drop them in the comments.

New Media Equipment:

Previously on New Media Gear:

News: 2012 Gift Guide Complete, new blog and podcast series, and more! Send me your feedback!

December 16, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

2012 Gift Guide Complete!

As the shipping window begins to close on this holiday season, and after 115 different items, our 2012 Gift Guide comes to an end. I hope you have found my suggestions useful, practical and enjoyable and hope you have found gifts for your friends, family and yourself. Some of these items might be available locally or can be downloaded, so you still have some gifting time left.

You can find a complete list of all the gift guide items at the end of this message.

Books by Douglas E. Welch

My ebooks, can be “gifted” directly from Amazon.com and/or immediately downloaded to a eReader you might also be giving. I hope you’ll consider these book as a gift to your garden/careerbuilder/social media friends and family.

Cookbooks

All the recipes for my Annual Christmas Cookie Party are now available in these FREE cookbooks — available on your iPad or computer!

Video from Douglas

My video work has been growing over the last year and you can find all of my videos on my blogs and YouTube Channel. Subscribe to that channel, or the podcasts, to see each new video automatically.

New to DouglasEWelch.com

My gift to all of you this season is a collection of new blog and video series to feed your garden/career/new media needs. Some of these series have started already and you will see them in the appropriate blogs These include In the garden…, New Media Gear, Garden Vocabulary, Subscribed, New Food, Recipes in Rotation and more. You can also catch me each week as co-host of #KitchenParty, a live interview show where we get to talk to all our foodie friends. You can see past episodes on the Bakespace.com YouTube Channel.

I am transitioning away from my computer consulting work and focusing more the blogs and podcasts, so you should be seeing more great content, on a more regular schedule, than ever before. I hope you will join me in the coming year. I would love to hear what you think about anything you see here.

Wishing you all the best in 2013!

Dewsig

2012 Gift Guide

More 2012 Gift Guide Items:

Subscribed 016: The Kitchn from Apartment Therapy

December 14, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Subscribed is my series highlighting the Podcasts, YouTube Channels and Blogs that I follow on a daily basis. Check out this entry, and past entries, for some great New Media Content — Douglas

Subscribed 016: The Kitchn from Apartment Therapy

Apartment Therapy is a large network of blogs focusing on style, DIY, Homekeeping, Family, Tech, renovating, Shopping and Entertainment. The Kitchn is their food blog and it never fails to have some amazing foodie content. I am constantly Pinning and Sharing posts from The Kitchn — almost so much that I have to pause between flurries of retweets just to give my readers a break.

Peppermint squares

Check out The Kitchn and the entire collection of Apartment Therapy blogs.

What are some of your favorite Subscriptions? Share them here in the comments!

Previously highlighted on Subscribed:

2012 Gift Guide: Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age by Clay Shirkey

December 12, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age by Clay Shirkey

I am in the midst of reading this book and enjoying it a lot Shirley seeks to provide some background as to why people volunteer their time and energy on various Internet-conncected pursuits as varied as online communities, sharing Instagram photos and raising money for charities online. I am finding that I am highlighting quite a few sections to consider later, as I read.

From Amazon.com…

“The author of the breakout hit Here Comes Everybody reveals how new technology is changing us for the better.

In his bestselling Here Comes Everybody, Internet guru Clay Shirky provided readers with a much-needed primer for the digital age. Now, with Cognitive Surplus, he reveals how new digital technology is unleashing a torrent of creative production that will transform our world. For the first time, people are embracing new media that allow them to pool their efforts at vanishingly low cost. The results of this aggregated effort range from mind-expanding reference tools like Wikipedia, which allows Kenyans to report acts of violence in real time. Cognitive Surplus explores what’s possible when people unite to use their intellect, energy, and time for the greater good.”

More 2012 Gift Guide Items: Continue reading →

WordPress Wednesday: WordPress 3.5 is released!

December 11, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

The latest version of WordPress press, 3.5, has just been released. Following my usual WordPress Wednesday, it’s time to look at your blogs, update your plugins and try out the new 3.5.

For a complete list of new features and other changes, visit the WordPress Codex.

A few of the changes…

New Media Manager

Beautiful interface: A streamlined, all-new experience
Create galleries faster with drag-and-drop reordering, inline caption editing, and simplified controls
Insert multiple images at once with Shift/Ctrl+click

New Default Theme – Twenty Twelve

Simple, flexible, elegant
Mobile-first, responsive design
Gorgeous Open Sans typeface
Uses the latest Theme Features

Admin Enhancements

New Welcome Screen
Retina-Ready (HiDPI) Admin
Hide Link Manager for new installs
Better accessibility for screenreaders, touch devices, and keyboard users
More polish on admin screens, including a new color picker

…and much more!

2012 Gift Guide: Arriba Cases Gear Transport Bags

December 11, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Arriba Cases Gear Transport Bags

Most podcasters have a reason to move their gear around on occasion and you want to make sure it is protected while in-transit. Arriba Cases has a wide selection of padded gear bags available for almost any purpose. These bags were originally designed for musicians and their amplifiers, but they would also come in handy for any podcaster moving mixer, microphones, cables and stands from one location to another.

More 2012 Gift Guide Items: Continue reading →

2012 Gift Guide: Behringer 302USB Premium 5-Input Mixer

December 10, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Behringer 302USB Premium 5-Input Mixer

This small, portable mixer might be just the thing for a beginning podcaster or musician who wants to quickly record some tracks. The USB interface means you can easily connect it to Windows or Mac computers and use Garageband or Audacity to record. If you are working “on the road” a small mixer like this can be wonderful as it packs easily and still provides most of the features you might need.

If you think you might require recording with multiple microphones or added inputs, this might not be the mixer for you, but if, like myself, you are recording a 1 person podcast, it could be an excellent addition to your podcasting kit.

More 2012 Gift Guide Items: Continue reading →

New Media Gear 002: Richard Cleveland of Naked Ape Productions

December 9, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

This is the second installment of a new series here on Careers in New Media/New Media Interchange — New Media Gear. I started collecting information for this series by posting a question in the Facebook Podcasting Community Group — “What equipment to you use?” I know that I like to know what others are using — and finding useful — in their New Media work and ways that it might make my work a bit easier. Over the next several weeks I will highlight a podcaster in each post and let your know what equipment they find useful and provide links to where you can pick it up yourself. — Douglas

New Media Gear 002: Richard Cleveland of Naked Ape Productions

Richard produces a number of shows including Popcorn Lobby: The Real Movie Discussion Show, Between the Pages: A weekly comic book and geek culture review show and a new show, PodcastU, just for podcasters like you.

Here is some of the equipment that Richard is using to produce his shows. He passed along this information via the Facebook Podcast Community Group. You can ask your questions and find lots of podcasting discussion there.

If you have any questions about Richard’s podcasting equipment, please drop them in the comments.

New Media Equipment:

Previously on New Media Gear:

Douglas E. Welch – Career Opportunities Podcast

2012 Gift Guide: Blue Microphones Icicle XLR to USB Mic Converter/Mic Preamp

December 9, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Blue Microphones Icicle XLR to USB Mic Converter/Mic Preamp

This is another piece of podcasting and audio recording gear that was mentioned during the PodcastU episode I was part of last Thursday. The Blue Icicle allows you to convert any standard XLR connected microphone into a USB microphone that can be plugged directly into your computer. This a great way of providing some flexibility in where and how you use your microphones. It also allows you to start off with the more standard XLR mics so that you don’t have to upgrade from a USB only mic as your podcasting work grows.

More 2012 Gift Guide Items:

Continue reading →

Subscribed 015: Vintage Beef – Gaming Let’s Play and More!

December 7, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Vintage beef Minecraft Figure

Vintage Beef – Gaming Let’s Play and More!

My son, Joseph, introduced me to Vintage Beef (and all the guys on the Mindcrack server) earlier this year. I started watching “Beef’s” Minecraft videos but quickly became interested in his “Let’s Play” series for Skyrim and Red Dead Redemption. Each episode is like watching a little movie that happens to play out within a video game. Daniel’s (his real name) commentary is funny and adds to the gameplay rather than distracting from it. His videos have quickly become daily viewing here in the WelchWrite headquarters.

Can’t see the video playlist above? Watch Vintage Beef’s videos on Youtube!

What are some of your favorite Subscriptions? Share them here in the comments!

Previously highlighted on Subscribed: