After playing around with Sprout more over the afternoon, I ran into some of its shortcomings. Then again, I am not sure anyone intended it for trying to create multimedia packages, only small widgets.
I ran into trouble when I wanted to use html within a text box (which has the option to include a scroll bar). Without being able to add html into the text box, I can’t add a collection of videos or photo galleries that users can scroll through.
Still, for the ease of use, I can imagine all sorts of uses for promotion of videos, galleries and special sections.
After reading about Sprout on the JACC Blog, I decided to give it a try and see what widgets I could create. At first I tried something very simple, a rss feed of the top stories from the Des Moines Register, sized to fit my sidebar (it’s on the right under my multimedia links).
But then, I realized that you could build separate pages withing each widget, opening up countless possibilities. You can also insert video and slideshows into these widgets. Here is my latest attempt, which combines four different feeds… The cool thing is that it can be embedded nearly anywhere, and includes easy buttons to allow users to put it in their facebook and myspace profiles, their blogger blog, and their igoogle page among many other places.
Just made another widget using their countdown tool. Did I mention you can also customize the size of the project, something I wish I could do in Vuvox, but perhaps I have found my answer here.
The other day I was browsing other Gannett sites, just to see how they do things in comparison to the Register, and, on the indystar.com, I saw a link to a live video stream using a service called mogulus. Seemed interesting, like the ustream service that Kyle Hansen used on the Spartan Daily’s site, it can be embedded into stories or the front page. Apparently some of the online people at the Register have also been playing around with mogulus. I will have to talk to Kyle and get his opinion on how smoothly ustream is.
The same stream was also running on the jconline site, in their rotating carousel of top stories which is identical to ours.
The Eddie Adams Workshop accepts college students, professionals with 3 years or less experience, and U.S. military photographers. Applicants are required to submit a completed application, a $40 application fee, a personal statement, a recommendation, and a portfolio of no more than 20 images. Prior Workshop attendees are not eligible to apply again. 50 students and 50 professionals (including military) will be selected for Barnstorm.
The Eddie Adams Workshop is an intense four-day gathering of the top professionals in photojournalism, along with 100 carefully selected students. The Workshop’s purpose is to create a forum in which an exchange of ideas, techniques, and philosophies can be shared between both established members and newcomers of the profession of picture journalism. The Workshop is tuition-free, and the 100 students are chosen based on the merit of their portfolios. 2007 will mark the 20th year of the Eddie Adams Workshop.
The Workshop Board of Directors reviews students’ portfolios and recommendations. The top 100 chosen students will be divided into 10 teams of 10. A photographer, an editor and a researcher, all professionals within the profession of picture journalism, will lead each team. The four days are divided between shooting, editing, speeches and panel discussions. Students will have the opportunity for one-on-one time with editors to discuss their portfolios at what is known as the 11:30 Club. Barnstorm is 100% digital, giving students and faculty access to a variety of the best professional equipment available, including Nikon digital SLR’s and the latest Apple computers. During the Workshop, the students have constant interaction with the biggest and brightest minds in photography today- nowhere else will you find 150 top-notch faculty members for 100 students!
