By web native I mean things that are made of the internet, for the internet, with only the internet in mind.
If you think about it, that is something we are really not doing yet. If we design an online magazine, we design it to look like a print magazine - why?
It’s worse with video. We’re still making videos that look like TV, that fit into TV sized boxes. They just happen to be on websites.
THE BORDER COLLIE
On any livestock farm where you find sheep or cattle, you’re sure to find a Border Collie. In the case of our farm you’ll find Ted. The Border Collie is as an important a member on the farm as the Shepherd or Dairyman, the tractor or the plough. Their un-bounding enthusiasm, unquestionable loyalty and determination to please is nothing short of astonishing. Whether its you’re first sheep muster or you’re hundredth, watching the instinctive nature of these dogs work is always a humbling experience.
On our farm, not only does Ted make our life a little easier, he makes gathering a flock or herd a safer, less stressful experience for the sheep and cattle too, because of course ultimatly the welfare of the livestock is the most important thing.
So I thank you Ted, you’ve earned your supper tonight
Ben
I think timid writers like [passive verbs] for the same reason timid lovers like passive partners. The passive voice is safe. There is no troublesome action to contend with; the subject just has to close its eyes and think of England. I think unsure writers also feel the passive voice lends their work authority, perhaps even a quality of majesty.
The timid fellow writes The meeting will be held at seven o’clock because that somehow says to him ‘Put it this way and people will believe you really know.’ Purge this quisling thought! Don’t be a muggle! Throw back your shoulders, stick out your chin and put that meeting in charge! Write The meeting’s at seven. There, by God! don’t you feel better?
From On Writing by Stephen King. Brilliantly put.
“It’s easy to dismiss putting time in to getting your multimedia on twitter as a waste of time. Like the ipad, it’s easy to dismiss things like twitters new features as gadgets and technology that get in the way of proper journalism.
But experimenting with getting a video on to twitter is not about video on twitter. That’s the easy (now easier bit). It’s about exploring if you have the capacity to do video at all.
Just like exploring delivery of content to the ipad is a way to experiment with html5. Hell, if nothing else it’s a convenient excuse to try.
If you don’t take the opportunity to experiment then you will find that you have less of a capacity to produce the content your audience will want and no ability to chase them as they migrate to platforms that do.”
(Source: andydickinson.net)
