As the semester concludes, Ben, Greg, and I have been writing and fine-tuning our sports blog. We've posted several new articles about all your favorite Michigan professional teams, and will be integrating some cool new Java features within the next week.
We were having issues getting our Java menus to work properly through our domain/server, FotCow.com, but while working on Ben's independent study website, we had a breakthrough. Be sure to check back this weekend for new articles and an improved look...
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
New Look: Michigan Pro-Sports Blog
The Michigan Pro-Sports Blog received a recent make-over. Thanks to the graphic design and Flash skills of Ben Nemets, we've finally found something not completely offensive to people's sensibilities. Greg also posted the Detroit Tigers' off-season preview. Please check out the new look, and give me, Ben, or Greg some feedback on how to improve the site further.
http://michiganprosportsblog.net/
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The Michigan Pro-Sports Blog Is Up
Michiganprosportsblog.net is FINALLY operational!
Ben, Greg, and I still need talented graphic artists to help us create an attractive theme, but our basic layout should suffice for now. We're currently working on implementing video, as well as forms that will allow visitors to post comments on the site. For now, please feel free to post an feedback on The Mitchell Report.
We're open to column, article, and/or any content suggestions for the site.
Ben, Greg, and I still need talented graphic artists to help us create an attractive theme, but our basic layout should suffice for now. We're currently working on implementing video, as well as forms that will allow visitors to post comments on the site. For now, please feel free to post an feedback on The Mitchell Report.
We're open to column, article, and/or any content suggestions for the site.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Getting the Word Out: A Review of David Beard's 10 "Hopeful Thoughts..."
In the past, readers sought media outlets in order to obtain their news and information. Today, the shrinking of journalism forces writers to go after their audience. The writer that passively broadcasts is a dying breed. David Beard's article, available at: http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=171011 lends excellent advice and examples of how anyone with a relevant message can be heard by a larger audience, as well as improve their content.
Beard's article will definitely influence the direction of my sports website. And while I may not implement any specific idea that Beard proposes, he's certainly familiar with modern journalistic marketing. He lends novel tips to surviving in the modern "intra-webs," but he fails to give concrete steps to reaching his hopeful thoughts. If I'm catching his drift, the modern journalist needs to be versatile, and full of that "go-getter" mentality that you see on the floor of the N.Y. stock-exchange. Beard illustrates great tactics, but I'd of loved to see what technologies, programs, and skills he recommends that today's communicators must amass to run his playbook.
Ultimately, the quality of any publication is still predicated on how well the writer creates an experience for the audience; however, the marketing of that experience is becoming almost as important. There's no shortage of un-born chicken voices on the internet, so getting heard above the rest of the crowd and reaching a larger audience often determines the shelf-life of today's publications. In terms of my sports website project, I'll certainly need to invent attractive ideas, similiar to Beard's, to make my venture a success.
Beard's article will definitely influence the direction of my sports website. And while I may not implement any specific idea that Beard proposes, he's certainly familiar with modern journalistic marketing. He lends novel tips to surviving in the modern "intra-webs," but he fails to give concrete steps to reaching his hopeful thoughts. If I'm catching his drift, the modern journalist needs to be versatile, and full of that "go-getter" mentality that you see on the floor of the N.Y. stock-exchange. Beard illustrates great tactics, but I'd of loved to see what technologies, programs, and skills he recommends that today's communicators must amass to run his playbook.
Ultimately, the quality of any publication is still predicated on how well the writer creates an experience for the audience; however, the marketing of that experience is becoming almost as important. There's no shortage of un-born chicken voices on the internet, so getting heard above the rest of the crowd and reaching a larger audience often determines the shelf-life of today's publications. In terms of my sports website project, I'll certainly need to invent attractive ideas, similiar to Beard's, to make my venture a success.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Web-Host with the Most?
With my group's sports-website project getting ready for construction, we're looking for some feedback from our fellow 417'ers. We're curious if anyone has good/bad things to say about sites like GoDaddy.com and the like. We're hoping not to spend too much out of our wallets, but would like a web-host that is reliable and has an interface that isn't over a novice web-designer's head. Any comments would be greatly appreciated!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Printing Press to Picture Phones
Clay Shirky's recent lecture on social networking and its effects on mass-media showcases why the news landscape is changing, how technology is accelerating that change, and what that means for who he calls, "anyone who has a message." With supporting anecdotes, including last year's U.S. Presidential campaign and amateur reporting of the tragic Chinese earthquakes, Shirky illuminates how the likes of Facebook, Twitter, and cell-phone technology can make anyone part of the "global conversation." Shirky believes that these innovations have placed us in a revolution on par with the ascension of moveable type.
While I agree with many of Shirky's points, especially the new dynamic in which media consumers have also become its producers; I find it hard not to be pessimistic about the future overall quality of journalism. Just because most of us have the ability to relay a message to countless others, doesn't mean that that message will have any substance or relevance. Shirky's prophecy of a "revolution" is also pre-mature in my estimation. Social networking is still in its infancy, and like other fads, could lose its novelty over time. Equating a website that allows it's users to self-promote and be their own paparazzi (see the self-picture take pose) with a reliable news source seems reckless. If reading Facebook statuses becomes an acceptable means to staying informed, then we're likely to be on par with "yellow journalism" of the past.
Portions of the lecture are available at:
http://www.ted.com/talks/clay_shirky_how_cellphones_twitter_facebook_can_make_history.html
While I agree with many of Shirky's points, especially the new dynamic in which media consumers have also become its producers; I find it hard not to be pessimistic about the future overall quality of journalism. Just because most of us have the ability to relay a message to countless others, doesn't mean that that message will have any substance or relevance. Shirky's prophecy of a "revolution" is also pre-mature in my estimation. Social networking is still in its infancy, and like other fads, could lose its novelty over time. Equating a website that allows it's users to self-promote and be their own paparazzi (see the self-picture take pose) with a reliable news source seems reckless. If reading Facebook statuses becomes an acceptable means to staying informed, then we're likely to be on par with "yellow journalism" of the past.
Portions of the lecture are available at:
http://www.ted.com/talks/clay_shirky_how_cellphones_twitter_facebook_can_make_history.html
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Michigan-Centric Sports Website
My media project for this semester will be to construct a Michigan sports website with Ben and Greg from our ENG 417 class. Using skills obtained during our independent DreamWeaver study, Ben and I will be the primary web-designers, while Greg will focus on writing content.
The website will not necessarily report on what happened during games, but rather will critique, prognosticate, and analyze team match-ups. We'll attempt to break from the conventions of traditional sports-writing, and focus on many strategic aspects of football, baseball, basketball, and hockey.
We will also try to integrate a variety of media platforms into this project, including: video, images, audio, Flash animation, and Javascript. This project will allow Ben, Greg, and I to not only apply basic web-design techniques, but also to practice our sports-writing, which is something that interests all three of us.
During its infancy, our website will focus on the Detroit Lions, Detroit Tigers, and various college football teams. As we get closer to the winter months, we will include season previews for the Detroit Pistons and Detroit Red Wings.
The website will not necessarily report on what happened during games, but rather will critique, prognosticate, and analyze team match-ups. We'll attempt to break from the conventions of traditional sports-writing, and focus on many strategic aspects of football, baseball, basketball, and hockey.
We will also try to integrate a variety of media platforms into this project, including: video, images, audio, Flash animation, and Javascript. This project will allow Ben, Greg, and I to not only apply basic web-design techniques, but also to practice our sports-writing, which is something that interests all three of us.
During its infancy, our website will focus on the Detroit Lions, Detroit Tigers, and various college football teams. As we get closer to the winter months, we will include season previews for the Detroit Pistons and Detroit Red Wings.
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