Christopher Markman > Blogs

Oh my, another blog

Posted by Christopher Markman

First posts can be so awkward.

Posted: July 8, 2008 4:39 pm | 0 comments
Tags: shameless self promotion

Information is Free

Posted by Christopher Markman

...In response to Meredith Farkas recent post Value in the online world

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Though the mechanics which surround and indeed engulf the reproduction of information are not free, information itself is free. It is the ability to affect the lives of others through pure thought alone which elevates the artist (in the medium-neutral sense of the word) above others -- we don't measure an EEG in kilowatt/hours. Nature is a social entity, an interaction of forces, and to no higher degree of value can information achieve than in the alteration of human consciousness and the betterment of society as a whole.

Information must compete for our attention, we privileg some forms over others. From this was can then sort thought into two categories, ideas worth spreading, and everything else. In a sense, it is able to spread itself in the same way even the smallest life form is a self-evolving, self-propagating entity. If an idea is able to fulfill these goals, then monetary compensation should then ... more »

Posted: July 10, 2008 2:57 pm | 0 comments
Tags: digital culture, mass media, publishing

Why isn't this Happening

Posted by Christopher Markman

Sometimes you just have to get those ideas out there...been thinking about this one for a while after listening to a GSLIScast and I wanted to wait for a research paper or something to smooth everything out. In light of my last post however, I'd rather see it enacted than take personal credit ; ) I think we should repurpose old houses in key locations within communities as digital-age, self-sustaining, community wide wireless internet access points.

This place will have no books in stock. It will have many computers.

It will be hyper-connected to other local libraries via Interlibrary Loan.

It will generate its own energy with whatever local means is deemed most cost effective by the community, feeding excess energy back into the local grid.

It will be focal point in continuing education for the local community.

It will be managed by librarians.

It will be state funded.

It will pay for itself.

It will be pretty awesome.

Posted: July 10, 2008 6:07 pm | 0 comments
Tags: free internet, microgeneration, new libraries

I guess there's a first for everything

Posted by Christopher Markman

I'll be here this week at the "A Race Against Time: Preserving Audiovisual Media" conference. Hey anonymous internet reader, maybe we'll run into each other?

Posted: July 19, 2008 1:42 pm | 0 comments
Tags: Audio-visual preservation, Boston, CCAHA

Blogging Live from CCAHA Conference! Today!

Posted by Christopher Markman

People are filling in right now!

(no one told me there would be OJ!)

Posted: July 24, 2008 8:12 am | 0 comments
Tags: Audiovisual Preservation, CCAHA

Lunch Break aka Updates!

Posted by Christopher Markman

Despite the lengthy lunch break we were provided I'm going to have to make this fairly short. Buckets of rain made the café line especially long, not to mention the fact that the real cafeteria is under construction right now. But I digress...

I wrote a bunch of notes on my iPod as the presentations went on, which sorta turned into a Twitter bullet point scenario. It'll take a while to sort through everything, but here's some highlights, mostly paraphrased, and probably more funny in full context:

"Chances are your boss was paper-trained"
"Later we'll formalize our interesting relationship"
The Silver Scientology Fallout Shelter Story
The "munchkin" effect
"That's certainly a definitive test" (as he broke a record)
"VD as in 'Visual Density"

Posted: July 24, 2008 1:34 pm | 0 comments
Tags: CCAHA

More to Come

Posted by Christopher Markman

I'm just sitting around waiting for the train to take me home. Should have a more detailed report of the conference written up by tomorrow -- feeling kinda burnt out after this crazy week.

Here's a few more one liners I saved as a personal homage to Overheard in NY, try to guess the context:

"Is to be, presumed to be, or sold to us as being?"
"Analog is dead, ding dong"
"Bakin' the tapes"
"That sounds like an excellent marketing ploy"

Posted: July 25, 2008 9:49 pm | 0 comments
Tags: CCAHA

Some thoughts following last week's CCAHA Conference

Posted by Christopher Markman

It's hard to summarize my thoughts for a lot of reasons. For one, this was a great experience in that I realized how much I already knew about audiovisual preservation, particularly the problems archivists face in terms of media boundaries. Secondly, it was a chance to meet with other professionals in the field, or at least see them in action. Thirdly, the whole event was a chance to visit my sister (she and her roommate were nice enough to lend a couch for those few days) and that meant a great time in Boston, period.

I already plan on writing a more formal post in the Team Miro Blog because they were nice enough to pay my way into the conference and I see a huge opportunity for collaboration there. So yes, this is more of a personal post but I'll spare the commentary on what I ate for dinner.

There were a lot of great presenters and speakers at the conference, and I have to say overall I thought the whole thing was very well put together. The end of the first day felt like a cliffhan ... more »

Posted: July 28, 2008 8:22 pm | 0 comments
Tags: CCAHA