some fiction is true

truth, however, is a matter of perspective

...



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LEST I BE JUDGED FOR THIS
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    dear reader/listener/viewer/enjoyer/co-conspirator:
    lest i be judged for it, i inform you now that this project continues to be a scratch pad, a space for experimentation

    in other words, enjoy what you find here, and feel free to participate, but try not to take anything personal, and don't believe that this project presents an accurate view of me or my life

    this is a window, certainly, but one that hasn't been cleaned in quite some time

    your view may be foggy, obscure...you may see things that aren't really there...

    --harold

    want some background music?
    please consider downloading my most recent music podcast.

    and yes, i love my mom and my dad;
    they've always been good to me, no matter what impression you may have received here

    they never locked me in a cellar or anything
     
    archived stories, or something that happened in the past:

    December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 November 2007 February 2008 March 2008

    i am a member of the

    association of music podcasting

    musicpodcasting.org

    along with these fine music podcasters:

    all florida indies - bing futch
    audio gumshoe - rich palmer
    audio popcorn - krash coarse
    aural icebergs music cast - tiffany rapplean
    capital rock show - bucket aka jason
    darkhorse radio - alan carr
    ears to hear - jill lawton
    eclectic mix - george l smyth
    homegrown podcast - nic treadwell
    indiefeed - chris macdonald
    le jazz affair - sal calfa
    rubyfruit radio - heather smith
    sober cafe podcast - gracie hollombe
    sundown lounge - larry winfield
    tempo of the down - harold (that's me!)
    the darkcompass podcast - rowland cutler
    the fabrications podcast - matt macfarlane
    the phill(er) - phill ramey
    the radiozoom podcast - john bollwitt
    thepillarcast.com - jon tucker
    uc radio podshow - michael yusi
    zaldor's world - les zaldor

    this is...

    something that happened

    somethingthathappened.com
    		stories by harold j. johnson, in various formats - including text, audio, video, and podcasts
     
     
    Monday, June 18, 2007  

    Since the dawning of the millennium, the technology of writing has changed very little in the offline world, the various tools (read: pens and pencils) changing only in brand, perhaps, and the materials on which we write (read: paper) changing only minutely in the elements of its composition. In terms of the Internet, however, there are constant, ever-changing technological "advances", and the craft of writing -- in particular, the blogcraft -- has become a cat-and-mouse chase of getting accustomed to the latest technological changes as newer improvements are constantly being introduced.

    Take Blogger, for example, the blogging tool I've been using for years to post to something that happened. Blogger began as a relatively simple application -- and still is, in comparison to many of the other tools available for publishing to blogs -- yet as it has developed over the years, with more and more features being introduced to the service, many bloggers have desired to go "back to the basics". That is, many bloggers prefer to use even simpler applications to post to their blogs.

    Thing is, Blogger is about as simple as it gets (when it comes to posting to a blog using a web app). Yet because of the very nature of the tool (because it is a web app, that is), Blogger depends upon the reliability of your Internet connection, and if you're attempting to use the application from a public WiFi access point, where your wireless 'Net access may come and go depending upon how many of your fellow caffeine addicts are sharing the connection, you may find yourself wishing for a more simple solution.

    Enter Google Docs, a set of writing applications I am using for the first time today. The applications are web apps, similar to Blogger (and owned by the same company, Google), but they seem -- at least, upon first glance -- more intended for the task of writing, rather than blogging. That is, they seem -- and perhaps this is wishful thinking, on my part -- more simply able to handle the task of rightly writing. (I realize that last phrase probably doesn't make much sense, at least in a legitimate classic use of the English language, but it does makes sense when you consider that the word processing feature we now use in Google Docs was once known as a service called Writely. That is, before it was acquired by Google. Alright? Right...onword, then!) The Google Docs word processing application I'm using to type this sentence seems, for example, more equipped at handling the task of simply writing your thoughts out and having them automatically saved as you plunge forward with your writing of that Great American Novel (or Blog).

    Still, there's the 'Net reliability thing again. Since Google Docs are web apps, they count on your Internet connection, and perhaps just as much as Blogger does. (Maybe more so, even -- I don't know yet.) So only time will tell whether my use of Google Docs proves simpler to use than Blogger. If a flaky WiFi connection disrupts the saving of the documents I compose using the service, then I may have to resume the cat-and-mouse chase sooner than I'm hoping. Yet if it turns out that the service works well, continuing to perform more reliably (and in a simpler manner) than Blogger, than perhaps I'll be able to rest with my cheese for awhile.


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    6/18/2007 02:05:00 PM (0) comments





    Tuesday, June 12, 2007  

    One thing I've learned over the past year or two: In most cases, it is quite difficult to offer little more than the most watered-down criticism of an Internet artist's work, especially if they are membered within a community of craftspersons of a similar bent. Take the case of videobloggers, for example: No matter how well-intentioned you may think you are being, offering an honest perspective that you would personally prefer over half-considered ego-stroking -- no matter how much you'd like to benefit the state of the art by compelling its craftspersons to consider raising their ambitions -- the moment you state your opinion of a vlogger's work, the vlang* will surely arrive on the scene with a virtual artillery of devices in which they intend to destroy you with.

    I haven't offered much honest commentary regarding online video in at least a year -- in fact, I don't believe I have ever actually offered criticism of any particular vlogger's work -- because to do so would be to invite harassment. Instead, I look to collaborate and exchange ideas with those who are desirous of honesty, who wish to better their craft rather than settle for mediocrity. I keep away from the time-wasters -- those who attempt to devalue your opinions through self-indulgent mockery -- looking instead to find strong-willed artists looking for improvement. No matter how big your ego, there is always room for improvement. I mean, if you were already The Absolute Best At Your Art, what fun would there be in continuing to practice the craft? It would seem (to me) much more interesting to begin the journey of mastering another craft, one more challenging.

    Within the vlogosphere, I've encountered an abundance of friendly and kind people who I respect and admire. The folks who put on last weekend's Pixelodeon festival are of that group; most of them seem kind and ambitious fellows. Yet within that group -- though the number is few -- there are those who simply seem to be of the gang mentality, not taking kindly to the slightest suggestion of criticism to their work. This troubles me, because I sense an overwhelming lack of dishonesty prevailing -- perhaps due to the perception that we all need to be patting each other's backs and stroking each other's hoo-haws at every possible opportunity. Though it is certainly healthly to recognize greatness, we also need to welcome honesty about our craft, less we become like that other formerly-great artform of moving images: Hollywood filmmaking.

    *vlang: "vlog" + "gang"     6/12/2007 05:10:00 PM (1) comments





     
     

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    lance anderson tells really good stories, and seems like a nice guy, too.

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