created on Fri, 2008-12-05 16:31

Thank you for sharing

Very pleased to see so many smart and engaging personalities co-mingling ideas and energy at Raincity Studios last night for our open conversation about the Olympics and "all of us".

The 48 attendees represented many ages, motivations, backgrounds, and media channels from blogs, pods, newspapers, PR peeps, photographers, and so on. By the end, the conversations were bubbling and gifts exchanged and enthusiasm mounting.

My colleagues and I wanted to set the tone for a productive and inclusive project for anyone to participate in - no matter where they come from physically or philosophically. Scales and Krug's remarks pointed out that we are apolitical, eager, and open for collaboration. I also think the passion for making media, changing the landscape, and being truly welcoming to our international peers came through.

What do you think? It's up to all of us to grab ahold and create something noteworthy. Are you in?

Next steps

- Talk about what this centre might be - write on your blog, with your friends, on your podcast, twitter, facebook, whatever ... but i encourage you to speak and brainstorm publicly about where could it be, what kind of programming, who's invited, how do we manage it, how do we pay for it?

- Tell your friends/colleagues/contacts - this project will require diverse resources from legal advisers to catering connections - spread the word and see who's interested in this experiment.

- Join up - there is a Google Group and a Google Site - confusing? Sure. The Group manages the mailing list and has informal group work space. The Site is more of a Olympic Media resource toolbox. Sign-up. Ping me for collaborator permissions for the Site.

Group: http://groups.google.ca/group/vancouver-2010-alternative-media

Site: http://sites.google.com/site/vancouver2010alternativemedia/

UPDATE: Sign up for the Group with a Google ID and I'll approve your request as soon as possible. Twitter @raincitystudios or email dave (at) raincitystudios (dot) com and i'll add you to the Site as a collaborator - be sure to sign up as a Participant to declare yourself involved. - daveo Monday, Dec. 8, 11:07

- Educate yourself - read the Protecting the Brand and relevant Copyright legislation, subscribe to Olympic-studies blogs and become an expert at something to share with the community.

- Create media - there are heaps of Olympic related stories going on now - both sporting events, venue construction/completion, along with budget boondoggles and contract snafus - write/pod/vlog etc.

- Hang out - the Skype channel didn't really get going as planned last night, but since I made a Vancouver Independent Media public chat, i'll keep the lights on for the banter

created on Fri, 2008-11-28 14:45

What:

A meet-up, hosted by Raincity Studios, of independent and grassroots media publishers and creators to exchange ideas, resources, and notes about the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.

This is not an Olympic protest but rather a constructive, strategic conversation about the role of social media documentation of the forthcoming Games to ensure the ability to tell all the stories associated with the Games without censure or hassle.

Why

To discuss the possibility of an "independent media centre" at Raincity Studios office during the Vancouver/Whistler 2010 Olympic Games in February 2010 in order to maximize visibility and quality of documentation from local and international independent media makers.

Who:

This event is convened by Raincity Studios, presided by Robert Scales, conducted by Kris Krug, and facilitated by Dave Olson. They will lead a discussion and recount past experiences gained from covering Olympic Games as non-accredited media.

To attend, please send a Twitter message @raincitystudios or email to dave (at) raincitystudios (dot) com to let us know you are coming due to space limitations (30 people max,) otherwise participate via chat channel.

Keep an eye on http://raincitystudios.com/blogs-and-pods/ for any changes to the event or info on connecting by chat.

When/Where:

Dec. 4th 5PM~6PM
at Raincity Studios HQ
Suite 420, 1 Alexander St., Gastown

Topics:

The primary topic is determining space, sponsorship, and role of Independent Media Centre.

Other topics to discuss (time permitting) are:

• Update about the IMC non-accredited media centre at UBC downtown
• Outreaching to international indie media makers - planning photowalks, etc.
• Coordinating with activist groups to receive their media releases and stories
• Gaining access to non-sports events and hospitality houses
• Boundaries of rights-holders re: trademarks, description, and coverage of events ...
• Aggregating content efficiently - where/how/what
• Recap of VANOC worldwide press briefing reaction
• Chat about IOC blogging guidelines re: athletes/officials blogging
• Exchange of contacts at VANOC and Government ministries

Notes:

To keep the conversation on track and the meeting short, like "Lord of the Flies" the person holding the conch shell is the one who speaks ;-).

This meeting is transluscent meaning you and your words are bloggable, recordable, photograph-able.

Photos

Olympic flag by Daveo (uncleweed) Vancouver emblem ceremony by Kris Krug (kk) Dave and conch by Phillip Djwa (phillipdjwa)

created on Wed, 2008-11-26 11:30

I am following up on the Open Letter to VANOC from Social Media Makers with a few notes as well as an invitation to continue the conversation with VANOC over a tasty beverage. The letter has made its way around the world with Twitters, comments, blog posts, and personal notes of support and/or confusion coming in from many corners of the globe.

So, to keep the conversation rolling, here are my annotated notes, thoughts and recaps from the past few days of opinions rolling in:

created on Thu, 2008-11-20 10:31

NOTE: Sent to VANOC {mediarelations@vancouver2010.com, pressoperations@vancouver2010.com} Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008.
Cross-posted at: urbanvancouver.com, 2010.dailyvancouver.com, nowpublic.com, etc.

Hello VANOC Media Relations and Press Operations,

I am writing today on behalf of Raincity Studios, a Vancouver-based social media company who owns and publishes a suite of media properties. We had hoped to talk about social media (blogs, podcasts, twitter, wikis etc.) at the World Press Briefing this week, however we did not receive any response from the applications we submitted to participate in the event. So, as per Mr. Furlong's suggestion at the Vancouver Board of trade meeting last week, we are liaising with VANOC.

In brief, we'd like to have a conversation about how to allow fans and amateur media makers to document their Olympic experience while keeping out of the way of the IOC IP lawyers. As a company and as individuals, we've produced extensive, non-accredited coverage of Beijing 2008, Torino 2006, SLC 2002, and Nagano 1998. With the next games literally in our neighborhood, we'll be hosting an independent, international media centre at our Gastown loft office. As part of this, we'll organize events like photo walks and aggregate fan-made content for the enjoyment of a worldwide audience. We'd like to work with you to do this for mutual benefit.

As you likely know, Vancouver is a hub of innovative journalism with companies like ourselves, Now Public, and others plus renowned conferences like Northern Voice. Raincity Studios/Bryght is also an "official weblog service provider." My colleagues Robert Scales and Kris Krug were published in the academic paper "Pathway: Critiques and Discourse In Olympic Research," participated in the 9th International Symposium on Olympic Studies in Beijing and will be presenting about the experiences at the noted SXSW Interactive conference in 2009.

Among my colleagues and myself, we've posted thousands of photos, dozens of audio and video podcasts along with hundreds of blog posts, updates etc. from several Olympics. Additionally, we've cooperated with mainstream media and published Olympic-related coverage in the LA Times, BBC online, plus outlets in Poland, Brazil, Shanghai, and so on.

In Torino, Scales and Krug (and others) tested cutting edge equipment for Comvu and produced a cross-ocean symposium "Athletes and Social media" between Turin and Vancouver. In Beijing, they tested camera for Qik and contributed to many mainstream media outlets. Our own media properties include DailyVancouver.com, UrbanVancouver.com, Hockeynw.com, plus dozens of other presences, and we are allied with dozens of other media properties in BC and around the world.

Mr. Scales is China desk editor for Now Public and has presented to numerous international business groups about Olympics and business. Mr. Krug is ranked #4 on Vancouver Sun's "Internet Most Visible in Vancouver" list, both Krug and Scales were included on Tech Vibes "Vancouver Digital Media People to Watch 2008" list and appear on various other "best of" lists.

As for myself, I've produced extensive photo essays of event venues and published interviews with Canadian athletes like Duff Gibson, Ross Rebagliati and Crispin Lipscomb and written magazine articles about Olympians. I also appear on CBC Radio One discussing sports culture and new media as the producer/host of the Canucks Outsider podcast.

Bear in mind, aside form the occasional stipend, we do this work for no pay.

We are aware of your obligations to media rights holders and are seeking to provide an entirely different sort of coverage than the accredited media provide. We are not looking to cover events per se but are instead interested in covering the cultural stories, athletes' families' stories, and stories from fans who saved and traveled from around the world for this experience. In other words, we plan to encourage and aggregate fan coverage of the individual's "on the street" experience of the Games. We are locals who have watched (and helped pay for) the development of the Games since before the Plebiscite - as a result, we are tuned in to the issues and excitement surrounding the Games.

To begin our liaison relationship, we would like to attend the media briefing portion of the Worldwide Press Briefing on Thursday. We would also schedule a follow-up conversation with the appropriate point of contact to discuss how we as a weblog vendor company, and as individuals, can be involved in providing amateur coverage of Vancouver/Whistler 2010.

With Best Regards,

daveo (and Robert Scales and Kris Krug)
--
Dave Olson
Community Evangelist
Raincitystudios.com

created on Thu, 2006-12-07 05:20

Technology Branding 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games

I’m here at Presentation Centre at the Great Northern Way Campus, the new home for New Media BC and the future home for the Centre of Digital Media. Today is all about bringing together different sectors of technology, government representatives and members of the VANOC team.