I need some input from you guys for a class project!

[Baadan]

http://csansa.blogspot.com/

Been awhile since I've posted here, but this has always been a good community. Hopefully this forum gets some views way down here. Glad to see TSW is up and well though.

I'm doing a project for my Convergence Technology class. We're giving a presentation on something related to that subject and I want to crowdsource an essay about convergence technology, then present the results, whatever they may be.
That's the project... let the convergence do it's thing and see what happens.

Hopefully the blog explains well enough what Convergence Tech is. I just got this going today so I need some feedback on whether or not the site is clear enough about what I'm asking folks to do.

There are three layers to this project, which I find fascinating. I didn't realize it all when I had the idea.

First, people share their experience with convergence technology. Result: I find out new ways conv tech is being used
Second, someone else writes the content of my essay. Result: Score! Then I try to edit it into one document.
Third, will it go viral? will it go nowhere? the middle? Who knows. Result: Disappointment, elation, short presentation, impossibly long presentation..

SO! Click the link, post a comment, and share!

PS that stands for please share!
PPS pretty please share?

EDIT: I changed the layout to an older template. Hopefully this will work better, some folks were having trouble with the brand new one.

[drenath]

Originally Posted by Baadan

Hopefully the blog explains well enough what Convergence Tech is. I just got this going today so I need some feedback on whether or not the site is clear enough about what I'm asking folks to do.

Read blog and post. Still not sure what CT is or what you're asking of us.

[Baadan]

Just say something about your experience with convergence technology.

I tried to explain with the second and fourth paragraphs, but if its still confusing I need to figure out how to make it clearer.

Thanks for responding.

[drenath]

I wouldn't say it was confusing. More like... vague. I did see a trend in the comments however, so that made it easier to participate.

[Baadan]

Cool.. thanks for your comment and especially for what you just said. That is awesome that the comments clarified what I could not... a completely unforeseen side effect of convergence in action! I'll definitely highlight that in my presentation.

[CyrzB]

I'm not sure I understand why you would consider Voice, Video, and Data to be different types of data. The actual data transmitted by any of those forms can be the same- Just the method of transmission, and details of the implementation differ. Would you consider tapes, CD's, and MP3 of the same song to be different data?

In my world view, the content is what's being transmitted. Whether you read the sentance, listen to the sentance, or watch and listen to a video presentation in which I say the sentance- The sentance is the data.

There's various pros and cons to each method- Just like there's various pro's and cons to tape, cd, and MP3. And one of those cons affects me daily, and is the impetous for me typing off this to lay the groundwork for making my point.

Today, with high speed data so common, people often fail to consider information density when posting content. I'm not going to watch a video of a newscaster reading a teleprompter- Just write the damn article. I don't want some kind of stupid 15 picture slideslow with flash and animations- I want the information contained in it.

That's not to say that video doesn't have advantages- A picture can be worth 1000 words, a video 10,000. But only if you have 10,000 words worth of content to begin with- Again, the specific example of a news anchor reading me a 500 word story off the teleprompter.

[Silthrix]

Best examples of convergance I can think of are the xbox and the iphone.

[drenath]

Originally Posted by Baadan

Cool.. thanks for your comment and especially for what you just said. That is awesome that the comments clarified what I could not... a completely unforeseen side effect of convergence in action! I'll definitely highlight that in my presentation.

Lol. I found a pic on reddit that might interest you also and posted it to the blog.

[Baadan]

Haha, excellent! I don't use reddit but I just made an account and posted a link to it there. How do I find my link once I make it? I can't find it on the site.. except for in the recently viewed window.

..and now it looks like my account is gone?

[Rildoan]

http://www.mmdagent.jp/ (Siri on steroids)

Data = analyze inputs and present ouputs as answers - i.e. ask for weather forecast and it gives you current and 7-day forecast for your location
Voice = voice recognition, multiple voicebanks to suit user's preferences
Video = providing answers with visual guides i.e. follow this map to go from here to building xyz, or just for fun

demo and program overview on youtube - video is Japanese but most of the vocal subtitles are in English

[drenath]

Originally Posted by Baadan

Haha, excellent! I don't use reddit but I just made an account and posted a link to it there. How do I find my link once I make it? I can't find it on the site.. except for in the recently viewed window.

..and now it looks like my account is gone?

It either went to the mod queue or you have it hidden because posts you make are upvoted once by default.

Check back in a bit.

[Baadan]

Ooh maybe I messed something up then.. I saw that it had a score of 1 and I upvoted it, then it dropped to zero.

Thanks for the link Rild.. will look at in detail when I get back home tonight.