Drapetomaniac

The first session I attended this morning at the Texas Media Summit was on “Collaboration and Inclusion”

“How do we leverage our community media resources to expand and enhance our presence in the Texas media landscape?”

The question took on several forms and the session was unfortunately short. Some of the ideas included without mentioning it specifically, a Black focused publication talking with a Latino publication to join together on issues and ideas. They serve different audiences, but there is topic and issue crossover that seldom occurs. Being Black Puerto Rican, I held back the urge to tell them I was one cross-over point..

The other idea, which I think compasses the first one is how to find someone to exchange ideas with. There wasn’t an explicit list for people to sign up with, but will be a directory afterwards. Many people knew each other or the publications, but there was no open collaboration from day to day. in non-profits, there has been talk over fighting over pieces of the grant pies and so there is a hesitation to join together for various ventures/ After all, if you join together, not everyone will get the grant afterwards.

Community media still has to pay for electricity and paper, but this fight over the pie really did seem to be missing. Unfortunately, so did a solid view of how to collaborate and move forward.

One immediate impression of the community media, which should seem obvious, is that people easily speak up and assert themselves. Hopefuly there is an assertion after the sumit to continue the dialogue and meetings.

This is an old article about Microsoft Works 9.0, but it shows a good reason to support open formats.(something Microsoft would liek to undermine). It is a lesser version than Microsoft Office , a package essential meant as a low end version with less functionality.

Microsoft Windows also has a “lower end version” for scenarios like ” Developing Nations” for instance. They also hobble those versions with restrictions like not letting more than 3 programs run at the same time and restricting it to lower end chips and hardware. I guess a poor person in Brazil doesn’t need more than 3 programs like the ones in the US.

But, to the point, Works “uses different file formats than the .doc or .xls used by Word and Excel.” In other words, you type a document and Microsoft restricts your information and styling to a Works format. Outside of Microsoft using you to repeatedly capitalize your own work and ideas, you can use open formats like ODF in Google Docs, Open Office and other programs for free and use a different program at any time – taking your information with you. Open Source means Freedom – Open Documents means Freedom of Information, often your own information. Google capitalizes you again and again, but you arent at risk of losing functionality and access to your own information.