I recently purchased a Narrative Clip which bills itself as small data logging camera. You can clip it on your shirt and wear it throughout the day. It takes photos of what you experience right in front of you. I’ve had the opportunity to use it for a few days and I am impressed by it. Sometimes I want to take a photo, but I don’t want to be intrusive with my surroundings. This where the Narrative Clip comes in. It’ll take that photo without a flash or as so much as an audible shutter click.
To the right is a photo that was taken by the Narrative Clip while I was walking around McMinnville, Tennessee, courthouse square. It was a unique accident that it got a great photo of the Central Church of Christ on the square. However many of the photos are of darkness (in my pocket) or of the ceiling. It really makes a difference of how you position the camera. You almost want to have it pointing down to overcompensate for what happens when the camera is clipped to your shirt collar. Because of the way one’s chest is curved, it will by default point up. I’m still playing with the idea of putting the camera on a hat.
I don’t plan on wearing it everyday, although the thought did occur to me to have a photo a day blog where I would post the best photo of the day from the clip. But that it still far off.
My primary objective is to wear it while on vacation or short day trips. If only to remember that quaint restaurant or attraction along the way. I’m a bit apprehensive about photographing people without their permission, even to the point of coming across as a voyeur.
The clip wouldn’t be for everyone. Someone who is concerned with getting the best photo would be better off spending some money of a true point and shoot camera. Rather this Narrative Clip is a true novelty camera. More of a toy. More of a “Oh wow, I remember that scene from today.”

Case in point: Dinosaur Retired journalist finds biographical article on Wikipedia. The article points to him as a suspected assasin of Robert and John Kennedy. He becomes very upset, demands Wikipedia’s owners remove the offending information and delete it from the history files. He writes an editorial in USA Today. Then he begins a effort to find the real killers find the anonymous editor in order to “confront” them.
Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia which anyone can edit. In this case an anonymous editor with a Bellsouth IP. When Seigenthaler saw the misinformation, why didn’t he just edit him himself instead of creating a huge stink about it? Note during an NPR interview, he was asked why he didn’t edit it. His answer was somewhat hypocritical saying it wasn’t his problem to edit Wikipedia. Listen to it here.
This time it was personal, after all he was a pallbearer in Bobby’s funeral. Before Seigenthaler probably didn’t even know or care what Wikipedia was. Suddenly it is an issue. Mainstream media is reporting that people can use the internet to post unverifiable information. Why is this a shock to people?
What is amazingly strange about this is Seigenthaler is founder of the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt. Yep, I know the First Amendment doesn’t cover libel, but yet I don’t see why this is so much of an issue. Move on, John. Move on.
Wikipedia’s information process has been described by its founder, Jimmy Wales, as making a sausage. The outcome can be very tasty. But you really don’t want to see what goes on behind the scenes. I suspect Seigenthaler’s wiki article will be locked for quite some time because he has offended quite a few wiki users. It was bound to happen sometime. Wiki was around long enough for someone to find some disinformation, then sue Wikipedia for defamation of character.
==Update== 12/11/2005
The rogue editor has been revealed. But does anyone care?

Thank you, myspace.com for revealing things about my fellow classmates from high school and college that I never wanted to know. Way too much information. Surprisingly enough many of my high school classmates have managed to get married, have kids, and then get divorced in the short 12 years that we’ve been out of high school.
We did things that we swore we wouldn’t do. We tried to not make the same mistakes that our parents made. Yet here we are. My peers are just like any other generation. Divorced and seemingly unhappy about themselves and ranting about it on myspace.com.
Myspace.com is not only a social networking utlity, it’s also a repository for knowing too much information on that aquaintance from high school. Don’t get what I’m saying? Try doing a search for your high school or college. Then narrow it down to your age range. You’ll find some information which you’ll sigh and say to yourself “I wish I didn’t know that…”
I would have signed up, but I’d rather not post that much information about myself (rather posting it here, oh the irony). Plus I’m not so sure I’d want my old classmates getting in touch with me. Most of the time I keep up with the people that I care about, and let the others just stay on the wayside. Nice knowing you. You were rude to me in high school, why would I want to know you now?
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Update 12/5/2005:
Myspace.com has also become one of the very few websites that has managed not only to crash my browser, but my whole computer. I was surfing around this morning on the networking site and hit my back button on my browser. Suddenly my computer screen went dark and my computer rebooted. It must be the ability of users to post embeded videos. I’ve surfed around myspace.com and the words “verbal diarrhea” come to mind.

From the man who got fired from Google for Blogging

“i think blogging is the next big thing on the internet. the web gave people revolutionary access to information; email and instant messaging disrupted the way people communicate with each other; blogging empowers everyone to create new information and connect in a community. it�s the culmination of lots of the progress that has happened on the internet rolled into one huge, powerful, killer app. corporations should embrace this technology just like the ones before it. companies that are confident in their offerings should let employees spread the word. in today’s age of information overload, blogging is quickly emerging as the fastest and most cost-effective method of marketing.”

Blogging does empower people to express their views publically to millions. It’s quite empowering and potentially dangereous for the Blogger.
News link: Blogging Your Way to Unemployment

Ok. So I changed around the colors on my weblog. It was time. Bear with me. I’m still working with the colors and all. Simplication is the key.

ABC News People of the Year Bloggers (WMV Video, recommended only for Broadband).
Oh, and Boingboing is my new favorite website.

The MIT Blog Survey results are in. Here are some highlights.
55% Bloggers identify themselves on their site by their real name. (I do)
76% do not limit access in any way. (I limit access).
36% have gotten in trouble for what they wrote on their weblog. (I have)
83% characterized their blogs as personal ramblings. (I do), while 20% said they publish lists of useful links.
63% of the survey respondents were male. (Me)
46% were between 21 and 30. (Me)

I’ve been helping friends getting their blogs setup with the new features from Blogger. Suddenly anything from the paid pro version of Blogger is free. We’re talking titles and picture uploads. I think most of the Bloggers I’ve helped are more excited about the picture uploads even though you could do it manually if you were adept at HTML and could upload a picture. Now Blogger will do it for you.
I’m more excited about the title feature, which makes Blogger almost as good as Movable Type. Almost. Still can’t have decending posts and other customized output files with Blogger. However as far as being cheap and easily setup and incorporated into your homepage, I’d recommend Blogger for the first time weblogger.
Interestingly enough, Todd hasn’t been blogging as much since he transfered from UT to FHU. He calls it being busy. Whereas his blood brother Scott seems to blog more often than in April when he first got started blogging. A casual reference as the “King of Blogging” has been used occassionally whenever someone posts frequently. Scott is fascinated with posting pictures. I’d imagine we’re going to see alot of Bluecoats pictures before it’s all over with.
Josh? Somehow if I were in Hungary I’d probably have less priority on blogging, and more priority on experiencing culture. Then again I’d probably be getting online frequently to combat homesickness by talking to friends.
Budapest is different than my experience in China. My online time in China was very limited. Dialup. Bad connection. Just enough time to send a handful of emails home and that about it. No wonder Mark never really wanted to hang around and chat much in China. However Josh appears to have a broadband connection in Budapest. He’s always connected. And much of the time, especially late afternoon for me…he’s actively online…when it’s late night in Buda.
Budapest seems like a fascinating countries. I’ve been looking at Josh’s pictures of the city and statue park. Great pictures.
And I helped Jesse with her blog. Getting her setup on UT’s servers rather than the less dependable Blogspot. She even gave me props on one of her entries.
Also I think that Blogger.com ought to filter out vulgar titled blog names on their front page. Having curse words on a front page for “Recently Updated Blogs” would probably discourage visitors from taking it seriously. Plus it just doesn’t look good for a corporation to do that.
On a less interesting note, my sister lost her domain. Her network administrator let it expire and someone else snagged it. Doh! I hate it for her. Actually I’m probably more upset about it than she was when I told her about it. There’s no getting it back anytime soon. And I feel like her website is significant enough, at least among Kindergarten teachers, that its a good thing. No wonder someone snagged it.

Somewhere out there is a “Blogger Disclaimer.” If you search for it on Google, you’ll find it. I won’t bother linking to it directly because it has curse words in it.
However I did find some good stuff from it for a possible disclaimer if and when I decide to make this site public again.:

“If they do not want you reading it, or suddenly stop posting entries, ask them why and if necessary, stop going to the site. It is important that as a friend, relative, co-worker or whatever you may be to the writer, that your presence at their weblog not impede their ability to express themselves. Remember this is their outlet. They may not want you to read certain things they might write about you or others you care about, in order to spare your feelings, avoid drama or maintain their privacy. You should respect this and immediately stop going to the site, and never relay any information you gather at their site to others who might use it against them.
If someone writes about you and you don’t appreciate it, approach them about it. Try to remain calm and polite. Explain that you are entitled to your privacy as well. There are many compromises that can be reached from using vague nicknames to protect your anonymity, or not mentioning you at all. If you are upset because they are writing negative things about you, be reasonable, try to see if there is a way to resolve the issues and mend your relationship with the writer. If that doesn’t seem to be possible, stop going to the website. They will eventually get bored and move on.
The internet is a place that encourages free and creative expression, and as in any environment where people are given this freedom, conflict may arise. If an author uses language or materials that offend you, leave. Contacting the person or their isp, demanding they remove the content or change their ways is absurd because you are viewing their content of your own free will by visiting their site. Simply stop going there and you won’t have to see whatever it is you don’t like about the site.”

This weblog is hugely lame. I don’t know why I write in it. As if this is some kind of ego trip for myself. Nothing is happening tonight worth writing about. Thanks for playing. Here are your lovely parting gifts.