The Full Report

Frenchies on Facebook

thefullreport — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 02:48:55 +0000

My pup Henry has made his Facebook debut this week. He’s in good company, with other frog dogs like Piggy and Sophie Chunk who have found legions of fans in just a few weeks. Apparently, Mark Zuckerberg’s dog is now gracing FB. In the popularity contest that is social media metric, that pup may be the prom queen. But our page will be most congenial, if not most likely to succeed.

Do you have YOUR beloved furbaby online? Do you follow a canine public figure? Why? What makes you “like” and what emotion do you feel when a new post arrives?

We want to know!

“Like” Henry

Paneling: Are traditional panels worthwhile?

thefullreport — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 21:29:13 +0000

A few weeks ago, a colleague and I attended a panel discussion hosted by several well-known personalities. Sitting in the audience, I caught myself wishing that I’d simply watched this conversation online. It wasn’t boring necessarily, but the information offered wasn’t something that I “should” be trading for 2 hours of my schedule. For the first time I thought, “this panel should have just been online.” The YouTube version would have satisfied my curiosity and I could have multi-tasked by washing dishes or walking the dog and listening to this discussion. I was surprised by the revelation and began wondering about the new relationship between audience and panels. Once, guest panels were the best way to gain insider information from thought-leaders, today they almost seems superfluous given the tidal wave of lectures, classes and conversations available online, via YouTube, TedTalks and iTunesU.

Coming from a background steeped in theater, I revere audience participation and communal learning. Yet, it seems that the information and the experience provided at panel discussion events must change and expand given the technology that encourages us all to watch from a remove. What can event organizers do to create more relevant panel content, more engaging events and to offer information that can’t be found other places? Like most media, the format needs refreshing.

First, as an event organizer, it is crucial to provide guidelines for your speakers. What will they be discussing, how long do they have to talk, and what key ideas should they cover? Conference calls before hand are excellent for divvying up talking points and ensuring your panelists have thoughtful and concise answers to the questions that will inevitably be asked.

Keep introductions brief. We are assuming that most people KNOW the speakers a bit, otherwise they wouldn’t be attending. Make name tents to help clarify, but don’t allow for a long soliloquy by or about each speaker.

Use technology effectively. As an exercise in experience management, consider how technology can be used to enhance the audience’s experience. Is a Twitter feed on a screen behind the panelists really helpful or informative? Instead, think of ways to enhance the content provided by your speakers: Perhaps, post the sites, twitter feeds and other resources your panelists find most helpful. Or tweet those links as they are mentioned (perhaps already prepared Tweets ready to be posted).

Elevate the conversation. For example, if your topic is Social Media, ask, “Can it be found on Mashable?” If so, move along and find another topic/angle. Consider your content they way a reporter would: How can I cover this better than my competitors?

Ask yourself, is this content that must be provided in person? And then answer, very specifically, why that is the case. If the answer is no, or the reasoning is weak, think about alternative ways to engage your audience. YouTube, uStream or maybe even just a Twitter hashtag?

What are YOUR ideas for making panel discussions more engaging and relevant?

Ted Talk of the Day

thefullreport — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 21:31:36 +0000

Can gaming change the world? Before hearing this lecture, my answer would have been an resolute NO. But after hearing Jane McGonigal make the case for building community and problem solving through gaming, my mind is changing. How about a game that challenges players to create a shipping route that would distribute food more efficiently around the globe? I’d play!

Voices for the Baby Day Project

thefullreport — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:01:50 +0000

Donate a Diaper. Change a Life.

Hello!

Once again, I’m working on a project to help ‘save the world‘ — Yup.. I’m being all earnest and do-goody!

This time I’m creating a video campaign for West Side Baby a non-profit that distributes much-needed diapers to struggling families. I may have already shared this with you, but last year I ended up volunteering at Northwest Harvest’s ”Baby Day” — which is the single day of the week where diapers and formula are offered. Diapers are in short supply, and I had to give mom after mom packs of seven (7) diapers for the entire week. More than one mom cried. It’s probably the hardest thing I’ve had to do as a volunteer. So… I said before my big birthday, I was going to raise funds for Baby Day.

I know… I’m not a mom… But, luckily, I’m an aunt many times over. It’s partly my adoration for my friends and family who have little ones that made me even more empathetic to the diaper drought. I couldn’t imagine them having to recycle or re-use a diaper. I couldn’t imagine any of our little friends sitting in a dirty diaper all day. I can’t imagine the frustration of knowing cloth diapers aren’t an option because of laundry mat and daycare restrictions. In researching, I’ve found that lack of diapers raises hospital visits (staff infection) and child abuse (wet diaper = crying baby = increase of abuse.) It’s a problem.

Soo.. the campaign my team and I have created will position Mother’s Day as an opportunity to show gratitude by helping other moms. It is a call to action, encouraging mothers to support one another on Mother’s Day by donating diapers and money to West Side Baby. The video component asks: “Who helped you as a mom?“

That’s where YOU come in! As a wonderful mom, your voice can help to create the video. It would be so wonderful if you could take 2 minutes to call my Google Voice number {646.867.0970} and leave a message about someone who inspires/ encourages you, or just plain old helped with your mothering. Man or woman, it doesn’t matter. I’ll edit your voicemail into the video montage, using your personal voice and story. Your name will be removed for privacy, but I will include their relationship to you. If you feel comfortable, I’d LOVE to use a picture you & your little one (maybe a grown-up now?), or a photo of the person who contributes to your success as a mom.

The video will run locally in Seattle, we hope to distribute it via local mommy blogs, and will also reside on West Side Baby’s website.

I think that about covers the situation. If you could call tomorrow, that would be even MORE amazing! I’m re-tooling my presentation and hope to have a copy to show WSB by Thursday.

The voicemail only takes 2 minutes (thats all the recording time!). All you’d need to say is:

your name (ie. Jessica Roberts)

the name of the person and their relationship to you (ie. Susan Roberts, my mom.)

and, if you’d like, how they helped/inspired etc… (ie. taught me patience)

You can just email me any photos directly at jr2195@gmail.com

Of course – THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

If you are so inclined, please send this to any of your other friends. Our goal is to raise $25,000 this Mother’s Day, and hopefully the campaign will go nationally, raising even more money for needy kids. ”Donate a Diaper. Change a Life.” I told you — earnest and do-goody!

If you have ANY questions, please just let me know.

Many many thanks!!

Jessica

ps — Was just asked about donating: if you want to donate now.. you sure can! Visit West Side Baby Donation Page

Jessica Roberts

Baby Day Project

Twitter.com/thefullreport

Google Voice: 646.867.0970

Call for Stories: First Dates

thefullreport — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 04:28:22 +0000

What makes a great first date? Do you have a recipe for a perfect encounter with a new person? Have a story about a great first date story you’d like to share?

I’m working on a Valentine’s Day piece about that first few hours with a new romantic interest. I’d love to hear your stories about best, worst and dream first dates. Tell me your story* in a two-minute message at 646.867.0970.

*While not all stories will be used, by leaving a message, you are agreeing to have your story broadcast.

A little humor… about video + newspapers

thefullreport — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:52:09 +0000

A video experiment

thefullreport — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:59:29 +0000

This video is a DIY/low-tech experiment, using free content accessible to even the smallest non-profit. The video was shot using a Sony point-and-shoot on “movie” and the stills are from my personal collection with two open sourced photos. Movie Maker 2003 was the editing software. The music is from Freeze: Volume 1, which I found on jamendo.com. I loved the up-tempo beat; the last thing I wanted was a peice that sounded like a Cymbalta commercial.

Words + Images

thefullreport — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 10:30:06 +0000

Something fun to ponder:

Re-imagining the periodic table

http://www.rsc.org/chemsoc/visualelements/pages/pertable_fla.htm

Food Bank Donation Sites

thefullreport — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:48:33 +0000

Food banks across America are starving for donations. In order to encourage contributions in Seattle, I created a Google map of city drop-off locations for Northwest Harvest and University District Food Bank. Other sites will be added periodically.

If you can, please drop off a few non-perishable items. Even a box of spaghetti can top hunger, at least for one night. It all makes a difference.

View Larger Map

PBS Online Educational Resources

thefullreport — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:34:49 +0000

In searching for the “best” educational portal, I stumbled upon PBS’s Great American Writers Activity Pack. While hardly intuitive, the links to content are amazing. How I wish my High School would have had such resources!