I’m embarrassed

[Abraham Chaffin]

Hello Mark,

Right now if we remove you from one forum we’d have to remove you from all forums which is probably why this hasn’t been done yet. I’ll discuss this further with the rest of the team.

Abraham

[Mark Suszko]

So, the photos going on the “masthead” of each forum are now getting there automatically, based on the volume of that person’s contributions to posts?

That wasn’t clear to me initially.

I still was working under the old assumption that the pictures on top were forum Leaders only. I liked it that way, myself, and I was happy just to be a “minister without portfolio”, contributing where I can.

The way I figure it, the men and women on the top line are there because they are recognized experts with long lists of impressive credentials to point to and a credible professional background, so you can take their word on a subject as “gospel”. Me, I’m just another guy with an opinion that you can take or leave, depending on if it works for you; I don’t want to lay claims to expertise at levels equal to these other marvelous folks, and I wouldn’t want them to get the impression I was posing as one of them. Especially Zelin, I think he might get physical about it:-) Seriously, I’m not worthy to hand the guy a greenie off the bench, I would not want someone to think I was his technical equal, or any of those fine leaders. I’ve not billed a million dollars a year to clients, or run a company for decades, I’m decidedly small fry, and just happy to be here at all, making contributions where I can.

Now, about the size of my dressing room, and the apalling state of the crudites tray and off-brand champagne being supplied….

[Ron Lindeboom]

Mark Suszko, et al:

We are changing the way that the Creative COW forums work and are introducing some of the backbone technology we’ve been creating to change the COW from a website-based community into one that is both web-based and able to completely reconstitute itself for people using iPads, iPhones, Android phones, Droid tablets, Blackberries, Palms, Nokias, etc. etc.

We see a COW that rather than being a bunch of fixed links that one must click and use back-and-forth hunting and pecking looking for things — the COW mechanism of the days ahead will logically pull and “aggregate” data based on keywords, search terms, areas of prior interest, etc., so that we can assemble a COW that is 90% fat-free and far more pertinent to the person and the subjects they are interested in.

In order to achieve this goal, the site needs to be fluid, not fixed and static as it has been up to now. Part of this is in featuring the people who are the most helpful based on a subject.

We have been doing a bit of alpha-testing of some of the ideas during the holidays when traffic is light.

Best regards,

Ronald Lindeboom
CEO, Creative COW LLC
Publisher, Creative COW Magazine

Creativity is a process wherein the student and the teacher are located in the same individual.

“Incompetence has never prevented me from plunging in with enthusiasm.” – Woody Allen

[Mark Suszko]

Now it makes more sense, Ron. How come you’re older than me, but always make me feel like I’m the old man who’s technologically behind?;-)

And BTW we’re still waiting to hear your TRON Legacy review in the film forum. You’re obviously quite busy…or maybe it’s a case of “If you can’t say something nice…” ?

[Bob Zelin]

Mark writes –
“I don’t really think my brain-jar picon belongs up on the top there with the real pros in the “Broadcasting” forum. I’m honored, but I’m waaay under-qualified to be put on a banner with those guys.”

REPLY –
well, how do think I felt when I saw my picture next to Steve Modica of Small Tree in the SAN networks forum. This is the guy that is responsible for ethernet shared storage working for everyone – who the heck am I compared to him – yet, there is my picture, as a leader, next to him. Yes, it’s embarassing (but hey, I’ll take it !)

Bob Zelin

[Chad Brewer]

Mark, I agree with Bob.

In the Broadcasting forum which I thought should have remained the Broadcast Video forum, I was embarrassed when I first saw my video cable icon on the right of Bob’s picture making it look like the cables were coming out of Bob’s head!

I’ve read countless great, informative posts from you Mark, and pieces of paper that you can hang on the wall don’t necessarily separate you from anyone else in this industry.

This is from your profile as a COW Leader:
“20-plus years writing, directing, shooting, editing”

Now I’m embarrassed.

I think we all go to bed at night smart and wake up in the morning stupid. If we do that everyday, that means we’re keeping up with the industry.

Chad Brewer
Senior Broadcast Videotape Operator
TeleVersions, LLC

[Bob Zelin]

Chad writes –
“I think we all go to bed at night smart and wake up in the morning stupid. If we do that everyday, that means we’re keeping up with the industry.”

GREAT first line of 2011. If you don’t feel stupid on a regular basis, you are not keeping up. I feel stupid on a daily basis (but I feel good when I figure things out !)

Bob Zelin

[David Johnson]

Thanks for explaining, Ron. I understand and applaud the efforts to evolve the COW, but I also totally agree with Mark’s concerns.

I’m very uncomfortable with my name showing up in the leaders row of the Digital Delivery forum just because I’ve posted a lot of questions there recently … I’m simply not qualified as an expert/leader for the Digital Delivery topic.

[Rafael Amador]

Mark,
We love to see you up there:-)
You have rise a very interesting matter: Digital Video expertise.
[Mark Suszko] ”
The way I figure it, the men and women on the top line are there because they are recognized experts with long lists of impressive credentials to point to and a credible professional background, so you can take their word on a subject as “gospel”.”

When I started on this business, almost everything was on the books; everything was standard; the information was open. Remember the Betacam’s manuals and maintenance books: You could build your own desk with these schemes.

Digital Video has become the realm of the “proprietary format” and the secrets.
Manufactures can do whatever they want inside their boxes, as long as they output the promised standard.
We end up being “operators” of a technology that is locked to us:
– I have questions about SONY’s MPEG-2 processing but probably the answers are considered “Classified” by SONY.
– I have questions about QT processing, but that info seems out of reach even from Third Part QT developers.
– etc,etc..
As a FC editor, the answers to most of my questions are not on any SMPTE document but on the Safe Box of a corporation.
I understand they have to protect their investments (and the, some times, questionable internal processes), but as a professional is absolutely frustrating and limiting.
The results are that there is NOBODY with all the answers. Reading and posting some of the best known Video-Gurus (Nattress, Wilt, Jordan,..), I found that they have some of the same basic questions, (as this humble-jungle video editor) unresolved.
Cheers,
rafael
PS: I just felt the same embarrassment than Mark when I saw my picture showing up on the RED Forum.
I’ve posted just to make a question. I’ve never worked with a RED or his footage.

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Ron Lindeboom]

Hello David,

We are going to add a control that will allow users to remove themselves if they are uncomfortable with being featured in a forum. They will be able to choose settings in their profile that will be sitewide universal, or which will work on a forum-by-forum basis, so that members who may in uncomfortable with one forum but not another, can control their visage and interaction with the community.

Thank you for your feedback.

Best regards,

Ronald Lindeboom
CEO, Creative COW LLC
Publisher, Creative COW Magazine

Creativity is a process wherein the student and the teacher are located in the same individual.

“Incompetence has never prevented me from plunging in with enthusiasm.” – Woody Allen