I am of course referring to the photo a day for one month theory: 1 month, 1 week (if I say 7 days, does sound longer?).

The problem started on the weekend: its was still hot and uncomfortable outside so we pretty much stayed in all weekend.  I could say that no opportunity arose for a photo, but the reality is that I did’nt even think about it on Saturday and having missed Saturday, didn’t bother on Sunday.

I’ve been thinking about this while I decide what to do – I’m not really that undisciplined and I could come up with any number of reasons for why I didn’t take the photos, but the simple reason was that I lost interest: not in the theory but in the practice. 

I may have rationalised why I was doing it – to increase my use of Flickr, but the reality was it was lazy blogging: a quick way to up my posts: a photo a day with a line or two of text and off I went; seven posts in a week.  Its a new record!

This wasn’t my motivation in the beginning and don’t even think it was my motivation in the middle, but by the end of the week, that was the only value I was seeing.  My heart wasn’t in the taking of the photos – it was an obligation, not a desire. 

So why how did it come to this?  Simple: I have no network on Flickr.  I know people who use it: some as an image repository, others as a networking tool, but I am not active in any networks utilisng Flickr.  This is what I need to do in order to more activly utilise Flickr – I need to be activily involved in utilising Flickr.

So, where to now?

Firstly, I’m going to move more of my images onto Flicker and get involved in the social side.  Thinking about the “30 Day Blog Challenge”  – this could be the sort of thing that I need to do – a number of challenges and activities to increase my productivity: “comment on a stranger’s photo”, I don’t know – something along those lines anyway. 

Let’s see how we go with this one

Love an organisation that works on the theory that as long as you are not breaking the bank and the purchase will help productivity, then its a smart buy.  My former employers would say things like this, but follow them up with “Dance monkey, Dance!!”

Paperwork that entitled you to fill in paperwork that allowed you think about purchasing something.  By the time it had gone through the process, the product was available for free download.

*sigh*  There some things that you just can’t miss, no matter how hard you try.

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Flickr image: Munky dances on the globe.  Treehouse1977.

In my new role, I have been required to do some screen captures.  Late in 2007, this topic seemed to be the big issue – everyone seemed to be talking about screen captures, and enjoying a good ride, I jumped on that band-wagon.  In Nov ’07 I talked about Camtasia Studio (v3 from memory). 

I now find myself revisiting this topic with some fondness as the program that I am currently using inspires only rage and frustration.  I am constantly amazed at what business will pay for a product because it looks nice and shiny.   It must have been one hell of a salesman who could sell this laborious cumbersome piece of flotsam and/or jetsam.

*Breathe*

*softly chant: “I am focused, I am centered.  I am focused, I am centered”*

OK, back again and calm again.  I know intellectually I am probably being unfair to this programme; I’m sure that it works nicely if you know how to use it, I’m sure its mother loves it, but I am not in the least bit a fan.   The time taken to complete a simple 1 minute demonstration is exponentially greater than the time taken to do the same in a program like Camtasia (I created my first demonstration in Camtasia in about 30 minutes.  A similar project in Epiplex (the package I am using) took nearly 4 hours).

The problem is that I am looking for a simple process capture package that is easy to use with a quality output.  Epiplex would appear to be a high end program that is apparently designed to do a lot more than I need it to do.  It’s like comparing Irfan View to Photoshop.  (If you don’t know, Irfan View is a very simple to use, basic graphic editor – if you haven’t tried it, I strongly suggest you check it out.  To my mind, for basic editing, there is no better product out there).

Looking into what is available today; I have found that Camtasia is still a strong contender, along with Captivate.  I am making a request to the powers that be for a new process capture package and have put these two up as the options. 

Let’s hope that my request is approved – if it’s not, beware of computers falling from high windows.

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It was while reading through Scott McCleod’s blog Dangerously Irrelevant that I came across a post on Kwout (apparently pronounced “quote”).  This little tool allows you to take a screen shot of any webpage:

looking forward via kwout

The thing that makes this different to most screen captures is that the hyperlinks remain active within the image.

I’ll be honest here; I haven’t played very much with this (the above image is the only one I have made), but am already seeing any number of uses, especially in “how to” guides.

Time to go play …

edit: hmm.  Defintiely need to play a bit more: the links in the above image are supposed to be active.  Not sure what I did there.

If so much is being said, why am I jumping in here?  Simple really – graphic work is something that I am reasonably comfortable with – not so much the video side of things, but I am not totally without experience.  Finally!! I am not the total novice.

The other reason that I am jumping in here is that the aim of this series of posts is to look at products that I hope to implement.  Screen casting is one that I have already used (albeit only in the last two or three days). 

So what am I using?  I started with Auto Screen Recorder, but jumped from there to CamStudio, which I really liked: it is simple to use and produces a quality product (and as an added bonus, it is free).  Last week Leonard Low posted on his mobile learning blog that tech smith were offering Camtasia Studio 3.1.3 for free, so of course I jumped in had a go of that as well.

Now I have to say that I love it!  It is a little more involved than CamStudio, but if you have a passing familiarity with MovieMaker, then the edit feature will present very little issue and a little experimentation will see you well on the way.  This is also where Camtasia has an edge over CamStudio: the ability to edit within the package. 

Using Camtasia for the first time, in under half an hour I had produced a 50 second video, with text annotations that will replace a seven page “how to” document. 

I may have become a little enamoured with this product: over the course of the day, on top of the day-to-day routine, I put together three other quick videos; another “how to” and two for a demonstration next week where I am not sure I will have internet connection.   The following are the demonstartion videos – apologies for the poor quality, but in the interests of download time, they have been saved in .wma format (smaller file size than .avi), but they will give the general idea.

 baccarat interaction example 1

baccarat interaction example 2

If truth be told, I have spent a fair amount of time looking for other videos that I can make.

Definitely having a little too much fun here.

_{edited 4th Dec 2007: video upload.}

I know that commitment and tenacity are required to get into the flow of things, but the simple reality is that I had nothing to say.  Now don’t get lulled into a false sense of security here: that point is not intended to imply that I now have something to say.  If that’s the way you read it, then as Wesley said to Indigo, “Get used to disappointment”. (Sorry, we watched The Princess Bride with my niece over the weekend).

I have been torn (resisting the temptation to hum; annoying tune stuck in head now! Not happy!) as to whether I should write something for the sake of making a post, or I should hold true to my belief that if you have nothing to say, stay silent. 

What’s that?  Do I hear someone yelling “Sell Out!”?  Well actually, no.  This post is not just for the sake of posting.  It is for the sake of posting as well, but not just for the sake.  Think of it more as an introduction. 

An introduction to what?  More pointless and senseless rambling?  Well actually, more than likely, yes (why stop now?).

Over the last few months I have had the opportunity to look at any number of new tools (new to me anyway – apparently some of them have been around for quite a while) and I have had the “kid in a candy shop” sparkle in my eyes: so many to choose from. 

I have been looking at things with an aim to incorporating into our training packages, and the time has come. Its time to choose (or at least start thinking seriously about it).  So I’m thinking that I will use this forum as a space to ponder out loud how I am going to do this: hence the introduction point (I know, it took a while, but at least I got there).

So strap yourselves in kiddies, we’re in for a wild ride!! Or possibly a quiet meandering stroll?  It could go either way, but the smart money is on the latter.