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On Organizing Non-Music Content
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Dear Fuzz Goat [or the IT Gen-Xers here at Fuzz],
I notice that some folks at Fuzz who are much more computer-adept than I am can just post an external link or an internal Fuzz link that appears as a one-word referral like, "here" for the finger of fate to click on for the benefit of other Fuzz users, rather than a long URL tag. An example of this is posted below:
http://www.fuzz.com/fan/SeriousBusinessRecords/blog/3hive-Said-The-Gramophone-blog-about-Benji-The-Octagon
Can one of you folks tell me how to do this?
Since words are integral to my life, I note that my blogs are now getting a little too extensive to track just chronologically [which is the current state of the Fuzz archiving function for blogs - although I am sure it will change in time].
What I have in mind is that, if I have a short [preferably one-word] descriptor that I can dynamically assign to each of my blogs, then I can just update my blogs and evolving thoughts about them according to categories, priorities, most interesting responses, [however I want to index them], and "move them around" on a single "living blog page" pretty much like what we can do now in moving around the songs we like in our Music Bank, re-ordering priorities as more and more songs are added and discovered, and depositing them in self-defined and created Playlists. I find that this dynamic function is not only fun, but the quality of the music I am listening to constantly evolves and becomes more valuable [to me, and hopefully to others - but that is up to them/you - as we all have different tastes/perspectives/cycles of discovery, knowledge and appreciation].
I know from the Fuzz grapevine that you are in the midst of a site redesign right now, this place is always in a state of "Beta" development, and you are extremely busy with your own set of priorities; but I thought that in the meantime this kind of simple "ad hoc" way for Fuzz users to manage his/her blogs [and responses] would help to organize non-music Content [even posted videos we like].
An example of what I have in mind if I know how to create this "one-word" click here function for my blogs is as follows [maybe in time to extend to related blogs of others:
I. My Blogs [Other Blogs} About Major Labels and Wall Street:
A. EMI - click here
B. Warner - click here
C. Most responsive comments - click here
II. My Blogs [Other Blogs] About MySpace and Fuzz:
A. Comparative Functions - click here
B. Most Heat - click here
III. My Blogs [Other Blogs] About How Musicians Survive Financially:
IV. Etc.
This will take up "zero" tech time now [as I say, I know you folks are extremely busy]; just let me know how the other folks here who are more IT-oriented are already doing this [click here] trick and then I can do the ad hoc indexing described above all by myself.
My thesis is that, while this is first and foremost a music site, if we accord the non-music Content [being primarily blogs] the same Ease of Use and respect we give to music Content [Songs/Playlists], we would have a cascading [power law] increase in the broader digital music ecosystem that, like it not, we are all now a part of. For many, as one austute Fuzz user put it: "Words are my guitar strings."
If Blogs are just evanescent thoughts blowing in the wind [that is, the data is not managed, preserved, and discoverable], I think we lose a lot of the "truth-value" in both the music and the broader ecosystem surrounding music that this Fuzz community is striving mightily to create to build a better music model for all.
Thanks for your help.
I notice that some folks at Fuzz who are much more computer-adept than I am can just post an external link or an internal Fuzz link that appears as a one-word referral like, "here" for the finger of fate to click on for the benefit of other Fuzz users, rather than a long URL tag. An example of this is posted below:
http://www.fuzz.com/fan/SeriousBusinessRecords/blog/3hive-Said-The-Gramophone-blog-about-Benji-The-Octagon
Can one of you folks tell me how to do this?
Since words are integral to my life, I note that my blogs are now getting a little too extensive to track just chronologically [which is the current state of the Fuzz archiving function for blogs - although I am sure it will change in time].
What I have in mind is that, if I have a short [preferably one-word] descriptor that I can dynamically assign to each of my blogs, then I can just update my blogs and evolving thoughts about them according to categories, priorities, most interesting responses, [however I want to index them], and "move them around" on a single "living blog page" pretty much like what we can do now in moving around the songs we like in our Music Bank, re-ordering priorities as more and more songs are added and discovered, and depositing them in self-defined and created Playlists. I find that this dynamic function is not only fun, but the quality of the music I am listening to constantly evolves and becomes more valuable [to me, and hopefully to others - but that is up to them/you - as we all have different tastes/perspectives/cycles of discovery, knowledge and appreciation].
I know from the Fuzz grapevine that you are in the midst of a site redesign right now, this place is always in a state of "Beta" development, and you are extremely busy with your own set of priorities; but I thought that in the meantime this kind of simple "ad hoc" way for Fuzz users to manage his/her blogs [and responses] would help to organize non-music Content [even posted videos we like].
An example of what I have in mind if I know how to create this "one-word" click here function for my blogs is as follows [maybe in time to extend to related blogs of others:
I. My Blogs [Other Blogs} About Major Labels and Wall Street:
A. EMI - click here
B. Warner - click here
C. Most responsive comments - click here
II. My Blogs [Other Blogs] About MySpace and Fuzz:
A. Comparative Functions - click here
B. Most Heat - click here
III. My Blogs [Other Blogs] About How Musicians Survive Financially:
IV. Etc.
This will take up "zero" tech time now [as I say, I know you folks are extremely busy]; just let me know how the other folks here who are more IT-oriented are already doing this [click here] trick and then I can do the ad hoc indexing described above all by myself.
My thesis is that, while this is first and foremost a music site, if we accord the non-music Content [being primarily blogs] the same Ease of Use and respect we give to music Content [Songs/Playlists], we would have a cascading [power law] increase in the broader digital music ecosystem that, like it not, we are all now a part of. For many, as one austute Fuzz user put it: "Words are my guitar strings."
If Blogs are just evanescent thoughts blowing in the wind [that is, the data is not managed, preserved, and discoverable], I think we lose a lot of the "truth-value" in both the music and the broader ecosystem surrounding music that this Fuzz community is striving mightily to create to build a better music model for all.
Thanks for your help.
Comments
The comment from Yan is correct. The learning curve for HTML and other types of code can be steep, but when you look at HTML closely, it is actually not too difficult learn and use in your daily routine on the web.
To be able to do the things you suggest with non-music content at Fuzz is a little trickier, but leave it to the code masters at Fuzz to sort that one out. And I do like that idea of being able to manage one's blogs in this way. Stay Tuned...
BB
I. Blogs on Fuzz and/or MySpace
A. Kidding Around: click here
B. Technical Specs:
click here
C. Not Either/Or: click here
Looks like you're well on your way! Congrats on your fast learning curve.
BB
Yesterday, I had my "Fuzz epiphany" regarding the real potential of the Fuzz platform and what it can mean for Artists and Fans who really "get it" and stay the course in helping to discover and organize BOTH (1) Music Content [which is happening slowly but surely with Playlists, Reviews, Featured Artists, New Artists, etc] and (2)Non-Music Content [which needs more active engagement by everyone here].
I have started a blog about this new way to achieve real change in the music industry in more concrete terms [rather than in the airy-fairy realm of high sounding, but loosy-goosy, conceptualizing that we are all given to - including me as one of the worst offenders].
The very specific and directed action plan that I have in mind [and what I will start to implement myself post haste] is something I am beginning to think of as "Indexing For Value" which you may wish to click on to get a sense of the direction in which I am headed.
Back to my suggestion of a blog topic. I think if we can find a way to organize Music-Content and Non-Music Content on both the Artist/Band pages and the Fan/User pages at Fuzz in a meaningful DIY way so that the most active and committed participants can really get traction by"Indexing For Value", this would be beneficial in a variety of ways: (i) first and foremost, it would make getting positive feedback for one's artistry and/or music discovery a self-fulfilling prophecy - let's call this "The Artistic Imperative"; and (ii) second, and perhaps equally importantly, it will provide the means for both Artists and Fans to be financially motivated and rewarded if we can get Fuzz [the company] to put in place in due course the payment mechanisms, corporate relationships, and all the "back-office" stuff which is a non-trivial exercise, to provide a "revenue-sharing" scheme for participants [ad revenues, licensing, ticketing, merch, whatever] - let's call this"The Fuzz Mandate", if it is possible and practicable - which in my view it should be given the commitment of the Fuzz folks to their and our Manifesto and the open platform that they have created for us to use.
Any feedback on how to combine The Artistic Imperative and The Fuzz Mandate by Indexing For Value from artists like your good self [and others] would be helpful to develop in a more concrete manner the "new music ecosystem II" that has perhaps become too conceptual and not practical enough to get things started to help artists and fans to find a better solution to the current digital chaos that we have and must address.
Although I'm repeating myself, I really think that "Indexing For Value" can be a do-it-yourself equivalent to "Dialing For Dollars" that will transform the music industry by democratizing it and yet rewarding those who are prepared to work to make music reach new levels of excellence and availability.
[As I say, I am going to start doing this Indexing For Value myself and I am confident that, while at first the exercise will be a bit cludgy, the Fuzz folks can take our work product and initiative and make implementation easier as time goes on by changing the "skin" of the Fuzz platform because, as far as I can gather from the way the site works so far, the basic architecture is there ready and waiting for Fuzz participants to energize through self-help measures such as this.]
I will re-post this at my ongoing blog[s] on the subject as well to see where it goes. Cheers.
This is very cool! Look forward to following where it goes...
If I can learn this stuff, so can you!. For now, I think this is the best way to enhance site Content and Discovery, according to your personalized view of what's useful, interesting, or fun.