The Digital Hub eZine

Editorial

The Golden Spiders awards have become a popular mainstay of the Irish online media calendar and as the internet becomes an evermore ubiquitous part of our lives, the awards have gained even more attention among the mainstream media. Their raison d’etre is to recognise Excellence in Internet & Digital Media and in that they provide a valuable service in terms of raising the profile and highlighting the increasing importance of digital media in all our lives.

This year’s awards, sponsored by Eircom, will take place in the Burlington Hotel, Ballsbridge in Dublin on the 22nd November 2007. They will be hosted by comedian Jason Byrne and model Glenda Gilson, a double-act which went down well at last year’s awards ceremony. The awards reward Irish businesses, community organisations and individuals for their creativity and innovation and provide an important opportunity to recognise and showcase online excellence. This year there are 23 different categories, ranging from "Internet Hero" to overall "Grand Prix Award", and acknowledge the achievements across the full sector of industries - including Media, Entertainment, Sports & Leisure, Finance, Retail, Professional Services, Travel, Tourism & Hospitality and E-business.

The awards are judged by a prestigious panel of experts, comprising of leaders from industry, commerce, media and academia. The evaluation criteria is precise and transparent with entries being judged on a diverse range of judging criteria including content, structure & navigation, visual design, functionality, interactivity as well as overall user experience.

While the awards largely reward innovation in the business community, they also seek to encourage the importance of promoting Internet usage within the community. The award for "Best Community or Charity website" is a hotly contended award this year with a gratifying number of entrants, clearly highlighting how the web has been adopted as an indispensable tool for communities in Ireland. In 2007 The Golden Spiders have also introduced an award for “Best Blogging platform" to recognise excellence in blogging and its contribution to creating or supporting a community.

The Hub had the privilege to look at the shortlist for the awards and was impressed by what it saw, particularly with so many on the shortlist being Digital Hub tenants. What was equally impressive was the quality and range of websites with everything from low-budget community-based websites to large, government funded initiatives. What was common to them all – regardless of budget – was the creativity in the design, technical excellence and a high-regard for usability, something that was often seriously lacking only a few years ago. Particularly evident was a new breed of commercial website in the Web 2.0 vein which could hold their own with any of the large international Web 2.0 sites. This is particularly remarkable when you consider that many of these online sites are merely small start-ups who are not blessed with the venture capital funding available state-side. This shows a maturity in the sector which is deeply gratifying and bodes well for the future of the industry. When you consider the likes of Facebook, a college-dorm start-up now valued at $15 billion, it does imply that the web offers a low barrier to entry for anyone in terms of setting up an internationally-traded service, compared to nay other industry sector. The remarkable thing about the web – and particularly the Web 2.0 trend – is that all that is required is a computer, a broadband connection, a good idea and skilful design and coding. The latter two, if the Golden Spiders are anything to go by, are plentiful in Ireland. Now let’s reward and encourage the good ideas and see where we can go from there…

The New World

This is the first in a series of articles exclusive to The Digital Hub eZine which will explore the development of The New Medium.

On the evening of 13th March 2006, Rupert Murdoch stood in the Livery Hall of the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper makers in London, about to deliver a speech to the assembled stalwarts of the English print media. In previous years, the annual Livery Lecture had been given by such Anglo-Saxon notaries as the BBC Director General, Mark Thompson whose theme in 2005 was “Angels & E-mail” and the maritime historian David Starkey in 2003 who delivered a keynote on “Printing and the Invention of England”. For an Antipodean, Murdoch’s theme of choice was suitably colonial in theme: “The Dawn of a New Age of Discovery: Media 2006”

The Livery Hall of the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper makers, for those unacquainted with its history, might easily be mistaken at first glance for a period film set or some medieval-themed banquet house; the sort of things that entraps idle tourists wandering around Blackfriars. However, on closer inspection, with its gleaming solid oak flooring, carved panelling and large stained glass windows originating from the 1600s, you quickly realise that this building is, in fact, the real thing.

It is steeped in history; a history that chronicles the development of English news print from the time of William Caxton, the great writer-merchant who introduced the printing press to England to the tabloid reign of the infamous livery man and guest of the evening, Rupert Murdoch. One would surmise that that night, in such hallowed halls, Murdoch would have felt the weight of history upon him when he got up to speak. But for those who know Murdoch well, he most probably felt right at home.

That night, to a rapt audience, Murdoch sounded the death knell for the era of the contemporary broadcast media baron, comparing today's internet pioneers with explorers such as Christopher Columbus and John Cabot and hailing the arrival of a "second great age of discovery". What was so significant about the speech wasn’t so much what was said (the text of his speech is fully available online at http://www.newscorp.com/news/news_285.html) but more the timing and location of the speech – the Stationer’s Livery Hall

To understand why this is significant, we need to understand a little more about the Stationer’s company and its role in English society.

The origin of the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper makers goes back to 1403, when the Corporation of London approved the formation. At this time, stationers were either booksellers (who sold manuscript books that they are their employees had physically copied), illuminators (who illustrated and decorated these manuscript books), or bookbinders. However, with the arrival of the printing press, courtesy of Caxton, a remarkable transformation took place – equivalent to the arrival of the internet today. By the time the Guild received a royal charter of incorporation on May 4th 1557 – making it the 47th livery company in London – it was in effect a Printers’ Guild. The skilled manuscript copyists had been quickly replaced by the automation of the printing press and suddenly access to the printed word had become radically more available. However the guild still remained in a uniquely powerful position.

During the Tudor and Stuart periods, the Stationers were legally empowered to seize "offending books" that violated the standards of content set down by the Church and State. The Stationers' charter, establishing a monopoly on book production, ensured that once a member had asserted ownership of a text (or "copy") no other member would publish it. This is the origin of the term "copyright" as we understand it now. Members asserted such ownership by entering it in the "entry book of copies" or the Stationers' Company Register. The Register of the Stationers' Company became one of the most essential documentary records in the later study of English Renaissance theatre.

Registration under the Copyright Act 1911 ended in December 1923 and the Company then established a voluntary register in which copyrights could be recorded to provide printed proof of ownership in case of disputes. In 1937, a Royal Charter amalgamated the Stationers' Company and the Newspaper Makers Company, which had been founded six years earlier, into the Company of the present name. By this stage, the former power of the Guild in terms of copyright had been greatly reduced and it had evolved into the social club for Newspaper makers that it is today.

But what a powerful club! The broadsheet and tabloid press, especially those now owned by Murdoch through his News Corporation vehicle, had quickly become kingmakers throughout the twentieth century as the rise in literacy put newspapers in the hands of the working classes. The power of the newspaper (and by extension, those who owned the titles) was never better exemplified then the defeat of Neil Kinnock’s Labour Party in the 1992 General election in Great Britain. The day of the polls, The Sun, with Murdoch as proprietor, ran the devastating front page headline: "If Kinnock wins today, will the last person to leave Britain please turn out the lights".

The late eighties and nineties was undoubtedly the age of the media baron, who through personal ownership or public-quoted companies, controlled significant parts of the mass media, including newspapers, television and radio assets. They included, among others, Rupert Murdoch, Robert Maxwell, Marshall Naify, Conrad Black, Silvio Berlusconi, Axel Springer, Ted Turner and to a lesser extent, our own Sir Anthony O’Reilly. And of that list, it is interesting to note that Murdoch still reigns supreme, carefully negotiating the changing times and, as his stewardship of satellite operator BskyB attests, retaining a canny understanding of the impact of future technologies. On July 20, 2005, News Corp. bought Intermix Media Inc., which held MySpace.com and other popular social networking-themed websites for $580 million USD, a much-maligned valuation at the time. However, on October 24, 2007, Microsoft bought a minor 1.6% share of rival social networking site Facebook for $240 million, giving the company an overall valuation of $15 billion USD. With Facebook’s user base still a fraction of Myspace’s, it seems that once again Murdoch’s intuition had paid off handsomely.

So in that context, anyone interested in the future of the media landscape, and indeed looking to profit from it, should carefully read Murdoch’s speech to the Livery Hall of the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper makers. What Murdoch alludes to is a New World and, by extension, a New Medium - the ownership of which is up for grabs… for now anyhow.

Next Month – “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger – Daft Punk and the User-Generation”

News

Nov 8th - 16th: Best in Show

This exhibition will run until 16th of November from 10am to 5.30pm daily excluding Saturday and Sunday.
Location: Digital Exchange, Crane Street, The Digital Hub, Dublin 8

In 2007, The Digital Hub called for submissions for ‘Best in Show’, an exhibition to showcase work from Digital Media students. The response was phenomenal and 10 students have been selected to showcase their work in this, the inaugural ‘Best in Show’ exhibition in The Digital Hub.

For the first time under one roof @ The Digital Hub, this exhibition showcases a selection of work from graduate exhibitions from a cross section of colleges. Pieces shown are from many different disciplines including Visual Communications, Fine Art, Interactive Media, Virtual Realities, Film, Gaming, Animation, Model Making and Multimedia courses. Best in Show is the 10th exhibition in the "Exhibit @ The Digital Hub" series.

Nov. 14th: Podcasting for Youth

Location: Digital Exchange, Crane Street, The Digital Hub, Dublin 8.
Time: Wednesday 2:00pm – 4:00pm

This course aims to take each student through the process of planning, creating and making a podcast available on the web. Students will use PC based software to record, organise, and bring all of the elements of a podcast together. Wildvoice software will be used which is free and available to download at www.wildvoice.com.

- What is podcasting and why make your own?
- Planning your podcast
- How to use the software, adding and editing tracks, recording audio
- Adding jingles, sound effects and images
- Publishing your podcast to the web

More info: Contact Louise Morgan on 01 4806200 or learning@thedigitalhub.com

If you would like more information on any of our digital media courses please email learning@thedigitalhub.com or call 01 4806200

The Digital Hub is an Apple Regional Training Centre

Nov. 15th: Launch of Dare 2B Drink Aware Competition

DARE 2B DRINKAWARE sponsored by drinkaware.ie is a digital film competition for 3rd level students aged between 18 and 25. Teams are challenged to creatively explore the relationship and behaviour of young adults towards alcohol. The winning films (3-5 minute shorts) will be chosen based on their creativity, insight and opinion on the topic. There is a prize fund of €5,000. The DARE 2B DRINKAWARE Competition will culminate in a screening and awards ceremony in April 2008. The judging panel for the competition will include high-profile figures from the Irish film industry.

If you are interested in entering the DARE 2B DRINKAWARE Competition, come along to the launch to find out more:

Date: Thursday 15th of November 2007
Time: 12 noon registration (2.00pm-3.30pm – Introductory session to Digital Media)
Venue: Digital Exchange, Crane Street, The Digital Hub, Dublin 8
More Information: www.dare2bdrinkaware.com
RSVP by Monday 12th of November to dare2bdrinkaware@thedigitalhub.com

Projected Weekends:

From November 2006 to March 2007, The Digital Hub ran a series of outdoor projections from their premises in the Dublin 8. This successful pilot project attracted participation from many national and international artists. Submissions are now being accepted for this year's series that will run from Sept 2007 through to March 2008.

- This is an open call, there is no deadline for submissions.
- All work of any subject and discipline will be considered.
- As the areas that are being used to display the projects are residential areas, sound will not be played on the street. For further details please

More info: exhibit@thedigitalhub.com. www.myspace.com/projectedweekends or contact Elaine Tel: 01 4806200

Simon Cumbers Media Challenge Fund

The Simon Cumbers Media Challenge Fund is funded by Irish Aid and run by Connect-World. It is a grant scheme aimed at assisting and promoting more and better quality media coverage of development issues in the Irish media. For more information, go to www.connect-world.net and follow the Simon Cumbers Media Challenge Fund button.

Upcoming Deadlines are as follows:

TV Seed Grant Monday 3 March 2008

Standard Grant Round I Wednesday 30 April 2008

Standard Grant Round II Tuesday 30 September 2008

Connect-World will host workshops to help applicants prepare an application for the Simon Cumbers Media Challenge Fund. The workshops will introduce participants to a range of development issues and provide information on how to make an application for funding. There will be a workshop on the Standard Grant and another on the TV Seed Production Grant, with a buffet lunch in between. The workshops will take place on Tuesday 18 September at the Mercer Hotel, Mercer Street, Dublin 2.
Places at the workshops will fill quickly, so please book your place as soon as possible by emailing mediafund@connect-world.net or calling 01-4806222.

Places at the workshops will fill quickly, so please book your place as soon as possible by emailing mediafund@connect-world.net or calling 01-4806222.

Dec. 6th: A Small Hours Picture Show

Location: Digital Exchange, Crane Street, The Digital Hub, Dublin 8

A Small Hours Picture Show is the second of The Digital Hub’s live music events in association with DJ & VJ, Donal Dineen (Today FM). Last year was a very special event with Windings, Chequerboard and David Kitt. This year’s line up promises to be just as exciting.

More info: please keep an eye on www.thedigitalhub.com or email exhibit@thedigitalhub.com to request inclusion on our mailing list in relation to this.

Events

Nov. 10th: Mashup Camp

Location: Guinness Storehouse, Dublin, Ireland
Time: 9am
Price: EUR25
Mashup Camp, a three day International gathering of technologists and developers from multinationals, down to SMEs and individuals, is coming to Ireland for the first time. Mashup Camp takes the simple approach of gathering the best of breed developers and have them use existing technologies on offer from web companies like IBM, Google, Microsoft, AOL, Skype, eBay, Amazon and many others and using these technologies to create hybrid solutions. Attendees will learn to build new websites, services and products over the course of a day or weekend.
More info: david@masseventslabs.com http://www.mashupcamp.com/dublinflyer.html

Nov. 15th: Net Visionary Awards

Location: The Round Room at the Mansion House, Dublin 2.
Time: 7pm
Price: See website
The IIA and Enterprise Ireland Net Visionary Awards are being held in the Round Room at the Mansion House in Dublin city centre. This is the internet industry's premier awards night. In 2006 over 20,000 votes were submitted via the Awards dedicated website, over 188 nominations received and the ceremony was attended by 350 of Ireland's internet professionals. Visit the website to submit your nomination, vote or book a table or places.
More info: events@iia.ie Tel: 01-542 4154
http://www.netvisionary.ie

Nov. 20th: Cities of Knowledge Conference

Location: Clontarf Castle, Dublin, Ireland
Time: 8:00
Price: EUR 195
An International eGovernment/Public Sector Knowledge Management event, co-organised by Dublin City Council and DIT. The event is part of ICiNG (Innovative Cities for the Next Generation) which is a project funded through the European 6th Framework Research programme. It aims to develop effective e-communities and e-access to city administration. The project is based in Dublin, Barcelona, and Helsinki. Each city is providing 'City Laboratory' test-bed sites in strategic development/city regeneration locations where users will trial and evaluate technologies and services. Speakers include: Jon Udell, Technology Evangelist, Microsoft Martin Curley, Head of Innovation, Intel Mark Wardle, Head of Innovation Programmes, BT Prof John Ratcliffe, DIT Futures Academy Delegate bookings: http://www.bookyourplace.ie/information-page41666.html 10% discount on bookings made before Friday, 19 October. Conference delegate registration is €195. Book 4 delegates for the price of 3. All discounts will be applied on receipt of delegate booking.
More info: glenn.hogarty@limelight.ie Tel.: 01 668 0600 http://www.bookyourplace.ie/information-page41666.html

Nov. 22nd: Web Application Performance Management Seminar

Location: Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin 2, Ireland
Time: 8:30 - 11.00 a.m.
Price: FREE
Data Edge, the IT and network performance management company, together with its partner CA, are hosting a free seminar on managing critical web-applications and infrastructure. The seminar will provide practical advice and solutions that will enable businesses to meet their performance and availability goals. It will take place from 8.30 am to 11am on November 22nd 2007 in the Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin 2. The seminar will benefit IT managers, IT directors and all those responsible for managing and implementing web applications. Its focus will be to help companies successfully manage the health and availability of their critical web applications and infrastructure, in today's complex enterprise and SOA environments.
More info: pkelly@dataedge.ie Tel: 01 2866777
http://www.dataedge.ie

Nov. 22nd: Golden Spiders awards
Location: Burlington Hotel, Dublin 4.
Time: 7pm

The Golden Spider Awards are an annual event honouring Irish individuals and organisations for their outstanding achievements online and celebrate the successes of the Irish Internet and digital media. The awards reward Irish businesses and community organisations and individuals for their creativity and innovation and provide an important opportunity to recognise and showcase online excellence. The Golden Spiders are considered an important benchmark for distinction and excellence in web based business strategies.
More info: info@goldenspiders.ie Tel: 01 4167800
http://www.goldenspiders.ie