Comments on: Beyond print: Quakers and the media (revisited) http://27wishes.wordpress.com/2009/02/28/beyond-print-quakers-and-the-media-revisited/ Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:35:40 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Martin Kelley http://27wishes.wordpress.com/2009/02/28/beyond-print-quakers-and-the-media-revisited/#comment-609 Martin Kelley Sun, 01 Mar 2009 14:43:55 +0000 http://27wishes.wordpress.com/?p=189#comment-609 Thanks for the nods Chad! Something I would stress is that the only limiting factor for us is shyness and a willingness to share. The camera I brought to California and used for two of my videos was a six-year-old point and shoot--a friend of mine found a comparable model for $15 at the local Goodwill last week! Other videos were shot with the webcam of my computer. These days pretty much every computer comes with a webcam and you can retrofit an older computer with one starting at the price of McDonald's Happy Meal. Youtube is the only place worth hosting your video and it's free. I've met Friends who felt they had to spend years developing video sharing sites or lay out thousands of dollars for some fancy camera but all this is unnecessary (and maybe an excuse to not get started?). Our reputation is for simplicity and authenticity and so the new medium fits us well: no one's looking for us to have the gallant theme music or triumphant opening credits. If the medium is the message then the sight of Friends sitting in front of a laptop and just talking directly and honestly is powerful. Thanks for the nods Chad! Something I would stress is that the only limiting factor for us is shyness and a willingness to share. The camera I brought to California and used for two of my videos was a six-year-old point and shoot–a friend of mine found a comparable model for $15 at the local Goodwill last week! Other videos were shot with the webcam of my computer. These days pretty much every computer comes with a webcam and you can retrofit an older computer with one starting at the price of McDonald’s Happy Meal. Youtube is the only place worth hosting your video and it’s free.

I’ve met Friends who felt they had to spend years developing video sharing sites or lay out thousands of dollars for some fancy camera but all this is unnecessary (and maybe an excuse to not get started?). Our reputation is for simplicity and authenticity and so the new medium fits us well: no one’s looking for us to have the gallant theme music or triumphant opening credits. If the medium is the message then the sight of Friends sitting in front of a laptop and just talking directly and honestly is powerful.

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